When the Pirates win two games in a row and look like a downright competent and capable baseball team for more than a fleeting glimpse, there are always plenty of things for me to say I like. Dan McCutchen looking like the capable fifth starter we all hoped he might be in April is great. Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan nailing down both wins after some shaky outings earlier this month is awesome. Big hits up and down the lineup leading to more than two runs is fantastic.
But what’s really struck me both on Tuesday night and Wednesday night was the depth of the top of the lineup. When Ronny Cedeno doubled off of Adam Wainwright on Tuesday and Andrew McCutchen couldn’t score him from third with one out, I thought the inning was over. Instead Jose Tabata came through with a single and a stolen base and Neil Walker singled both guys home for the win. Then on Wednesday when the Pirates loaded the bases up with no outs in the third and Tabata bounced into a force play at the plate, I started having flashbacks to bases loaded failings of the past and was thinking how the Pirates hadn’t even hit a ball hard all inning to load the bases up. And then Neil Walker came through again with his three-run triple that was very nearly a grand slam.
There’s no denying that this season has been rough, but whenever the top of this lineup comes through the way it has the last two nights, I have a hard time not feeling good about the direction things are going.
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