With all of the things that have been frustrating about the first 2 1/2 weeks of the 2016 season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, sometimes it’s really gratifying to sit back and watch a game play out the way that you think it should ahead of time.
With the Pirates coming off of two ugly losses to start their series in San Diego, they turned to Gerrit Cole to quiet the Padre lineup that the Pirates’ pitching staff had made look good, despite their ugly start to the season. Cole did just that last night, spinning six shutout innings with seven strikeouts, no walks, and four hits. He probably could’ve gone one more inning, except that the Pirates batted for forever in the top of the seventh, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight times. Cole actually batted twice in the top of inning before giving way to Neftali Feliz in the bottom part of it.
Sometimes it’s important to sit back and remember that the season is only 1/10th over. Gerrit Cole is rounding into shape, and the offense is capable of things that a Pirate offense hasn’t been capable of in a while. The rotation looks rough right now, but if they can round themselves into shape, the Pirates are going to be a sight to see.
Image credit: Dennis Poroy, Getty Images
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