The Pittsburgh Pirates split a four-game series with their interstate rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies. All things considered, it could have gone worse!
I doubt many people predicted the Pirates and Phillies’ series would be so meaningless when the calendar turned from August to September. The Pirates swoon turned into a full-fledged collapse and this series featured two teams below .500. I doubt anyone would have thought these team would only be separated by six games in the standings. Obviously, 2016 hasn’t gone according to plan but there are still games left to be played.
The series split was the best the Pirates have played in nearly three weeks. Because of the collapse, the Pirates are playing essentially meaningless September baseball for the first time since 2012. I genuinely forgot what it felt like to not be in a pennant race. Winning baseball has definitely changed my perspective. There is still meaning in these games even if it isn’t the postseason. It’s important to see the young pitcher and how they handle the Big Leagues. The prospects taking their lumps now will pay dividends for 2017 and beyond. Falling out of wildcard contention certainly stinks but the team must finish the season strong.
Hero of the Series
The Pirates began this series with a very disappointing loss in game one. Game two looked like more of the same as the team trailed 3-2 going into the ninth inning. The Pirates managed to get a couple of baserunners, then Sean Rodriguez came to the plate. Rodriguez hit his career high 13th home run of the season to give the Pirates a 5-3 lead, which they obviously held onto for the win. The pennant race may be over but good moments are worthy of celebration.
The home run capped a good 24 hours for the Rodriguez family as the previous day, Sean’s father, Johnny Rodriguez managed the State College Spikes to the New York-Penn League championship. The Pirates are struggling but it’s hard to not be happy for the Rodriguez family right now. Lots of good moments for them, especially over the last couple of days.
Sean Rodriguez wasn’t exactly Mr. Popular for the Pirates last season but he’s really found his niche and the bat has really come to live this season. He’s hit a career-best 13 home runs with 44 RBIs in only 243 at-bats. He may not be an everyday player but it’s hard to complain about that level of production off the bench.
Goat of the Series
The Pirates have had plenty go wrong recently and despite winning two games this series, it was far from a good one. The series began with a touch of excitement as the team ace was back from the disabled list. Cole proceeded to lay an egg and to me was a fairly logical Goat of the Series.
Cole lasted just two innings, gave up five runs on four hits with four walks. 2016 will go down as a lost season for Cole as he was never able to find the consistency or health that made him a worthy Cy Young candidate in 2015. The Pirates then placed Cole back on the DL, effectively ending his season. In the grand scheme of things, this is the best move for both Cole and the team. He can get healthy and have a full offseason to get ready for Spring Training 2017.
When the Pirates began to play back in April, many fans were concerned with the back-end of the rotation. I doubt anyone thought the Pirates two top starters would regress so much. Cole could never stay healthy and Francisco Liriano was a disaster from basically Opening Day onward. You can’t predict baseball and this season proves that. As a result of being shut down, neither Cole or Liriano will finish out the season pitching for the Pirates.
Final Thoughts
Splitting a series with the Phillies is not exactly an exciting result but right now that’s the best the Pirates can do. The team has struggled so mightily that I genuinely expected another deflating series defeat at the hands of a rebuilding team. Say what you will but at least the Pirates fought for this split. I know many won’t want to hear that but the team didn’t quit. They battled and while I am not happy with this result, I am not ashamed either. I am let down by the team’s play over the last few weeks but I really do not see a team that has quit on the season. They are not playing good baseball but that isn’t from a lack of effort or desire.
A team that has given up, doesn’t battle back in the ninth inning to win a “worthless” game. That win will have very little impact on the final standings but it was still good to see the team scratching and clawing for a victory. The Pirates aren’t in a pennant race anymore but if they finish out the season with the same effort they showed in game’s two and four of this series, they can at least give the fans a reason to be optimistic about the offseason and 2017. I’ve expressed plenty of anger about this team’s effort over the last few weeks but at least in this series, I saw a team that looked like the one that was in contention on September 1st.
2016 will go in the record books as a disappointment for the franchise. However, if the team can finish strong and give the young guys some valuable playing time, it will not be a complete failure. We all wanted another postseason berth this year but if core prospects get experience, we shouldn’t have to wait long to see the Pirates popping champagne again.
Up Next
The Pirates won’t get to enjoy their 15-2 thrashing of the Phillies for long. The team begins a three-game series against the Cincinnati Reds tonight. Ryan Vogelsong takes on Robert Stephenson. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10pm.
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