Pittsburgh Pirates Hero and Goat – Wildly Deflating

The Pittsburgh Pirates Wildcard chances took a huge hit as they were swept at home by the Milwaukee Brewers

The Pittsburgh Pirates were swept by the Chicago Cubs, which honestly wasn’t a shocking result. The Cubs are one of the elite teams in the league for a reason. Despite the loss, many fans were still optimistic about the Pirates’ Wildcard chances. The Milwaukee Brewers came to town and the Pirates just swept them at Miller Park.

The Pirates proceeded to lay one disappointing egg. Following the Cubs’ series, I said the Pirates needed to win this series. They not only lost to the Brewers, they were swept. It’s one thing to get swept by the Cubs on the road, it’s another to get swept at home by the Brewers. The 2016 Pirates have been plagued by inconsistent play and it’s still hindering the team at the worst possible time. The Pirates had a great opportunity to gain ground in the Wildcard standings but they were easily handled by a rebuilding ballclub.

The Pirates were shutout twice, including a 10-0 loss in game three of the series. The offense apparently decided to take September off. If you’re angry about this series, that just means you’re human. This was easily the biggest disappointment of the 2016 season. The Pirates may still mathematically be in the playoff race but it’s hard to imagine them playing a fourth consecutive Wildcard Game following this stinker of the series.

Hero of the Series

When Jonathan Villar‘s game-breaking grand slam cleared the fence to make it 5-0 Brewers, I basically felt not a single player deserved the ‘Hero’ label. The challenge is to find the best of a bad series and this series was as bad as it gets.

When you’re shut out twice in a three-game series, it’s hard to pick any offensive players as the hero. Initially, I thought Josh Harrison would be the winner since he had two multi-hit games in the series. However, the offense was so bad this series, I decided no one was worthy so my Hero of the Series is Jameson Taillon.

Jameson Taillon pitched very well in game one and deserved a better result. He went six innings, allowed one run on three hits with four strikeouts. Taillon has been excellent since his call-up. Anytime a rookie performs well, it’s a pleasant surprise. It’s obscenely impressive when it’s a rookie that’s missed most of the previous two seasons. Taillon is showing all the tools that made him a first-round pick and one of the Pirates’ top prospects since he joined the system in 2010.

Goat of the Series

When your team is swept, it’s fairly easy to find plenty of candidates for the Goat. The Pirates were blown out in game three but they had opportunities in games one and two. Which makes this sweep even more disappointing. There were plenty of options but my money the Goat of the Series is Gregory Polanco.

Gregory Polanco didn’t have the best series of the season as he went 0-10 with one walk, one RBI, and four strikeouts. In addition to going hitless, Polanco stranded six runners on base in the series. He had opportunities to give the Pirates at least one win in the series but he was never able to get the big hit. He was far from the only one but he’s been the Pirates’ best offensive player for most of the season, so you expect more from him.

Final Thoughts

Gregory Polanco will undoubtedly bounce back from this disappointing series but it’s hard to say if the Pirates will. The team had a great opportunity to at least tie the Cardinals in the wildcard standings. Instead, they still find themselves 3.5 games back. Which is in itself a small miracle. They have a chance to gain ground starting today when the St. Louis Cardinals come to town for a three-game series.

Before that, it’s important to look back at the wasted opportunity that was the Brewers’ series. When your team is exactly .500 late in the season, you aren’t really a bad team as much as a team that had several failed chances at greatness. The 2016 Pirates at times looked like they were turning the corner and legitimizing themselves as contenders. Yet, it seemed like every time they had a great series, they followed it up with a terrible streak of play.

The Pirates still have a chance to get right back into a good position in the wildcard standings as the St. Louis Cardinals are coming to town. A series victory could be a kickstart back into the postseason. A loss or worse could officially be the end of the road for the 2016 Pirates. It’s put up or shut up time for the Pirates. We’re officially going to see what the current group is made of.

Chad Kuhl will take the mound in game one of the Cardinals series as he faces veteran Adam Wainwright. It’s Pirates vs. Cardinals and that’s always something special.

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