The Pittsburgh Pirates are back and ready to build upon a successful first half of the 2016 season. Tonight, the Pirates begin their second half as they face off in a three game weekend set against the Washington Nationals in the Nation’s Capital.
The Pirates (46-43) finished the first half as one of the best team’s in baseball. They have won 12 of their last 16 games and currently sit a half game behind the St Louis Cardinals for second place in the National League Central division and 7.5 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs. The Bucs also sit 1.5 games behind the New York Mets and Miami Marlins for the second Wild Card spot.
The Nationals (54-36) are one of the best teams in baseball, holding a six game lead over the Mets and Marlins in the NL East division. The Nationals finished the first half with a three game winning streak and hold a 27-15 record at home.
The Bucs do have an easier schedule in the second half of the season, but this weekend series will not be easy. The Nationals have one of the best offenses in baseball and an even better pitching staff to go along with it. Their offense leads the NL in home runs (124), while their pitching staff leads the league in ERA (3.29) and quality starts (57). They also rank second in strikeouts (854) and third in batting average against (.231).
The Pirates also have a stellar offense and a pitching staff that have been good as of late, especially the bullpen. With the Nationals being one of the best teams in the game and the Pirates adopting a stellar youth movement as of late, this series is bound to be a good one, filled with matchups to look forward to. Here is our list of three matchups to watch.
3.) Francisco Liriano vs Stephen Strasburg
This particular pitching matchup, which is scheduled for tonight, includes two starters going in opposite directions.
Francisco Liriano struggled in the first half of the season, posting a 5-8 record with a 5.15 ERA and 1.62 WHIP in 17 starts. Liriano has mainly struggled with command, allowing a National League leading 58 walks in 92.2 innings. He is also currently on pace to set a career high in walks.
Liriano will be a key piece of the Pirates puzzle in the second half of the season. If he can turn things around, the Pirates may find themselves with a rotation that is full of veteran and young talent. Hitters aren’t being fooled as much by Liriano’s breaking balls and pitches out of the zone, but he still has 88 strikeouts this season. Liriano has proven time and time again that he has ace like stuff, but his command must improve for him to be successful in the second half.
On the other hand, Stephen Strasburg has had an incredible year for the Nationals, posting a perfect 12-0 record with a 2.62 ERA and 1.01 WHIP in 16 starts. The former first overall pick also ranks fifth in the NL with 132 strikeouts in 106.2 innings. Strasburg did miss some time in June with an upper back strain, but in his two starts since coming off of the disabled list, he has allowed one run on two hits while walking seven and striking out 14 in 13.2 innings.
Strasburg has had issues with command in his last two starts, but that shouldn’t be much of a concern as he has been consistent all season long. Strasburg is a Cy Young caliber pitcher every year, but injuries including Tommy John Surgery in 2010 have been roadblocks in his career.
The Pirates are still a contending team and need Liriano to be at his best to help them in the second half. The Nationals. however, are one of the best teams in the league and Strasburg is a big reason why. This matchup tonight is definitely one to look forward to as the Pirates veteran looks to turn things around, while the Nats ace looks to keep his record perfect.
2.) Gerrit Cole vs Bryce Harper
Tomorrow night, Gerrit Cole returns to the mound for the Pirates for the first time since June 10. Despite the recent debuts of some of their top pitching prospects, the Bucs missed their ace who was 5-4 with a 2.77 ERA in 12 starts prior to his injury.
In the second half, Cole remaining healthy and pitching well will be vital to the Pirates success. However, aside from just the performance side, Cole will also have to serve as a veteran leader. With young guys like Jameson Taillon, Tyler Glasnow and Chad Kuhl in the big leagues, Cole is the undisputed leader of the staff and may be a primary source of advice and leadership for the young prospects.
Cole has had a long rehabilitation process, but has pitched well. In two rehab starts at Triple-A Indianapolis, Cole pitched eight shutout innings while giving up four hits and striking out 12. That is the type of pitcher the Pirates need at the top of their rotation and fans should expect that from Cole on a night in, night out basis.
When it comes to Cole’s start tomorrow night, a matchup against Bryce Harper is one that fans will not want to miss. Harper is arguably one of the best hitters in all of baseball and should put up a big fight against Cole, a guy who he is only 2-for-6 against in his career.
Harper has had another stellar season in 2016, hitting .256 with 19 home runs and 52 RBIs. Harper has also been treated as one of the best hitters in baseball, leading the league in walks with 70. The former first overall pick in 2010 is only hitting.200 in his last seven games, but he is a multi tooled player who is threat to get hot at any time.
In this matchup, it can really go either way. Cole has stuff that can blow hitters away, but Harper isn’t your average hitter. He has the ability to go yard at any moment and has a ton of plate discipline. These are two things that can drive pitchers crazy and it should be interesting to see who gets the upper hand in this matchup between to superstars.
1.) Gregory Polanco vs Max Scherzer
Once the Pirates get past Strasburg in game one of this series, they don’t exactly avoid facing another ace. In game three of the series, Max Scherzer, arguably one of the best pitchers in baseball, takes the mound against the Bucs.
This season, Scherzer is 10-6 with a 3.03 ERA and a 0.96 WHIP that ties him for second in the National League. Scherzer also leads the NL with 164 strikeouts in 127.2 innings, putting him on pace for 286 strikeouts this season.
Scherzer doesn’t have a ton of experience against the Pirates, but has enough to be considered a legitimate threat. One player that he has had success against in his career is Gregory Polanco, who is 1-for-10 against Scherzer with the one hit being a home run.
Polanco had a stellar first half for the Pirates, hitting .287 with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs in 82 games. Polanco has only hit .214 in his last seven games, but a breather over the all star break may have been at an opportune time for the young right fielder.
Sunday’s finale won’t be an easy one for the Pirates to win with Scherzer on the mound, but Polanco has been an under the radar leader for a stellar offense. He hasn’t had much success against the Washington hurler, but he may be due. It will be interesting to see if Polanco can translate his first half success into the second half and whether or not Scherzer can continue his dominance and shut down the Pirates lineup.
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