The Pittsburgh Pirates continue their road trip this week with stops in St. Louis and Atlanta.
Despite an 11-game winning streak in July along with a pair of impactful trade deadline moves that increased the team’s hope for a postseason berth, the slow, downward spiral of the 2018 Pittsburgh Pirates continues.
With a 7-4 loss to Milwaukee Sunday, the Bucs have now dropped 10 of their last 13 games and trail the first place Chicago Cubs by 13 games in the National League Central race. Pittsburgh is now 8.5 games back in the Wild Card race.
Things don’t get easier for the Bucs as they continue their nine game road trip with matchups against a pair of NL contenders in the St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves.
Here are a few of the most intriguing matchups to watch out for as the Pirates attempt to end their losing ways against a divisional foe and the NL East leaders.
TREVOR WILLIAMS VS. MATT CARPENTER
While the Pirates have endured their share of struggles over the past few weeks, their pitching hasn’t exactly been a weak spot.
And Trevor Williams has been one of the Bucs’ most consistent hurlers over the last few months.
Since allowing five earned runs in 2.1 innings against the Philadelphia Phillies on July 6, Williams is 4-2 with a 0.86 ERA and 1.10 WHIP in seven starts. The right hander has allowed two or less runs and gone five plus innings in each start.
His next outing is scheduled for Wednesday against the Cardinals, a team in which Williams has struggled against int he past, posting a 6.93 ERA in 10 appearances (seven starts).
Williams will face a tough St. Louis lineup that includes Matt Carpenter, who has already set a career-high with 34 home runs this season. Over the last two months, Carpenter has 19 round trippers.
Williams hasn’t had much success against Carpenter in the past, which makes this matchup more interesting. In his career against Williams, Carpenter is 7 for 16 (.438) with three home runs, six RBIs, a double and four walks.
It’s not unrealistic to believe Williams can keep pitching as well as he has over the last few months. However, a key to his success will be maintaining Carpenter and keeping him off the bases.
ADAM FRAZIER VS. MILES MIKOLAS
It’s no secret the Pirates’ offense hasn’t been producing much as of late. However, since his recall from Triple-A Indianapolis, Adam Frazier has been a shining light in their lineup.
Over his last 15 games, Frazier is hitting .320 with three home runs and 11 RBIs while getting playing time at various positions, including left field and second base.
If he gets a few starts during this St. Louis series, look for Frazier to continue his hot hitting against right hander Miles Mikolas, who is 13-3 with a 2.94 ERA this season. Mikolas is scheduled to start against Trevor Williams on Wednesday.
In a short sample of nine at-bats, Frazier has three hits – a double and two triples – along with a pair of RBIs against Mikolas.
Given the solid pitching the Pirates have received as of late along with Mikolas’ consistent play, Wednesday’s game may be a close one. And if the Pirates are in need of a clutch hit, Frazier may just be the man to get the job done.
Corey dickerson vs. kevin gausman
Corey Dickerson has arguably been one of the Pirates’ best hitters all season, batting just under .300 with 11 home runs and 46 RBIs.
However, he’s currently in the midst of a slump, batting .154 over his last seven games with no home runs or RBIs. Over his last 15 contests, Dickerson is hitting just over .200 and has struck out 14 times in 59 at-bats.
One matchup to keep an eye on during the series with Atlanta is between Dickerson and former Baltimore Oriole Kevin Gausman.
The two have faced off on a number of occasions, particularly last season when Dickerson was a member of the Tampa Bay Rays.
Dickerson hasn’t had much success against the right hander, hitting .176 (3 for 17) with four strikeouts.
Gausman has been good in the month of August, sporting a 1.69 ERA in five starts, including an outing against the Pirates on Aug. 21 in which he threw eight shutout innings.
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