8. Smashing Arrieta
July 8th – Before this date, the Pittsburgh Pirates could not solve Chicago Cubs ace, Jake Arrieta.
He had dominated them in the Wild Card Game the previous year, pitching a shutout. He had only given up two earned runs in 21 innings when facing the Pirates up to that point in the season. Things changed in the bottom of the second inning on July 8. David Freese led off the inning with a home run. Sean Rodriguez hit a two-run homer two batters later. Just like that, the Pirates scored more runs off of Arrieta than they had during the first half of the season.
In the bottom of the seventh, the Pirates strung together a few baserunners and scored four runs, three of them charged to Arrieta. They eventually won the game 8-4. Jake Arrieta finished with a line of 6 IP, 9 hits, 6 earned runs, 6 strikeouts, and 1 walk.
This game was more than just a blip on the radar for Arrieta. The final two times he faced the Pirates, Arrieta gave up a total of 13 earned runs over 11.1 innings pitched. He finished the season with a 4.93 ERA against the Pirates giving up five home runs in six total starts. He didn’t give up more than two against any other opponent. At the very least, the Pirates’ success against Jake Arrieta in 2016 will give them confidence when facing him in the future.
7. The Kang Show Returns
May 6th – One of the biggest questions going into 2016 was the health of Jung-Ho Kang after he suffered a horrendous knee injury in September of 2015. We all remember it. Was he still going to have all of his power? Can he still play shortstop? Kang returned with a bang in 2016. Facing the Cardinals, he hit two home runs to help the Pirates win 4-2.
During his first 34 games, Jung-Ho Kang absolutely raked hitting nine home runs while slugging at a .600 clip. He really started his season as hot as anyone can be. Things were looking great. However, on June 17 at a Chicago hotel, a 23 year-old woman went to Kang’s room where she claimed to sexually assaulted. This information was released to the public on July 5. Coincidentally or not, Kang struggled for the next two months. From June 17 to August 17, Jung-Ho Kang slashed .198/.302/.372 with just five home runs. Kang finished the season strong slashing .299/.430/.598 from August 19 to the end of the season. The investigation regarding the sexual assault case is still ongoing.
Kang’s legal troubles thickened this offseason after he was arrested on December 1 in South Korea for his third DUI. Jung-Ho Kang is a great player. I could see him hitting 30-40 home runs a season. If he can gets his personal issues square, he will be a true force for the Pirates. That being said, questions still concern Jung-Ho Kang going into the 2017 season, this time not for injury.
6. Cole Avenges the Cubs
May 15th – Gerrit Cole‘s 2016 season never really got going. A combination of struggling command, a lifeless fastball, and injuries kept Cole from performing up to his standards. One bright spot of his season came on May 15, when the Pittsburgh Pirates faced the Cubs in a series finale. Up until that point, the Pirates had lost all five meetings against the eventual World Champs. They were already nine games back of first place at that point in the season. Gerrit Cole had already lost to Cubs 13 days earlier when he gave up six runs (5 earned) in 4.2 innings.
That Sunday afternoon was different. Gerrit Cole dominated and over eight innings pitched only gave up three hits, zero walks, and zero runs. He struck out seven. The Pirates won the game 2-1 in a true pitchers duel. Jon Lester didn’t make things easy carrying a no hitter into the seventh inning. On that day, Gerrit Cole looked like the guy who finished fourth in Cy Young voting the previous season. His fastball had movement. His breaking ball was sharp. It was truly an excellent outing.
This game was a huge win for the Pirates. It was their first win against them since before the Wild Card Game the previous year. The Pirates didn’t win many games against the Cubs in 2016, only four in fact, but that one felt especially relieving because it was the first one.
We roll on with a shocking development that would have been unfathomable before this season.
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