The Pittsburgh Pirates picked a most inopportune time to hit a serious losing streak. After losing all six contests last week, the team didn’t fare any better from September 5-11 as they only won two of a possible seven games. Here are the standout players from a week’s worth of mostly disappointing games.
Ivan Nova
Ivan Nova turned in his second nine inning performance since joining the Pirates when he went the distance on August 8th against the Cincinnati Reds. Nova allowed just one run on six hits and no walks to go along with four strikeouts. With his fifth victory since joining the Pirates, Nova remains undefeated and resigning him should be a top priority for Pittsburgh this winter. He’ll carry a ridiculous 32/2 K/BB ratio instead his next start, scheduled for Tuesday in Philadelphia.
[mlbvideo id=”1150640783″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]Ivan Nova Weekly Snapshot
[table id=185 /]Jung Ho Kang
After missing some time with an injury, Jung Ho Kang has been on a tear as of late. In the last week he clubbed four home runs, including two in the loss on September 6th against the St. Louis Cardinals. He also had two games where he knocked in three runs, including the defeat on the 6th and again on the 10th to the Reds. He’ll look to keep the hot bat going if the Pirates have any hope of getting back into the playoff discussion.
[mlbvideo id=”1147771283″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]Jung Ho Kang Weekly Snapshot
[table id=186 /]Josh Harrison
Josh Harrison put together a nice week at the plate, but his status for the rest of the season was dealt a blow on Saturday when he exited the game due to a groin injury. GM Neal Huntington indicated the injury could be fairly serious, so fans may have seen the last of Harrison in 2016. But prior to the injury, Harrison was on quite a roll. He collected at least one hit in all of the games he played in last week, including four multi-hit performances. He also scored a run in each game, showing just what a play maker he can be when healthy.
[mlbvideo id=”1156202283″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]Josh Harrison Weekly Snapshot
[table id=187 /]Josh Bell
Josh Bell continues to impress as he prepares for the starting first base job in 2017. He took three walks and only struck out three times, showcasing his sharp eye at the plate. For the season Bell has now walked twice as often as he has struck out (14/7). While he did not hit a home run, he did at two more doubles to his season and career totals. With the season slowly slipping away from the Pirates, it only makes sense that Bell should get more on the job training and start at first base in the majority of the season’s remaining games.
[mlbvideo id=”1140342683″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]Josh Bell Weekly Snapshot
[table id=188 /]Which of the above players do you think did the best job last week? Let us know in the comments below!
Photo Credit – Daniel Decker Photography
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
