One of the weirdest parts of the trade deadline every year is that baseball just keeps on going while the trades fly back and forth. Thinking about trades and roster weaknesses and potential deals always feels like off-season activity for me, and suddenly it seems hard to focus on the games that are actually happening.
The Pirates are off in Minnesota this week, and we’re officially into the portion of the year when every series is the biggest series of the season. After the Cardinals beat the Reds last night, the Pirates dropped to 6 1/2 back in the NL Central and I think that that’s just about the most games back they can be to still have a realistic shot at the NL Central. The room for a bad road trip like the Pirates had in Milwaukee and Kansas City this week is vanishingly small.
The Twins have come out of the All-Star Break really poorly, with a 3-6 record against the A’s, Angels, and Yankees. They mopped the floor with the Pirates in Pittsburgh back in May, but the Twins have played .500 baseball since that series ended, whereas the next game for the Pirates was Gerrit Cole’s start against the Mets that jump-started the hot-streak that lasted through the break.
Charlie Morton starts for the Pirates tonight, and he has not pitched well lately. He’s got a 7.76 ERA in his last six starts, allowing four or more runs in four of those starts. He’s given up six homers in 31 1/3 innings, which is a ton for Charlie Morton, and has a 21:12 K:BB ratio. If the Pirates had anyone in the system to take his spot, I’d say he was pitching for his job. Currently, the Pirates do not have anyone in the system to take his spot. Mike Pelfrey starts for the Twins.
First pitch is at 8:10.
Photo by Mike McGinnis/Getty Images
