One of the defining characteristics of last year’s Pirates was the way that no matter what went wrong, the Pirates had a player ready to solve their problem. Wandy Rodriguez can’t hack it anymore (apparently, this has changed)? Well, here’s a newly fixed Vance Worley. Pedro Alvarez lost the ability to throw to first base? Let me introduce you to MVP candidate Josh Harrison. Gregory Polanco struggling? Time for Travis Snider to finally become a big league regular! Bullpen needs a boost? Well here’s John Holdzkom who was just in an independent league but don’t worry, it’ll be fine. In that grand tradition, today Jung Ho Kang lead the Bucs to a 4-3 win, giving the Cardinals their first series loss of the season and keeping the Pirates’ heads above water in the NL Central race.
Kang started the action today by jumping all over a Tyler Lyons mistake pitch and crushing it into the left field bleachers in the bottom of the first. Some questionable Cardinal defense helped the Pirates to a 2-0 lead, before Kolton Wong (Kolten Wong’s career line against the Pirates must be 1.000/1.000/4.000, I swear) tied the game with a two-run homer in the sixth. That started a late-game seesaw: the Cardinals tied the Pirates on that homer in the top of the sixth, the Pirates took a 3-2 lead in the bottom after Andrew McCutchen doubled and scored on a Gregory Polanco sac fly, the Cards tied it again in the top of the seventh when Jeff Locke fell apart after getting two quick outs to start the inning, and then the Pirates took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh when Steve Lombardozzi walked, moved to second on a Josh Harrison bunt, and scored on Kang’s single.
It’s hard to think of a series more diametrically opposed to last weekend’s series for the Pirates than this one. Last weekend, the Pirates spent most of the series up by a run or tied, waiting for one bit hit to break a game open. This weekend, the Pirates came up with big hit after big hit on Saturday and Sunday, outslugging the Cardinals to sneak out a series win by winning games started by Vance Worley and Jeff Locke after losing the opener pitched by Francisco Liriano.
The bats are starting to come alive, but the schedule doesn’t get much easier from here. After a four-game respite in Philadelphia, the Pirates are back at Wrigley Field, then home against the Twins, Mets, and Marlins. Let’s hope yesterday and today were the start of something good.
Photo by Jared Wickerham/Getty Images
