Pirates season coming to an early finish
that’s going through the motions, from the general manager and manager on down. They aren’t just a seasonworst five games under .500 at 36-41. They are 10-24 since they were in first place on May 17 and are much closer to last-place Cincinnati than they are to the second wild card. Their 3-0 loss to Arizona Sunday was their fifth in a row. They are beyond difficult to watch.
The Sean Rodriguez nonsense is out of control. It’s on Huntington that he can’t find a better backup shortstop/utility player to take Rodriguez’s spot on the roster. It’s on Clint Hurdle for continuing to play Rodriguez and starting him in each of the past three games. Rodriguez went 0 for 9 with six strikeouts. Hurdle let him bat Sunday with a runner on in the eighth inning and the team down three runs. Rodriguez bounced the first pitch into a double play. Hurdle’s explanation: He wanted to make sure Jordy Mercer had the day off. His explanation for starting Rodriguez three games in a row: The club needs to get him going. Huntington’s explanation for Rodriguez still being on the team despite hitting .145, including 1 for 26 in 13 games since May 31 with 13 strikeouts and five errors: He has “an incredible presence in our clubhouse.” It’s almost as if Huntington thinks there would be a mutiny if Rodriguez were released. Nonsense. Instead Rodriguez keeps playing. The Pirates are 2-11 in his past 13 games. There’s no question he is loved and respected in the clubhouse. He is a wonderful teammate. But he’s killing the team on the field. I feel sorry for him because he hasn’t been the same player since his serious automobile accident in January 2017 led to major shoulder surgery.
But the Pirates problems go far beyond Rodriguez. Four times in the five-game losing streak, their starting pitcher gave up multiple runs in the first inning. Trevor Williams allowed a two-run home run to David Peralta Sunday and another home run to John Ryan Murphy in the second inning. He recovered to pitch well in the rest of his six-inning outing, but his team never did.
The hitters have been much worse. During the five-game losing streak, which started with a 3-2 loss to Milwaukee Tuesday night and was followed by the four-game weekend sweep by Arizona, they were beyond feeble. The opposing five starters combined for 30 innings and allowed two earned runs, 13 hits and three walks with 36 strikeouts. Sunday, Arizona’s Clay Buchholz retired the first 11 batters he faced and must have cried when he had to leave the game after five innings because of tightness in his left side. Pitching against the Pirates these days is every pitcher’s dream.
Josh Harrison is hitting .158 in his past nine games. Josh Bell is hitting .226 in June despite getting two singles Sunday and hasn’t hit a home run since May 31. He has just four after hitting 26 last season. Corey Dickerson is hitting .191 in his past 13 games, hasn’t had an RBI since June 1 and hasn’t hit a home run since May 4.
“The same guys who threw some big numbers up early are not doing it now,” Hurdle said. “We’re capable …
“The game’s hard sometimes. We’re having to develop some mental toughness and some physical toughness right now to push through this ...
“We’re going to keep playing. The season’s not going to stop. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us. These guys in here are working hard to get better. We haven’t gotten better.” Things could be worse. Are you thinking what I’m thinking?
It’s a good thing Rodriguez still is in the clubhouse or the Pirates would be in real trouble.