Philadelphia Phillies Weekend Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates

The Philadelphia Phillies‘ weekend series against the Pittsburgh Pirates is previewed.

Despite losing three out of four against the Miami Marlins, the Philadelphia Phillies probably consider the series to be a success. Young starters Aaron Nola and Vincent Velasquez both turned in strong starts, and Jeremy Hellickson pitched a gem, potentially boosting his trade value.

Will that stellar pitching continue against the Pirates? And can the offense chip in some runs to support them?

Pittsburgh Pirates

Record: 49-46 (Third place in National League Central)

Manager: Clint Hurdle

The last time they met

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The Philadelphia Phillies visited Pittsburgh in June 2015, and things didn’t go very well. They lost all three games, with two of the losses coming in extra innings. Perhaps the most demoralizing aspect of the series was that former Phillie Antonio Bastardo picked up a win in two of the contests.

What’s the deal with the Pirates

The Pirates will have to make up some ground if they want to make the postseason for a fourth straight year. Thanks to an awful month of June (9-19 record), they are in third place in the NL Central, three games out of a wild-card spot.

It is probably not coincidental that the team’s struggles have been mirrored by those of its best player. In recent years, the Pirates’ offense was carried by Andrew McCutchen, but he’s having a disappointing season, shown by his sub par .720 OPS.

There is some cause for optimism, as the team has recently welcomed some key players back from the disabled list. Gerrit Cole, Gregory Polanco, and Francisco Cervelli have all returned to action, and that will likely give the team a boost.

Reason to hate the Pirates

Pirates fans have never struck me as being especially obnoxious, but most of them are also fans of the Steelers and Penguins, and I can’t stand most of those teams’ fans. I’ve never been to a baseball game in Pittsburgh, but I have this image of the stadium being filled with Bettis and Roethlisberger jerseys.

Pirates player who isn’t entirely horrible

Starling Marte has steadily improved throughout his career. The speedy left fielder is batting .314 and his 33 stolen bases have him on pace to set a new career high. As a result, he was named to his first All-Star game.

Pirates player who is horrible

The Pirates hoped Jon Niese would be a solid back-of-the-rotation starter. Instead, he has a 4.89 and was demoted to the bullpen. The Pirates are looking for a replacement on the trade market. Perhaps they would be interested in Jeremy Hellickson? He’s priced to move!

Phillies player who has been awesome lately

Thus far in his career, Tommy Joseph has been a streaky hitter. He started off red-hot, hitting seven home runs in his first 21 games. After the team named him the regular first baseman, he cooled off and slumped through much of June.

Once the calendar switched to July, he heated up again. He has five home runs this month, and he will likely earn a decent share of Rookie of the Year votes at season’s end.

Reasons for optimism

Nola and Velasquez pitched well in their last starts. When those guys are on their game, the Philadelphia Phillies have a decent chance against any team.

The Philadelphia Phillies will be facing rookie starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow who gave up four runs in only 5.1 innings in his debut. Hopefully, he doesn’t get things straightened out before his second start.

Gerrit Cole was shaky in his first start off the disabled list and bore little resemblance to the star that he was last season. It might take him another couple of starts to regain his form.

Reasons for pessimism

1. The Philadelphia Phillies’ offense has once again gone quiet since the All-Star break. They’ve averaged fewer than three runs in seven post-break games.
2. As mentioned, the Pirates are getting healthier, so the Phillies may be getting them at the wrong time.
3. The Pirates are 11-3 against the Philadelphia Phillies the past two seasons, so they may have the Phils’ number.

Tweet of importance

Better get to the Pirates early. Once the ninth inning comes, it’s too late.

Next: When is the Right Time to Promote Jake Thompson?

Prediction

The Pirates’ road back to the postseason will get a little tougher as the Philadelphia Phillies take two out of three games.