CINCINNATI — If the Pirates' three-game sweep of the last-place Reds this weekend was any indication, their pre-All-Star break ascent wasn't one last gasp before a collapse.
A 9-2 victory over the Reds Sunday afternoon at Great American Ball Park extended their winning streak to nine games and secured a second consecutive series sweep. The Pirates scored 27 runs, their most in a three-game set since 2007, and hit nine home runs, their most in a three-game set since 2013.
They outscored the Reds, winners in 21 of 31 before the break, by 22 runs. As a result, the Pirates improved to 51-49, took sole possession of third place and are just 4 1/2 back in the Wild Card. A victory Monday in Cleveland would give them their first 10-game winning streak since 2004. Yet, their fate is in the hands of the front office. With seven games before the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, those in charge of the franchise must decide whether to add or subtract from the hottest team in the National League.
"As a guy that’s been here long enough, whatever decision they try to make I do hope they decide this is something worth investing into as opposed to getting out of the investment," Sean Rodriguez told DKPittsburghSports.com after he hit his second homer in three games Sunday. "It’s like stocks and bonds. You have to ride the lows."
TAP ABOVE FOR BOXSCORE, STANDINGS, VIDEONeal Huntington was ready to pull the plug when the Pirates were seven games under .500 and 12 1/2 back in the Central Division. He told reporters moments before an afternoon game against the Phillies at PNC Park on July 8 that the final week before the All-Star break would determine his deadline strategy.
If the Pirates failed to gain ground in the standings, he would become a motivated seller. The same roster he shouldered the blame for constructing this past offseason responded with six straight wins before the break, securing a five-game sweep over the first-place Brewers to move within nine games of first place.
"We didn't wave the white flag on July 8," Huntington said Sunday during his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan.
There was no clubhouse speech, according to several players. They didn't address the "elephant in the room," as Corey Dickerson called it. Instead, they were tired of losing and were waiting to finally break out after winning only 14 of 45 games from May 18 through June 7.
"The trade deadline shouldn’t be a driving force, but it’s that point in the year where it’s in the back of everybody’s head," Josh Bell said. "We’re still playing for each other. We’re not playing to keep people from getting traded away or anything like that. We’re playing to win. It’s just really fun baseball right now."
It wasn't for nearly two months, though. Seemingly every player in the lineup went cold. Starling Marte went on the disabled list May 17 and batted just .211 with a .615 OPS in 30 games upon his return before he was benched by Clint Hurdle in San Diego on June 30. Gregory Polanco batted .192 with a .623 OPS and 42 strikeouts in 41 games from April 13 through June 5.
Bell, the Pirates' leader with 90 RBIs in 2017, was demoted from the cleanup spot on June 8 after batting .237 with only four home runs and a .679 OPS in 62 games. Francisco Cervelli batted .194 in 21 games after May 18 before he was sidelined with a concussion.
The young pitching was volatile, including the bullpen, which Huntington chose not to supplement via free agency. They reached rock bottom at Dodger Stadium where they were outscored 31-8 in a three-game sweep, including a 17-1 loss in the series opener July 2. They returned to PNC Park for an 11-game homestand, where they were again embarrassed, 17-5, by the Phillies.
"We’re not the team we were for that bad stretch, I’ll promise you that," Jameson Taillon said as he dressed for the flight to Cleveland. Whether it's a coincidence or not, the Pirates haven't been the same team since Huntington made his make-or-break proclamation, and they seemed to reach their apex last Sunday, when Bell's double through a rainstorm finished a come-from-behind walk-off win before the break.
The second-half schedule started in Cincinnati, where they had not swept since September 2013, and Cleveland, one of the best teams in the American League. The break can also be a momentum killer, as it was in 2015 when the Pirates won eight of nine before the All-Star Game, only to lose five of six upon returning.
Hurdle, though, was adamant that wouldn't be the case this time. "I’ve appreciated their effort, I’ve appreciated their focus," he said. "They know what’s at stake, though. More often than not, we need to be the first believers. There are people who are only going to believe after. It’s all reactionary. We need to be out in front of things."
Ivan Nova's 6 2/3 innings of two-run ball Sunday improved the rotation's ERA to 2.80 over its past 11 games. They've struck out 72 with 19 walks in that span. Also, the bullpen, a weakness for the club for much of the season, has slowly started to realize its potential. The three back end relievers — Felipe Vazquez, Kyle Crick and Edgar Santana — have combined for 27 1/3 scoreless innings this month. The bullpen did not allow a run in 8 2/3 innings in Cincinnati.
But it's the renaissance of a dormant offense that's been the catalyst for change. The Pirates had 42 hits in 118 at-bats in three games on the Ohio River. One player had four hits in each game — Colin Moran on Friday, Bell Saturday and Dickerson Sunday — and the three starting outfielders went a combined 19 for 46.
Dickerson hit four homers in the series and went 4 for 5 with this 447-foot two-run homer in the series finale:
Marte extended his hitting streak to a career-best 15 games — the Pirates' longest streak since Andrew McCutchen's 18-game mark in 2015 — with a solo homer in the finale and a grand slam Friday night.
Polanco hit his team-leading 17th Sunday and is batting .303 with eight homers and 18 RBIs in his last 20 games. The Pirates have batted .290 as a team in 12 games since Huntington's comments. "If you’re out of it those things tend to happen, and it’s out of your control," Dickerson said. "As a team, going through spring training, going through tough times, winning, we didn’t want to give up on the season. I think everybody locked in a little bit more. Not necessarily [Huntington's] quote, by any means, but I just think we focused a little bit more."
The Pirates are now behind only two teams in the Wild Card race and are 4 1/2 back of the Brewers for second place. Huntington was noncommittal when asked of his deadline strategy before the game, saying only that he'd "love to add." However, for all that was accomplished since his ultimatum, it's likely it can all be undone if they have one bad week before the deadline.
"I’m not sure what sparked things, but we were playing bad and we were due to get back to where we belong," Taillon said.
1. Marte back in a 'rhythm'
Marte is on some kind of roll. His 15-game hitting streak is the longest active streak in the majors, and the second-longest this season behind the Braves' Freddie Freeman (16).
Marte brought adversity upon himself last year by testing positive and ultimately getting suspended 80 games. It was a foolish move and the punishment was just. But fans seemed to panic when he struggled upon returning to the field July 18 last year. Marte batted .236 with a .600 OPS in his first 25 games back, but he batted .312 with an .805 OPS in his final 39 games.
That included 10 multi-hit games in the final five weeks, and he ended the season with a 12-game hitting streak. He was the heartbeat of this team during its hot start to 2018, too. Marte had a .308 average and .869 OPS in 41 games before straining his right oblique. Upon returning, he struggled against breaking pitches and was benched when the team reached San Diego for three games at the beginning of this month.
Marte's batting .380 during this current hitting streak, raising his season slash line to .287/.333/.494. He's now homered four times in his last six games, and he has 15 RBIs this month — his most in one month since September/October of 2015. He and Dickerson went back-to-back in the second inning Sunday:
"It took some time," Hurdle said. "And it was good he got back when he did. It was good he experienced what he experienced because I think it reignited his appreciation for the game, for the opportunity and for his gifts. His gifts weren't there when he came back in the box. He had to find his way back, he had to work his way back. ... He has worked very intentionally every day to become better and be the best player he can be."
2. Dickerson providing a spark atop the order.
When the Pirates were at their worst last month, Hurdle couldn't settle on a lineup. Health contributed to the seemingly constant shuffling, particularly that of Cervelli. Performance was the main reason, though. First, Hurdle moved Bell out of the cleanup spot and settled on Moran. Then he moved Marte to the leadoff spot, stacking him in front of Harrison and Bell. Then Harrison and Bell got bumped back down. Diaz has batted cleanup. Marte is back in the two-hole.
Even Bell got an audition as the leadoff hitter for three games against the Phillies. You get the picture. So, Hurdle finally moved Dickerson to leadoff. It wasn't a leap of logic, either. Dickerson was the leadoff batter in 57 games for the Rays last season. Well, it's probably no coincidence that Dickerson has hit there in all but two games during this winning streak.
Dickerson has three hits in nine at-bats to start the game, including his leadoff double down the left-field line in the Pirates' two-run first Sunday, and is batting 15 for 41 with five home runs and eight RBIs in that spot. There's something to be said for continuity. Hurdle had to constantly shuffle because seemingly every player was slumping.
Now, it appears he found a set top three in the order, and the man up top has provided the spark this team was searching for all season.
"We’re playing to our own capabilities right now," Bell said. "We’re putting a lot of runs across the board."
3. A weekend where everything went well.
Huntington said on his weekly radio show that the Pirates expected Josh Harrison to require a stint on the disabled list after suffering a hamstring injury last Sunday, but Harrison's condition had improved significantly when the team held a workout here in Cincinnati Thursday.
That contributed to the Pirates' decision to send reliever Tanner Anderson back to Triple-A when Rodriguez was recalled, rather than lose Harrison for this series and a portion of the Pirates' series in Cleveland. No one could have expected what would happen this weekend.
Rodriguez went 6 for 12 with two homers while starting all three games, and homered to lead off the fourth inning:
Max Moroff, starting in place of Jordy Mercer Sunday, hit an RBI single in the second inning to score Rodriguez, who doubled off the wall in left-center. Everything seemed to go right for the Pirates, except for it raining during all three games.
Taillon's sacrifice bunt plated a run Friday, Nick Kingham hit a two-run single Saturday and even Nova contributed on offense. With the outfield playing in during the sixth inning, Nova lined a single to right-center, over Phillip Ervin's head to break Nova's historic 0-for-63 slump at the plate, and he later scored on Elias Diaz's RBI double.
Nova raised his arms in celebration, as the entire dugout was cheering for him. "Finally, I think this is one of the coolest moments I’ve had in baseball," he said. "To see the whole dugout cheering for you. Everybody was cheering for that base hit. Somebody else could get a double, but I was fine with a base hit."
