After making 'strides' in September, Pirates are here to try to earn respect

ATLANTA -- Johan Oviedo had to be held back by Connor Joe and have Endy Rodríguez as his first line of defense as the benches cleared in the first inning between the Pirates and Braves at Truist Park Saturday. Oviedo had pitched inside three times to Ronald Acuña Jr., and after some jawing between both sides, a brief motion towards the mound by the batter brought everyone out to diamond.

Nothing would come from the interaction, but give the Pirates credit for being ready to fight at a moment's notice. That fight carried over through the rest of the game, as the Pirates stood up to one of the best teams in the sport and won handily, 8-4.

"I’m thankful for the guys backing me up, the bullpen and a lot of really good swings tonight," Oviedo said. "We got the win that we deserve tonight."

It was a game that was played with emotion, moxie and with a clear fire. Adjectives that really haven't been used to describe September Pirates baseball for some time. One can't help but compare this win to the team's performances at the end of the 2021 and 2022 seasons. Those 100-loss teams were filled with waiver claims and plenty of players the Pirates wanted to kick the tires on or needed just so they could cross the finish line. They were not those teams' finest months.

These past few weeks, though, have been perhaps the most exciting for the Pirates since their hot start in April. A win Sunday would clinch a fourth straight series victory. On many nights, it's the rookies leading the charge.

Barring either a white-hot finish or the wheels fall off and collapsing, the Pirates will finish this season with 70-something wins. A strong finish won't do much in terms of wins and loses, but rather, it's a month to show where they can be soon. They aren't playing for the playoffs, but it's a month where it can still mean something. That couldn't be said these last few years.

"The past few Septembers we’ve just been crawling, trying to fight to get to the offseason," Bryan Reynolds said. "This September, we’ve made good strides. We’re building toward the future right now. A lot of good things are happening."

The Pirates did plenty right on Saturday. With the exception of Oviedo's start -- which was done after allowing three runs over 3 2/3 innings -- it was one of their most complete outings of the year. The bullpen was "outstanding," to borrow Derek Shelton's word, as they combined to toss 5 1/3 innings of one ball. The offense came through with several key rallies, including a three-spot in the top of the fifth to retake the lead for good and home runs by Reynolds and Liover Peguero. The defense played soundly, and on the bases, Jack Suwinski stole two bases and Ji Hwan Bae scored from first on a hustle double:

If a challenge was issued in that first inning dust up and a fourth inning Braves rally to tie it where Acuña did the rock the baby motion after hitting an RBI single, the Pirates certainly rose to the occasion. Talking to players in the clubhouse postgame, it sure sounds like they didn't think the Braves thought they had something like that in them.

"As a young team, a lot of people don’t give us the respect that we [deserve] because they’re like, ‘It’s the Pirates. They’re pretty much not going to make the playoffs. They’re a young team,' " Oviedo said. "That’s when people fall against us. We have a lot of talent and a lot of guys that work really hard."

"I think that in that moment [in the first], they had a moment like, 'we're [the Pirates] not trying to beat us right now,' " Peguero told me. "And then, boom. We found our way, got our motivation... The key right now is we're holding each other accountable."

Accountability is a good thing, like what happened right after Acuña reached base in the first after the dust up. It was clear that he was going to steal second on the first pitch, and with a league-leading 63 steals, the odds were in his favor even when he tipped his hand.

"I knew he was ready to go. When Acuna gets on base, everybody is ready for him to run," Endy Rodríguez said.

Rodríguez's throw down was perfect, just a hair above the ground and Peguero tagged him. Postgame, Peguero was congratulated by coaches. He had recently spent an intensive practice day working on throws like that to make sure he could come through in that spot.

It's a September that matters because the players taking part of it matter for the organization in the long run. And to do it in a full house of arguably the best team in baseball, it's a win that means something.

"There's probably no more playoff atmosphere that they're going to get than this place," Shelton said. "It's loud. They're into the game. They got the lights going. They got the chop going. I was really proud."

GETTY

Marcell Ozuna of the Braves and Johan Oviedo jaw during a first inning benches clearing incident Saturday at Truist Park.

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THE HIGHLIGHTS

THE INJURIES

• 10-day injured list: RF Henry Davis (thumb)

• 60-day injured list: SS Oneil Cruz (ankle), RHP JT Brubaker (elbow), LHP Jarlin Garcia (elbow), RHP Max Kranick (elbow), INF Tucupita Marcano (knee), LHP Angel Perdomo (elbow), RHP Vince Velasquez (elbow)

THE LINEUPS

Shelton's card:

1. Ke'Bryan Hayes, 3B
2. Bryan Reynolds, LF
3. Connor Joe, 1B
4. Miguel Andújar, DH
5. Endy Rodríguez, C
6. Liover Peguero, SS
7. Jack Suwinski, RF
8. Jared Triolo, 2B
9. Ji Hwan Bae, CF

And for Brian Snitker's Braves:

1. Ronald Acuña Jr., RF
2. Ozzie Albies, 2B
3. Austin Riley, 3B
4. Matt Olson, 1B
5. Marcell Ozuna, DH
6. Eddie Rosario, LF
7. Sean Murphy, C
8. Orlando Arcia, SS
9. Michael Harris II, CF

THE SCHEDULE

The Pirates will try to take the season series against the Braves Sunday. Luis Ortiz (4-4, 4.90) will take the bump against Allan Willans (1-1, 5.17). First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m. I'll have you covered and then head home to Pittsburgh.

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