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Jun 8, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez (24) hits an infield single against the Milwaukee Brewers during the seventh inning at PNC Park. The Brewers won 1-0. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Here are Alvarez’ numbers against the Brew-Crew:
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | BA | OBP | SLG | OPS |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kyle Lohse | 44 | 43 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 13 | .233 | .250 | .372 | .622 |
| Matt Garza | 26 | 23 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 8 | 3 | 3 | .435 | .500 | .696 | 1.196 |
| Wily Peralta | 21 | 19 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 8 | 2 | 4 | .421 | .476 | 1.053 | 1.529 |
| Francisco Rodriguez | 17 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 4 | .154 | .353 | .154 | .507 |
| Mike Fiers | 12 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | .100 | .250 | .400 | .650 |
| Will Smith | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Tyler Thornburg | 10 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 2 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 |
| Jonathan Broxton | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | .250 | .000 | .250 |
| Jim Henderson | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 |
| Neal Cotts | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .000 | |||
| Total | 147 | 127 | 32 | 6 | 0 | 7 | 23 | 17 | 38 | .252 | .347 | .465 | .812 |
We see here that these stats are much more Pedro-like, with a surprisingly fair average to go along with good slugging numbers. I was happy to see just how much Alvarez owns Matt Garza and Wily Peralta. For Pedro to be counted on against the Brewers, he’s going to need to solve Mike Fiers. Fiers came onto the scene last year in a big way, finally putting it together after a few middling years in the majors previously. His 2.13 ERA was impressive, as was his 9.5 K/9 (strikeouts per nine innings). If Alvarez can put up respectable numbers against Fiers, it could lead to a lot more sweeps in series against Milwaukee’s ‘Best.’ I don’t need to tell you that sweeping a team is the easiest way to make up ground in the division, and renewed success against Fiers could mean more rubber games going the Pirates’ way.
Next: The mysterious Chicago Cubs