Pittsburgh Pirates Week in Review: Hot vs. Not

Apr 25, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (34) throws in the fifth inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. Mandatory Credit: Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports

HOT

3. A.J. Burnett is back in the Burgh. And when I say back, I mean back to the form the team saw from him in 2012-2013, when Burnett pitched two of the best seasons of his career. Now, he’s back for his final season, and he hasn’t disappointed. Over the last week, Burnett has a 1.38 ERA, giving up two lone runs and no homers over 13 innings and two starts. His strikeouts are down, as he only had five, and the 13 hits he gave up means his low ERA might not be sustainable. But in the end, the production is what matters. Burnett has tended to pitch to contact more in Pittsburgh than he has on any other team in his career, so as he gives up more hits, keep in mind that many of these will be ground balls. Burnett may not pitch to his 2012-2013 form this year, but he should be much better than the time he spent in Philadelphia.

Next: Franky