Pittsburgh Pirates series takeaways vs. Washington Nationals

Jul 23, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano (47) pitches against the Washington Nationals during the fifth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game One: Francisco Liriano (5-6, 2.98 ERA) vs. Doug Fister (3-5, 4.30 ERA)

Result: Pirates win 7-3

Winning Pitcher: Francisco Liriano (6-6, 2.91 ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Doug Fister (3-6, 4.50 ERA)

• What went right:
  • Francisco Liriano was absolutely filthy, going six innings, allowing one run on three hits and striking out 11.
  • Andrew McCutchen went 2-4 with a home run and two RBIs.
  • Pedro Alvarez had a very solid ballgame, going 1-3 with a home run, two RBIs, and a walk.
  • Pirate pitching kept Bryce Harper in check as he struck out twice.

• What went wrong:
  • Ian Desmond had a big game, going 2-4 with a home run, two RBIs, and a run scored.
  • Arquimedes Caminero had another poor outing despite closing out the game. He went one inning and allowed two runs on two hits.
  • Despite the seven runs, the Pirates only went 1-8 with runners in scoring position.

The Pirates started off the series against Washington with a big win. They then looked to gain some revenge off the pitcher that no-hit them just over a month ago…

Next: Game Two: Jeff Locke vs. Max Scherzer

Jul 24, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang (27) singles against the Washington Nationals during the second inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game Two: Jeff Locke (5-6, 4.01 ERA) vs. Max Scherzer (10-8, 2.09 ERA)

Result: Pirates win 7-5

Winning Pitcher: Vance Worley (4-5, 3.78 ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Sammy Solis (1-1, 4.97 ERA)

Save: Mark Melancon (31, 1.40 ERA)

• What went right:
  • Gregory Polanco had a strong game, going 2-4 with a home run, three RBIs, and a run scored. He also had arguably the best at-bat of his career, battling Max Scherzer for 12 pitches before hitting a game-tying two-run home run.
  • Neil Walker followed the Polanco home run with one of his own. He went 2-4 on the day.
  • Pedro Alvarez crushed a two-run home run of his own off of Scherzer, putting the ball into the river in the process.
  • Jaff Decker preceded Polanco’s home run with an outstanding at-bat, battling back from an 0-2 count to draw a lead-off walk.

• What went wrong:
  • Jeff Locke did not have a very strong start, lasting only five innings, allowing four runs on four hits while striking out five.
  • Ian Desmond welcomed Vance Worley to the game by hitting a game-tying solo home run, his second home run in as many days.
  • Jung Ho Kang grounded into an inning-ending double play.
  • Pedro Florimon committed his first error of the season.

The Pirates appeared to be way more aggressive against Scherzer and it worked extremely well. They guaranteed themselves at least a series split and had the Dark Knight on the mound for game three.

Next: Game Three: A.J. Burnett vs. Gio Gonzalez

Jul 25, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett (34) reacts in the dugout against the Washington Nationals during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game Three: A.J. Burnett (8-3, 2.44 ERA) vs. Gio Gonzalez (7-4, 3.93 ERA)

Result: Pirates lose 9-3

Winning Pitcher: Gio Gonzalez (8-4, 3.83 ERA)

Losing Pitcher: A.J. Burnett (8-4, 2.68 ERA)

• What went right:
  • Francisco Cervelli had a multi-hit game, going 2-4 with an RBI.
  • Andrew McCutchen drove in a run. He went 1-4 with an RBI.
  • Starling Marte threw out Jose Lobaton at home plate.
  • Aramis Ramirez made his re-debut as a member of the Pirates.

• What went wrong:
  • A.J. Burnett did have a particularly strong outing, lasting only 5.2 innings, giving up five runs on 11 hits and striking out eight.
  • Deolis Guerra was not good in relief of Burnett, going 1.1 innings, allowing two runs on two hits.
  • Ian Desmond tormented the Pirates some more, going 2-3 with a home run, two RBIs, a walk and two runs scored.
  • Michael Taylor had a big game from the lead-off spot, going 4-5 with three RBIs and a run scored.

Middle relief really hurt the Pirates in this game and while losing any game is frustrating, the Pirates going for a series win with Gerrit Cole on the mound is something every Pirate fan would gladly take.

Next: Game Four: Gerrit Cole vs. Joe Ross

Jul 26, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) hits an RBI single against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Game Four: Gerrit Cole (13-4, 2.31 ERA) vs. Joe Ross (2-2, 2.70 ERA)

Result: Pirates win 3-1

Winning Pitcher: Gerrit Cole (14-4, 2.24 ERA)

Losing Pitcher: Joe Ross (2-3, 3.03 ERA)

Save: Mark Melancon (32, 1.37 ERA)

• What went right:
  • Gerrit Cole did what aces do, as he pretty much shut down the Nationals line-up for most of the game, going 7.2 innings, allowing one run on seven hits and striking out eight.
  • Gregory Polanco had a good game at the plate and in the field. To end the top of the first inning, he threw out Bryce Harper trying to stretch a single into a double. He also went 1-4 with an RBI and a run scored.
  • Neil Walker added a clutch insurance run, going 1-3 with a home run, an RBI, and a run scored.
  • Sean Rodriguez made a tremendous defensive play at first, robbing Bryce Harper of a hit and ending the top of the eighth inning.

• What went wrong:
  • Michael Taylor just continued to be an annoying thorn in the side of the Pirates, making a fantastic play, robbing Polanco of extra bases, and hitting a solo home run in the third inning. He went 1-4 on the day.
  • Danny Espinosa had a multi-hit game, going 2-4 on the day.
  • Starling Marte was caught stealing in the bottom of the first inning.
  • Outside of the third and fourth inning, the Pirates’ offense was kept in check by Joe Ross. He went six innings, allowing three runs on five hits and struck out seven.

Next: Final Thoughts

Jul 26, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Gregory Polanco (L) reacts in the dugout after scoring a run against the Washington Nationals during the third inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Baseball is a funny game. The Pittsburgh Pirates can look terrible against the last place Milwaukee Brewers, but then turn around and take three of four games against the first place Nationals. The one thing I always stress is that you can never get too high on the wins and you can never get too low on the losses. The Pirates are a very good team and it shouldn’t be completely surprising to see them play well and beat a quality Washington ball club. Baseball is a game of ups and downs and while it was frustrating to see the Pirates play so poorly out of the break, it was never anything more than a bad streak for a good team.

The Pirates will now travel to Minnesota and turn their attention to the Twins in a brief two-game inter-league series. The Pirates will be looking for a little revenge against the Twins as Minnesota came into PNC Park earlier this season and swept a two-game series in Pittsburgh.

Series Result: Pirates win 3-1

2015 win/loss record: 57-41

2015 series record: 16-12-3

Next: Pittsburgh Pirates Trade Rumors - Day 8 - Napoli and Victorino