Pittsburgh Pirates road trip report card for week of May 22-25

Offense

Like Cole, the offense struggled in the series opener. The Bucco bats had their chances, as they left 19 men on base, but were only able to manage two runs in the 5-2 loss.

Tuesday, the bats did what they had to do, scoring five runs. Unfortunately, the bullpen was not able to hold up its end of the bargain, and the Pirates lost a heartbreaker, 6-5.

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The offense continued its surge Wednesday night. Adam Frazier continued his torrid month, getting on  base six times and smacking a three-run homer in the second inning. The Pirates ended up scoring twelve runs, seven of those coming in the tenth inning. So I would say the bats did their jobs in the penultimate game of the series.

The hot streak continued in the finale, as another second inning three-run jack from Frazier gave the Bucs a 5-0 lead and put the game out of reach practically before it ever got underway. The Pirates added four more runs, finishing their trip down south with 21 runs scored in the final two games- both being without Andrew McCutchen in the starting lineup.

The bats have come alive over the past ten games, and it has been fun to watch. I’m not sure how sustainable the surge will be, as Frazier won’t be able to hit around .370 forever, Starling Marte is still gone for awhile, and we have no idea when the real Cutch will please stand up.

Nonetheless, the offense is exciting for the first time in what feels like forever, so we can enjoy it for the time being. With the Mets putrid pitching staff coming to town, there’s a decent chance the hot streak goes on for at least another weekened.

Grade: A