3 Takeaways From Pittsburgh Pirates Two-Game Series In Detroit

What can be taken away from the Pittsburgh Pirates quick two-game series at Comerica Park in Detroit against the Tigers?

The Pittsburgh Pirates continued their strong start to the 2019 season in Detroit this week. Following a sweep of a two-game series against the Tigers, the Pirates are now 10-6 this season. This series sweep allowed the Pirates to finish off their eight-game road trip with a strong 5-3 record.

In this series the team continued to be the Battling Bucs of 2019. By fighting and showing heart, the Pirates pulled out a pair of extra inning victories over the Tigers. These victories improved the team to 4-2 this season in games that go to extra innings.

The series was also the team’s first taste of interleague play this season. With the sweep, the Pirates now own the best interleague play record (75-47) in the baseball. Considering the Bucs had the worst record in all of baseball in interleague play from it’s inception in 1997 through 2012, this is pretty remarkable.

With the series now in the rear view mirror, we can take a look at what we may have learned about the Bucs in this series. So, what are three takeaways from the team’s series sweep over the Tigers at Comerica Park?

Joe Musgrove is proving his worth

When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded ace starting pitcher Gerrit Cole to the Houston Astros in January of 2018 the key piece in the trade was fellow starter Joe Musgrove. While many fans were not enthusiastic about Musgrove upon his acquisition, he has quickly become a fan favorite in Pittsburgh and for good reason.

Musgrove pitches with a fiery passion for the game on the mound. He does not take BS from anyone, look at you Javier Baez and the Chicago Cubs, and is a no nonsense type of competitor. Additionally, and most importantly, he has pitched really well for the Pirates.

Every time he takes the ball, Musgrove continues to prove his worth and show why he was the key piece of the Cole trade.

After allowing his first two earned runs of the season in 7 strong innings of work in his start on Tuesday night, Musgrove now owns a 0.81 ERA and a 1.93 FIP in 22 1/3 innings pitched this season. His ERA is currently the lowest among qualified starters in the National League.

This hot start builds off of what was a strong 2018 season for Musgrove. As a member of the Pirates Musgrove, owns a 3.53 ERA and a 3.32 FIP. This comes in 137 2/3 innings pitched across 23 games (22 starts) the past two seasons.

Big Joe continues to show why Neal Huntington and the Pirate brass thought so highly of him when discussing Cole with the Astros. He also continues to prove his worth with each start he makes.

Jung Ho Kang is getting back on track

Third baseman Jung Ho Kang entered this series on an 0 for 18 stretch. This included Hurdle ‘unplugging’ him and giving him three consecutive days off. So far, it appears this move is paying off.

In Tuesday night’s victory, Kang was 2-for-4 with a hard hit single to left field and a two-run home run. This was the start of Kang stinging the ball in Detroit.

While Kang went 0-for-4 in the second game of the series, an argument can be made he hit the ball even better. In his first three at bats Kang was robbed on a base hit because he lined the ball that was ticketed for center field off of Detroit starter Spencer Turnbull that ricocheted right to second baseman Josh Harrison. His second at bat saw him reach on a run-scoring error on a ball that was smoked at shortstop and easily could have been ruled a base hit. In his third at bat, Kang was robbed of extra bases due to the Tigers playing no doubles and hugging the third base line.

These three balls had an exit velocity of 106 MPH, 106 MPH, and 101 MPH. That’s good, folks.

Kang’s first at bat of the night on Tuesday may have been the best sign of all. He timed up a slider down and away and line it up the middle. If he was not pulling out of his slump, this would not have happened.

Getting Kang going would be a huge boost to the Pirate lineup. This week’s series in Detroit points toward Kang getting back on track offensively.