3 Takeaways From The Pittsburgh Pirates Series Victory Over The A’s

This team keeps fighting

It has already been said multiple times that the 2019 edition of the Pittsburgh Pirates are a fiesta bunch. They’re a group that fights, has a lot of heart, and is difficult to put away. That was on display again over the weekend.

After losing 14-1 on Friday night and falling behind 3-0 in the 1st inning on Saturday night the team easily could have mailed the rest of that game in. Instead, they rallied to defeat the A’s 6-4 following a two-run pinch hit triple by Kevin Newman and a go ahead RBI single by Cervelli in the bottom of the 7th inning.

On Sunday, the team fell behind 3-1 in the top of the 13th inning. All this did was set up Marte’s dramatics in the bottom half of the inning. Again, the Bucs easily could have mailed in the bottom of the 13th inning after they fell behind in the top half but they did the complete opposite instead.

On top of trailing in the 7th inning or later of both victories this weekend, the team is also dealing with all the adversity that comes from the wave of injuries they are dealing with. Chris Archer, Corey Dickerson, Jameson Taillon, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Nick Burdi are all on the injured list. Keone Kela is currently dealing with a shoulder issue and was unavailable on Sunday, and don’t forget Chad Kuhl and Edgar Santana who will miss the season due to Tommy John Surgery. Yet, despite all of this, the team continues to find ways to win baseball games.

I have been extremely critical of Clint Hurdle‘s in game managerial decisions this season, especially his bullpen management, but one thing he has always excelled at is leading his team. Hurdle and his staff have always done a great job of creating teams with a lot of heart that are difficult to put away. The battling Bucs of 2019 certainly fit this mold.