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Offense
18 runs in one game, 12 in another, and no fewer than six in four of the remaining five. If the Pirates offense hasn’t established itself as one of baseball’s best, it’s not far off.
Adam Frazier is a suddenly a machine (hitting .625 in July to earn NL Player of the Week honors for the first and, probably, last time). Colin Moran is asserting himself as the man at the hot corner for the foreseeable future. Bryan Reynolds has cooled off somewhat but reminded us that he’s still a bad man with his game-winning three-run jack to send the Bucs into the All-Star Break happy, and Josh Bell… well, you know.
The Pirate offense won’t be this good forever. We won’t see another 18-run performance for another year or five. Right now, though, they are swinging the sticks as good as any other team in base all. Because of that this team, through all of its flaws and misfortune, are right there in the playoff picture.