Pittsburgh Pirates Home Stand Report Card For 7/1-7/7

PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 07: Felipe Vazquez #73 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with Starling Marte #6 after the final out in a 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 7, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 07: Felipe Vazquez #73 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with Starling Marte #6 after the final out in a 6-5 win over the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 7, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /
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Pittsburgh Pirates
PITTSBURGH, PA – JULY 02: Adam Frazier #26 of the Pittsburgh Pirates rounds the bases after hitting a three run home run in the fourth inning during the game against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on July 2, 2019 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

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.

A+