Pittsburgh Pirates Home Stand Report Card For 7/1-7/7
By Joe Smeltzer

The Skipper
As always, Clint Hurdle wasn’t perfect on this home stand.
His worst mistake was trusting Neveraskus in the eighth inning on a one-run game Friday night.
Nevershouldbeinthemajors promptly gave up four runs and, ultimately, cost the Pirates a win. Two days later, Hurdle may have stuck with Joe Musgrove two batters too long, as he gave up a game-tying bomb to Aguilar in the seventh. Luckily, that move didn’t cost the Bucs in the end.
While there were some slip-ups, it was, overall, a good week for Hurdle. It’s hard to find much to complain about when the team has won five of its last seven. One of Hurdle’s best moves of the stretch was trusting young Agrazal to
A. Get out of a bases-loaded jam in the 5th inning
B. Go back out for the sixth
The rook successfully completed both tasks and likely gained confidence as a result of his manager allowing him to do so.
Next. Off Day Roster Move. dark
Injury wise, this has arguably been the most challenging year of Hurdle’s managing career. While I won’t say he’s done a great job, he’s kept it together and is one hot stretch away from moving a club that not too long ago was in the basement of the NL Central to the divisional driver’s seat.
A-
Team Grade: Also