Pittsburgh Pirates: Sloppy Weekend & Other Takeaways From Being Swept At Wrigley

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 14: Kevin Newman #27 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts after being tagged out by Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field on July 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 14: Kevin Newman #27 of the Pittsburgh Pirates reacts after being tagged out by Javier Baez #9 of the Chicago Cubs during the seventh inning at Wrigley Field on July 14, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Nuccio DiNuzzo/Getty Images) /
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CLEVELAND, OH – JULY 25: Kyle Crick #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Cleveland Indians during the eighth inning at Progressive Field on July 25, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Pirates 4-0. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images)
CLEVELAND, OH – JULY 25: Kyle Crick #30 of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches against the Cleveland Indians during the eighth inning at Progressive Field on July 25, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Indians defeated the Pirates 4-0. (Photo by Ron Schwane/Getty Images) /

Kyle Crick needs removed from high leverage situations

During the All-Star Break, I wrote about the struggles of Crick. These struggles continued in his first outing after the break.

On Friday, Crick inherited a 3-3 game in the 8th inning. He would allow the winning run on a hit and a pair of walks. He now owns a 18.8% walk rate this season. His walk rate is the worst among qualified MLB relievers this season. Not good!

Until he gets back on track, Crick needs removed from high leverage situations.

The Pirates still have Felipe Vazquez at the back of the bullpen. Francisco Liriano continues to pitch well and can be a high leverage guy. Richard Rodriguez, who has not allowed a run since May 16th, is back on track and can help in high leverage situations. Furthermore, Keone Kela appears close to returning from the injured list.

Next. A Rising Prospect To Watch. dark

At this point, Crick can not be pitching in high leverage situations. He simply does not throw enough quality strikes. It’s up to Hurdle to address this situations. However, there is no reason to expect him to change anything. Hurdle is the king of sticking with players in roles they should not be in for too long.