Pittsburgh Pirates: Lead Off Hitters Lead The Way Takeaways From Sweep Of Rockies
By Marty Leap
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A big weekend for Pirate lead off hitters
Kevin Newman hit lead off for the Pirates in the first three games of the series. In those three games he was 9-for-15 with three home runs and a double. He also hit a lead off home run in two of those three games.
Sunday afternoon, Newman got the day off so Adam Frazier was bumped up to the lead off spot. Frazier went 2-for-5 with a lead off home run of his own. This marked the first time since 1988 that the Pirates hit three lead off home runs in a four game series.
Throughout the season Newman has been a pleasant surprise for the Pirates. After struggling mightily last season, Newman has bounced back to slash .313/.357/.448 with a 110 wRC+ this season. Hitting double digit home runs has been a pleasant surprise as well.
As for Frazier, he has struggled this season. However, he set the tone on Sunday by leading the game off with a home run. This tone setting blast by Frazier helped lead the Pirates to a victory and in turn a sweep of the Rockies.
During this four game series the Pirates scored 37 runs. This included scoring 11 runs twice. A big reason for this was the success of Pirate lead off hitters. This may sound like some real top notch analysis. but when a team’s lead off hitters are getting on base regularly the team’s lineup will be set up for success.