
The Offense
In the first two games of the series, the Pittsburgh Pirates brought their bats. They scored 5 runs in a loss on Monday night, and crossed home plate for 8 more runs in Tuesday night’s victory. However, on Wednesday night the Pirate offense was nonexistent.
Milwaukee starter Brandon Woodruff mowed the Pirate bats down. When his night ended, the Brewer bullpen came in and picked up where Woodruff left off. When the night was over, the Pirates were shut out for the first time this season.
Even in Monday night’s loss, the Pirate offense wasted a few opportunities. The team went just 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position, that can be a killer in a 1-run game. This included getting the tying run to third base with just one out in the bottom of the 11th inning and failing to get the run home.
The Verdict
The Pirate offense got off to a great start in the series before doing nothing on Wednesday night. A big problem right now is that five of the team’s key hitters – Josh Bell, Bryan Reynolds, Kevin Newman, Gregory Polanco, and Adam Frazier – are all struggling mightily. Having your best hitters struggle makes it difficult for any team to score. But, overall, the series was a good one for the Pirate offense.
Grade: B-