Maligned Pirate's hot streak can't be ignored anymore after ridiculous comeback

The Pirates just came back against the Diamondbacks Tuesday night in thrilling fashion, erasing a six-run deficit and winning 9-6. A seven-run eighth inning was the difference maker, capped by a clutch three-run home run from Bryan Reynolds. One of the more underrated contributors in this win was Henry Davis, who is on a recent heater that could be representative of him finally turning a corner.

Davis did not start the game behind the plate, but entered after Joey Bart got hit in the head with a backswing that forced him to leave with nausea. That may be a sign of a concussion for Bart, but there are no updates on that just yet.

Luckily for the Pirates, Davis came off the bench and had a great game, belting an impressive two-run homer that went 432 feet and a double to right-center that would have been another homer at 15 other ballparks. The double may not seem like much, but not only did it spark the offense in the seventh, but it also marked his first opposite field extra-base hit since 2023.

Davis did not pick up a single hit to the opposite field in 2024, and that was a factor as to why he struggled so badly, producing a .454 OPS. Now that he is starting to collect hits to all fields, he is starting to surge, which has helped him in his last seven games.

During that stretch, Davis is batting .333 with four RBI and a .985 OPS. He has also struck out just four times and walked three. That change of pace with the strikeouts has also aided in a turnaround for Davis. His strikeout rate is down to 15.8% after reaching 36.9% in 2024.

Henry Davis's contributions to the Pirates' impressive comeback win helped him with his impressive hot streak.

Not only is he turning things around on offense, but he has also been doing well on defense. He’s always been known for his arm strength and it’s really helping the Pirates behind the plate. His pop time is one of the quickest in baseball at 1.89 seconds, and that has helped him throw out five runners already this season. Bart has gunned down only one additional runner, with a significantly higher number of innings under his belt.

This hot stretch is exactly what the team needed. Bart has slowed down offensively and Endy Rodriguez is still on a rehab assignment. Davis starting to turn things around is a great sign for the Pirates, and we’ve got to hope that he can keep some positive consistency. A .638 OPS on the season still is not the answer behind the plate, so there is still a hill for him to climb to become the everyday starter.