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PITTSBURGH The Pittsburgh Pirates needed a good start back after the All-Star break and they got just that.
The Pirates took two out of three games against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field in their first series of the second half and did much of that thanks to their starting pitching and defense.
Pittsburgh took the first game of the doubleheader 7-1, and then the bullpen blew the second game of the doubleheader 5-3, on July 18, before they won the series finale 5-1 to earn the series victory.
It keeps the Pirates firmly in the National League Wild Card race and gives them a big series win over a strong American League opponent.
Defense Makes Big Statement vs.
Guardians The Pirates have had one of the best offenses in baseball, but their defense at times has left much to be desired.
Pittsburgh showed how crucial defense is to winning games, particularly in the series finale, with numerous great plays that helped them get the victory.
It first started with a double play in the third inning, with Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Paul Skenes striking out Guardians second baseman Travis Bazzana and then catcher Henry Davis throwing out left fielder Steven Kwan at second base, with shortstop Jacob Gonzalez applying the tag.
Pirates center fielder Billy Cook then engineered a double play himself in the fourth inning, making the catch and then throwing out Guardians designated hitter Chase DeLauter at home plate.
Jake Mangum then came through with another great play, as the Pirates left fielder slid to get a blooper hit by Kwan, and then threw to second base, allowing second baseman Nick Gonzales to apply the tag for the out in the sixth inning.
Left fielder Bryan Reynolds and Gonzales also made a great play in the second game of the doubleheader, as they threw out Guardians catcher Patrick Bailey out at home, before eventually losing on the walk-off home run from Bazzana.
Those two plays earlier in the series finale were big, as the Pirates were tied 1-1 and up just 2-1 and if the Guardians scored those runs, then that game looks much different.
It's also a nice thing for the Pirates to finally get some great defensive plays after having a number of miscues throughout this season.
Starting Pitching Comes Up Big vs.
Guardians The Pirates haven't always had the best outings from their starting pitchers, but they came through against the Guardians.
Pittsburgh's starting pitchers gave up just two runs over 13 innings pitched and if right-handed pitcher Khristian Curtis' scoreless five innings of relief are included, then it's two runs over 18 innings, good for a 1.00 ERA.
Jared Jones excelled in the series opener, throwing five innings and giving up just three hits, a run and posting a season-high nine strikeouts.
Skenes got help from his defense, but was still impressive over seven innings and one run allowed in the series finale, with eight strikeouts on 100 pitches.
Curtis was maybe the most impressive, just because it was his MLB debut, and looked like he really belonged at this level, with just two hits and two walks allowed and four strikeouts over 68 pitches.
Billy Cook and Jacob Gonzalez Excel in Big Opportunities The Pirates have lost a number of their best players to injury in the likes of shortstop Konnor Griffin, catcher Endy Rodriguez, center fielder Oneil Cruz and first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
Pittsburgh has needed others to step up and two players who made a big difference were Cook and Gonzalez.
Cook went 3-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored in the series finale, along with the throwout from center field.
He had an RBI-single in the third inning to put the Pirates up 1-0, hit a triple that he later scored on in the fifth inning to make it 2-1 and then had an RBI-single and scored in the sixth inning, with the Pirates leading 5-1.
It marked the first game that Cook had three hits, his first multi-hit game of the season and fourth of his career, while also showing his value on the basepaths and in the outfield.
Gonzalez hit a two-run home run in the first game of the doubleheader, giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead and spurring them to the victory.
He then got things started in the series finale, with an RBI-single that scored Gonzales to make it 3-1 in the sixth inning and would later score to make it 4-1.
The Pirates added Gonzalez as shortstop help with Griffin injured and he's shown that with his bat and glove, he can adequately fill that role.
Cook also gave Reynolds a day off at designated hitter and shows that he deserves more opportunities going forward.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI.
A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics.
He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.