Reds vs Pirates: Preview, pitching matchups and prediction

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PITTSBURGH, PA – AUGUST 22: Gregory Polanco #25 of the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrates with Colin Moran #19 after hitting a two run home run. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images) /

Veterans have the let the Bucs down this year

The Pittsburgh Pirates (11-24) are in rebuilding mode..again. Bucs’ fans are praying it’s not another 20-year rebuild that was finally complete with a three-year stretch of postseason play from 2013 to 2015. However, a second consecutive last-place division finish is all but inevitable. There’s plenty of blame to go around.

Unfortunately for the Pittsburgh faithful, the Pirates don’t reach base or hit for power. As a team, the Pirates are hitting a meager .218 while their .280 OBP and .346 slugging marks are the worst in the National League. The 96 bases on balls the club has drawn are also a league-worst. Two anchors of the franchise have been particularly horrid this season.

All-Star first baseman Josh Bell has been a major disappointment. Slashing just .207/.272/.322 with four home runs, one has to wonder if last year was a mirage. Coming off a 2019 campaign in which he slashed .277/.367/.569 with 37 homers and 116 RBI, will the real Josh Bell please stand up?

Nevertheless, Bell’s season seems enviable compared to that of outfielder Gregory Polanco. The seven-year veteran is slashing .149/.219./.356 with 38 strikeouts in just 87 at-bats on the year. Polanco’s fWAR of -0.4 and Bell’s mark of -0.5 rank among the bottom 15 for all NL players. If these two can’t get it together, who knows where the Pirates turn?

The pitching mound has provided little solace for Steel City fans. A 5.05 team is ERA is good only for 13th among the 15 NL pitching staffs. Just throwing strikes has been a struggle for Pirate hurlers. Their 150 free passes are the second-most in the league, while their 1.438 WHIP is third from the bottom. However, it’s been the Pirates bullpen that has created next level discomfort for Bucs fans.

Even though each component of the Pirates pitching staff has posted ERA’s north of 5.00, the bullpen leads the senior circuit with 80 walks. To make matters worse, the relief corps has more blown saves, six, than saves, four, on the season. No lead this year is safe at PNC Park.

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