How Brandon Lowe Earned Pirates’ Trust Against Left-Handed Pitching
In a game against the Washington Nationals on April 14 at PNC Park, a decision to pinch-hit Nick Yorke for Brandon Lowe backfired.
Trailing by a run in the bottom of the seventh, the Pirates loaded the bases against right-hander Mitchell Parker. Washington turned to left-hander Cionel Perez to face Lowe, and manager Don Kelly countered by going to the right-handed hitting Yorke.
Yorke worked into a favorable 3-1 count and got a hanging curveball, which he hit hard, but right at the second baseman for an inning-ending double play.
Yorke came up again in the ninth inning with two on and two outs but fouled out to first. The Pirates lost the game 5-4.
The reason the Pirates substituted Yorke for Lowe was because the latter was struggling against left-handed pitching to start the year. It got to the point where the Pirates wouldn’t always have Lowe in the lineup if the other team had a lefty starter on the mound.
But lately, the Pirates have let Lowe face same-side pitching.
“They sure have gotten better,” Kelly said of Lowe’s at-bats against lefties. “I think he’s done a really good job of that. He continues to do well against them and earn more.”
The 31-year-old told Pittsburgh Baseball Now that he might’ve been trying to do too much when he had opportunities against left-handed pitching earlier in the season.
“When you’re trying to prove something, it feels like you’re trying to go up there and get a hit every time,” he said.
Last year with the Rays, Lowe hit just .194 with a .548 OPS and five home runs in 147 plate appearances against lefties. This year, he’s hitting .217 with a .639 OPS and three home runs in 66 plate appearances against southpaws.
While his marks this season aren’t earth-shattering, they show drastic improvement from what they were earlier this season. He continues to get more chances, which has been the biggest difference of all.
“Just getting the opportunity and the reps and the confidence from [Kelly] to just go out there and do it,” Lowe said when asked what’s been the key.
A veteran in his ninth-big league season, Lowe’s understands that things won’t always go his way. At times, he’ll look overmatched against a tough left-hander, and he has. And that’s OK.
“Sometimes I’ll get out. Sometimes I’ll look silly, and sometimes I’m gonna look really good,” he explained. “Just being able to go up there and take at-bats and play baseball again and not feel like there’s a ton of pressure to perform and look good, it kind of just helps you relax and take better at-bats.”
Lowe has been the team’s top hitter so far this season. He leads the Pirates with 14 home runs, a .529 slugging percentage and a .875 OPS.
He is part of a top of the lineup that features several other left-handed hitters. In addition to him, the Pirates rely on Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O’Hearn for production.
Having better at-bats against left-handers allows the Pirates to deploy their strongest lineup, and Lowe feels that being in the lineup everyday along with the three other notable lefties gives them a psychological advantage.
“It’s one of those things that the name carries weight even if they’re not swinging the bat well,” he explained. “That should tell you everything you need to know about what kind of help those names do in the lineup.”
Some players change their approach depending on if it’s a righty or a lefty on the mound. Lowe doesn’t make any changes, other than realizing there is one big difference.
“The only thing that you understand that’s maybe a little different is if the ball starts at you, it’s probably not gonna hit you,” he said with a grin. “If a righty throws it at you, there’s a good chance it might hit you.”
Given how he’s performed against lefties in recent weeks, Lowe should continue to get his chances. Not having to pinch-hit for him will benefit the Pirates, especially if his spot in the lineup comes up again later in a game with a righty on the mound.
He’s earned it, and now he can go out there and do what he’s done all season — perform.
“I think it just kind of makes it baseball again.”
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