Latest Loss Further Reminder Pirates Need Big Changes

No, one game does not mean much in the grand scheme of things. But the Pittsburgh Pirates’ latest matchup with the Chicago Cubs on once again showed the status quo simply will not do. 

Cubs rookie left-hander Shota Imanaga, along with two relievers, combined to no-hit the Pirates at Wrigley Field in the finale of a three-game series on Wednesday night. 

Imanaga was in complete control all night long. Sure, the Pirates hit a few balls hard, but there seemed to hardly ever be a real threat of a base hit with one exception.

With one out in the top of the first, Bryan Reynolds hit a grounder to third baseman Isaac Paredes. Reynolds reached on what was originally ruled a base hit after Paredes had trouble and skipped a throw across the diamond. Later in the game, the official ruling was changed to a Paredes’ error, one of three on the night for the Cubs’ third baseman.

The Pirates looked completely overmatched by Imanaga, as well as Nate Pearson and Porter Hodge, the relievers who covered the final two innings. 

Being on the wrong end of a no-hitter is bad enough in and of itself, but it’s only part of the reason why Wednesday was such a bad night for the Pirates. 

In the third game of the same road trip against the Cleveland Guardians on Sunday, the Pirates were in a similar spot.

Guardians starter Alex Cobb, fresh off the injured list for his third start of the season, carried a perfect game bid into the seventh inning. No disrespect to Cobb, the 36-year-old has had a solid big-league career, but he shouldn’t be in position to flirt with perfection, especially given the circumstances.

The recent showings from the Pirates’ offense represent what has been apparent all season long. Something is wrong. It could be coaching. It could be execution. It’s probably both. But it needs to be fixed. 

As a team, the Pirates are slashing .235/.301/.371. Their .672 OPS is the fourth-worst in baseball. Only four teams have fewer home runs than the Pirates’ 137. Only three teams have struck out more than the Pirates’ 1,291. 

We’re still not done. 

In addition to going the full game without a hit, the Pirates were walloped 12-0. Things got so bad that Rowdy Tellez had to make his third relief appearance since Aug. 24.

Domingo Germán had a few good outings to begin his tenure with the Pirates but has been hit extremely hard of late. The Pirates need some spot starters to help give extra rest to rookies Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, I get it. But is Germán really the answer? The Pirates signed the 32-year-old as a minor-league free agent in March and it’s safe to assume he doesn’t factor into the team’s future. 

The Pirates’ bullpen, which many thought was the main strength of the team headed into the season – myself included – allowed four runs in Wednesday’s loss. And no, I’m not counting Tellez’s one run allowed towards that. 

Pirates’ relievers have combined for a 4.62 ERA this season, which is 27th in baseball. The Colorado Rockies rank 30th, as they have for each of the last four seasons. The 32-109 Chicago White Sox rank 29th. The Blue Jays, who traded three bullpen arms leading up to the deadline, are 28th. 

It’s time to start looking towards 2025 and beyond. It’s time to start giving chances to players who factor into the team’s future plans, or at least have a shot to, that is.

Nick Yorke and Billy Cook have pushed for big-league promotions ever since they were acquired in July. Despite a down year, Liover Peguero has yet to take a major-league at-bat this season. It wasn’t too long ago that he was viewed as a key piece of the Pirates, which opens another discussion in regards to development which will be tabled… for now. 

There are a handful of pitching prospects who could at least get their feet wet during the final couple weeks of the season, too. 

It’s become increasingly clear that the Pirates are going to have no choice but to make some personnel changes at some level. Whether that be in the front office or on the coaching staff, there needs to be a shakeup.

I firmly believe that managers and coaches only influence the outcomes of a handful of games over the course of a 162-game season. But sometimes a new perspective or philosophy is needed to try and get the desired results. 

The bottom line is that players play, coaches coach and front offices make decisions to best put a team in position to succeed. Something within that simple equation is off, and the Pirates need to identify what it is and make the necessary changes headed into next year.

Another surefire sub-.500 season after flirting with a playoff spot as recently as a month ago is inexcusable.