Pirates Series Takeaways: Griffin on Fire, Catcher Conundrum, Mlodzinski Changing Plans
Winning a divisional series on the road sure does go a long way in easing any concerns following a team-wide skid.
That was the case for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who dropped the first game of their series against the St. Louis Cardinals for their fourth-loss in a row before rallying to take the next two games and the series at Busch Stadium.
The Pirates looked sloppy for the entirety for their four-game losing streak. The offense and pitching were to blame at various points throughout.
But the Pirates responded by playing some of their best baseball of the season on Wednesday and Thursday — two true teams wins to get them back to two games over .500.
It was a needed series win against a divisional foe that has surprised through the first two months of the season. Here are three takeaways from the series in St. Louis.
Konnor Griffin on Fire
Konnor Griffin turned 20 and immediately became the player just about everyone expected him to be as he was emerging as the top prospect in baseball.
In 25 games dating back to when he exited his teens on April 24, Griffin is batting .344 (33 for 96) with 10 extra-base hits, 12 RBI and 18 runs scored.
He continued his torrid stretch in St. Louis and extended his hitting streak to seven games after finishing the series 6 for 13 with a double, five runs scored and a stolen base. Four of his six hits came in Wednesday’s win, a game in which he also scored a career-high three runs.
Griffin, who became the first player born after Busch Stadium opened to play a game in it, has upped his season batting average to .278, which ranks fifth among qualified rookies and second among National League rookies. (Arizona’s Jose Fernandez leads qualified NL rookies at .283).
Griffin is hitting the ball to all fields. He’s using his speed to leg out infield singles. I’m expecting the next step of his progression will be more consistent power, and an increase in home run output wouldn’t come as a surprise.
Catcher Conundrum
The Pirates face an interesting decision on how they will deploy their catchers moving forward.
Henry Davis is a strong defensive backstop and the personal catcher of reigning Cy Young Paul Skenes. Although he homered in Thursday’s win, he hasn’t offered much of anything at the plate this season. The Pirates, however, haven’t necessarily needed Davis to be a threat with the bat, though they would surely like some more production out of the catcher’s spot.
Endy Rodríguez, meanwhile, has look good in a small sample of four games since he was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis during the team’s last homestand. Rodríguez has four hits in 12 at-bats, one double, two RBI, two runs and four walks against three strikeouts.
Expect Davis to catch all of Skenes’ starts no matter what. But overall, manager Don Kelly should opt for a 50/50 split until one player earns his way to getting more playing time than the other.
Mlodzinski Changing Original Plans
Carmen Mlodzinski stepped up and delivered exactly what the doctor order for the Pirates to help snap a four-game losing streak on Wednesday night.
The right-hander tossed five-shutout innings, scattering four hits while only walking one and striking out one. It wasn’t the most efficient start for Mlodzinski, who needed 95 pitches to get through five, but he grinded through things to get his fourth win of the season.
Mlodzinski’s season ERA now sits at a respectable 3.96, and his FIP is an even-more encouraging 3.01. So far, he’s held his own as a full-time starter (he has had two relief appearances in a bulk role following an opener). Mlodzinski has held his own as a starter, even if there are still some issues when facing a lineup for a third time. However, the bullpen is feeling his absence.
In 94 career appearances as a reliever, the 27-year-old has a sparkling 2.65 ERA. How good would that look in the shaky Pirates ‘pen right now, especially in high-leverage spots?
Some assumed early in the season that Mlodzinski was a stopgap solution in the starting rotation until Jared Jones returned from his elbow injury. Well, Jones is now on the doorstep of getting back, and right now, the safe bet is that Mlodzinski will continue to be used as a starting pitcher, even when he rejoins the team. He’s earned as much, whereas Bubba Chandler, so far, has not.
I wouldn’t bet on Mlodzinski changing roles, so the bullpen will have to look internally for improvement.
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