Pirates Series Takeaways: Ozuna Emerging, Griffin Gets Results and Lessons, Could’ve Ended Better
PITTSBURGH — The first four-game series of the year for the Pittsburgh Pirates resulted in an even split after a 2-2 showing against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.
The series had just about everything — from a high-scoring game one to a pitchers’ duel in game three and just about everything else you can think of.
The bats won the Pirates the first game, 16-5. The pitching carried the load in the third game, a 2-0 win. The Nationals were on the right side of one-run margins in the two games they claimed.
Here are a few takeaways after the Pirates crossed the halfway-point of their seven-game homestand.
Ozuna Emerging
To say Ozuna got off to a slow start this season would be quite the understatement. The 35-year-old entered this series without a home run, an extra-base hit or an RBI and only two hits in 39 at-bats. That’s a .051 batting average for those keeping track.
But in three games against the Nationals, Ozuna looked much more like the player the Pirates thought they were getting when they signed him as a free agent in the offseason.
After sitting out the first game of the series, Ozuna suited up for the next three and went 4 for 12 with a double, a home run, five RBI and one walk.
“It feels good,” Ozuna said after hitting a three-run home run in Thursday’s loss. “That game was a good game but I still have to improve a little bit more.”
One thing to keep in mind with Ozuna is that if he continues to perform well, the Pirates can move him up in the lineup to break the lefty-heavy top of the order that consists of Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds (switch-hitter) and Ryan O’Hearn. We saw one instance of a left-handed opener used in this series and opposing managers will have to be extra cautions of handedness when going to the bullpen later in games if Ozuna bats cleanup, for instance.
Pittsburgh’s offense has been performing well to start the season, but getting Ozuna to perform the way he has for much of his MLB career would take things to the next level.
“He’s been having much better at-bats, as we’ve seen,” manager Don Kelly said after Thursday’s game. “He’s put in a lot of work to continue to get this point out.”
Griffin Gets Results and More Teaching Moments
Maybe it should’ve been expected, but it was a slow start for Konnor Griffin to begin his major league career. Prior to his big-league debut, he only had five games above Double-A under his belt.
Like Ozuna, Griffin’s numbers entering the series with the Nationals without much to show for, but the game’s top prospect had at least one hit in each of the three games he started during the series.
On Monday, Griffin went 1 for 4 with a walk, an RBI and two runs scored. The next day, he went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. After a scheduled day off on Thursday, Griffin went 2 for 5 with an RBI game-tying triple — missing on his first home run by a matter of inches.
Griffin continues to get more comfortable in the box.
“The results are going to come,” he explained. “I’m just trusting the process and continuing to be the same guy.”
As is the case with any rookie — 19-year-old ones especially — there will continue to be growing pains and teaching moments.
One came on Tuesday, when Griffin committed a costly error with the bases loaded in the fifth inning. Luis García Jr. hit a soft grounder to Griffin, who couldn’t win a foot race to second base with Nasim Nuñez. Griffin was gearing up for a throw to first but his leg got tangled with the runner and the ball was spiked into the ground, allowing all three runners to score.
Griffin took accountability after the loss.
“I was just trying to make a play for [starter Braxton Ashcraft].,” he said. “Fielded it, thought I had a chance to get second, turn and throw, my back leg got stuck under his. At that point, I just tried to hold onto it. It kinda slipped out of my hand and three runs scored. That’s on me.”
Split Decision
A split is fine, but the Pirates could’ve had more that series.
Their 16-run outburst in the series opener was a big reason why they outscored the Nationals 29-18 over the four games, but a case could be made that the Pirates could’ve walked away with a sweep, or at least a series win.
In Tuesday’s loss, there was a questionable pinch-hit decision and the Pirates were unable to cash in on a few late scoring opportunities. They made too many mental mistakes in the series finale and fell 8-7, despite out-hitting the Nationals 15-10. Clean baseball wins that game, but the Pirates were sloppy and it cost them.
“We had ‘em pretty much every game,” Griffin said. “Could have swept that series. Just got to continue to finish games and continue to do our jobs.”
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