Should Series vs. Phillies Serve as Measuring Stick for Pirates?

The Pittsburgh Pirates ended the first half of the regular season with momentum.

Heading into the All-Star break, the Pirates were winners in five of their final six games and four in a row — including a three-game sweep over the White Sox in Chicago in the final first-half series. Prior to sweeping the White Sox, the Pirates took two out of three from the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field.

The momentum the Pirates had built to end the first half would be immediately tested to start the second half. In their first series back in action, the MLB-best Philadelphia Phillies came to town for the start of a three-game series.

In the very early stages of the series against their Pennsylvania counterparts, things looked bleak for Pittsburgh. The Phillies jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the top of the first inning of the series opener on Friday night. After the Pirates mounted a comeback to even the score, Philadelphia again jumped ahead by three runs.

Once again, the Pirates battled back. Trailing by a run in the bottom of the ninth inning, Oneil Cruz evened the score by bouncing into a fielder’s choice which resulted in a run scored. Nick Gonzales followed by delivering a walk-off single to cap off an improbable win for the Pirates.

FIREWORKS BEFORE THE FIREWORKS!! pic.twitter.com/ctBkfIfKI5

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 20, 2024

The Pirates responded to an epic win on Friday night with a well-played game in the second meeting of the series on Saturday night.

Luis Ortiz, who has been reinserted into the rotation due to a couple injuries, turned in another brilliant start. The right-hander blanked a potent Phillies’ lineup across a season-high seven innings.

Ortiz’s efforts were rewarded with a win as the Pirates broke through in the sixth inning against tough left-hander Cristopher Sánchez.

Entering play, no starting pitcher in baseball allowed homers at a lower rate than Sánchez. But Andrew McCutchen broke a scoreless tie by hitting a solo homer into the bullpens to give the Pirates the lead.

Oneil Cruz was responsible for driving in the Pirates’ final three runs of the game in a 4-1 win. Later on in the inning after McCutchen’s homer, Cruz doubled to right field off of the left-handed Sánchez to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. He then homered off of another southpaw — reliever Matt Strahm — to pad lead in the eighth.

We’re the reporter. He’s the news. pic.twitter.com/UZ1dba4moX

— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) July 21, 2024

After winning the first two games of the series, the Pirates fell flat in the finale, losing 6-0. The loss erased a chance at a series sweep and put a season-long six-game winning streak to bed.

Though it was a disappointing end, taking two out of three from the best team in baseball probably seemed like it would be a best-case scenario at the beginning of the series.

“We played well against the best team in baseball,” said manager Derek Shelton following Sunday’s loss. “We didn’t play great (Sunday) but to come back the first night, do what we did (Saturday)– you want to win every game but to win two of three against that team, we didn’t play great (Sunday) but overall I thought we played well over the weekend.”

All three games against the Phillies were played in front of sellout crowds on the North Shore. While there were plenty of fans wearing red and blue, the black and gold faithful was plentiful and loud. There was an unfamiliar buzz in the air — something rarely seen in PNC Park’s history.

The Pirates rewarded their fans with a big series win in a tough test against baseball’s best.

“We’re playing with some momentum now, playing with some fire,” said Marco Gonzales on Sunday. “So I just love what I see from the guys and I think taking this one to heart is important and looking at what we can improve on. But overall, we gotta look at the two out of three from the Phillies and be happy with that.”

On the surface, taking two out of three games in a home series may not seem like a ground-breaking development. But considering the opponent and considering the Pirates came out and picked up right where they left off, this series seems to mean a little bit more.

If this was to be viewed as a test, the Pirates certainly deserve a passing grade.

Confidence is high in the Pirates’ clubhouse. The faith will need to remain in another important series against the St. Louis Cardinals starting on Monday night in Pittsburgh.