COMON Network

By COMON Network Team

Final Score – Chicago White Sox (19-12) 10, Pittsburgh Pirates (7-19) 3

WP: Dallas Keuchel (5-2)

LP: Trevor Williams (1-5)

SV: N/A

After becoming the first team of 2020 to get no-hit Monday night, Tuesday afternoon was no better for the Pirates, as they took a 10-3 pounding from the Chicago White Sox to end a dismal two-game set on the South Side.  

Chicago opened the flood gates with four runs in the bottom of the second. The first two came across on a Luis Robert sac fly and an Nomar Mazara single, and the last two on a home run by Danny Mendick. Chicago continued to pile on with three more home runs to coast to an abbreviated sweep.  

Pittsburgh’s next stop is in St. Louis for a doubleheader with the Cardinals set for tomorrow afternoon. Game one begins at 3:15. 

COMON Network Team Commentary

KYLE DAWSON

• Cole Tucker had a pulse today and Jacob Stallings did to a degree, so that was good to see, but other than that man was today rough. The talent disparity between the two teams is pretty big.
• How much more do we need to see from Josh Bell to figure out if the first couple of months of 2019 are going to be an outlier to an otherwise very average start to his career? A month ago, he’d have been a significant trade chip for the Buccos, but now, woof… I don’t know what they even could get for a guy like him. I’m not so sure there are too many guys that have big trade value on this team.
• If there was any silver lining to this one, it was Trevor Williams eating some innings without his best stuff and in the midst of struggles, which allows the bullpen to not be as depleted going into the doubleheader tomorrow. Otherwise… yuck.

Player of the Game – Eloy Jimenez (CWS)

JOE SMELTZER

• After sweeping a respectable Brewers team at PNC Park over the weekend, this series was a painful, but necessary refresher that the Pirates still stink.
• I don’t think this is the worst Pirates’ team of all time, and it will probably be impossible to tell given the shortened season. I’d be hard pressed, however, to find a lineup in this team’s history that is significantly worse than the one it’s putting out on a regular basis in 2020. More than half of today’s lineup is hitting under .200. At least the infamous ’52 Pirates (42-112) had Ralph Kiner in the middle of the order. 
• Speaking of Kiner, the closest comparison the current Pirates have, Josh Bell, is hitting .189 with two homers in 25 games. I’ve given my thoughts on Bell multiple times throughout these commentaries. Aside from the first two months of last season, his career hasn’t been anything special, and this season has been the worst of it. 

Player of the Game – Dallas Keuchel (CWS)

DONNY CHEDRICK

• Stallings — a nice surprise. Coming into 2020, the catcher position had one of the biggest question marks around it as it seemed the Pirates would let Jacob Stallings take the keys as the Pirates number one backstop. He’s done nothing but have a pleasantly solid season so far. I know we still have some time to go, but along with his very good defensive work, Stallings is one of the only regular starters hitting above the Mendoza Line — in fact, he’s over .300 for the year. There likely won’t be many positives by the end of the shortened campaign for Pittsburgh, but Stallings is one of them.
• Get the hell out of Chicago. The Pirates haven’t had a good time in the Windy City this year. Five games (three @ CHC, two @ CWS), five losses. If the sweep at Wrigley Field wasn’t bad enough, the team on the South Side of Chicago outdid their crosstown rival. The White Sox embarrassed the Buccos in the two-game set about as much as possible. On Tuesday, the Bucs were no-hit by Lucas Giolito, who struck out 13 and walked just one in the process. On Wednesday afternoon, the Sox bats overwhelmed Trevor Williams and the bullpen for 10 runs as the Bucs fell 10-3.
• Back down to Earth. Over the weekend, the Pirates swept the Brewers in what could be the high point of the 2020 season. The White Sox quickly provided a reality check in the form of a two-game series in Chicago. The Sox battered and beat the Pirates by a combined series score of 14-3. The Pirates are now 7-19.

Player of the Game – Eloy Jimenez (CWS)