Smizik: Pirates' bats better start waking up
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The Pirates are 11-12 and in third place in the National League Central. On this the last day of April, they're 31/2 games removed from first place. It's not a bad situation for a team that has had 14 consecutive losing seasons.
The question you have to ask yourself about all these numbers is this: How did this team win 11 games?
It's difficult to comprehend how this ridiculously anemic offense has been part of 11 victories. Don't point to the pitching. It looks good at times, but is nowhere close to being among the best in the National League.
The run total the Pirates posted yesterday at PNC Park in a 9-5 loss to the Cincinnati Reds was their fourth highest of the season. Once they've scored seven, twice they've scored six. Twelve times they've scored three or less.
You don't contend for .500 seasons, let alone a wild-card slot, with that kind of offense.
The Pirates scored three runs in the second inning -- an outrageous offensive outbreak for this team -- and one in the third against Aaron Harang, who ended the day with a 4-0 record, and didn't score again until the ninth.
It was appropriate of this offense that the one Pirate, Jack Wilson, to reach second base from the third inning until the ninth, when Ryan Doumit homered, got there by striking out and reaching first on a wild pitch and then moving to second on another wild pitch.
So it could be said for five innings, the Pirates' biggest offensive thrust was a strikeout. That pretty much fits this team.
No one expected the Pirates to be strong offensively, even with the addition of first baseman Adam LaRoche. But nor did anyone expect this.
Going into the game yesterday, the Pirates were last in the National League in batting average, on-base percentage, total bases, runs batted in and base on balls. They were next to last in runs, hits and slugging percentage.
There's a lot of reason for this ineptitude, but here are the three most prominent: LaRoche, second baseman Freddy Sanchez and catcher Ronny Paulino.
LaRoche was hitless in four at-bats yesterday, with two more strikeouts. His batting average fell to .125, which is 155 points lower than it was last season.
Batting champion Sanchez also was hitless in four at-bats. His batting average fell to .206, which is 138 points lower than it was last year. Having missed most of spring training and opening the season on the disabled list, Sanchez has an excuse.
Paulino did not play. His batting average is .211, which is 99 points lower than it was last year.
It's easy to say that if these players start to hit, the Pirates will be in contention for a .500 season. But history tells a different story. In 2006, the Pirates were last in the National League in runs, 16th in slugging percentage and 14th in on-base percentage. LaRoche, if he ever gets going, can be a dangerous hitter. But one man isn't good enough to significantly improve those depressing numbers.
A positive note in the loss was Doumit, who was recalled from the minors Thursday. While playing a few weeks at Indianapolis, the Pirates' top minor-league club, he batted .415 with 20 RBIs in 16 games. Against the Reds, he was 4 for 4 with two singles, a double and a homer. He drove in two runs and scored two.
Doumit plays three positions, catcher, first base and outfield, which means, even if he plays none of them well, it's not hard to get him in the lineup. That's something manager Jim Tracy is going to have to work on. He has to let the switch-hitting Doumit at least ride out this hot streak. With such a pathetic offense, he almost has no other choice.
"We look daily to see what makes sense for him [Doumit]," Tracy said. "He's a good right-handed hitter but a much better left-handed hitter. When we find ways to utilize him, we will."
Doumit said, "Every player wants a chance to play and since I've been back I've been getting that chance."
When it was suggested to Doumit he'd be a tough man to keep out of the lineup, he said, "It's up to the skipper."
For his part, Tracy would not commit to Doumit so much as playing tonight against the Chicago Cubs. "I don't even know who's pitching for the Cubs," he said.
With Paulino struggling and Xavier Nady, the team's regular right fielder who is injured and has not started since April 19, not expected to be ready tonight, it's hard to fathom Tracy not staying with Doumit.
The Pirates' starters, whose earned run average of 4.40 was ninth best in the National League, have held up their end, although Paul Maholm -- four innings, seven hits, six runs -- was not up to the challenge yesterday. Unless the hitting gets better, appreciably better, this April flirtation with .500 might be the only happy memory of the 2007 season.
First Published April 29, 2007 11:26 pm
