Pittsburgh Pirates Face Royals Amidst Offensive Struggles

Kansas City, MO – The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to play the Kansas City Royals after suffering a humiliating sweep against the Seattle Mariners, where they failed to score a single run. Entering their matchup on Monday night, the Pirates are currently enduring a 28-inning scoreless streak.

This season, Pittsburgh holds a record of 38-53 and sits in last place in the National League Central. Despite having promising young starter Paul Skenes, he pitched on Sunday and will not face the Royals, marking two consecutive seasons where Kansas City has avoided him.

The Pirates finished last season at 76-86 and made a change in leadership, firing manager Derek Shelton earlier this year after a rough start of 12-26. Bench coach Don Kelly took over and led the team to a more stable record, hovering around .500. However, Pittsburgh’s performance on the road this season is alarming, with a dismal 12-32 record away from home.

Offensively, the Pirates struggle to keep pace, scoring only six more runs than the Royals this year. Pittsburgh averages 3.41 runs per game, placing them 29th in the league, just ahead of Kansas City’s 3.34 average, which ranks last. The Pirates have the second-fewest doubles (118) while the Royals are fifth in the league for the same statistic. Additionally, the Pirates have hit the fewest home runs with 61, compared to the Royals’ 63.

While the Pirates are mid-pack in walks, the Royals are last. However, Pittsburgh ranks fifth in the league for strikeouts, indicating that Royals pitchers may find opportunities to dominate this series. The Pirates are slightly better than Kansas City in stolen bases.

On the pitching front, Pittsburgh has a respectable team ERA ranking seventh, while the Royals boast a fourth-place ranking. However, the Pirates have a weak bullpen, converting only 18 of 33 save opportunities. While they allow the second-fewest home runs, their staff struggles with strikeouts, often pitching to contact.

Two former Royals, Tommy Pham and Adam Frazier, currently play for the Pirates. Pham has a batting average of .237 with two home runs, while Frazier is hitting .255 with three homers. Young player O’Neil Cruz, once highly regarded, is hitting a disappointing .203, with his defense and effort at times being called into question.

The pitching matchups for the series are: Monday at 6:40 p.m. featuring left-hander Andrew Heaney (4-7, 4.16 ERA) against left-hander Noah Cameron (2-4, 2.56 ERA); Tuesday at 6:40 p.m. will see right-hander Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.64 ERA) face Seth Lugo (6-5, 2.65 ERA); and Wednesday at 6:40 p.m., left-hander Bailey Falter (6-4, 3.69 ERA) will take on left-hander Kris Bubic (7-6, 2.36 ERA).

Despite recent struggles, the Pirates remain in a selling mode as the trade deadline approaches. Rumors link the Kansas City Royals to Pirates star Bryan Reynolds, who is seen as a key player to enhance their offense. With a current record of 40-47, the Royals trail Pittsburgh in runs scored but are still in the Wild Card hunt. To trade Reynolds, however, the Pirates would need an impressive offer from Kansas City, which has a less-than-adequate farm system.

Reynolds, a two-time All-Star, is pivotal to the Pirates’ lineup, and trading him may not resonate well with the fan base. Although his production has dipped this season, the Pirates likely need to see a significant return to consider moving him, particularly with the deadline just weeks away.