The Pittsburgh Pirates ran 7 consecutive wins. With 16 wins and 7 losses, it leads the National League Central Division. The team that suffered 100 losses last year has completely transformed itself.
Pittsburgh won the 2023 Major League Cincinnati Reds 2-0 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh on the 24th (Korean time). It swept 3 consecutive matches against the Colorado Rockies during the week and 4 consecutive matches against Cincinnati on the weekend.
Pittsburgh recorded 62 wins and 100 losses in the 2022 season. It was tied for last in the Central Division of the National League with Cincinnati. The only team with a lower win rate than Pittsburgh in the National League was the Washington Nationals (55-107).
This season is still early, but it is completely different. ‘Pirate Captain’ Andrew McCutchen returns to his parents’ house after six years. The mental support returned and created an atmosphere of victory. Korean infielder Bae Ji-hwan is also new to the lineup. The starting lineup has also stabilized thanks to solid recruitment and growth of promising players. 메이저놀이터
Pittsburgh has a team OPS (on-base percentage + slugging percentage) of 0.765, 7th overall in the major leagues, and a team ERA of 3.63, 8th overall in the major leagues. Two, Ta boasts a very well-balanced and solid power.
Vince Velasquez, who started the day, struck out 10 in 7 innings and pitched a scoreless pitch. He reported 3 wins (2 losses) for the season. He made his third quality start of the season. According to MLB.com, the official website of the Major League Baseball, Velasquez achieved three quality starts in five years.
He struck out 9 out of 10 with a slider. “It feels good to use it on any count with confidence,” Velasquez said. “I’ve been working hard to build trust and confidence on this pitch.”
Velasquez played for the Chicago White Sox last season. He only started 9 of 27 games. His starting performance was poor, going 2-3 with a 5.26 earned run average.
Pittsburgh acquired Velasquez at a relatively low price of $3.15 million (about 4.2 billion won) per year. So far it has been a great success. Pittsburgh coach Derek Shelton expressed satisfaction, saying, “Velasquez was overwhelming. He showed everything he could.”