Pirates Catcher Frustrated With Lack of Run Support

NEW YORK — The Pittsburgh Pirates offense hasn't done it's job most of the season and most recently in their series with the New York Mets at Citi Field.
They went 1-for-9 with runners in scoring position in the series opener, where they lost 4-3 in walk-off fashion in nine innings on May 12, and then went 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position in the 2-1 defeat on May 13.
Pirates catcher Henry Davis started both games for right-handed starters in Paul Skenes the first game and then Mitch Keller the most recent.
Skenes went six innings, allowing six hits, three walks, but just one run, while posting six strikeouts over 92 pitches.
Keller eclipsed Skenes by going seven innings and posting a season-high eight strikeouts, but allowed two runs, including the go-ahead solo home run from Mets second baseman Brett Baty in the bottom of the seventh inning with two outs.
Davis praised Keller for his performance and felt like he could call any pitch and Keller would deliver.
“He was fantastic," Davis said. "I mean, I kind of knew it in the bullpen. Everything was dancing. I mean, when he’s at his best, he can do a lot of different things with the ball in different pitches, different locations and I really felt like, from the start of the game, he was on top of everything and it was fantastic to see.”
The Pirates haven't scored more than four runs in a game since they won 9-3 against the Los Angeles Angels at Angels Stadium on April 22, three weeks ago.
It's why Davis was so frustrated following the game, as the Pirates missed numerous chances throughout to get the win and make Keller's performance all worth it.
“Yeah, they’ve given us a chance to win all season long and I think the at-bats have gotten better, as a team, the past couple days," Davis said. "Timely hitting is important. I think we were 0-for-13 with runners in scoring position. Obviously, those are things we gotta come through and get those guys runs when they’re giving us that type of performance from the mound. You’re dying to score for them.”
The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft has struggled hitting the ball this season, slashing .135/.220/.216 for an OPS of .436, with eight hits in 37 at-bats and just three RBIs.
Davis has had two important plate appearances the past two games. He laid down a successful sacrifice bunt in the top of the ninth inning on May 12, which eventually helped score the tying run. He also walked with the bases loaded on May 13, tying the game at 1-1 in the top of the sixth inning.
“Yeah, I mean, not getting anything done, obviously I think that’s the type of thing, you just got to set the table, do anything you can to help the team win,” Davis said.
Davis is still optimistic that they'll turn things around, despite the lack of success from the plate for him and his Pirates teammate.
One of the biggest reasons for this is new manager Don Kelly, who he credits for making him a more confident batter, which he sees translating to better efficiency going forward.
“It’s been fantastic," Davis said. "I mean, he’s a phenomenal leader. Sets the tone every day, brings energy. He’s loose, he’s done it and I think just like, instills that confidence in us. My first at-bat, he came over to me and he’s like, ‘Dude, that 2-0’, I swung at a slider in the dirt, he’s like, ‘Swing it. Trust it. Go, go go.’ and it’s freeing as a hitter and I think that confidence is contagious and I think that we will break through the next couple days as an offense and just continue to stack those good at-bats, continue to hammer that wall down.
"Like obviously, myself, first and foremost, but a lot of guys in this room are better hitters than we’ve shown and I think just, no matter what, like, we’re going through a lull, continue to work, continue to hammer down that wall. You never know when it’s going to break down, but gotta keep going and doing everything to do that as a team. Setting each other up, communicating well in the dugout and just continuing to fight until it breaks through."
The Pirates currently sit 14-29 overall, 11 games behind the Chicago Cubs in first place of the National League Central Division and the third worst record in the MLB.
Davis' confidence comes from the work that he and his Pirates teammates put in every day and that they'll keep doing whatever they can to get back to winning ways, after a poor start to 2025.
“I think just knowing who we are," Davis said. "You are who you are, I was going to say the last 24 months, rather than 24 hours. Anything can happen on a certain day. You can be the best player on the field, you can be the worst player on the field, but continuing to trust the work and the preparation that goes into that and now preparing, no matter what, you’re going to get the most out of yourself whenever that happens and you just got to keep fighting until it does.”
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