Pirates Make Infield Changes Before Cubs Game
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates need some more offense and they made changes to their lineup to hopefully change their recent run of bad form.
The Pirates changed their lineup vs. the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on July 25, with only first baseman Ryan O'Hearn remaining from the 3-1 defeat in the series opener on July 24.
Brandon Lowe isn't in the starting lineup, as Nick Gonzales moves from third base to second base, and Jacob Gonzalez comes in at shortstop, with Jared Triolo moving to third base.
This isn't the first time the Pirates have made this change, but it's one they hope will work against their divisional rival.
Why the Pirates Made These Infield Changes
The Pirates face Cubs left-handed starting pitcher Shota Imanaga, who has dominated them in his career.
Imanaga has a 2-0 record vs. the Pirates in five career starts, with just one earned run allowed over 32.0 innings pitched for a 0.28 ERA, plus 32 strikeouts to seven walks.
Lowe is a left-handed batter and is slashing .209/.258/.339 for an OPS of .597 against southpaws, not a great line. He also started in the game prior vs. Cubs left-handed starting pitcher Matthew Boyd and had just one walk in four plate appearances.
The Pirates want to keep right-handed bats in the lineup and do so with Triolo and Gonzales, who just move to their more natural positions, where they both are better at defensively.
Gonzalez joined the Pirates via trade from the Chicago White Sox on July 10 and makes his fourth start at shortstop, where he is helping fill in for the injured Konnor Griffin.
He is a left-handed batter, but has had some success in the major leagues against lefties, with four hits in 16 at-bats and two RBI-doubles along the way.
The Pirates went with this infield against the Cleveland Guardians in the series finale at Progressive Park on July 19, a 7-1 win for the Pirates.
Gonzalez hit an RBI-double in the sixth inning, Triolo had two hits, two walks and scored a run, while Gonzales had two hits and scored two runs in the victory.
The Pirates have scored just one run in their past two games and need some offense against a strong Cubs outfit and a tough pitcher like Imanaga.
Pirates Lineup Outlook vs. Cubs
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Jake Mangum | Center Field | Switch |
Nick Gonzales | Second Base | Right |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Esmerlyn Valdez | Right Field | Right |
Ryan O'Hearn | First Base | Left |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Jared Triolo | Third Base | Right |
Jacob Gonzalez | Shortstop | Left |
Henry Davis | Catcher | Right |
O'Hearn and Gonzalez, batting fifth and eighth, are the only two left-handed hitters for the Pirates against Imanaga and the Cubs.
The Pirates have the same lineup from yesterday, with center fielder Jake Mangum leading off, left fielder Bryan Reynolds hitting third and rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez batting fourth.
Gonzales bats second, Triolo hits seventh, while Marcell Ozuna stays at designated hitter and bats sixth and Henry Davis remains at catcher and bats ninth.
The Pirates have gone 25-37 in games Ozuna has started and they've lost the past four games he's started.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.