Hurdle maintains ‘next man up’ philosophy
Like every other manager or coach at all level of sports, Clint Hurdle has fallen in love with using the phrase 鈥渘ext man up鈥� every time one of his players is injured.
The Pirates manager has used the line quite a bit this season, especially when he comes to his starting rotation. When right-hander Gerrit Cole was placed on the 15-day disabled list Monday with right elbow inflammation, it means that none of the five members of the rotation that opened the season remain on the active roster.
Left-hander Jeff Locke and right-hander Juan Nicasio are now pitching in relief. Lefty Francisco Liriano was traded to the Toronto Blue Jays on Aug. 1, the same day southpaw Jon Niese was shipped back to the New York Mets in a separate deal.
Yet despite all the turnover, the Pirates entered Tuesday night蘑菇视频 game against the Cubs at Chicago just 1陆 games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for the second National League wild card and a fourth consecutive berth in the postseason.
Even though they will be without Cole, the most talented of their starters, until at least Sept. 9, Hurdle believes the Pirates鈥� revamped rotation is good enough to get them to the playoffs. He likens the starters to running a relay race.
鈥淢ore than anybody, the rotation guys can pick up and carry that baton and do something significant with it,鈥� Hurdle said. 鈥淭hose guys are connected in a different way. Those guys post up every day. They go out and watch each other throw their bullpens. They spend time together in the clubhouse. They have conversations if they鈥檙e matching up with a particular team on how they鈥檙e going to pitch and do things.鈥�
And they are also performing quite well.
Rookie Jameson Taillon is 1-2 with a 3.12 ERA in eight starts since being activated from the disabled list July 19 after sitting out three weeks with shoulder fatigue. The Pirates are 6-2 in those games.
Ivan Nova is 4-0 with a 2.87 ERA in five starts since being acquired from the New York in an Aug. 1 trade and the Pirates have won all five games. Nova is just the second pitcher to go either 4-0 or 5-0 in his first five starts with the Pirates. Dave LaPoint went 4-0 in 1988 after being acquired from the Chicago White Sox in a July trade.
Rookie Chad Kuhl is 3-1 with a 3.50 ERA through his first eight major league starts. The Pirates are 7-1 when he pitches.
Ryan Vogelsong, who started Tuesday night, is having a resurgence since returning from the DL on Aug. 4, barely 10 weeks after being struck in the left eye by a pitch and undergoing surgery to repair multiple facial fractures. He had gone 2-2 with a 2.48 in five starts since being activated.
The loss of Cole may not be as significant as it would seem. He is 7-9 with a 3.55 ERA in 20 starts, a year after finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young voting when he had a 19-8 record and 2.60 ERA in 32 starts.
Cole was unable to throw off a mound with the rest of the pitchers when spring training began because of inflammation in his right ribcage. Slated to start on opening day for the first time in his career, Cole was pushed back to the fourth game of the season so he could get in an extra outing at the end of spring training.
A strained right triceps then sent Cole to the disabled list from June 11-July 15 and he struggled upon his return, going 2-5 with a 4.73 ERA in eight starts before going back on the DL.
Even if Cole returns to the active roster this season, he admits he isn鈥檛 sure how well he will fare.
鈥淚 really haven鈥檛 pitched as well as I鈥檓 capable of most of the year, but at the same time it seems like I鈥檓 not able to get away with one bad pitch,鈥� Cole said. 鈥淚t蘑菇视频 just been a strange year. It got off on the wrong foot in spring training and I feel like I鈥檝e been trying to catch up ever since.鈥�