Polanco showing home run swing
The Pirates felt Gregory Polanco could eventually turn into the type of hitter who could swat 30 home runs a year when he was coming up through their minor league system.
However, the left fielder showed that power only periodically during his first two major leagues seasons. He hit seven home runs in 89 games as a rookie in 2014, then went deep nine times in 153 games last year.
However, the 24-year-old Polanco蘑菇视频 power has started to blossom this season. He entered the weekend with a team-high 21 homers in 119 games.
That makes Polanco just the eighth player in Pirates鈥� history to hit 20 or more home runs at age 24 or younger, joining a list that includes Andrew McCutchen in 2011, Aramis Ramirez in 2001, Barry Bonds in 1987 and 1988, Dave Parker in 1975, Bob Robertson in 1970 and 1971, Willie Stargell in 1964, Frank Thomas in 1953 and Ralph Kiner in 1946 and 1947.
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One can鈥檛 help wonder what kind of player Pirates left fielder Starling Marte would have been if they played high school football in the Dominican Republic. He certainly likes playing under the Friday night lights.
Marte went 2-for-4 on Friday night in the Pirates鈥� 1-0 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. He is hitting .425 on Fridays this season, going 37-for-87 for the best mark in the National League.
Detroit Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin leads the major leagues in hitting on Fridays with a .488 average. The only major leaguer who has a better average on a particular this season is Washington Nationals second baseman Daniel Murphy, who is batting .491 on Mondays.
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The Pirates had a plus-11 run differential in August, scoring 122 runs and allowing 111 while compiling a 15-13 record. The differential ranked fifth in the NL and 13th in the major leagues.
The Chicago Cubs鈥� plus-58 mark led the major leagues while the Minnesota Twins were last at minus-50.