During the Pirates’ 11-game winning streak last month, Corey Dickerson, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco arguably were better than any other Nos. 1-2-3 lineup combination in the National League.
“When you’re syncing together, you feed off one another,” Dickerson said on Friday. “When all three of us were going really good, every day we’d mention it to each other, ‘We’ve got this. Let’s keep it going.’ ”
Here’s how those three performed from July 11 to July 24, when the Pirates averaged 6.6 runs per game:
The trio’s run came to an end eventually, of course. It started when Dickerson came up with a gimpy left hamstring on July 24, the final day of the winning streak.
The next day, Jordan Luplow started in left field and batted leadoff in a 4-0 loss against the Cleveland Indians. On the disabled list for the first time since 2015, Dickerson was out of action until Aug. 4. Since his return, Dickerson has scuffled at the plate.
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“It’s been really tough, trying to find rhythm again,” Dickerson said. “And not coming back at 100 percent and trying to worry about all of that made it tough, too. But, I’m healthy now and, hopefully, anything can happen and just any day you can get hot again.”
The problem is, Dickerson is not the only one near the top of the order who has been slumping since Aug. 1 (all stats through Thursday):
“What I consistently challenge them with is the fight, the preparation, the effort, and the focus,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “After a while, you get to a point where if you feel you need to make a change, you make a change.”
As of Friday, Hurdle had not yet reached that point where he’s ready to shuffle the lineup. With the Pirates riding a four-game losing skid, Dickerson, Marte and Polanco were in their usual lineup locations against the Chicago Cubs and the outcome was a second straight 1-0 loss.
“It’s hard right now,” Polanco said. “We’re hitting the ball, but it’s like it’s never to the right spot. We’ve got to keep fighting. This won’t be forever, I know.”
Dickerson began the ninth inning with a single, his lone hit of the game. However, he was thrown out at third base at the front end of a game-ending double play — one of seven the Pirates hit into to tie a franchise record.
Marte had a pair of singles, but each time was erased via a double play. Polanco walked twice and singled. The top third of the order got on base six times, although it failed to produce a run. Baby steps, Hurdle said. He’s seen those guys when they’re at their best and has faith it can come around again.
“I still believe at this point all three of them have shown signs of getting closer (to success),” Hurdle said before the game. “For us to be the best team we want to be, now and in the future, it’s (necessary) for Dickerson, Marte and Polanco to be involved. You hang with them when it’s challenging. I’ve said it before, some times I need to be the last guy to get out and say, ‘OK, that’s enough.’ ”
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Marte and Polanco have most frequently been in the 2 and 3 spots, respectively, which is where Hurdle believes they can do the most damage. But when the team’s winning streak began in mid-July, Dickerson was still settling in atop the order.
The leadoff spot has been problematic much of this season. Pirates leadoff hitters rank 11th in the NL with a .248 average, 12th with 75 runs scored and 13th with a .691 OPS. Those numbers would be even worse if not for Dickerson, who despite his recent slump has slashed .292/.316/.573 in the No. 1 position.
Dickerson believes he’s close to breaking out of his funk. He’s making good contact, but his .235 BAbip this month suggests he’s been the victim of some bad luck.
“I’ve hit a lot of balls hard,” Dickerson said. “I’ve hit a lot of balls to the warning track that have been caught. If four or five of those fall, I don’t think we’re even having this conversation. I hit the one off (Ty Blach on Aug. 11) in San Francisco that was better off any ball I’ve hit in months to the opposite field. I thought it was going to go (out) for sure, but it didn’t. Then off Jake Odorizzi (on Tuesday) in Minnesota, I hit one to center that I hit really good but it was just too far up in the air. It’s tough.”
Maybe it’s not a coincidence that just as Dickerson, Marte and Polanco all got hot at the same time last month they are struggling together now. If hitting is contagious, can scuffling be like a virus, too?
“For sure,” Dickerson said. “Guys feed off one another. Some guys feel like they’ve got to pick up the slack and that hurts them because they feel like they’ve got to do more.”
Hurdle doesn’t buy the theory that Dickerson, Marte and Polanco are pressing. He pointed out that each of them has fallen on hard times for different reasons.
“Could (pressing) be on the list somewhere? Yeah, probably. But it’s not at the top of the list for me,” Hurdle said. “Dickerson had an injury. We’ve seen at times when (Marte) doesn’t go well, the chase factor come into play. I think we’re seeing that now.”
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On Friday, Dickerson was at second base with none out in the top of the ninth. Marte went down swinging on a Steve Cishek slider that was low and well out of the zone.
Polanco pulled himself out of a deep slump before the All-Star break in part by taking a half-step away from the plate. Pitchers are counter-punching by offering him fewer fastballs and going away more often to get him off balance.
“They’re throwing everything except fastballs at me now,” Polanco said. “Even 2-1 and 3-1, I’m seeing a lot of curves, cutters, and sliders. It is what it is. They won’t give in, so I won’t give in either. None of us can. We have to keep swinging and put the ball in play.”
(Top photo credit of Starling Marte: Justin Berl/Getty Images)