Pittsburgh Pirates look for great start from Francisco Liriano

Jul 29, 2013; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano (47) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the fourth inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Well, here we are. It didn’t take long after a 9-2 homestand that boosted the Pittsburgh Pirates to a season-high 26 games over .500, but it’s officially panic time for many scarred followers of the ballclub.

With the Pirates having dropped four in a row following a five-game winning streak, I can’t say that I blame them. If I’m honest with myself, I’m starting to wonder if this year’s team has what it takes to avoid the long swoons that have defined the past two baseball seasons in Pittsburgh.

But the great thing is, it doesn’t matter what you or I think. It only matters what the 25 guys in the Pirates clubhouse feel right now, as they attempt to recover from Tuesday night’s wrenching 14-inning loss to their closest pursuers in the National League Central, the St. Louis Cardinals.

A single win in the final two games of this important midweek series would give the Pirates a two-game lead in the Central heading back home to PNC Park for the weekend. The way I see it, the Bucs’ best opportunity to score a victory and end their road skid comes Wednesday night, when Francisco Liriano gets the start against Cardinals rookie Shelby Miller.

Miller’s one of the top young pitchers in MLB, a 22-year-old righthander who has a 2.89 ERA in 22 starts. Liriano has been just as good in his age-29 season – and first in the NL – posting a 2.83 ERA in 17 starts after recovering from a broken arm suffered in the offseason.

Both starters have swing-and-miss stuff, so it’s likely to be another tight game that hinges on a few high-leverage moments, much like Tuesday night’s nailbiter. But just as the Cardinals bumped ace Adam Wainwright back a day to make sure he pitched in this pivotal series, the Pirates pushed rookie Gerrit Cole to Friday, ensuring that Liriano and fellow veteran A.J. Burnett got their rotation turns in St. Louis.

The Bucs (70-48) haven’t lost more than four in a row all year, which partially explains how they’ve gotten to their lofty standing through 118 games. If some of the players are starting to have doubts, there’s no better way to assuage those than to see Liriano (and Burnett) go out and give them every chance to win the final two games of this series.

Furthermore, Liriano should be extra focused after allowing 10 runs in his previous outing last Friday in Colorado. That disaster did occur in the most hitter-friendly ballpark in the majors, but you have to believe Francisco is due to bounce back from such an aberration.

The 2013 Pirates have built something impressive on a foundation of pitching. It’s time to once again fall back on that bedrock.