MLB Playoffs: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Resolve, Depth To Be Tested In Wild Card Game

Sep 20, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Edinson Volquez (36) reacts as he leaves the mound after pitching the seventh inning against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pittsburgh Pirates have responded to negative outcomes extremely well this season, but this might be their toughest challenge yet.

With a real chance to win their first division championship since 1992, the Bucs lost back-to-back winnable games in Cincinnati this weekend. Not only did they fail to force a one-game Monday playoff for the National League Central crown, they also burned their two best starting pitchers in the process: Francisco Liriano and Gerrit Cole.

After suffering those emotional blows, the Pirates (88-74) have two days to regroup before hosting the NL wild card game once again. PNC Park figures to be in black-clad bloom for the second consecutive year, seeking to boost the home team to a win over the Giants and on to a division-series showdown with the Nationals.

By the time Edinson Volquez tosses the first pitch a few minutes past 8 p.m. Wednesday, the Pirates will be focused on the game in front of them. However, it’s fair to wonder how they recover from what could’ve been the crowning achievement of their resurgent September, but instead ended up being a dud of a weekend against the Reds.

As Travis Sawchik of the Pittsburgh Tribune-Review described, the Pirates’ “leadership council” helped sway manager Clint Hurdle and the staff to pitch Cole on Sunday instead of saving him for either a one-game playoff against the Cardinals or Wednesday’s elimination game on the North Side.

More from Pittsburgh Pirates

• Pittsburgh Pirates: A Look Back at 2019
• Pirates: Hiring Don Kelly Yet Another Smart Offseason Move
• Pirates’ Solid Offseason Continues with Hiring of Derek Shelton
• Pirates: Derek Shelton Makes Most Sense As Next Manager
• Pirates: Drew Smyly Makes Sense as Potential High-Reward Signing

Although I might’ve differed with that decision, I certainly understand the desire to gun for the division while it was still up for grabs. Still, the players are human beings, so it’s possible there’s some second-guessing going on. After Cole mowed down the Reds in emphatic fashion, it’s only natural to wonder what he would’ve done Wednesday.

Instead, the Pirates will lean on (arguably) their third-best starter in Volquez with their season in the balance. He goes into the biggest game of his career on a high note, having whiffed 10 Braves in seven shutout innings last Thursday. The 31-year-old right-hander had an earned-run average of 1.08 in September, dropping his season mark to 3.04, the best among Pirates starters.

On the other hand, Volquez has significantly outperformed his peripheral numbers (groundball/flyball ratio, strikeout rate, walk rate) this year, so much so that his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) is more than a full run above his ERA. There’s no reason to believe Volquez will bomb in his matchup against Giants ace Madison Bumgarner, but he’s not the Pirates’ best option.

And not only will the Bucs be depending on their No. 3 starter, they also may have to turn to their third-string catcher. Russell Martin‘s hamstring kept him out of the last two games of the regular-season and back-up Chris Stewart‘s hand was badly bruised Sunday, so there’s an outside chance Tony Sanchez will be behind the plate at some point Wednesday.

It’s possible that resting Martin has been mostly precautionary, but the fact remains that one of the Pirates’ (and the National League’s) most valuable players figures to be somewhere shy of 100 percent for the most important game of the season.

Considering all that, maybe it’s a blessing the Pirates aren’t preparing for a one-game playoff tonight.