Bechtold’s Core Four: Nick Gonzales, Paul Skenes providing exactly what Pirates need

Nick Gonzales owns as many RBIs as Rowdy Tellez and Michael A. Taylor in 10 games.

Welcome to Bechtold’s Core Four, where I preview four Pittsburgh Pirates topics, events, or storylines worth following this week. In this weekly feature, we’ll discover what you would keep an eye on as the week progresses in the world of the Pirates and Major League Baseball. Let’s go.

Home Cooking

The Pirates have been cooked rather than done the cooking inside PNC Park this season. Following a 3-1 start to the year on the North Shore and a series victory against one of baseball’s premiere teams in the Baltimore Orioles, the Pirates are now 9-12 at home. The Red Sox swept them, then the Bucs won the first two games of a four-game set against Milwaukee before losing the final two, took a series against the lowly Colorado Rockies, and lost their series to the Angels and Cubs.

Sitting 22-26 overall, the Pirates have a better road record (13-14) entering a six-game stretch at home. That can’t happen. Their road record includes being swept at the Oakland Coliseum, further showing how bad the Pirates have been at home. The road doesn’t get easier with an average San Francisco team and one of the NL’s best this weekend with the Atlanta Braves in town. It’s time to flip the script and dig out of below-.500 territory.

Gonzo Producing at the Plate

Nick Gonzales said it himself, he doesn’t want to go back to the minor leagues and aims to be here to stay. He’s producing like he never wants to see Indianapolis again. The 7th overall pick in the 2020 MLB Draft is slashing .265/.297/.471 with nine hits, including two home runs. In 10 games, Gonzales has as many RBIs (eight) as Rowdy Tellez in 44 games and Michael A. Taylor in 39.

Gonzales produced a big-time hit with the bases loaded Sunday to drive in two runs and put the Pirates up two runs 3-1. It was all the pitching staff needed to shut the door. Jared Triolo is hitting .212 with the same on-base percentage as Gonzales (.297) and remains better suited for a bench role once Ke’Bryan Hayes returns in a week. A full-time second base job remains open for the taking and Gonzales has earned a case to be the leader in the clubhouse. Jake Lamb and Hi Hwan Bae should also be making their way to the North Shore by Tuesday.

Atlanta’s the Home of Rap, and How to Build a Baseball Team

It’s hard not to admire the Atlanta Braves. Well, as long as we block out the 1992 NLCS out of our minds, which isn’t a small task. The Braves exist in a large market but execute some small market tendencies. They ripped off the Oakland A’s for Matt Olson and Sean Murphy and paid both of them to join a homegrown core on team-friendly deals. Atlanta signed Ronald Acuna Jr., Ozzie Albies, and Austin Riley to deals significantly lower than market value early in their careers to commit nearly a decade in each case.

The Pirates have taken a similar approach with Hayes, Bryan Reynolds, and Mitch Keller. Does Atlanta have more money and resources than the Pirates do? Yes. At the same time, the Pirates could have traded for Murphy and signed the all-star and Gold Glove winner to a six-year deal for $73 million. The blueprint is there and a good test this weekend to see how the up-and-coming Pirates compete. They’re not close to accomplishing what the Braves have over the past five seasons, but they’re close to beginning their own five-year run with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones at the forefront. It’s what makes this series fascinating to watch.

Jones and Skenes… against the Giants

If the Pirates take 2-of-3 from Atlanta, it will be with Mitch Keller, Bailey Falter, and Martin Perez on the mound. The Pirates announced Jared Jones and Paul Skenes will start Wednesday and Thursday, respectively, against the Giants. There’s no reason not to take the series. Perez pitching opposite San Francisco ace Logan Webb presents an uphill battle. Outside of a disastrous nine-run outing to Milwaukee last time out, Perez delivered a 3.60 ERA through eight starts.

Two-time Cy Young winner Blake Snell takes the mound Wednesday following a month on the IL with a thigh injury. His first three outings were atrocious and allowed a combined 15 runs in 11.2 frames. Anytime Paul Skenes takes the mound, you expect a significant chance of victory. One series win must occur, but two would open eyes around baseball similar to the 9-2 start. The ball is in their court in their ballpark. All they need to do is hit. Better said than done it seems.