Pirates Boost Offense in Lineup Before Giants Game
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates haven't gotten the production from the plate they've wanted over the past few games, but their lineup for their upcoming game should bring them exactly what they're looking for.
The Pirates are bringing back their best bats in the lineup ahead of their second game vs. the San Francisco Giants at Oracle Park on May 9.
Pittsburgh has their best left-handed hitters ready to face San Francisco, after they didn't start vs. left-handed pitcher Robbie Ray in the 5-2 loss in the series opener on May 8.
This includes the likes of second baseman Brandon Lowe, right fielder Ryan O'Hearn and first baseman Spencer Horwitz, who have all had productive 2026 seasons so far.
Pirates' Struggles the Past Few Games
The Pirates have had one of the better offenses in baseball, including the 10th-best batting average (.245) and OPS (.716), plus the seventh-best on-base percentage (.332), while also ranking sixth in walks (158), tied for seventh in both runs scored (187) and RBI (181) and 10th in hits (328).
Pittsburgh has put together some impressive wins, like their 16-5 win over the Washington Nationals on April 13 and their 17-7 win over the Cincinnati Reds on May 2, both at PNC Park.
The Pirates haven't had much luck offensively this week, with just eight runs over five games, including one shutout, two games where they won by just scoring one run and their high of four runs, which they also won.
While the Pirates are winning right now, it's not sustainable to assume your starting pitching and bullpen can lead you to low-scoring wins on a consistent basis.
Pirates manager Don Kelly went with a right-handed heavy hitting lineup vs. Ray, which didn't end up working, as the right-handed hitters like Nick Yorke and Billy Cook have struggled this season, hitting .214 and .200, respectively.
The one player that did come through was designated hitter Marcell Ozuna, who hit a solo home run for the 300th home run in his career, as he's had a much better May so far.
Pittsburgh brought in Lowe via trade and O'Hearn via free agency and both have played like All-Stars this season, with Lowe leading the team with 10 home runs and O'Hearn slashing .290/.375/.443 for an OPS of .818.
Horwitz has also had a decent season, slashing .252/.368/.388 for an OPS of .756, providing value towards the end of the lineup.
The Pirates will need some right-handed bats to step up, but for now, their left-handed bats have produced and will need to keep doing so.
Overlook at Pirates Lineup vs. Giants
The Pirates are taking on Giants right-handed starting pitcher Landen Roupp, which explains them four left-handed batters and a switch hitter, while their right-handed batters trend towards the bottom of the lineup.
Player | Position | Batting Side |
|---|---|---|
Oneil Cruz | Center Fielder | Left |
Brandon Lowe | Second Base | Left |
Bryan Reynolds | Left Field | Switch |
Ryan O'Hearn | Right Field | Left |
Nick Gonzales | Third Base | Right |
Marcell Ozuna | Designated Hitter | Right |
Spencer Horwitz | First Base | Left |
Konnor Griffin | Shortstop | Right |
Joey Bart | Catcher | Right |
Center fielder Oneil Cruz moves back to the leadoff spot after hitting fifth the day prior, where he has started 30 games at in the batting order this season.
Lowe, left fielder Bryan Reynolds and O'Hearn will hit second through fourth in the lineup, respectively, which is their usual order.
Nick Gonzales moves back to third base and bats fifth, Ozuna drops two spots down to sixth, Horwitz maintains his seventh spot, while shortstop Konnor Griffin and catcher Joey Bart bat eighth and ninth, respectively.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.