Pirates notes: Scoring change gives Adam Frazier another hit, NL batting lead

Even with a day off, Adam Frazier picked up another hit.

This one moved the Pirates All-Star second baseman to the top of the National League batting leaders.

MLB made a scoring change in the Pirates’ 9-7 win over the New York Mets on July 17, switching the third-inning error charged to first baseman Pete Alonso to a single. It added another hit to the totals of Frazier (2 for 5), the Pirates (13) and Mets starter Tyler Megill (seven).

The scoring change increased Frazier’s lead for most hits (123) in the majors and overtook Cincinnati Reds outfielder Nick Castellanos for the best NL batting average, as it boosted Frazier’s from .327 to .330 entering Friday’s game at San Francisco.

Pirates manager Derek Shelton cited the shortness of Frazier’s swing and his initial move to pitches for his success this season after batting .230 last year. Entering Friday, Frazier was 20 for 52 (.385) in his last 13 games and batting .349 since May 8.

“He takes everything that’s given to him,” Shelton said. “I think last year at times we saw him get big and get rotational. Just his initial move to the ball has stayed really consistent all year long. Last year, at times, he got away from his body, and the barrel got away from his body and it caused him to be around the ball.

“This year, we’re seeing him take that same short swing, and because of it at times it looks like he gets cheap hits. They’re not cheap hits. He ends up taking tough pitches with two strikes and hits them into the outfield and they land in the grass. That’s what good hitters do.”

Back to the bullpen

After being on the injured list since June 7 with a left quad strain, right-hander Luis Oviedo returned from his rehab assignment and was reinstated. To make room on the active roster, the Pirates optioned right-hander Max Kranick (1-1, 5.73) just two days after he started at Arizona.

Acquired in a trade from the New York Mets after being selected in the Rule 5 Draft, the Pirates used the 22-year-old Oviedo strictly out of the bullpen but view him as a future starter. Oviedo, however, started in three of his four games at Triple-A Indianapolis, where he went 0-2 with an 8.00 ERA while striking out 11 and walking six in nine innings.

“I think he’ll pitch out of the bullpen, at least initially,” Shelton said. “To say he won’t get some starts, I won’t say that he will, I won’t that he won’t, because we’ve given guys opportunity. The big thing we got down there was just realizing that him pitching at the beginning of the game was important for us on a rehab because we knew we could control the situation.”

Sign him up

After opting out because of covid-19 concerns last season, Giants catcher Buster Posey has returned to All-Star form by slashing .326/.418/.544 with 24 doubles, 13 home runs and 30 RBIs this season.

The 34-year-old Posey was the 2010 NL Rookie of the Year, 2012 NL MVP and is a seven-time All-Star, setting the standard for catchers of his era.

With the Pirates picking Louisville catcher Henry Davis with the No. 1 overall pick, Shelton was asked if Posey would be considered a best-case career for Davis to follow.

“If Henry Davis turns out to be Buster Posey — he’s got three World Series championships — I think I’m signing up for that right now,” Shelton said. “We want Henry Davis to be Henry Davis. We like a lot of the qualities he has, in terms of leadership and and ability to hit the ball hard and the way he throws the ball. You’re taking a comparison of a future Hall of Famer. But if we end up that way, I think, yeah, we’d all be really happy.”