Tim Benz: Pirates have opportunity to make '(Re)Opening Weekend' about baseball as well as promotions

The Pittsburgh Pirates have really been pumping up “(Re)Opening Weekend” on their broadcasts, the team’s website and on social media. The series at PNC Park is planned for next Thursday through Sunday for Fourth of July festivities.

The NL Central Division-leading Milwaukee Brewers will be in town for four games. Big & Rich has a concert on July 1. Pittsburgh-born fan favorite Neil Walker is getting honored July 3.

Perhaps most importantly, PNC Park will finally be opened to full capacity again.

Now, if manager Derek Shelton’s team can maintain a little positivity from this past week, a few folks may actually go to the park to see the team on the field as well.

I said “a few.” Let’s not go crazy.

The often forlorn Pirates are playing some of their best baseball of late. They won an entertaining series against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park June 18-20. Then they split a two-game set against the Chicago White Sox. Those are the two best teams in the AL Central.

That was followed by the Pirates taking three of four in St. Louis. Sunday’s game was particularly intriguing as the Bucs won 7-2. Max Kranick spun five perfect innings before rain interrupted his Major League debut. And Ke’Bryan Hayes made one of the best plays at third base you’ll ever see.

KE'BRYAN HAYES.

THAT'S IT. THAT'S THE TWEET. pic.twitter.com/Bh3Mrir1i4

— Pirates (@Pirates) June 27, 2021

“I would be hard-pressed to say that’s not the play of the year,” Shelton said. “To go that far to his right and make that good of a throw? There’s not a lot that that kid does that doesn’t surprise you every day. He’s special over there.”

So now it’s incumbent on the Pirates to take care of business against one of the few teams with a record almost as bad as theirs to maintain some — dare we say it — momentum heading into next weekend’s pomp and circumstance.

The Pirates travel to Denver to face the Colorado Rockies for a three-game series starting on Monday. Much like the Pirates caught St. Louis in the midst of a slide (the Cardinals have now lost eight of 10 games), the Rockies are in a similar funk.

They have lost six of seven, falling to 31-47. That’s just a game better than the Pirates (29-47). Only the pathetic Arizona Diamondbacks are worse than those two franchises at 22-57. Colorado’s ghastly 6-31 road record is the worst in baseball, and it includes losing two of three at PNC Park earlier this season.

“As we continue to get fans back at our ballpark, and our fans have been great at home when we were there,” Shelton said Sunday after the victory. “We’re going to Colorado and then (Milwaukee) coming off of it, I think it is extremely important.”

One thing is tricky about the Rockies, though. They are actually pretty good at home. Bud Black’s club is 25-16 at Coors Field. Only four teams (Cubs, Dodgers, Giants, Padres) in the National League have that many wins.

The hitter-friendly confines in Denver have helped the Rockies build up the Major Leagues’ best home batting average at .283, the most runs scored at home with 239, the third-best OPS at .814 and the fourth-best slugging percentage at .473.

Shelton believes his team has a good sense of how much better the Rockies tend to be in their own park.

“I think so. I think we’ll treat each game individually regardless of where it is. But I think our group is pretty aware of that,” Shelton said.

Let’s hope they are also aware of how enjoyable this weekend can be if their own level of play matches the hype from the marketing department.

Because it’ll be nice if people are compelled to — if I may paraphrase the aforementioned great American poets Big & Rich — saddle up their horses and ride into the city for the games themselves as well as the concerts, “dollar dogs” and free T-shirts.