1 Pirates pitcher establishing himself as enticing trade candidate

Heaney is demolishing opposing hitters when he has two strikes on them in the count. Opposing batters are hitting just .042 in the last two weeks in that situation against Heaney, per Foul Territory.

Heaney is performing well on the campaign overall. The Bucs pitcher holds a 2-1 record, with a 1.72 ERA in five starts.

The Pirates are 11-18 on the season, and fans are frustrated with the results.

The struggling Pirates just can’t find offense

Pittsburgh already has a strong rotation of arms including Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller. Pirates fans know that the team can compete with those pitchers. It’s the batting that has them pulling their hair out.

The Pirates have scored just 102 runs this season, per Major League Baseball stats. That’s good enough for 24th in MLB. The team is also 24th in home runs, as the club has just 23 on the year.

It’s been a struggle. Pirates fans are calling for the team owner Bob Nutting to sell the franchise. Nutting has been confronted at PNC Park by fans who are not happy with the results.

“I really do appreciate and respect the passion that the fans have for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the desire they have for this team to win,” Nutting said in part this offseason, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “What I want them to know is that I share that, working every day to put a winner and a championship team out here on this field.”

The losses are not the only thing leaving a sour taste in Pittsburgh. The Pirates also caused controversy earlier this year when they temporarily removed a sign honoring the late Roberto Clemente in their stadium’s outfield. After public outrage and comments from Roberto Clemente Jr., the Bucs apologized and returned the sign.

The Pirates have lost two in a row and six of their last 10 contests. Pittsburgh next plays the Chicago Cubs on Monday.