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5 postseason keys for the Pittsburgh Pirates

By Nathaniel Reeves

Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 30, 2015; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Charlie Morton (50) delivers a pitch against the St. Louis Cardinals during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts to striking out in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 21, 2015; Denver, CO, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen (22) reacts to striking out in the fourth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports /

Get Andrew McCutchen out of his slump

Cole and the bullpen won’t be the only keys against Chicago. The Pirates will need to find a way to get some offense against Arrieta and then the strong Cardinals’ pitching staff should they manage to advance.

Naturally, that starts with McCuthchen, who has once again produced a tremendous season at the plate. However, the perennial MVP candidate has hit of a bit of a rough patch recently, as he has collected just seven hits in his last 40 at-bats.

McCutchen is still getting on base via the walk often even in his current slump, which is critical with some other good run producers around him in the lineup. Still, the Pirates need to see some more power from McCutchen, as he collected just seven extra-base hits during the month of September.

While the 28-year-old has been great overall this season, a few lingering injuries led to an extended slump to begin the season, so McCutchen wearing down at this point in the season becomes a concern. Still, it’s fair to expect a player with 5.8 WAR and a 147 wRC+ per FanGraphs to get going soon enough.

With McCutchen at his best, the Pirates lineup ranks right up as one of the best in the NL playoffs. If he fails to get going, Pittsburgh could run into trouble against some tough pitchers in October.

Next: Continue to get strong performances from J.A. Happ

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