Depth is Really Good

Aramis Ramirez and Josh Harrison did not start Friday's game, but they helped finish a 5-3 Pirates win over the Colorado Rockies.
While debate remains on how Clint Hurdle and the Pirates are best served to juggle their left-side-of-the-infield logjam, there is uniform agreement this is the deepest Pirates team in recent memory. The Pirates' depth was on display in the eighth inning at PNC Park.
With one out and the score tied 3-3, Francisco Cervelli and Pedro Alvarez drew walks against Scott Oberg. Ramirez pinch-hit for Jordy Mercer, who started at shortstop. Ramirez flied to right, and the ball was deep enough to advance Cervelli to third easily. Harrison, who did not start the past two games, pinch hit for Tony Watson and slapped an Oberg pitch into right field to score Cervelli for the go-ahead run.
The moment was proof Pirates' position players no longer have to start games to impact them.
“It doesn't matter where we start. We know we can finish a totally different way than we started,” Harrison said.
Hurdle has a new-found luxury of making stronger double switches and substitutions at the end of games.
“We're going to have better options during the course of a game than we've ever had since I've been here,” Hurdle said. “Different guys can do different things.
Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/8...#ixzz3kEBMOuGO
I couldn't agree more.