Of Melancon, Morton and Polanco

Three Thoughts on the Pirates:
1. Sticking with Melancon
Managers face few tougher decisions than how long to stick with a struggling closer.
The Pirates’ Clint Hurdle was in that spot after Mark Melancon gave up three runs in top of the ninth inning to blow the save as the Chicago Cubs rallied for a 9-8 victory Tuesday night at PNC Park.
With Melancon’s ERA up to 8.63 and the velocity down on this split-finger fastball, it would have been easy for Hurdle to bail on his closer.
However, that would have sent out bad signals, chiefly that the Pirates were in panic mode while barely into the third week of the season. It also would have shown a lack of faith in a pitcher who posted a spectacular 1.65 ERA over the previous two seasons in 144 games.
Most importantly, the Pirates did not feel they had a suitable replacement on their roster.
If left-hander Tony Watson ever gets moved out of his set-up role, it would be to become a starter. While right-hander Arquimedes Caminero throws a 100-mph fastball, it has little movement.
Hurdle did the right thing by standing pat. Melancon proved it by saving games Thursday and Friday.
2. Not a hipster
Right-hander Charlie Morton’s recovery from right hip surgery that was performed last September has fallen behind schedule and it’s likely he won’t join the Pirates’ rotation until at least early June.
Morton has had surgery on both hips in his career and many scouts who watched him pitch during spring training have doubts of how effective he will be in the future.
“In a lot ways, having hip surgery is worse for a pitcher than elbow or shoulder surgery,” said a scout who works for an American League team. “You have to be able to rotate your hips to get velocity on your pitches and have good balance throughout your delivery. It’s a tough injury. You almost have to learn to pitch all over again.
3. The Splendid Sprinter
It is fun to watch right fielder Gregory Polanco run the bases and chase down fly balls. With his long, loping strides, he is reminiscent of former Pirates center fielder Omar Moreno.
Current Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen has compared Polanco’s stride to that of legendary sprinter Usain Bolt. It’s not as farfetched as it may seem.