Pittsburgh will head to St. Louis to open the National League Division Series on Thursday night after its 6-2 victory over the Cincinnati Reds in Tuesday's NL Wild Card Game.
How does a team like the Pirates go from the outhouse to the penthouse so quickly? Well, like everything else, it's a combination of skill and luck. You need some guys to come out of the woodwork and have surprise years for you. Take Francisco Liriano (pictured), for instance.
By any standard, Liriano had a lousy 2012. He went 3-10 with a 5.31 ERA in 22 starts with the Minnesota Twins. He was traded to the White Sox midseason, where he failed to make an impact. In 12 appearances (11 starts) on the South Side, he went 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA. Manager Robin Ventura could not trust Liriano in big games, and the left-hander was one of the reasons the Sox spit up their AL Central lead late in the season.
Liriano became a free agent and had few offers over the offseason. The Pirates took a chance, and it has paid huge dividends. Liriano made 26 regular season starts for Pittsburgh and won 16 of them, finishing 16-8 with a 3.02 ERA. It was easily his best season in three years.
He found himself on the mound Tuesday night against Cincinnati, and he delivered perhaps the most clutch performance of his career. He went seven innings, and he allowed just a run on four hits while striking out five. Much like the Pirates as a team, Liriano has gone from the scrap heap to relevance in just one year.
The win was Pittsburgh's first in the postseason since Oct. 13, 1992. That has to be a good feeling for Pirates fans. They'll be underdogs against the mighty Cardinals for sure, but they've waited a long time for playoff baseball in that city. They have the opportunity, in part, because they've gotten surprising contributions from guys like Liriano.
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