Alvarez would make big difference with consistency

By Ron Cook
Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/
May 28, 2012

PITTSBURGH, PA - MAY 27: Pedro Alvarez #24 of the Pittsburgh Pirates hits a three run home run in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs during the game on May 27, 2012 at PNC Park in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

It's in there somewhere. Pirates third baseman Pedro Alvarez believes that with all his heart. So does manager Clint Hurdle. But there is one question they can't answer at this point: How do they get it out? How do they get the consistency out of Alvarez?

"There's not a button I can push," Alvarez said Sunday, sounding very much like a man who wishes there were one.

"He just has to keep working," Hurdle said. "It's all about incremental progress. We're going to stay positive with him."

It isn't easy to stick with a corner infielder who is hitting .207 on a team that has scored the fewest runs in baseball, but Hurdle has done it unfailingly with Alvarez. That's because he knows how important Alvarez is to the Pirates' future. It's because he sees not just the consistency that's hidden deep inside Alvarez but also the tremendous potential. "He has a chance to be a legitimate run-producer in this league for a long time," Hurdle said.

Alvarez rewarded the boss' patience with a big game Sunday in the Pirates' 10-4 win against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. It's no coincidence they scored their most runs of the season to complete a three-game sweep against a bad Cubs team that has lost 12 in a row. Alvarez hit a three-run home run in the first inning and had a sacrifice fly in the team's six-run sixth. The home run was significant for a couple of reasons. It was Alvarez's eighth of the season but his first since May 3, a span of 69 at-bats. It also was the Pirates' first three-run home run of the season. It only took 47 games.

"Can you believe it was our first?" Hurdle asked, sounding very much like a man who couldn't believe it.

"I like 'em. I'm a big fan of 'em. Hopefully, like everything else, they'll come in bunches."

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