7-13 Fan Morning Show 6am Hour:

The Pirates swept the Brewers over the weekend. They are the highest scoring team in baseball. The guys thought the Pirates would be eight games back when today started. However, the Pirates completely reversed those expectations. Dorin wishes this had happened after the All Star break or a couple of weeks before. Can the Pirates continue their momentum on Friday against Cleveland? Is it too late for Esmerlyn Valdez to be considered for NL ROY?

Paul Skenes also says he wishes the All Star Break started later so they can keep the momentum going. How would you grade the first half of the season? The offense has been great, but the pitching and bullpen have dragged the grade down a lot. The Pirates had one player with a higher OPS last year than the entire team's OPS this year. A caller asks about potentially extending Valdez to a long term contract.

Crowley asks who needs to step up in the second half to make the playoffs. Dorin says Ben Cherington. He needs to step up to solidify the bullpen so it is not a weak link anymore. The bullpen seems taxed because the starters have gone on short outings this season. Another caller grades the Pirates at a B right now. The Pirates are in the top three in most offensive categories.

Pirates catchers this season have 16 home runs and also rank highly in other offensive categories even though Henry Davis is struggling. Brandon Lowe and Ryan O'Hearn, the two primary bats the Pirates acquired this offseason, account for 25% of the runs the Pirates have scored this season. The Pirates have already hit more home runs this year than they did all of last year. How much credit does Matt Hauge deserve?