PITTSBURGH – Just before Spring Training began in February, the Pirates signed a pair of veteran free agents to Minor League contracts: left-hander Francisco Liriano and outfielder Melky Cabrera. Their performance on the field has helped Pittsburgh withstand a number of key injuries, but their presence in the clubhouse has been equally valuable.

After the Pirates’ come-from-behind win over the Cubs on Wednesday night, a number of players cited the importance of Cabrera’s calming, steady influence throughout a pair of lengthy losing streaks. What Cabrera has meant for the Pirates’ position players, Liriano has meant to a once-embattled bullpen.

From June 11 through Wednesday, the Pirates' bullpen produced a Major League-best 2.28 ERA. It’s been mostly the same group of relievers who collectively struggled to a 5.63 ERA through June 10, the third-worst mark in baseball. So, what’s changed?

“Just staying focused. Whatever happens today, just put it behind you,” Liriano said recently. “In baseball, you have to have a short memory. If you have a bad game, come in the next day like a fresh start. Forget whatever happened the day before and move forward. It’s not easy.”

Liriano consistently shares that message with Pittsburgh’s younger relievers. And they listen, because they know Liriano is speaking from experience. The 35-year-old lefty is in his 14th Major League season. He’s experienced the lows of being bumped out of rotations and shipped out of town when he struggled, and he’s seen the highs of making an All-Star team and winning a World Series.

As setup man Kyle Crick said, “Someone with that resume is pretty cool to have around.”

“The guys back there respect him a lot because of his habits and professionalism. He’s a peer for them and also kind of an idol,” bullpen coach Euclides Rojas added. “He likes to do things right every time. He’s been a great help for me back there in the bullpen, because he’s taking charge of things. He sees the same things that I see, and he’s taking charge over them and the guys are listening to him very well.

“When he was here with us before, he was the same guy that he is right now. We all trust him. We know the experience that he has, the knowledge that he has. He likes to teach the young guys. That’s what he does, and I think he has fun doing it. It’s an advantage for me as a bullpen coach to have him there, besides the job that he does on the field for us. He leads by example.”

Take right-hander Richard Rodriguez, for example. Coming off a breakthrough rookie year, Rodriguez allowed eight home runs as he put up a 5.49 ERA in his first 22 appearances. The Pirates optioned him to Triple-A to work away from the spotlight, only to recall him 10 days later.

Throughout it all, Liriano remained positive and encouraged Rodriguez – a fellow Dominican Republic native – to forget about his previous outings. Since May 27, Rodriguez has been scored upon in only one outing. He carried a 15 1/3-inning scoreless streak into Thursday’s series finale against the Cubs.

“Liriano is a big influence for Richie. Liriano stayed positive with him all the time, pushing him and making him keep confidence in himself and work the same way he’s supposed to,” Rojas said. “Even if the night before he had a bad outing, Liriano was with him pumping him up. … He’s been a great influence on the team. He’s a great guy in the clubhouse and a great competitor on the field.”

Around the horn

• Rehabbing outfielder Gregory Polanco (left shoulder inflammation) will spend four days with Triple-A Indianapolis, take a short break then likely rejoin the Triple-A club to continue his rehab assignment, manager Clint Hurdle said.

• Reliever Keone Kela (right shoulder inflammation) came out of his bullpen session on Wednesday feeling good, Hurdle said, putting the Opening Day setup man in line for a simulated game on Saturday at PNC Park. Kela has not pitched in a game since his one-outing rehab stint with Indianapolis on May 25.

• Thursday was the Pirates’ first home game on the Fourth of July since 2015, when left-hander Jeff Locke threw eight scoreless innings on 89 pitches and Mark Melancon recorded the save in a 1-0 victory over the Indians that lasted only two hours and six minutes. Before Thursday, the Pirates had not hosted the Cubs on Independence Day since the Cubs swept a doubleheader at Three Rivers Stadium in 1980.