PITTSBURGH -- Nick Gonzales went to bat in the first inning wanting to be aggressive, and that mindset paid off. He offered at the first pitch and lined a Javier Assad sinker up the middle for a two-run single.

One pitch back in the Majors, one hit and two RBIs to his name.

“That first hit or whatever it may be, you kind of feel it on your shoulders, so to do it the first pitch was nice,” Gonzales said.

Gonzales couldn’t turn the offense around by himself Friday, but he at least provided a spark. That would end up being the Pirates’ only runs, though, as they fell to the Cubs at PNC Park, 7-2.

The Pirates’ problems Friday extended beyond the offense. Yasmani Grandal dropped a relay throw from Oneil Cruz that would have been an inning-ending out at the plate in the fifth, but Nico Hoerner knocked it loose to score a run and give the Cubs the momentum. Jared Jones was able to turn in a quality start, but he didn’t have his normal slider sharpness and had to battle more than usual.

But like it has been for most of the season, the offense was the main source of frustration. Friday was the 16th time in their last 22 games that they were held to two runs or fewer. They now rank second-to-last in the National League in runs scored (136) and OPS (.627). There are other areas of the team that could be tightened up or improved, but they are all second or tertiary compared to just trying to get the bats going.

"I think to some respect, you get energy from offense,” said manager Derek Shelton. “We got two runs early and then we've got to collectively grind through it. I think we saw what the Cubs did today. We've got to put the ball in play because even the inning off [Hunter] Stratton [in the seventh], they hit two or three ground balls that found holes. We've got to find a way to make that part of our way.”

Enter Gonzales. The 2020 first-round pick was one of the main contenders for the second base job in Spring Training, but ended up losing out to Jared Triolo. He hit the ground running with Triple-A Indianapolis, slashing .358/.431/.608 with four home runs over 120 at-bats before his call up.

This isn’t quite the same Gonzales that broke through to the Majors last year, though. He’s undergone several swing changes since that promotion. A side view from his final swing of 2023 to his first Major League swing of 2024 shows his setup is different, with his legs closer to start with a bigger leg kick in his load:

Comparing that swing back to June, around when he made his Major League debut, he’s also much more upright in his stance:

The Pirates were upfront with what they wanted Gonzales to work on, and it seems to have paid dividends. He struggled against high-spin pitches as a rookie. Time will tell if he will fare better against those types of pitches this go around.

“They presented me with, 'This is where your swing's at and this is where the big league average or big league hitter is at,’” Gonzales said. “Took it and needed to work on it, needed to do it. I was able to make the adjustments.”

But there’s just one question that still needs answered: Can he be a catalyst to help get this offense going?

“I'm gonna do everything in my power to do everything I can to help the team win,” Gonzales said. “These guys, I've learned so much from every single one of these guys in here [during] Spring Training and playing with them last year. I know what they bring and what everyone can do and they're all gonna help me out as much as they can.”