CHICAGO -- The Pirates were swept out of the south side of Chicago in two games after a 6-3 defeat to the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field on Wednesday.

But well out of postseason contention, Pittsburgh is focused on making the most out of its final month, and three players who need to make an impact for their futures took the first step toward doing so.

Here is a trio who helped the Bucs and are trying to position themselves to contribute in the coming seasons.

All-out Alford

Anthony Alford has been whiffing at a very high clip of offspeed pitches this season (58.8%), but the more concerning part of his swing and miss has been against fastballs, which he’d whiffed at 41.3 percent of the time entering Wednesday’s game.

However, Alford cranked a 1-0 sinker from Aaron Bummer a Statcast-projected 430 feet to left field in the seventh inning, showcasing the raw power he has when he can get to the barrel. The outfielder also hit a flyout off Liam Hendriks in the ninth at 105.7 mph that manager Derek Shelton raised as another example of a good swing that just caught the bottom of the ball.

Alford was slugging like that at Triple-A Indianapolis after being designated for assignment in April. He had a 1.013 OPS in 56 games to force his way into a promotion last month, and Cole Tucker said his swings Wednesday were reminiscent of that stretch of domination.

“For an extended period of time there, he was pretty locked in,” Tucker said. “He really was dangerous. People were scared to throw to him. … I know he hasn’t had a ton of success here in the last couple days, but I know last week he was saying he feels really good and was hitting the ball really hard. That’s the name of the game.”

It wasn't solely with the bat where Alford excelled. He made a tremendous catch as well, ranging into left-field foul territory before going into the netting to hang on to the ball.

Tucker time?

Tucker admits “it’s been a long year” in his quest to earn a spot in the lineup.

The 25-year-old began the season demoted from the Pirates’ roster and sent to the team’s Minor League complex in Bradenton, Fla., to work on offensive skills -- a process that included routine work as well as some experimental methods.

The Bucs believe he’s earned a shot to try to set himself up to make the roster next year, as Tucker was called up toward the end of August after posting a .722 OPS at Triple-A Indianapolis. After a few quiet games, he squared up the ball twice in Wednesday’s game, including a double that came just shy of a home run.

“To have moments like that and to have the gratification pop up is really cool,” Tucker said, “and that's what keeps you going and keeps you hungry and what we're chasing every day.”

Tucker, a natural shortstop, has another way of making the team even if the Pirates elect to give Kevin Newman another go in the middle infield next season. The outfield experiment that began last season with Tucker has continued into this year, and with Gregory Polanco released, a gap in right field has opened for the time.

“Wherever I'm going to be slotted into the lineup, I feel confident and comfortable, and it's fun,” Tucker said. “Playing outfield is fun.”

Shelby’s September

Unlike the first two players mentioned, Shelby Miller is deep into his time in MLB.

The right-hander was a star pitcher for the Cardinals and Braves in his first two seasons, but his road back from Tommy John surgery has been long and winding, with a sour stint in Texas in 2019, a season out of action as he opted not to play during the pandemic in '20 and a '21 that began with his release by the Cubs.

“It’s been kind of a tough road, back and forth from injuries,” Miller said before Wednesday’s game. “It took me a little while to get back to where I needed to be. … But I haven’t pitched that much since the surgery, so I think right now is the most I’ve felt on track.”

How did the first taste go? It began with a leadoff double in the seventh, but ended with a scoreless inning against a strong White Sox lineup. 

Miller did not throw his new slider, and he only flashed his enhanced curveball once -- just an inch off the bottom of the zone. However, he didn’t really need to, as his fastball and cutter played up. The cutter was especially well-placed, leading a strikeout before he got out of the jam with a double play.

Miller has been through this before: Working to earn his next opportunity, even if it’s short-lived. But he’s excited about what this new role in the bullpen could mean.

“I think it’s a testament to getting a job next year,” Miller said. “Hopefully, if I throw well here, I could re-sign here and get a good opportunity to come out of the bullpen next year or whatever. It’s an important month.”