Jake Mangum couldn't hide the emotion in his voice. Soaking wet and freezing following Saturday's 9-0 drubbing of the Mets at PNC Park, Mangum thanked Pirates fans for the raucous environment they created and spoke passionately about how he wants this team to finish the season.
Around a half-hour later, after a shower and postgame celebration with teammates, Mangum reinforced his belief in the Pirates — but also knows a laugher of a win won’t mean a lick if they can’t do it again Sunday.
“We had a really big crowd out there [Saturday],” Mangum said. “It would be very easy to roll over and say, ‘Those guys are done’ after the stretch we just went on, the timing of the stretch. But that’s not the case.
“I meant it when I said those cliche things to you back in spring. It’s every day. You have to show up. It’s the same message right now. We just won a game — great. We have to wake up and do it again [Sunday].”
With an offensive outburst and the quality start this club has been lacking, the Pirates (58-61) seemingly found a solution. But it’s also a challenge, one Mangum believes the Pirates are ready to accept.
Look at each day independently of the one before or after it. Take care of the business at hand.
And don’t forget to have fun.
That’s another thing Mangum said has been a popular topic of conversation among Pirates players: how tight things have become.
It’s understandable considering they had lost 14 of 21 since the All-Star break, including nine of the past 11. At the same time, good teams learn how to compartmentalize things. They see them, they feel them, they experience them. But they’re not consumed by them.
“This stuff can be stressful,” Mangum said. “You never have time to unwind. If you let the grind of this season eat you alive, you’ll just start walking around stressed, and that’s not a good way to be.”
Mangum and Ronny Simon, the Pirates’ best two muscle relaxers, did their best to untangle the knot Saturday. Hitting .318 over his last 56 games (prior to Saturday), Mangum contributed three hits, including two doubles, out of the leadoff spot. The top four hitters in the Pirates’ lineup accounted for seven of their nine runs scored.
Simon, nudged up in the lineup when Endy Rodriguez was scratched with left hip discomfort, turned in another strong all-around game. He collected two more hits, stole a base, knocked in two with a double and scored a run.
“It’s really special for us, bringing the energy,” Simon said. “I think that’s what this team needs right now.”
Along with quality starting pitching, sure. Bubba Chandler delivered that in arguably his best start of the season — no runs, one walk and five strikeouts over six scoreless innings — and new guys Lake Bachar and Kirby Yates carried it the rest of the way.
Pirates pitchers didn’t allow a runner to reach second base.
“Stress-free outing from the staff,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “For the offense to continue to add on as we went was really big. Gave us a huge cushion.
“We’re starting to stack at-bats. We see what can happen when we do that.”
Along with Mangum, Simon and Chandler, Henry Davis also stood out. With two singles, sure. But he handled Chandler very well and threw out center fielder Luis Robert Jr. trying to steal in the second inning.
The Mets were aggressive in testing Rafael Flores Jr. Friday. Not so much a day later with Davis behind the plate. The difference is not subtle.
Chandler threw 85 pitches, 58 for strikes and racked up 11 whiffs. He pounded the zone. He didn't waver. He continues to trend in a positive direction.
Whether it was on purpose or not, Chandler featured his four-seamer and sinker a little more than usual and leveraged his slider as the main secondary offering. Chandler’s changeup, which has been his best pitch at times this season, was his least used on this night.
Whatever. It worked. And the Pirates need more of it from Chandler, who has a 2.36 ERA and 1.16 WHIP in 26 2/3 innings over his past five starts, giving Pittsburgh its best batch of starting pitching during that time.
“Hopefully this jump starts us in the right direction for the next month and a half," said Chandler, who delivered just the fifth quality start for the Pirates in 22 games (8-14) since the All-Star break.
Simon needs to remain in the lineup, at least for now. His two-run double in the first gave the Pirates a lift. Ditto for his bunt in the third and stolen base. That smile and the way he plays, it can be infectious.
If he’s producing.
"Ronny is a little ball of energy," Mangum said. "He’s the man."
Mangum cranked a 369-foot double to right in the first, pretending to hoist the cone at second base and giving it a little more oomph than usual. He later explained that, yeah, absolutely, he was trying to fire up his teammates and get everyone to remember that they’re playing a kids’ game.
In the fourth, Mangum was part of the sequence that probably sank the Mets: double to score Davis from first, then scampering home on a wild pitch. Nick Gonzales would hammer a middle-middle fastball for a two-run double to make it a laugher.
It’s the type of win the Pirates have needed. And more are required, as they sit 4.5 games out of the final Wild Card spot.
They do have plenty of games against the teams they’ll need to leapfrog — the Marlins, Padres and Cardinals — but don’t tell that to Mangum.
For this team to get back on track, the goals remain simple.
"It’s not anyone’s fault that [everyone got tight]," Mangum said. "It’s just the nature of the beast. We have to keep going. Good win. But we have to go win a series [Sunday].”
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH on X.