SAN DIEGO -- Earlier this season, Gregory Polanco had a problem against left-handed pitchers. As he put it on Saturday, "Everything looked like a strike."
That was part of the Pirates' motivation when they advised Polanco to step back from the plate on June 6. The coaching staff thought some additional distance from the plate would improve Polanco's pitch recognition. They also thought it would help him reach inside pitches that had been locking him up for months.
So far, so good on both fronts.