PITTSBURGH —
Manuel Margot is starting Sunday for just the sixth time this month.
He has earned it.
“He’s been working crazy hard,” manager Andy Green said Saturday.
Margot’s pinch-hit double in Saturday’s 6-3 loss to the Pirates was his fifth hit in his last 11 at-bats and raised his on-base percentage to .382 over his last 34 plate appearances, dating to May 31.
Moreover, Margot has made remarkable strides on the bases this season.
Speed was never the issue. Margot’s 29.4 feet per second ranked as the 20th-fastest sprint speed in the majors in 2017.