WASHINGTON — As the Pirates try to help Josh Bell ease out of his slump, they are attempting to balance his creativity in the box with their desire for some consistency.
“Sometimes he’s found some success with the creativity because he pays attention and he has awareness of himself more so than maybe we do,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “However, this level, I do think there’s something to be said for maybe giving something some time.”
Bell had a .234 on-base percentage in his past 16 games prior to Thursday and a .237 slugging percentage. He is 10 for 59 in that span with 12 strikeouts.