Keith Srakocic, Associated Press Pirates shortstop Jack Wilson hops over the Brewers' Jeff Cirillo to complete a double play in the eighth inning of the Pirates' 4-2 win at PNC Park Sunday. Click photo for larger image.

Center fielder Tike Redman cuts off a ball in the left-center-field gap, wheels around, throws to shortstop Jack Wilson, who turns and fires a one-bounce strike to catcher David Ross, nailing the runner at home for the third out.

Late in the same game, the Brewers have the tying runs on first and second and one out, and Rick White induces a bouncer to second baseman Jose Castillo, who begins a double play to end the threat.

These two plays, essential to the Pirates' 4-2 victory Sunday, are the pattern of a very good defensive team.

Saying that must shock anyone who saw the first week of the season, when Pirates outfielders seemed allergic to cutoff men and their routes to fly balls were as tentative as a sophomore's approach to the homecoming queen. But this team can field with nearly anyone.

Proving that is difficult. Defensive statistics are notoriously subjective, and fielding percentage might be most misleading of all. On the plays mentioned above, for instance, no error would have been recorded if the Pirates failed to get the man at the plate or turn the double play, though either failure might have meant the game.

There are nonetheless ways to show defensive worth, and we'll start with fielding percentage, because not dropping balls hit to you, or throwing the ball away, remain good things. The Pirates rank third in the National League in fielding percentage at .985, and also have made the third-fewest errors with 20.

Double plays? The Pirates are fourth with 38.

Preventing the stolen base? The Pirates have given up only 12, fourth best. Take away the three allowed by the departed catcher Benito Santiago, and Ross and Humberto Cota have snuffed 9 of 18 attempting to steal, putting them second only to St. Louis catchers in caught-stealing percentage.

Now let's check "defensive efficiency," which Bill James concocted some years ago. James's idea was to discard home runs and strikeouts and check the rate at which balls in play are converted into outs. Baseball Prospectus keeps a running tab.

Through Sunday, the Pirates were third in baseball behind the Chicago White Sox and Milwaukee (a surprise to anyone who watched the Brewers blunder through Sunday's game). The least efficient team is the New York Yankees, who generally cover their immobility in the field with strikeout pitchers and three-run homers. The Pirates don't have that luxury, but their most effective starting pitchers have done well putting the ball in play.

Mark Redman can't crack the league's top 50 in strikeouts, but he's sixth in earned run average. Redman keeps the ball in the park (one home run in 55¹/₃ innings) and lets his fielders do the rest. Batters have a .235 average against Redman on balls in play, eighth best in the league.

Josh Fogg's .216 balls-in-play average would be fourth best if he had enough innings to qualify, and Dave Williams (.256) and Kip Wells (.253) also make the top 20. Their trouble is they're more likely than Redman to walk batters and give up home runs. Fogg and Williams have given up six home runs apiece, and Wells seven.

Oliver Perez? Let's just call him an exception until he gets his game straight. In the bullpen, Jose Mesa, Rick White, Mike Gonzalez, John Grabow and Brian Meadows have gone a collective 68 innings without giving up a home run, while getting nine double plays behind them. Hence no blown leads after the sixth inning.

The Pirates' defensive strength is where it should be, up the middle. STATS Inc. measures the percentage of balls fielded in a player's zone, and Wilson and Castillo score near the top. Jason Bay doesn't have a great zone rating in left field (PNC Park might be a factor), but he does in center, as does the oft-maligned Tike Redman. Rob Mackowiak gets very good marks for his play at second and third base, though not in center. You already know of the good work by the catchers.

Zone Rating is not kind to the relatively immobile Daryle Ward at first, and slams Ty Wigginton at third and Craig Wilson in left field (but not at first base). That leaves Matt Lawton in right field.

Lawton hardly looks graceful but he has been, as Calvin Trillin once suggested for the Arkansas license plate slogan, not as bad as you might imagine. Lawton's zone rating has him ninth among the league's 13 qualifying right fielders. He has no errors. He has a couple of assists. And here's the truly bizarre stat: Lawton has the most putouts of any right fielder in baseball other than Ichiro Suzuki.

I have two possible explanations: Batters are aiming for the Clemente Wall at PNC Park. Batters are aiming for Lawton. Whatever the reason, like most of the rest of the diamond, it has been working for the Pirates.