The Bucs are currently holding a 5-1 lead in the top of the 8th against the Astros, but I had to put a hold on viewing to jump on the computer and vent about the idiocy that has taken place in the broadcast booth all night. Greg Brown is a third rate announcer, but certainly a first class homer. All night long, he has relentlessly commented about the Bucs knocking around Wandy Rodriguez, whom he claims in one of the best pitchers in all of baseball. Interestingly, Wandy Rodriguez was indeed 10th in the NL in ERA coming into the game. However, he has a career win loss record of 68-68, soon to be 68-69, and a career ERA of 4.09. Not exactly Koufax like numbers. When Brown wasn't commenting about the Bucs abusing Cy Young, it was Cy Young candidates he was talking about, claiming that the Bucs have had great success against top pitchers in the league this season.
There was also time for about 6 shameless plugs to sell Hanrahan All-Star jerseys, one of which actually caused them to completely ignore the game to more or less do a commercial in the booth. Of course, he also said that the Bucs FO deserves praise for replacing all of the inured players we've lost. Yeah, because Kdro's .208 AVG, 2 HR's and 10 RBI were so HARD to replace. It's not like we went out and traded for a replacement, we brought up some slap hitters with no power. We signed Brandon Wood and Xavier Paul off the scrap heap. Wood is hitting .207 with 4 HR's and 16 RBI. If that is a praiseworthy acquisition, then maybe I am underestimating the talent of MLB players these days.
Anyways, I decided to do some research and see just how the Bucs have fared against the top pitchers in baseball this year.These are pitchers in the top 10 in the NL in ERA this year and their lines against us:
1.)Jair Jurjjens- 7.2 IP, 6 hits, ZERO RUNS. 1 BB, 4K.
2.)Cole Hamels- 8.0 IP, 1 hit, 1 run 3 BB, 4K
3.)Harry Leroy Halladay- 7.0 IP, 6 Hits, 2 runs. 1BB, 6K
4.) Tommy Hanson- HAVE NOT FACED
5.) Jeff Karstens- HAVE NOT FACED
6.) Cliff Lee- HAVE NOT FACED
7.)Hiroki Kuroda- 7.0 IP, 3 Hits, ZERO RUNS, 3BB, 8K
8.) Kyle Lohse- 7.0 IP, 6 hits, 4 ER, 1BB, 5K
10.) Wandy Rodriguez- 1st appearance- 7.0 IP 5 Hits, 2 Runs, 2 BB, 4K
2nd appearance- 6.0 IP, 6 hits, 5 earned runs, 2 BB, 6 K
Outside of Rodriguez's 2nd battle with the Bucs, I would hardly consider any of these "knockings around".
To put it simply: Greg Brown is full of shit.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Buccos July Preview
With 85 games already in the books, the Bucs are 3 games above .500 and 1.5 games out of first place in the NL Central. A quick glimpse at their schedule shows a good opportunity for the Bucs to gain some ground on the Cards and Brewers.
Here is a look at their July opponents:
July 4-7, the Bucs face the Astros, the worst team in all of baseball. The Bucs won the first matchup in this series, sending the Stros to their 9th loss in 10 games. The Bucs need to, at worst, win the series and SHOULD sweep.
July 8-10. These Cubbies are in 5th place in the Central and don't have much to celebrate themselves. The Bucs are 4-2 against the Cubs in 6 games at Wrigley this year and have had the Cubs number for the better part of the past 2 seasons. The Cubs may also be looking to unload some players and may be down a slugger or two by the time they arrive in the Burgh midweek.
July 15-17. We will travel to Houston for a 3 game set, looking to repeat the 3 game sweep we completed last month. That should very possible and put the Bucs in good shape heading back home to face Cinci.
July 18-20. The Reds are currently 1.5 games behind the Bucs amidst a series versus the division leading Cardinals. By the time we face them at PNC Park, it could very well be a battle for 1st in the Central. The Bucs have won 5 of the first 6 games against the Reds in 2011, all on the road. Hopefully that success can continue at home.
July 22-24. This could also be a huge series in the Battle of the NL Central. If the Bucs don't stumble against our division foes, we could facing the Cards in a dead heat for 1st. Their lineup features Pujols, Holliday, and Berkman as it's main components and Chris Carpenter, a notorious Pirates killer, is looking to be regaining his prime form. The pitching will need to be spot on against these guys and not giving up extra outs is paramount.
July 25-28. A huge 4 game series in Atlanta is going to test the Bucs resolve. The Bravos are currently 4 games up in the Wild Card race and feature the #1 pitching staff in all of baseball. Jair Jurjjens leads the way with a league best 1.89 ERA and Tommy Hanson is not far behind with a 2.52. The offense is going to have to find a way while the pitching continues to be as close to perfect as possible.
July 29-31. The Bucs finish the month where this nation started. The Phillies are the best team in baseball right now but the Bucs were able to procure a series win in June against the high priced Phils. If the Bucs come in to this game vying for a playoff spot, it will be imperitive to take some momentum into August with them.
July 31st also marks the non-waiver trading deadline. If the Bucs are still close or somehow have moved to first place, they may want to consider making a move. They may have to take on some additional salary in order to not give up much in terms of prospects, and THAT is when we will see just how much baseball sense the FO really has, That is also when we will see just how committed they are to winning baseball in the Burgh.
Judging from the attendance so far this season, Nuthouse may be tempted to let the moths fly free and open wallett down the stretch. If he thinks 4 sellouts are profitable, wait until he sees what 15 or 20 or even more can rake in.
Here is a look at their July opponents:
July 4-7, the Bucs face the Astros, the worst team in all of baseball. The Bucs won the first matchup in this series, sending the Stros to their 9th loss in 10 games. The Bucs need to, at worst, win the series and SHOULD sweep. July 8-10. These Cubbies are in 5th place in the Central and don't have much to celebrate themselves. The Bucs are 4-2 against the Cubs in 6 games at Wrigley this year and have had the Cubs number for the better part of the past 2 seasons. The Cubs may also be looking to unload some players and may be down a slugger or two by the time they arrive in the Burgh midweek. July 15-17. We will travel to Houston for a 3 game set, looking to repeat the 3 game sweep we completed last month. That should very possible and put the Bucs in good shape heading back home to face Cinci. July 18-20. The Reds are currently 1.5 games behind the Bucs amidst a series versus the division leading Cardinals. By the time we face them at PNC Park, it could very well be a battle for 1st in the Central. The Bucs have won 5 of the first 6 games against the Reds in 2011, all on the road. Hopefully that success can continue at home. July 22-24. This could also be a huge series in the Battle of the NL Central. If the Bucs don't stumble against our division foes, we could facing the Cards in a dead heat for 1st. Their lineup features Pujols, Holliday, and Berkman as it's main components and Chris Carpenter, a notorious Pirates killer, is looking to be regaining his prime form. The pitching will need to be spot on against these guys and not giving up extra outs is paramount. July 25-28. A huge 4 game series in Atlanta is going to test the Bucs resolve. The Bravos are currently 4 games up in the Wild Card race and feature the #1 pitching staff in all of baseball. Jair Jurjjens leads the way with a league best 1.89 ERA and Tommy Hanson is not far behind with a 2.52. The offense is going to have to find a way while the pitching continues to be as close to perfect as possible. July 29-31. The Bucs finish the month where this nation started. The Phillies are the best team in baseball right now but the Bucs were able to procure a series win in June against the high priced Phils. If the Bucs come in to this game vying for a playoff spot, it will be imperitive to take some momentum into August with them. July 31st also marks the non-waiver trading deadline. If the Bucs are still close or somehow have moved to first place, they may want to consider making a move. They may have to take on some additional salary in order to not give up much in terms of prospects, and THAT is when we will see just how much baseball sense the FO really has, That is also when we will see just how committed they are to winning baseball in the Burgh. Judging from the attendance so far this season, Nuthouse may be tempted to let the moths fly free and open wallett down the stretch. If he thinks 4 sellouts are profitable, wait until he sees what 15 or 20 or even more can rake in.
Note to Pirate Front Office: The Time is Now
"If we're doing this right — and we think we are — then there will come a time when we'll have to increase the major-league payroll." -Frank Coonelly
Nutting Family HQ:
"I wonder how many Carols Beltrans this would be worth?"
It is the belief of this blog that the current group of Pittsburgh Pirates has massively overachieved, in spite of the ineptitudes of the front office (Opie and the Lying Liar) and its skin flinted ownership family, not because of them.
The time to cash in on this stroke of good fortune is RIGHT NOW.
Contrary to the vehemently held beliefs of some in the Pro-Nutting faction, I do not see a core of young talent in place that will carry the Pirates into inevitable contention for the foreseeable decade ahead.
Their hitting, which was supposed to be the strength of this young squad, ranges from slightly above average, to absolutely dreadful. And despite Clint Hurdle’s crafty drafting, the lineup card often has more holes than a driveway put together by a kangaroo operating a jackhammer.
The Pirates are 3 games over .500 in early July because they are a scrappy, 'never say die’ group of players, anchored by a starting rotation that is pitching, as a whole, well above what their career norms would possibly lead anybody to expect.
And it just so happens that this once in a decade swoon of good luck for the Bucs coincides with their division being eminently winnable this season.
The town is absolutely abuzz with excitement about this slightly above average ballclub. My family has been going to the same 4th of July Party with the same group of extended family and friends since I was a small child. And for the first time since the early 90s yesterday, the Pirate game was front and center at the celebration, not just some dreary background noise. The place erupted after the Bucs got through the 8th inning, because we all knew Hanrahan would not let things slide away in the final frame.
The City of Pittsburgh is ready to embrace this team.
Note to Nutting: your move.
The Pirates should absolutely break the bank, open up the Scrooge McDuck vault down in West Virginia, and try to bring in some batting to help launch this team into legitimate contention.
Chances, like this season presents, only come around these parts every so often. It is time for the Bucs to move all-in.
Hurdle has proven to be the right man for the job
As the All-Star break approaches, the Pittsburgh Pirates are 44-41 and 1.5 games behind first place St. Louis in the NL Central with games five games left against Houston and the Chicago Cubs before the Mid-Summer Classic. The Astros are in last place in the division and the Cubs own the fifth-place spot.
The Bucs, who have been losers for the past 18 years, are one of the best stories in baseball and many media members have attributed that to the strong pitching, but I believe manager Clint Hurdle deserves applause for the job he's done so far.
Now Hurdle, or Jake Taylor as we call him here, would say he hasn't done anything and the season is far from over because that's his style, but after 85 games he is the manager of the year in my book.
I usually don't put much stock in managers turning around a team in the majors because I believe these guys are the best in the world and they don't need a babysitter, but Hurdle definitely deserves a pat on the back for what he has done with this young team.
The biggest thing with Hurdle has been the attitude. He said it earlier that he's not looking for .500 or any kind of mark. He just wants his team to play hard and not give up until the 27th out is recorded.
Hurdle is a breath of fresh air from the departed John Russell. I'm not knocking Russell, but he's laid-back approach wasn't a good fit for the Pirates. Hurdle's not a firebreather, although he says what needs to be said.
I've seen Hurdle argue calls that he probably didn't believe were wrong, but he had to stand up for his guys. That's what good managers do.
The Pirates' offense is still one of the worst in the league, however Hurdle has them doing all the fundamentals and being more aggressive on the base paths. I've seen more runners thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double than last season, but they need to do that with the weak offense and Hurdle knows that. He also doesn't make excuses when his players mess up.
One of the best things he did this season was bench Andrew McCutchen for not giving 100 percent on a routine play. McCutchen is the Pirates' best player, but Hurdle didn't let him slide and McCutchen knew and respected his manager's decision.
Speaking of McCutchen, I was very impressed with Hurdle defending the centerfielder for being left off the NL All-Star roster. Hurdle went to bat for his guy and the whole team will remember that during tough times.
I don't know how Pittsburgh will finish the season, but whether or not they break .500, Hurdle should still be the manager of the year at the end of the season.
He is the winner in a landslide at the mid-way point.
The Bucs, who have been losers for the past 18 years, are one of the best stories in baseball and many media members have attributed that to the strong pitching, but I believe manager Clint Hurdle deserves applause for the job he's done so far.
Now Hurdle, or Jake Taylor as we call him here, would say he hasn't done anything and the season is far from over because that's his style, but after 85 games he is the manager of the year in my book.
I usually don't put much stock in managers turning around a team in the majors because I believe these guys are the best in the world and they don't need a babysitter, but Hurdle definitely deserves a pat on the back for what he has done with this young team.
The biggest thing with Hurdle has been the attitude. He said it earlier that he's not looking for .500 or any kind of mark. He just wants his team to play hard and not give up until the 27th out is recorded.
Hurdle is a breath of fresh air from the departed John Russell. I'm not knocking Russell, but he's laid-back approach wasn't a good fit for the Pirates. Hurdle's not a firebreather, although he says what needs to be said.
I've seen Hurdle argue calls that he probably didn't believe were wrong, but he had to stand up for his guys. That's what good managers do.
The Pirates' offense is still one of the worst in the league, however Hurdle has them doing all the fundamentals and being more aggressive on the base paths. I've seen more runners thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double than last season, but they need to do that with the weak offense and Hurdle knows that. He also doesn't make excuses when his players mess up.
One of the best things he did this season was bench Andrew McCutchen for not giving 100 percent on a routine play. McCutchen is the Pirates' best player, but Hurdle didn't let him slide and McCutchen knew and respected his manager's decision.
Speaking of McCutchen, I was very impressed with Hurdle defending the centerfielder for being left off the NL All-Star roster. Hurdle went to bat for his guy and the whole team will remember that during tough times.
I don't know how Pittsburgh will finish the season, but whether or not they break .500, Hurdle should still be the manager of the year at the end of the season.
He is the winner in a landslide at the mid-way point.
Back For The Very First Time
It's been an extended weekend and there is a lot of catching up to do! I was out of town for a family wedding between Friday and Sunday, so I was unable to post any recaps. The Bucs had a pretty solid weekend overall, winning Thursday night against the Jays to take the series. The Bucs split a 4 gamer in DC with the Nats and started off their home series against the Awful Astros with a W as well. Yesterday's win was the biggest for the entire franchise in quite some time. The Win put the Bucs to 44-41 on the season and only 1.5 games out of first place.
Overall, this past weekend was a really good showing for the team as a whole. Cutch has been on a tear, Walker looks like he is coming out of his slump, Jones is hitting the ball well, Overpaid has been getting the timely hits you need from a $5M player, and the pitching continued to be steady as a rock. KC notched his 11th win, good for a 3-way tie for 1st in the NL and Karstens continued his stellar season shaving .01 off of his ERA and lowering it to 2.65, 5th in the NL. Since any recapping here would require covering 6 games, I am going to scrap it altogether and it give out my belated Midseason awards. I will also try to insert some pictures to break up the monotony.
TEAM MVP:
Andrew McCutchen- When the biggest knock on a guy is that he misses the cut off man, he must doing a lot of other things right. Cutch leads the team in Average, Home Runs, Stolen Bases, Runs, OBP, OPS, and SLG %. That's basically every offensive category except for RBI's. His snub from the All-Star Game is unforgivable as his OPS is 5th among NL outfielders. He is 6th in the NL in doubles, tied for 8th in OBP, and 12th in Runs scored, not bad for a guy playing on a team 12th out of 16 NL teams in scoring. These numbers are worthy of significant praise and certainly of an All-Star game appearance.
TEAM CY YOUNG:
Joel "The Hammer" Hanrahan- WOW. 25 for 25 in saves before the All-Star break. Isn't that enough right there? Ok, I'll go on: 1.37 ERA with 33 K's to 8BB. Right now, without question, I would call him the best closer in baseball. He doesn't need a fancy write up here because he isn't a fancy guy. He trots out of the 'pen, throws gas, and gets outs. There is no doubt that you trust going to him when the game is on the line as he has proven he is more than capable to finish big Wins.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER:
Charlie "Great Stuff" Morton- This one wasn't as clear cut as the other 2 in my mind. Karstens made an excellent case for this award and so does Maholm. But I guess when you reach the level of suck that Morton attained last year, being 7-4 with a 3.63 ERA at the midway point is something of a miracle. His BB and WHIP still leave a lot to be desired, but he's come along way from making the early shower a gamely tradition.
BIGGEST SURPRISE:
Holy Crap. These 5 guys. The Bucs were the worst pitching team in all of baseball last season. For the love of God, we had an ERA of 5.00. That is not a joke, that is all too real of a stat. But this year, wow, the turnaround has been something out of a Disney movie. Only instead of a recovering alcoholic begrudgingly taking over a ragtag team of misfits, it's a bunch of guys making six and seven figure salaries digging deep to rediscover their love of the game. The pitching staff's ERA is 8th in all of baseball, 5th in the NL, and 1.58 runs per game lower than last season. That a 31.6% reduction.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR:
Jose Tabata- Maybe this a little bit harsh, but disappointment and expectations go hand in hand. I don't expect the same out of Mental Midget Ronny Suckdeno as I do out of somebody with as much talent as Tabata. From his end of season stats in 2010, his average is down 34 points, his OBP is down 15 points, his SLG % is down 46 points and his OPS is down 41 points. He doesn't seem to have the explosive speed or even the drive and desire that was present last season and with the way Jones and Presley are performing right now, his only saving grace upon his return is his right handed bat.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON:
Bucs 2, Phillies 1 in 12 innings. It was the first weekend in June and the Bucs were flirting with respectability. Many fans were questioning whether this team was for real and only one day prior they had blown a 7-0 lead to lose 9-8 in New York. But this resilient bunch showed that in their minds, they are absolutely for real and that is all that matters. This game had it all: Karstens outdueling Hamels, late game heroics, and beating a Filthy team who thought they merely had to show up to win. The Bucs won the series and used it as a springboard to back up some W's and get rolling for a whirlwind June.
LOWLIGHT OF THE SEASON:
The Bases Loaded Bunt. HOLY $H!T. You're probably wondering how I can pick one single moment from 84 games to qualify as the #1 LowLight. I mean, it turned out to be a foul ball anyway. No harm. After all, this team blew a 7-0 lead to lose a game 9-8. They made 4 errors in a game last Sunday. But calling this THE Lowlight does it little justice. Bunting with the bases loaded is like punting on first and goal. At least that's how I see it. I have never seen it before and hope to never see it again. I wish I didn't see it in the first place. But it's merely another entry in the Ronny Cedeno book of How Not To Play Fundamental Baseball.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
Pitching; A+. 3.42 ERA. 25 for 25 in saves. What a job Searage and these pitchers have done.
Batting: C- . Team average and runs scored should be a lot higher. If this past weekend is any indication, perhaps the slumbering bats are awakening
Fielding: B-. Inconsistent overall. Some spectacular double plays and game savers are marred by poor fundamentals and lack of concentration or baseball knowledge.
Coaching: B-. This should be higher as Clint Hurdle is a marked improvement over RoboRussell. But the base coaches, base running, strange bunts, and lack of plate discipline leaves alot to be desired. Searage's work with pitchers is an A, hitting coach a D, baserunning an F, and Hurdle a B+.
Overall: B. Hey, anything above an F is noteworthy and this team has greatly improved overall. While the hitting is still slow to come along, the pitching has been tremendous and the team's ability to pull out wins that they would normally find mind numbing ways to lose shows progress.
44-41. I can't even put that into words. Hopefully, the Bucs can maintain and make this a truly memorable summer for the long-suffering faithful in the Steel City.
Oh, and one last thing: F*** YOU JAGR!
Overall, this past weekend was a really good showing for the team as a whole. Cutch has been on a tear, Walker looks like he is coming out of his slump, Jones is hitting the ball well, Overpaid has been getting the timely hits you need from a $5M player, and the pitching continued to be steady as a rock. KC notched his 11th win, good for a 3-way tie for 1st in the NL and Karstens continued his stellar season shaving .01 off of his ERA and lowering it to 2.65, 5th in the NL. Since any recapping here would require covering 6 games, I am going to scrap it altogether and it give out my belated Midseason awards. I will also try to insert some pictures to break up the monotony.
TEAM MVP:
Andrew McCutchen- When the biggest knock on a guy is that he misses the cut off man, he must doing a lot of other things right. Cutch leads the team in Average, Home Runs, Stolen Bases, Runs, OBP, OPS, and SLG %. That's basically every offensive category except for RBI's. His snub from the All-Star Game is unforgivable as his OPS is 5th among NL outfielders. He is 6th in the NL in doubles, tied for 8th in OBP, and 12th in Runs scored, not bad for a guy playing on a team 12th out of 16 NL teams in scoring. These numbers are worthy of significant praise and certainly of an All-Star game appearance.
TEAM CY YOUNG:
Joel "The Hammer" Hanrahan- WOW. 25 for 25 in saves before the All-Star break. Isn't that enough right there? Ok, I'll go on: 1.37 ERA with 33 K's to 8BB. Right now, without question, I would call him the best closer in baseball. He doesn't need a fancy write up here because he isn't a fancy guy. He trots out of the 'pen, throws gas, and gets outs. There is no doubt that you trust going to him when the game is on the line as he has proven he is more than capable to finish big Wins.
MOST IMPROVED PLAYER:
Charlie "Great Stuff" Morton- This one wasn't as clear cut as the other 2 in my mind. Karstens made an excellent case for this award and so does Maholm. But I guess when you reach the level of suck that Morton attained last year, being 7-4 with a 3.63 ERA at the midway point is something of a miracle. His BB and WHIP still leave a lot to be desired, but he's come along way from making the early shower a gamely tradition.
BIGGEST SURPRISE:
Holy Crap. These 5 guys. The Bucs were the worst pitching team in all of baseball last season. For the love of God, we had an ERA of 5.00. That is not a joke, that is all too real of a stat. But this year, wow, the turnaround has been something out of a Disney movie. Only instead of a recovering alcoholic begrudgingly taking over a ragtag team of misfits, it's a bunch of guys making six and seven figure salaries digging deep to rediscover their love of the game. The pitching staff's ERA is 8th in all of baseball, 5th in the NL, and 1.58 runs per game lower than last season. That a 31.6% reduction.
DISAPPOINTMENT OF THE YEAR:
Jose Tabata- Maybe this a little bit harsh, but disappointment and expectations go hand in hand. I don't expect the same out of Mental Midget Ronny Suckdeno as I do out of somebody with as much talent as Tabata. From his end of season stats in 2010, his average is down 34 points, his OBP is down 15 points, his SLG % is down 46 points and his OPS is down 41 points. He doesn't seem to have the explosive speed or even the drive and desire that was present last season and with the way Jones and Presley are performing right now, his only saving grace upon his return is his right handed bat.
HIGHLIGHT OF THE SEASON:
Bucs 2, Phillies 1 in 12 innings. It was the first weekend in June and the Bucs were flirting with respectability. Many fans were questioning whether this team was for real and only one day prior they had blown a 7-0 lead to lose 9-8 in New York. But this resilient bunch showed that in their minds, they are absolutely for real and that is all that matters. This game had it all: Karstens outdueling Hamels, late game heroics, and beating a Filthy team who thought they merely had to show up to win. The Bucs won the series and used it as a springboard to back up some W's and get rolling for a whirlwind June.
LOWLIGHT OF THE SEASON:
The Bases Loaded Bunt. HOLY $H!T. You're probably wondering how I can pick one single moment from 84 games to qualify as the #1 LowLight. I mean, it turned out to be a foul ball anyway. No harm. After all, this team blew a 7-0 lead to lose a game 9-8. They made 4 errors in a game last Sunday. But calling this THE Lowlight does it little justice. Bunting with the bases loaded is like punting on first and goal. At least that's how I see it. I have never seen it before and hope to never see it again. I wish I didn't see it in the first place. But it's merely another entry in the Ronny Cedeno book of How Not To Play Fundamental Baseball.
OVERALL ASSESSMENT:
Pitching; A+. 3.42 ERA. 25 for 25 in saves. What a job Searage and these pitchers have done.
Batting: C- . Team average and runs scored should be a lot higher. If this past weekend is any indication, perhaps the slumbering bats are awakening
Fielding: B-. Inconsistent overall. Some spectacular double plays and game savers are marred by poor fundamentals and lack of concentration or baseball knowledge.
Coaching: B-. This should be higher as Clint Hurdle is a marked improvement over RoboRussell. But the base coaches, base running, strange bunts, and lack of plate discipline leaves alot to be desired. Searage's work with pitchers is an A, hitting coach a D, baserunning an F, and Hurdle a B+.
Overall: B. Hey, anything above an F is noteworthy and this team has greatly improved overall. While the hitting is still slow to come along, the pitching has been tremendous and the team's ability to pull out wins that they would normally find mind numbing ways to lose shows progress.
44-41. I can't even put that into words. Hopefully, the Bucs can maintain and make this a truly memorable summer for the long-suffering faithful in the Steel City.
Oh, and one last thing: F*** YOU JAGR!
Saturday, July 2, 2011
Nats take Game 1
Pittsburgh scored the first run, but couldn't get past Washington, who picked up a 2-1 victory Friday night in Washington.
The Nationals' Matt Stairs had a pinch-hit liner off the right-field wall that gave Washington the walk-off win against Pirate reliever Tim Wood (0-3).
Charlie "Good Stuff" Morton pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-hit ball and allowed one run. Morton gave up his one run in the sixth that tied the game at 1-1.
It was a bad outing for Morton, who struggled in the month of June, but the bullpen couldn't get the win. The Bucs' bullpen has been strong, although they couldn't get the job done.
The story when the Pirates lose this season has been the ineffective batting, and it was no different Friday night. Pittsburgh had six hits, scored its only run in the third thanks to miscues from the Nationals, and were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Not good.
The Bucs play a doubleheader today with the first game scheduled for 3:35 p.m. EST. James McDonald takes the mound for Pittsburgh. In Game 2, Brad Lincoln will get the nod.
A sweep would be very important for the Pirates (41-40). Don't settle for .500.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for the comments on my last post. Keep them coming. Also to one reader's concern, I don't know too much about putting picture up, but we'll work on it.
The Nationals' Matt Stairs had a pinch-hit liner off the right-field wall that gave Washington the walk-off win against Pirate reliever Tim Wood (0-3).
Charlie "Good Stuff" Morton pitched 5 2/3 innings of three-hit ball and allowed one run. Morton gave up his one run in the sixth that tied the game at 1-1.
It was a bad outing for Morton, who struggled in the month of June, but the bullpen couldn't get the win. The Bucs' bullpen has been strong, although they couldn't get the job done.
The story when the Pirates lose this season has been the ineffective batting, and it was no different Friday night. Pittsburgh had six hits, scored its only run in the third thanks to miscues from the Nationals, and were 0-for-10 with runners in scoring position. Not good.
The Bucs play a doubleheader today with the first game scheduled for 3:35 p.m. EST. James McDonald takes the mound for Pittsburgh. In Game 2, Brad Lincoln will get the nod.
A sweep would be very important for the Pirates (41-40). Don't settle for .500.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Thank you for the comments on my last post. Keep them coming. Also to one reader's concern, I don't know too much about putting picture up, but we'll work on it.
Friday, July 1, 2011
Bucs head to our nation's capital
Pittsburgh will take on Washington tonight in the first of a three-game sat against the Nationals.
I believe the Bucs have a chance to win this series. If that is done, they will be three games over .500 and return home against the lowly Houston Astros, a team they should sweep.
I'm not saying they're going to the playoffs, or even going to break .500 for that matter, but they are playing some good ball right now. Even when the offense stinks, which is most of the time, good pitching and defense have been there to pick up the bats.
That said, if the bats don't pick up it is going to be very difficult for the Pirates to get by the Milwaukee's and St. Louis' of the world. The NL Central is probably the most wide-open division. No team is going to run away with it. I would say the division winner's magic number is 85.
Pittsburgh has the potential to do that if the pitching stays solid and the hitter comes along. It's second to last in the NL in batting. At least get up into the top ten.
Call me crazy, most do, but I think they have a chance of winning the NL Central if the bats pick up.
I believe the Bucs have a chance to win this series. If that is done, they will be three games over .500 and return home against the lowly Houston Astros, a team they should sweep.
I'm not saying they're going to the playoffs, or even going to break .500 for that matter, but they are playing some good ball right now. Even when the offense stinks, which is most of the time, good pitching and defense have been there to pick up the bats.
That said, if the bats don't pick up it is going to be very difficult for the Pirates to get by the Milwaukee's and St. Louis' of the world. The NL Central is probably the most wide-open division. No team is going to run away with it. I would say the division winner's magic number is 85.
Pittsburgh has the potential to do that if the pitching stays solid and the hitter comes along. It's second to last in the NL in batting. At least get up into the top ten.
Call me crazy, most do, but I think they have a chance of winning the NL Central if the bats pick up.
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