Wednesday, September 10, 2008

Bucs Lanced...

Ross Ohlendorf couldn't handle Lance Berkman, or for that matter, anyone else in an Astro uniform, and Houston kept the Bucs reeling with an easy 8-3 victory last night.

Ohlendorf threw harder - he was consistently about 93 MPH - but the ball stayed over the plate. Berkman launched one for a three-shot homer in the first, and doubled another run home the next at bat. Six runs and nine hits in four innings would be Ohlendorf's line for the night.

Hey, at least Steve Pearce finally went yard.

And what happened to Pittsburgh's middle infielders? After Jack Splat's MASH-unit year, Freddie Sanchez of the achy rotator cuff left because of fuzziness in his vision, a problem he had earlier in the year. He's taking drops to resolve it, but it's been a season that Wilson and Sanchez will be glad to see end.

Injuries to the two guys the Pirates counted on to be in the line-up day in and day out hurt the team's performance as badly as anything outside the pitching this season, both up the middle and at bat.

> Don't expect a quick decision on the Pedro hearings, starting today. It may stretch out long enough to cost Alvarez any shot at fall or winter ball in the organization, assuming he comes out of the affair still under contract to the Pirates.

Due to the number of witnesses being called, the hearing won't be done today. And because the arbitor has very few open dates, it could be weeks or months before anything is resolved. He only has one more open date this month, in late September, and may need a third day, then at least a couple of weeks for a decision.

The good news is that his findings are binding, so when it's over, it's over. There will be no appeals to drag on indefinitely.

> Dejan says that Hickory and Lynchburg of the Pirate's A level-minor leagues may be dropped for other towns next season. Geez, firing coaches is one thing, but firing a city?

> If GW is a little spotty posting, it's not because we've given up Bucco blogging. Our old PC is making life fairly miserable on the e-front, and Mr. and Mrs. GW are debating the repair/buy a new one options. Until then, we're mooching the kid's laptop when it's available.

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