Lineup: Josh Harrison 2B, Adam Frazier RF, Cutch CF, Josh Bell 1B, David Freese 3B, S-Rod LF, Elias Diaz C, Jordy Mercer SS, Chad Kuhl P. Starling has cooled off the last couple of games and Clint's giving him the day off; Ryu has a big reverse L/R split, so it's a good time to get Fraze in.
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| Chad is looking to close out the stand on a high note (photo Pittsburgh Pirates) |
Pitchers: Chad Kuhl (6-8, 4.52) concludes the set against Hyun-Jin Ryu (4-6, 3.45). The 24-year-old righthander has gone 4-2/.21 in his last 10 starts with a .219 oppo BA and has allowed more than two earned runs four times in his last 15 starts. He's 2-1/5.06 in three career starts against Big Blue but hasn't faced them this season. Ryu has been on a roll; he's 7-1/2.22 in his past eight starts and on a strikeout-per-inning streak, even though missing some time due to a sore foot. He's a reverse split guy - the southpaw is tougher on RHP than lefties (.236/.327) and better away than home (3.19/3.69). The South Korean is 3-0/2.79 in three career starts against Pittsburgh, none this year.
Notes:
- J-Hay made the books yesterday: he's the only player in MLB history to end a no-hit bid with a walkoff home run. The game-winning homey wasHarrison’s second career walkoff home run (8/6/13 vs. Miami) and the eighth time in his career that he's walked one off.
- Per Elias Says, the last time the Pirates had a one-hit win was May 2nd, 1943 against the Cubs when Vince DiMaggio’s fourth-inning double scored Elbie Fletcher, who had walked, for a 1-0 win at Forbes Field. Bob Klinger went the distance for Pittsburgh, tossing a four-hitter to hand Dick Barrett a tough defeat.
- The Pirates have homered in seven straight games, losing 13 balls during that span.
- Walking wounded: Gregory is a definite maybe to return this season. Our feeling is that he should prob be shut down after a series of hammy pulls rather than risk recurrence; we'll see how the Buccos feel down the road. Cervy is progressing pretty well and hasn't hit any snags; he's eligible to come off the DL today and may be in action for the weekend. George Kontos hasn't thrown yet (he still has a week to go on the DL) and Frenchy, who can be activated early next week, is tossing sides.
- The Pirates are trying to get Jung Ho Kang a Dominican Winter League gig; guess their work visa's are a little easier to navigate.
- Adam Berry of MLB.com has a quick rundown on RHP Angel Sanchez and his road to the MLB.
The Pirates need to figure out what's wrong with both Gregory Polanco and Austin Meadows and get it fixed, like, yesterday. If I had any hair left, I would long ago have yanked it all out over those two. If their constantly recurring leg muscle pulls and strains are the result of poor diet and conditioning, then the front office should get both of them a babysitter-drill sergeant-personal trainer over the winter and otherwise put them on notice. If it's something else, then let's take a hard look at what the Pirates' medical and training staff is doing and otherwise do something different that, you know, actually keeps them on the field.
ReplyDeleteBoth of those guys are far, FAR too important to the team's immediate future for them to be missing the kind of time they've missed. I realize that sometimes these types of injuries never go away (see McLouth, Nate) and players have lost their careers over them. But whatever Polanco, Meadows, and the organization have been doing---it hasn't worked. And it was tiresome two years ago.
I'm with ya, Will. I'm not a fan at all of the Bucco medicos; not sure if it's them or FO pressure to get guys back in a hurry, but the system needs a more proactive approach to prevention and treatment, it seems.
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