Notes

RHP James McDonald (6-4, 4.15) goes against the Braves' RHP Tim Hudson (9-6, 3.39). The game will be nationally televised on ESPN, with the announcing crew of Sean McDonough, Aaron Boone, and Rick Sutcliffe. It's blacked out in Pittsburgh, where it will be shown on Root Sports at 7 PM.

The lineup: Xavier Paul LF, Garrett Jones RF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Lyle Overbay 1B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Mike McKenry C, James McDonaldP.

Pedro's in the lineup, not too surprisingly. Jones is in the two hole; again, not many options for Clint Hurdle.

• Kinda ineteresting - Pedro returns for the Bucs and the Braves get Chipper Jones back from the DL; all is well at the hot corner.
• Joel Sherman of the New York Post tweets that the Bucs have called Tampa Bay to ask about CF'er BJ Upton.
• Troy Renck of the Denver Post writes that the Bucs have interest in Ty Wiggington; he's not sure about Jason Giambi, whose name was tossed in the ring as pure speculation because he's a natural fit for the Pirates in ESPN's Buster Olney's eyes.

Pedro Back, Presley Gone

The Bucs recalled Pedro from Indy today, and cleared space on the 25-man roster by DL'ing Alex Presley.

Pedro hit .365/3/13 in 18 games for Indy this season. He left the big team with a quad problem on May 20th, injured it again at Bradenton, and finally came off the DL July 9th, when he was optioned to the minors. The Pirates felt he was pulling the ball way too much, an occupational hazard of PNC Park, and wanted him to work on using the whole field.

Apparently, they believe that he's ready to go with the pitch, and if he plays like the September 2010 Pedro, he could be the big bat they need. Before the injury he wasn't, hitting just .208/2/10 in 138 PAs. In his rookie season of 2010, El Toro hit .264/16/64.

It'll be interesting to see if they platoon Alvarez in Pittsburgh this season. His splits were .417 v RHP but just .235 v LHP at Indy.

Presley was coming into his own at the leadoff spot, hitting .333 with a .402 OBP and fielding the ball well. He jammed his hand on Friday against the Cards. The Pirates feared it was going to be a week to ten days before he would be back from what's officially being called a left hand contusion, but it's probably a pinched nerve. The DL date will be retroactive to Saturday, July 23rd, meaning he'll be out until August 7th.

Presley hit .262 during his 2010 September call-up, and was the organization's "Player of the Year" for 2010.

The Trade Frenzy

Hey, this is pretty much uncharted water for Pittsburgh, being in a pennant race in July. It's even odder being in the position of a buyer instead of seller as the trade deadline approaches. The convergence, unseen in the City for decades, has stirred some performance anxiety among Bucco fans; let's hope it doesn't do the same to the FO.

The Bucs are hangin' in despite a depleted roster of position players. The starting pitching has kept the offensively challenged club in games and the bullpen has generally finished the deal. The fans - and some of the media - are in a froth to bring a bat or two to Pittsburgh.

Easier said than done. The Bucco base is getting its first taste of buy-a-player-itis, and they want Carlos Baltran or Hunter Pence and they want him now. But the trade deadline itself is a week away, and like August 15th for first round draft picks, it's the day things happen.

The Pirates made three deadline deals last season, sending Octavio Dotel to the Dodgers, Javier Lopez to the Giants, and DJ Carrasco, Ryan Church and Bobby Crosby to Arizona. Each trade was made on July 31st. Why? To maximize the value of the return. The Bucs got a starting pitcher, James McDonald, a starting catcher, Chris Snyder, and minor leaguers Pedro Ciriaco, John Bowker, Andrew Lambo and the now gone Joe Martinez.You think other GM's don't know the drill?

In 2010, there were 11 trades in the first four weeks of July. In the last three days, there were 21, with a dozen on July 31st. This has been a slow year in comparison; there have only been four deals consummated to date this month. So forget rushing things; trades have their own rhythm, much like signing top draft picks, and usually get done under the deadline pressure of the final bidding round.

Also, it would help to temper expectations. It's been hinted that Beltran would block a trade to Pittsburgh, and even if he would see fit to grace the town with a two month visit, the Mets are said to be asking for a top prospect in return - think Jameson Taillon for the Pirates. Worth it? We think not.

Pence's asking price by Houston is said to be a top prospect and two MLB-ready players; think Taillon, Jose Tabata and a player X. Again, a high price for a player that's guaranteed to wear your uni for a year and eight weeks before he hits the market.

So if they pick up a bat, it will almost surely be from one of two categories: contract dumps like Carlos Pena or underachievers like Ryan Ludwick and Josh Willingham. And that's fine; those are guys that can be of some use this season and not block anyone going forward. We think the likeliest available lumber is already in the system, with Pedro Alvarez and John Bowker, but a thunder stick, especially swung from the right side, would be nice..

As far as adding some pitching, the scouts, by all reports, are scouring the baseball countryside for a back end reliever. The Buc bullpen has been called on more times than St. Christopher, and with Evan Meek out until August at the earliest and Jose Veras being inconsistent recently, a little help would be appreciated. We're pretty sure they'll shore up the team here because of the market . Heck, Dotel could even return to town.

Starting pitching doesn't look like it will come into play this deadline. A couple of guys are learning and a couple are regressing, as expected. The greater concern is the workload. Paul Maholm is the only rotation member who knows what the north side of 150 innings looks like. If they decide to go with a sixth or spot starter to give the staff a blow, the team will be fine with Brad Lincoln ready, Rudy Owens beginning to settle in, and Ross Ohlendorf within a week or two of returning.

Our sense is that the FO would like to make a splash this year, and if they can make a strong move without getting into their core prospects, they'll happily pull the trigger. But they know the team is still in transition, and are probably shooting for a 2013-14 window when the pitching catches up to really start flexing. To use their minor league chips before the process runs its cycle would be self defeating.

So hey, calm down. We're fairly certain that the GM is working on giving the guys a chance this year, especially after the way the team has captured the City and generated so much good ink for the Pirate organization. But remember that Pittsburgh is on the other side of the buy/sell equation, and the dealing is controlled by the seller in both timing and cost.

"I'll Grind His Bones To Make My Bread..."

Today's game has a must win feel about it, even though the Bucs are only a game out of the lead. The kids are jammin' the stands, waiting for their post-game run around the bases. Let's hope the Bucs circle the sacks a few times before them.

Nice enough start for Charlie Morton. He got three ground outs sandwiched around Jon Jay's one out single. Kyle Lohse retired the Bucs 1-2-3. The second was a little rougher on Morton.

Colby Rasmus and Skip Schumaker led off with singles to put runners on the corners. Gerald Laird hit a sac fly to bring home a run. An errant pickoff throw moved Schumaker to second, and that was followed by a Daniel Descalso walk. Lohse bunted them up a base, but CM contained the damage by getting Ryan Theriot to bounce to short. Lyle Overbay reached on a one out error, but the rest of his teammates flew out in their half. 1-0 St. Louis after two frames.

Jay started the third by drawing a walk and was tossed stealing. Morton retired Pujols and Berkman, which is no easy chore for a Pirate pitcher, and up came the Bucs. Eric Fryer led off the third with an infield single. Morton K'ed trying to bunt him over. Fryer took the matter in his own hands, stealing second and going to third when the throw went through Theriot. Chase d'Arnaud smacked a double to left, and it was a tie game.

Morton mowed down the Cards in the fourth; Lohse faced three batters. McCutch led off with a single and was erased on a Lyle Overbay 6-4-3 DP followed by a Garrett Jones K. Why doesn't McCutch run anymore? Cleanup-itis? Heck, if the Pirates send their catcher, you'd think they'd green light McCutch.

Morton ran into problems in the fifth. A leadoff walk to Descalso, who has had quite a series, set the stage. Lohse struck out trying to advance him, but a hit-and-run single through the right side by Theriot sent DD to third, where a wild pitch scored him. Jay walked (both free passes were on 3-2 pitches) to set up Pujols and Berkman. Morton went soft on Sir Albert, drawing three straight fouls, and got him to pop up on a high heater. He retired Berkman on a bouncer to first, and though he gave up a run, CM's damage control was outstanding.

Ronny Cedeno got the Bucs rolling with a double dropped softly into right, and Fryer moved him to third on a ground out. It would prove to be a critical piece of small ball when Morton smacked a fly to fairly deep center to plate RC. After five, it was 2-2.

The lead didn't last long. Rasmus caught a sinker that dove right down the middle of the plate and crushed it over the wall in right, his tenth of the year, to put St. Louis up again. Schumaker followed with a grounder up the middle, and Gerald Laird bunted him over. Morton got ahead of Descalso 1-2, but missed inside with the next three deliveries to put runners at first and second. Tony Cruz came on to pinch hit for Lohse.

That was it for Morton; Jason Grilli jogged in from the pen. Morton went 5-1/3 innings, giving up three runs on six hits, with five walks and three K's while tossing 94 pitches. His splits caught up to him; the Card lefties went 5-for-10 against him and drew all five walks. Grilli K'ed Cruz swinging at a heater and got Theriot on a bouncer to second to put out the fire. 

RHP Lance Lynn took over for the Redbirds. Walker drew a one out base on balls. McCutch went down swinging, missing a 95 MPH heater. He stayed outside on Overbay, walking him on five pitches. Jones couldn't pick them up; he went down swinging. The score was 3-2 Cards after six.

Jay lead off the seventh with a rope to center. Pujols grounded out to the shortstop hole, moving Jay up a base. Grilli worked Berkman upstairs, and got him swinging through a fastball. He walked Rasmus on four pitches, the last an intentional ball, but got out of the jam with a Schumaker ground out. That was a big inning for Grilli and the Bucs to get through; the righty faced four lefties, but with Tony Watson out after a three inning stint yesterday, Clint Hurdle didn't have many match-up options. 

Lynn challenged Cedeno with a series of belt high fastballs; RC finally found one he liked and drove it into right for a leadoff double. Fryer bunted, and the well placed roller ended up a single to put runners on the corners. Steve Pearce grabbed a stick and pinch hit for Grilli. Pearce smacked a curve to third; instead of going home, Descalso turned it into a 5-4-3 DP that tied the game. After seven innings, it was 3-3.

Chris Resop toed the rubber and Laird greeted him with a double to left. Descalso tried to bunt him over, but missed the pitch, and Fryer threw behind Laird to Cedeno for a huge pick off.  It became huge an out later when David Freese singled sharply to right, but Resop nailed the third out. Mitchell Boggs put the Bucs away in order.

Joel Hanrahan came on to face the heart of the Card order. He yielded a two out single to Berkman when Cedeno inexplicably broke the wrong way on the routine roller, but that was all that he allowed. Boggs again retired the Bucs 1-2-3.

Joe Beimel climbed the mound and pitched a clean tenth.  Jason Motte took the ball for St. Louis. After an out, Xavier Paul beat out a bouncer to first on a bang-bang race to first with Motte. He stole seond and went to third when the throw short hopped Theriot. d'Arnaud hit a soft liner to short center; Paul tagged and scored easily when Rasmus' throw was well up the third base line. The Bucs ground out a hard earned 4-3 win over the Cards.

Give the team credit. They were down three times to the Cards and with a dartboard lineup answered each and every time, finally hustling the winning run home. And hustle they did; even in the late innings of a muggy, 90 degree day, every Buc bust his butt down the line even for routine outs. It paid of for Fryer and Paul and eventually the team. 

Don't forget the contributions of the bomb squad. Cedeno, Fryer, Paul, d'Arnaud and Grilli all came up big in the win. It takes a village... The bullpen shut down an opponent once again, and the Bucs followed their 2011 blueprint of sweat, defense and pitching to a big win. And it was big; the Pirates are in a three-way tie for first after the victory.

As far as Charlie Morton is concerned, we have no problem with a sinker/curve mix; it's worked well for guys like Chris Carpenter (although we'd rather see him master his change than hook to offset the lefties some). He's showing his four seamer at times too. But he does need to really improve his secondary pitch command. Still, he's just a few months into reinventing himself. Morton has his confidence back; when the control comes, he should be a rotation mainstay after becoming an afterthought last season.

Tomorrow night James McDonald (6-4, 4.15) goes against the Braves' Tim Hudson (9-6, 3.39).

• A crowd of 35,402 watched the Buccos today. The three day attendance for the series was 112,994, the 3rd largest three-date total in PNC Park history.
• Today's victory was Joe Beimel's first win as a Bucco since May 2, 2003.
• Alex Presley is day-to-day with his bruised thumb; the docs say it's structurally OK and he's just getting ice on it. The King told Kristy Robinson of Ohio Valley Athletics that he thinks the injury is nerve-related. There's no real timetable for his return to action, and there has been some discussion about putting him on the 15 day DL.
• Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports tweets that the Bucs are shaking the bushes for a back-end reliever.

Notes

RHP Charlie Morton (8-5, 3.62) will try to salvage a game against the Cards'  RHP Kyle Lohse (8-7, 3.45). Charlie Morton, stopper? Let's hope. Game time is 1:35 PM and the game will be aired on Root Sports.

Lohse will be pitching with an inflamed finger and was spotted in the dugout last night with a finger splint wrapped around the offending digit. The docs gave him the OK to go, so we'll see if it bothers him during the game.

The lineup: Chase d'Arnaud 3B, Matt Diaz LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Lyle Overbay 1B, Garrett Jones RF, Ronny Cedeno SS, Eric Fryer C, Charlie Morton P.

Alex Presley is still out with a bruised thumb. Diaz replaces Cedeno in the two hole and we're kinda surprised that Xavier Paul isn't there today. Our guess is that Clint Hurdle is trusting his "hot bat" instincts. Mike McKenry gets a deserved day off. Fryer is probably on short time here as Jason Jaramillo resumes catching at Indy, so he might as well earn his paycheck.

• The Pirates begin a seven game road trip against Atlanta and Philly after the game; the Cards start a seven game homestand against the Astros and Cubs while the Brewers entertain the same pair for six games. That's another reason the upcoming trip is a big one for the Pirates. If they're still hangin' around going into August, then the race should be on.
• Joe Starkey of the Tribune Review has a piece on the Pirates' day in Cranberry at the Miracle League Field. It reminds us that baseball at its best is more than a contest for standings in the W-L column, but standing in the community. 
• Bert Blyleven enters the HoF today; here's a couple of articles on his career: Mark Whicker of the Orange County Register "Work Hard, Laugh Harder," and a pair from Chris Jaffe of The Hardball Times "Career Highlights" and "Ten Things I Didn't Know About BB."

Cards Clobber Bucs 9-1

Hey, the makeshift Bucs take on the Cards in front of packed park on yet another muggy night in Pittsburgh. Heck, it seems like McCutch and The Pittsburgh Kid are the only two day-in, day-out guys on the team anymore; even old trot 'em out Lyle Overbay looks like he's headed to platoon duty with Steve Pearce aboard.

Can't beat Kevin Correia's start; three up, three grounders, three outs. Chase d'Arnaud greeted Jaime Garcia by legging out a hit to the shortstop hole. He stole second as Ronny Cedeno and Neil Walker popped out, and remained there when McCutch was called out on a curve that looked inside. Oh well.

St. Louis got to Correia in the second. Matt Holliday doubled to right, and Lance Berkman walked on five pitches. David Freese sent one a step short of the wall in right; Steve Pearce made a leaping catch over McCutch for the out. Holliday tagged and moved into third. KC got ahead of Yadier Molina 0-2, and tried to jam him; the pitch stayed over the plate and was lined into center to give the Cards a 1-0 lead.

He went 3-2 to Daniel Descalso, and DD whacked a slider on a rope to right to score Berkman and move Molina to third. Garcia and Skip Schumaker both hit the ball on the nose, but right at Walker and Brandon Wood. It was 2-0 Cardinals halfway through the second.

Pittsburgh cut the lead in half. After Steve Pearce K'd swinging at a changeup, Matt Diaz lined a double to right. He went to third on a wild pitch that went through Molina's wickets and scored easily when Brandon Wood stroked a ball up the middle. McKenry bounced back to the mound for a DP, and it was 2-1 St. Louis after two.

Correia was back in control in the third. After a pair of groundouts, he walked Holliday, who was beneficiary of a couple of close strike calls. No diff; Berkman lined a shot straight to Cedeno, who was on Walker's side of second base thanks to a shift. Garcia retired the Bucs quietly on three grounders.

KC retired the first two Cards, but after getting ahead of the eight hitter Descalso 1-2, walked him. The pitcher popped out, but the order turned over. Walker has had no luck so far this series; his grounder headed up the middle was snagged on the dive by Descalso, who threw him out. McCutch walked, but Pearce hit a sharp one hopper to third that turned into an easy around the horn DP.

The wheels started to groan in the fifth. Ahead of Schumaker 0-2, KC threw him a shoetop high slider off the plate; he poked it into left for a single. Jay bounced one up the middle to put runners on the corners; Pujols lined one into right center to score a run and chase Jay to third. KC waged an eight pitch battle with Holliday, finally K'ing him on a slider.

It was a Phyrric victory. His next pitch was a high slider to Berkman; he dropped it over the center field fence for his 27th homer of the year. An out after that, Molina hit a pitch off the handle; the lazy fly stayed on the line and hit the outside of the left field foul pole for a homer. That was it for Correia. He went 4-2/3 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits with three walks and two Ks, and a lot of his outs were BBs. D-Mac came on to close out the frame, but way too late; it was 7-1 Cards.

Diaz led off by dropping a single into center. He died at first as Wood popped out to center while McKenry and pinch hitter Paul both looked like overmatched Texas Leaguers, striking out swinging on three pitches. Tony Watson came on for Pittsburgh and retired the Cards in order. Walker was finally rewarded for roping a ball when he ripped a two out double to right for the Bucs only sixth inning noise.

With two away in the seventh, Watson ran across a bump in the road. He walked Nick Punto and Freese cued a single into right past Wood, who was holding the runner. Watson escaped when Molina flew out to medium left. Pearce led off with a single to left; a K and DP later, Watson was back on the hill for the Pirates. He again had a two out burp. Schumaker had an infield knock when he rolled a ball to the right side that was Walker's to play, but instead Wood ranged over to make the grab. Watson broke late to cover first and lost the race. No sweat; Jay bounced back to the box.

The Bucs chased Garcia in the eighth. McKenry beat out a grounder to second to open the frame. Lyle Overbay caught one, but sent it toward the Notch for a loud out. d'Arnaud dropped a flare into left to put runners on first and second, and Tony LaRussa brought in Jason Motte. He got Cedeno on a force and struck out Walker looking at a 97 MPH heat.

Jose Veras climbed the hill for Pittsburgh in the ninth. He walked two of the first three batters, gave up double to score one and a grounder to plate another. Then JV walked another guy, and Joe Beimel came on to finish the frame. The last thing Clint Hurdle wanted to do was use another arm in a lost cause. We expect Veras is going to have to work hard to regain his manager's confidence after tonight.

Hey, it's not the end of the world; the Bucs are still going to be either one or two games behind after tonight. But so far the series does demonstrate a couple of holes that need addressed. The Cards have hit five homers in two games; the Bucs haven't hit one in nearly a week. The starting pitching is starting to fray; except for Paul Maholm, none have worked in the 175-200 inning range before, so they're entering uncharted waters. A six man rotation might be under consideration. And as they go shorter into games, the bullpen is being asked to pick up more and more innings.

So if there's a wish list, a big bopper, a starter and a late guy would be on it. It's possible that the FO consider Pedro, Brad Lincoln and/or Ohlie to be internal answers for the first two items. But a proven set-up man doesn't exist in the system with Evan Meek's prolonged absence. And in the middle of the lineup, El Toro could use a righty counterpoint. So we'll see what's in store over the next eight days.

But we do know what's in store tomorrow afternoon - Kyle Lohse and Charlie Morton hook up as the Bucs try to avoid the broom.

• Ronny Cedeno's hitting streak ended at eleven games tonight.
• The Bucs got their twelfth selllout tonight with 39,102 fans in attendance at PNC Park; another is set for tomorrow.
• Jose Tabata was on the Pirate bench tonight taking in the game after being checked by team doctors, who recommended a short rest period for his quad. Ross Ohlendorf was in the dugout last night, stopping over on his way to Altoona to continue his rehab.
• With yesterday's appearance, Jason Grilli became the 45th Pirate to take the field this season. The 2010 club set the record for the most players used in a year with 51.
• Pedro may be back next week. Clint Hurdle told Pirate radio talk show host Dave Todd of News Talk 104.7 that it won't be in the next day or two, which would lead us to speculate (and it's purely speculation) that he'll possibly join the team when they go to Atlanta.
• Hunter Pence isn't the only OF'er with some future team control on the market. BJ Upton of the Rays is on the block, too. A lot of teams have been calling to gauge his price, although there is no indication that Pittsburgh is one of the clubs interested; they have a stable full of center fielders.

Lineup Change

OK, late change to the Pirate lineup. Alex Presley was scratched with a left thumb contusion (bruise). No word on the seriousness of the injury. Presley said he was jammed yesterday and can't hold the bat right today.  We imagine he'll get the once-over tomorrow or Monday if it doesn't calm down.

He'll be replaced at the top of the order by Chase d'Arnaud. It shakes the lineup up considerably, and not in a real good way, swapping a .333 hitter at leadoff for one that's batting .215. The splits aren't much better; Presley hits .290 against lefties and d'Arnaud .200.

Lotta changes in the field, too. Matt Diaz will now play left field, Steve Pearce moves to right, Brandon Wood goes to first base, and d’Arnaud will man third.

The new lineup card reads Chase d'Arnaud 3B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Steve Pearce RF, Matt Diaz LF, Brandon Wood 3B, Mike McKenry C,  Kevin Correia P.

Presley was the only lefty slated to go against LHP Jaime Garcia (.251 vs RH, .228 vs LH), so maybe this was the baseball gods' way of loading the lineup. We'll see.

Notes

RHP Kevin Correia (11-7, 4.04) goes against the Redbirds' LHP Jaime Garcia (9-4, 3.11). The game starts at 7:05 PM and will be shown on Root Sports.

The lineup: Alex Presley LF, Ronny Cedeno SS, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Steve Pearce 1B, Matt Diaz RF, Brandon Wood 3B, Mike McKenry C, Kevin Correia P.

Pearce gets the call at first in what we assume will become a platoon situation with Lyle Overbay if he plays to profile and Chase d'Arnaud gets a seat in favor of Wood. Cedeno moves into the two hole; there are really no other fits within the lineup.

• The Pirates will wear their Homestead Grays throwback unis tonight. Now if they can only channel into Josh Gibson, Cool Papa Bell and the gang...
• Why has Matt Diaz turned into an opposite field hitter with no power? Dejan Kovacevic of the Tribune Review provided a two word answer: bat speed.
• Albert Pujols 27th homer at PNC made him the active leader for long flies at the Park. It's also the most he's hit at any opponent's field.
• Pennant fever at its best: DK tweeted that the Pirate FO must step up and make a bold move to improve the team; Charlie Wilmoth of Bucs Dugout cautioned against going all in for 2011. A civil war of words has broken out on Twitter (both guys are highly respected in the Bucco media/blogger community and political debaters could take away a Pittsburgh lesson in disagreeing without being disagreeable). Kovacevic says pull the trigger: there are impact players available for a combo of cash and lesser prospects without specifically naming any, though we're sure he's right. Wilmoth says the teams' best days are ahead of it; don't jeopardize the future. The biggest hurdle for both sides is that they would like to see some action now while the Pirates are involved in a tough stretch of games, but selling teams try to maximize their returns by taking bids until the deadline is well near nigh. Still, it's not a debate often enjoined in Pittsburgh.
• You think a successful stint in the show doesn't translate? Tim Williams of Pirates Prospects tweeted that LHP Daniel Moskos has pitched eight shutout innings since being optioned back to Indy, with one hit allowed, two walks, and six strikeouts.
• Ramon Vazquez was released from the Blue Jays' AAA team and Robinzon Diaz was assigned to the AA Frisco Roughriders by Texas. Those guys were part of the Pirate bench in 2009; how times have changed. But the Jays do like another Pirate castoff. They just called up LHP Wil Ledezma according to Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports.

New Bucco vid snipped from "Pirates of the Caribbean." Nice job by the PR folk at PNC; it sure fired up the fans last night. 

Ready For Pedro

OK, going into the season third base was Pedro Alvarez's spot for as long as the Bucs could afford him, right? Well, maybe, but the journey has taken a couple of unexpected twists and turns.

Alvarez joined the youth core that the Bucs called up last year as they began their transition after an almost complete housesweeping by the FO. After posting a .256/16/64 line in 2010 with a 113 OPS+ and 1.6 WAR, fueled by a late season surge, El Toro was poised to join McCutch, Jose Tabata and Neil Walker as the heart of the Buccos going forward.

Oh, there were still a couple of lingering questions. Would his glove play? Would his conditioning improve a couple of ticks? Were his stats driven by beating up September call-up pitching? None looked like they would be answered in the negative or present any major bumps in the road.

He did come to camp looking bigger, but that become a tempest in a teapot sidebar. Pedro's weight was about the same as last season, despite reports that he had porked up. The truth was that he had actually done some off season work and packed on some muscle, and that couldn't be a bad thing for a clean up hitter. His glove looked adequate, and there was no question that he had the arm to play the hot corner, although the smart money was on him eventually moving across the diamond.

But the questions about his swing did continue. He hit .250 in the spring, and his 27 K's in 68 ABs showed there were still some serious holes to address. The season was even worse. Alvarez had some nagging injuries to work through, but they didn't explain the .208/2/10 line. Strikeouts continued at a 30% rate. Finally, in May, he was placed on the DL with a quad injury, and that dragged on when he aggravated it again in June.

Finally, in early July, he was ready to return. Guess what? The Bucs didn't want him. In a bombshell of a move, the offensively challenged Pirates sent their potentially biggest bat back to Indy, even though he had hit .294 with an .821 OPS in his week of rehab work there.

“Pedro remains a big part of our future, but we believe making this move is the best way to get him back on track offensively and defensively so that he can help us win games at the Major League level,” said General Manager Neal Huntington in the team release.

Well, OK, sending a message and getting El Toro some reps in one fell swoop isn't necessarily a bad thing. And so far, it's worked. Reports say that he's playing third pretty well, and his line to date is .339/2/10 in 56 ABs.

The Pirate concern, despite those numbers, is that Pedro's gone pull happy, and that's something they want to put to bed before he returns to Pittsburgh. And that's a legitimate concern; look what it's done to Garrett Jones.

But here's the conundrum. How much can Indy at-bats help him to overcome that flaw? His strike out rate is 25%, a bit under his average, and his walk rate is 16%, way over his average. What incentive is there to keep him at Indy, where the AAA pitchers work around him? His swing works fine in the minors, so how much tweaking can you expect during his stay?

Add in that Pittsburgh is currently filling in his position with Brandon Wood and Chase d'Arnaud, who are both hitting .215, barely better than Alvarez's weak 2011 line (although the position is ripe for Steve Pearce to get some time at the hot corner now that he's back.) 

Hey, we applaud the Bucs for looking at the long term and sending Pedro back to the bushes in an effort to hone his game into MLB quality both mentally and physically. But the challenge to improve just isn't there. There are two options that we see.

The first is to deal for a third baseman and begin Alvarez's transition to first at Indy; it's not like Lyle Overbay is exactly Albert Pujols Jr. The Bucs haven't really shown much inclination toward that direction, and with good cause. There's no big bopper to play the hot corner in the organization, the market has very slim pickings, and first base is deeper in the system than third, so Pedro hasn't taken so much as a practice ball at first that we're aware of.

The other is to bring him back and mold him in the MLB crucible where the pitchers aren't afraid to feed him sliders and curves away with the occasional heater on the hands.  We don't think that's rushing him back, but rather just another step in his learning process. 

With Steve Pearce again on the 25 man roster, they could ease Pedro in slowly as a platoon guy if they want. But whether he's manning third every day or just against righties, the Bucs have a huge hole in the middle of their order that only Pedro has the potential to fill from within.

It's time to bring Pedro Alvarez back for both this season's run and for the future of the team.

Card Long Balls Cost Bucs 6-4

It's a hot time in the ol' City tonight - a meaningful baseball series in July, woohoo! Of course, there was the little matter of the T-Storm passing through, so game time was pushed back 1/2 hour.

Ryan Theriot started off against Paul Maholm with a pesky eight pitch at bat before K'ing on a fastball. No such luck with Jon Jay; he tripled off the Clemente Wall on ball that looked catchable but Garrett Jones couldn't quite get to. Sir Albert got a first pitch two-seamer and rode it over the wall in right center for his 22nd homer. It's not a very auspicious start for PM.

After a Matt Holliday fly out, Lance Berkman doubled inside third with Chase d'Arnaud playing well off the line. David Freese bombed his fourth long fly over the right field wall on a first pitch changeup. Yadier Molina followed with a bloop single to center, and Nick Punto walked on four pitches. Chris Carpenter bounced out to short, but geez. Nine batters, four runs, five hits, two homers, two stranded and the Cards have hit for the cycle in the first frame. And the Bucs only scored four runs in their entire last series. Yikes!

Alex Presley bounced to short to open the Bucco half against Carpenter. d'Arnaud looked at a called third strike. Neil Walker squared up on a 3-1 sinker, but lined it right at Theriot to end the frame.

Maholm got the first two Cards on grounders to third, but Albert Pujols continued the attack by lining a double into the left field corner. Holliday went down swinging at a high heater to set St. Louis down.

McCutch went after the first pitch and flew out to right short of the Clemente Wall track. Overbay flew out to left. Jones collected the first Buc knock when he picked an 0-2 sinker off his knees and doubled into right center. Ronny Cedeno got ahead in the count 2-0 and took a belt high cutter into left to score Jones. McKenry got an infield single when Carpenter saw a ball up the middle deflect of his mitt. Maholm lined a single to center on a letter-high sinker, scoring Cedeno. McKenry was thrown out heading to third on a not very smart bit of base running, costing Presley his swings with a runner in scoring position. 4-2 Cards after two innings.

Berkman is also a long time Buc killer; he singled off Walker's glove. But this time, Freese bounced one to third and the Pirates pulled an around the horn DP on a nice turn by Walker, who was slightly handcuffed by d'Arnaud's feed, which was behind him. Good thing; Molina doubled to right. Punto was intentionally walked to get to Carpenter. He lined a first pitch heater into right to plate Molina and kill the buzz. Pittsburgh went down in order. The score was now 5-2 Cards after three.

Maholm pitched a clean fourth, even getting Pujols. McCutch rolled a sinker up the middle to open the Pirate half of the inning. Overbay went down swinging. Carpenter came inside on Jones, but his liner was right at second baseman Punto.  Cedeno bounced into a force to end the fourth. You'd think McCutch would have tried to get to second...

Berkman tapped back to the box. Freese got ahead 3-1 in the count and lined a single to left. Molina was jammed with a slider, and grounded into a 5-4-3 DP started by a nice snag by d'Arnaud to end the Card fifth. With two outs for the Bucs, Presley drew a walk; plate ump Laz Diaz isn't giving up low strikes tonight to either hurler. d'Arnaud went down looking on three pitches, the second time he's watched a third strike go by without offering.

St. Louis went down in order in the sixth and at 86 pitches, Maholm should have another inning in him if Clint Hurdle so desires. Walker again hit one on the nose; this one was right at Pujols. McCutch's 3-2 liner dropped into right. Carpenter came inside on a 3-2 pitch to Overbay, and he roped it into right for a double.

Runners at second and third, and a big at bat coming up for Jones. He blooped a single into left; two runs scored, but he was gunned going to second, another case of bad base running especially with the play in front of him. Cedeno rolled one up the middle for a knock. McKenry lined one past Punto, and there were runners at the corners with two away. Xavier Paul grabbed a bat. He pulled a curve away to first to end the inning. But the Bucs had gotten back within a run at 5-4.

Maholm went six innings, giving up five runs on ten hits with two walks and two strikeouts. Dan McCutchen came on in the seventh to face Jay, Pujols and Holliday. Jay flew out to the track in straightaway center. Pujols took a changeup on the black and at the knees and rolled it into left for a single; it's hard to sneak anything past him. Holliday banged a fastball to short; Cedeno started a 6-4-3 to keep it a one run game.

Carpenter pitched a clean seventh; Walker ended the frame with his third lineout of the game, again to Pujols. Joe Beimel came on for Pittsburgh.

St. Mary's Joe did his job, getting Berkman on a little fly to McCutch. Chris Resop came on to replace him. he got Freese to bounce out, but Molina took a first pitch heater over the center field wall, his sixth, to make it 6-4. Punto followed by lining a 3-1 heater into right for a single. Carpenter followed with a rope to left to put runners on the corners with two away. he put away Theriot on a grounder, but the Cards had an insurance run to make it 6-4.

Carpenter started the eighth; the St. Louis bullpen has been its Achilles Heel, and LaRussa was sticking with his starter, even at 97 pitches. Smart move; McCutch, Overbay and Jones went down without a peep. The newest Buc, Jason Grilli, took the hill in the show for the first time since 2009.

He got Jay to ground out. Pujols was served a curve that broke over the middle and ripped it into left for a ground rule double; the "P" in PNC must stand for Pujols. Grilli fell behind Holliday 3-1, but came back to K him swinging at a curve. Berkman was intentionally walked. Pinch hitter Daniel Descalso batted and popped out to third. The Bucs had one at bat to go.

Fernando Salas took the hill. He got Cedeno on a fly to center. McKenry gave the Bucs a chance when he lined a 3-2 fastball into center for a knock. Matt Diaz was sent to the dish, and went down swinging at a slider thrown in a different area code than the plate. The King got a first pitch heater down the middle; he popped it up, and the Cards took the first game 6-4.

The Cards won because they hit three first-pitch homers. The lesson is that no matter how badly you want the first pitch to be a strike, don't throw it down the middle. St. Louis was waiting, and Pittsburgh paid the price. Lesson two, and this is on-going: the Pirate offense isn't very potent, so there are times to push the envelope on the bases. But hey, do it with the handful of guys that can run, maybe even Walker and Cedeno. But running yourself out of innings because guys like McKenry and Jones are trying to stretch things isn't aggressive; it's bad baseball.

Still, Pittsburgh could have folded its tent after the first, but came back to make a game of it. Laz Diaz made it a hitters game with his strike zone, and if a couple of the Bucs' at 'em balls would have had eyes, it could have been interesting.

LHP Jaime Garcia (9-4, 3.11) and RHP Kevin Correia (11-7, 4.04) will hook up in the middle game of the series tomorrow night.

• Ronny Cedeno extended his hitting streak to eleven games in his first at bat since returning from the DL.
• The Pirates had their 11th sellout of the season at PNC Park with a crowd of 38,490 fans, with two more full houses expected over the weekend.
• Pittsburgh hasn't lost a home series since the Braves took a two-game set on May 24-25th by 2-0 and 4-2 scores.
• Jon Paul Morosi of Fox Sports reports that "A number of teams, including the Indians and Pirates, have asked the Rockies about catcher Chris Iannetta, according to major-league sources." The light hitting (.232 lifetime BA) 28 year old vet  is making $2.55M this year, $3.55M next season, and has a $5M club option in 2013 that would be voided if he was traded.
• The Pirates are on national TV three times in the next month: ESPN on Monday night at the Braves (7 PM - blocked in the City but on Root Sports), Saturday, August 13th (4:11 PM) at the Brewers on Fox, and Saturday August 20th (4:11 PM) vs. the Reds, also on Fox. The last game was a fireworks night, now cancelled. Kind of a pity; it would have made a great post-game backdrop.
• The long lost Jeff Clement is now playing rehab games for the GCL rookie team as of yesterday.