Hey, the tale of two seasons has come to an end. The Bucs did improve a fairly impressive 15 games over last season's 57-102 debacle, so that's a plus. They did it mainly by pitching, as the staff improved its ERA from 5.00 to 4.05, and that's a heck of an improvement.
The hitting, though, stagnated. This year's lumber company scored 610 runs while hitting .244; last year's crew did just a tad worse at 587 runs and .242 BA. That's a surprise, considering the rep of Clint Hurdle as a hitting guru, and begs the question of "is it the talent or the coaching?" All we know is that coaches don't bat, if that gives you a clue as to what side of the fence we're on.
Too bad the Pirates floundered during the second half, when the innings caught up to the arms and the injuries/grind caught up to the position players. We anticipated a young team would steadily improve throughout the year, not start off like gangbusters and then fade like Milli Vanilli.
They did answer a couple of questions. McCutch and The Pittsburgh Kid were solid and look as if they'll be consistent, real-deal performers. Jose Tabata and Alex Presley solidified the outfield. Charlie Morton and James McDonald appear to be competent mid-level starters, and both should get better. Hanny was lights-out.
After that, well...lotsa things to sort out, and that's what we'll be discussing now that the year's done. The coaching, the drafting, free agents coming and going, the 40 man roster, position-by-position critiques, help down on the farm and all the other topics so dear to the hot stove league.
Oh, the game? Pittsburgh got its usual bums rush outta Milwaukee, losing 7-3. The Brew Crew chased Jeff Locke after four innings, scoring five runs thanks to three homers and clinching home field advantage for the first round of the playoffs.
And it was a big night for baseball fans in general. Not only did the Brewers finish a nose ahead of the D-Backs, but the Cards slipped into the wild-card over the Braves; so much for the "Central is so weak" cliche. Tampa Bay took the last spot over the Red Sox. There's no surer sign of a competitive season than to have people watching the scoreboard for the results of the final game.
We'd like to see Pittsburgh get in on that scoreboard watching stuff, too, and for a little longer than mid-July.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Prince Pounds Pirates
Hey, last night's storyline was pretty simple. Walk the guy in front of Prince Fielder and watch him hit a home run. Fielder went deep three times, twice with Ryan Braun on base via a free pass, to lead the Brew Crew to a 6-4 victory over the Bucs. Ricky Weeks added the other run when he crushed a solo shot after Fielder in the second.
Ohlie went five innings and gave up four runs on five hits, three of which went yard, along with three walks, a bopped batter and three Ks. Jared Hughes took the loss when he walked Braun and gave up Fielder's 38th dinger on an 0-2 pitch in the seventh. Up until that point, the Bucs kept battling back.
Pittsburgh took an early 1-0 lead in the second when The Pittsburgh Kid doubled and scored on a Matt Pagnozzi blooper. They added on in the fifth when Ronny Cedeno doubled and came in on Ohlie's slug bunt; he showed bunt, pulled back and chopped a single up the middle. He would later come in on Josh Harrison's one-out knock.
Walker scored the Bucs final tally when he came across on Alex Presley's bases-loaded walk in the sixth. LaTroy Hawkins, Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford kept the Pirate bats quiet at the end, giving up one hit over the last three frames.
Zack Greinke goes against Jeff Locke in the regular season finale. The game starts at 8:10 and will shown on Root Sports. Greinke will go as long as he can, as the Brewers are only one game up on the D-Backs for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
Ohlie went five innings and gave up four runs on five hits, three of which went yard, along with three walks, a bopped batter and three Ks. Jared Hughes took the loss when he walked Braun and gave up Fielder's 38th dinger on an 0-2 pitch in the seventh. Up until that point, the Bucs kept battling back.
Pittsburgh took an early 1-0 lead in the second when The Pittsburgh Kid doubled and scored on a Matt Pagnozzi blooper. They added on in the fifth when Ronny Cedeno doubled and came in on Ohlie's slug bunt; he showed bunt, pulled back and chopped a single up the middle. He would later come in on Josh Harrison's one-out knock.
Walker scored the Bucs final tally when he came across on Alex Presley's bases-loaded walk in the sixth. LaTroy Hawkins, Francisco Rodriguez and John Axford kept the Pirate bats quiet at the end, giving up one hit over the last three frames.
Zack Greinke goes against Jeff Locke in the regular season finale. The game starts at 8:10 and will shown on Root Sports. Greinke will go as long as he can, as the Brewers are only one game up on the D-Backs for home-field advantage in the playoffs.
- The last player to smack three homers against the Bucs in a single game was Albert Pujols in 2006. It was the first 3-homer game of Fielder's career. Even more notable is that Prince will play in all 162 Brew Crew games when he jogs out to first tonight. He played in every 2009 contest, and would have last season except for a September bug.
- The Bucs picked off two Brewers - Jason Jaramillo's snap throw got Corey Hart at first, and Tony Watson caught Carlos Gomez napping at second.
- Clint Hurdle told the beat gang that he plans to winter in Pittsburgh, and that he'll be involved in the instructional league after the season, though mostly as an observer, to get a feel for the young guys.
- Ronny Cedeno said he was going to play winter ball in Venezuela.
- Alex Presley and Josh Harrison will spend a few days in the Instructional League after the season; Mike McKenry may join them.
- The Pirates will finish fourth in the NL Central this season, their highest position since 2003.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Bucs Outlast Brewers 9-8
Alex Presley was responsible for the first and the last run of the
game, and in between it was a wild west shootout as the Bucs outscored the
Brewers by a final score of 9-8.
Presley opened the game with a homer on the second pitch, his first MLB lead off blast. It would be the first of twenty-five hits and seventeen runs tallied between the two clubs.
The Brew Crew shrugged that run off and positioned themselves for a big opening frame. Charlie Morton was greeted by pair of singles and a double to quickly tie the game, and a walk to Prince Fielder jammed the sacks with no outs. He reached back, K'ing Ricky Weeks and getting Jerry Hairston to bang into an around the horn DP to escape without any further damage.
Pittsburgh got rolling in the second. Garrett Jones walked and Jason Jaramillo rolled a seeing eye single into right. A broken bat bloop by Pedro drove home a run, and a Chase d'Arnaud slow roller to second brought in another. A Morton bunt and Presley knock made it 4-1.
The game rolled along quietly until the bottom of the fourth when the Brew Crew smacked three doubles to make it a 4-3 game. The Bucs answered in their next at-bat.
Xavier Paul led off the fifth with a triple, and a pair of one-out walks loaded the bases. Pedro doubled home two runners and a wild pitch brought in another as the Bucs went up 7-3 on Shaun Marcum.
Morton couldn't stand success; his own wildness let Milwaukee back in the game when a hit batter and walk plated on a two out double by Yuniesky Betancourt. That was Morton's last call. He went five, giving up five runs on eight hits with three walks and K's, not a particularly memorable finish to the season.
The Bucs scored once again in the sixth. Pedro Ciriaco drew a lead off walk as pinch hitter, stole second, and touched the dish after Neil Walker's two out single. Two walks juiced the sacks, but JJ was called out on strikes to end the threat with the Pirates up 8-5.
The Brewers weren't fazed; they worked their way through the Bucco bullpen in the sixth to knot the score. The bases were empty with two outs before the wheels dropped off the Buc's buggy. Jared Hughes gave up a walk and a single, Tony Watson a knock, and Chris Leroux surrendered a double and two walks, the last with the bases loaded to force in a run. D-Mac got the final out, a screamer hit at d'Arnaud, who made a leaping grab of the bullet to keep the score tied.
The Bucs retook the lead off of Takashi Saito in their next dibs. Mike McKenry drew a two out walk and crossed the plate on Presley's double. That would be the game winner, but not without a couple of tense moments.
D-Mac threw a clean seventh, and Jason Grilli took the ball. A walk and two beaned batters - hey, it is Milwaukee, right? - juiced the sacks with one away. He coaxed a couple of pop outs to escape the jam and set up Hanny time.
He gave up a lead off single, and two wild pitches later the Brewers had a runner on third with no outs. Hanrahan came up with a big K followed by an even bigger bounce out to The Pittsburgh Kid. With the infield in, he went home and cut down the tying run to preserve the Bucs 9-8 win and finally put an end to the four hour plus marathon.
Presley and Pedro led the way with three RBI apiece. The Bucs struck out ten more times. Not only are they adding to a franchise record for K's in a season, but should surpass 1,300 K's by Wednesday.
RHP Ross Ohlendorf (1-3, 8.29) faces LHP Randy Wolf (13-10, 3.61) at 8:10 PM tonight. The game will be aired on Root Sports.
Presley opened the game with a homer on the second pitch, his first MLB lead off blast. It would be the first of twenty-five hits and seventeen runs tallied between the two clubs.
The Brew Crew shrugged that run off and positioned themselves for a big opening frame. Charlie Morton was greeted by pair of singles and a double to quickly tie the game, and a walk to Prince Fielder jammed the sacks with no outs. He reached back, K'ing Ricky Weeks and getting Jerry Hairston to bang into an around the horn DP to escape without any further damage.
Pittsburgh got rolling in the second. Garrett Jones walked and Jason Jaramillo rolled a seeing eye single into right. A broken bat bloop by Pedro drove home a run, and a Chase d'Arnaud slow roller to second brought in another. A Morton bunt and Presley knock made it 4-1.
The game rolled along quietly until the bottom of the fourth when the Brew Crew smacked three doubles to make it a 4-3 game. The Bucs answered in their next at-bat.
Xavier Paul led off the fifth with a triple, and a pair of one-out walks loaded the bases. Pedro doubled home two runners and a wild pitch brought in another as the Bucs went up 7-3 on Shaun Marcum.
Morton couldn't stand success; his own wildness let Milwaukee back in the game when a hit batter and walk plated on a two out double by Yuniesky Betancourt. That was Morton's last call. He went five, giving up five runs on eight hits with three walks and K's, not a particularly memorable finish to the season.
The Bucs scored once again in the sixth. Pedro Ciriaco drew a lead off walk as pinch hitter, stole second, and touched the dish after Neil Walker's two out single. Two walks juiced the sacks, but JJ was called out on strikes to end the threat with the Pirates up 8-5.
The Brewers weren't fazed; they worked their way through the Bucco bullpen in the sixth to knot the score. The bases were empty with two outs before the wheels dropped off the Buc's buggy. Jared Hughes gave up a walk and a single, Tony Watson a knock, and Chris Leroux surrendered a double and two walks, the last with the bases loaded to force in a run. D-Mac got the final out, a screamer hit at d'Arnaud, who made a leaping grab of the bullet to keep the score tied.
The Bucs retook the lead off of Takashi Saito in their next dibs. Mike McKenry drew a two out walk and crossed the plate on Presley's double. That would be the game winner, but not without a couple of tense moments.
D-Mac threw a clean seventh, and Jason Grilli took the ball. A walk and two beaned batters - hey, it is Milwaukee, right? - juiced the sacks with one away. He coaxed a couple of pop outs to escape the jam and set up Hanny time.
He gave up a lead off single, and two wild pitches later the Brewers had a runner on third with no outs. Hanrahan came up with a big K followed by an even bigger bounce out to The Pittsburgh Kid. With the infield in, he went home and cut down the tying run to preserve the Bucs 9-8 win and finally put an end to the four hour plus marathon.
Presley and Pedro led the way with three RBI apiece. The Bucs struck out ten more times. Not only are they adding to a franchise record for K's in a season, but should surpass 1,300 K's by Wednesday.
RHP Ross Ohlendorf (1-3, 8.29) faces LHP Randy Wolf (13-10, 3.61) at 8:10 PM tonight. The game will be aired on Root Sports.
- Andrew McCutchen was off yesterday after being hit by a BP liner before the game. He should be good to go tonight.
- Dewey has been off, too. He took a foul off the mask last game out, and the Bucs have been cautious about putting him back behind the dish with his concussion history, especially at this late point in the season.
Monday, September 26, 2011
Bucs Drop Home Finale 5-4
The Bucs tried to claim a win for Fan Appreciation day, the traditional curtain-closer for the home season, and almost pulled it off in the ninth. But they couldn't find one more hit and fell to the Reds 5-4 yesterday afternoon.
James McDonald struggled at the outset. In the first, a lead-off, four pitch walk to Brandon Phillips turned into a run after a pair of back-to-back, one out singles. In the second, J-Mac was almost on the way to the showers.
A lead-off double in the second, followed by a Josh Harrison, boot put runners on the corners. A sac fly brought in one tally, and another scored on a two-out single. That was followed by a walk, and that brought Clint Hurdle to the top step, but McDonald K'ed Joey Votto to end the frame.
The Bucs came back to tie it in their half. Derrek Lee led off with a knock, and an out later, Ryan Ludwick walked. Chase d'Arnaud sent them both home on a triple to left, and Scooby Doo hit a sac fly to knot the score.
J-Mac and Dontrelle Willis had things under control by then. McDonald was replaced in the sixth by Danny Moskos. After getting the first out, he gave up a single and double to the 7-8 hitters. Then Willis, no slouch at the dish, caught a hanging slider and drilled it into right to put the Reds up 5-3.
The game moved along into the ninth, when the Bucs tried to figure it out against Francisco Cordero. McCutch opened with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and came home after The Pittsburgh Kid's one-out double. But with the tying run in scoring position, a pair of pinch hitters went down - Garrett Jones K'ed and Pedro flew out to left - and that wrapped up the last home stand of the year.
The Bucs only had four hits to go along with eleven strikeouts. Those kind of numbers have been a season-long drag; a team batting average of .244 with eight whiffs per game don't project to many runs. Whether the answer lies within the organization, through team churning or has to come from the outside in a trade or free agency, the Bucs need to put the ball in play a lot more often next year.
RHP Charlie Morton (10-10, 3.67) takes on RHP Shaun Marcum (13-7, 3.31) at Miller Park tonight.The game starts at 8:10 PM and will broadcast by Root Sports. Not that you need reminded, but the Pirates have lost 36 of their last 39 games at Miller Park dating back to 2007, including all six in Milwaukee this season.
James McDonald struggled at the outset. In the first, a lead-off, four pitch walk to Brandon Phillips turned into a run after a pair of back-to-back, one out singles. In the second, J-Mac was almost on the way to the showers.
A lead-off double in the second, followed by a Josh Harrison, boot put runners on the corners. A sac fly brought in one tally, and another scored on a two-out single. That was followed by a walk, and that brought Clint Hurdle to the top step, but McDonald K'ed Joey Votto to end the frame.
The Bucs came back to tie it in their half. Derrek Lee led off with a knock, and an out later, Ryan Ludwick walked. Chase d'Arnaud sent them both home on a triple to left, and Scooby Doo hit a sac fly to knot the score.
J-Mac and Dontrelle Willis had things under control by then. McDonald was replaced in the sixth by Danny Moskos. After getting the first out, he gave up a single and double to the 7-8 hitters. Then Willis, no slouch at the dish, caught a hanging slider and drilled it into right to put the Reds up 5-3.
The game moved along into the ninth, when the Bucs tried to figure it out against Francisco Cordero. McCutch opened with a walk, went to second on a wild pitch, and came home after The Pittsburgh Kid's one-out double. But with the tying run in scoring position, a pair of pinch hitters went down - Garrett Jones K'ed and Pedro flew out to left - and that wrapped up the last home stand of the year.
The Bucs only had four hits to go along with eleven strikeouts. Those kind of numbers have been a season-long drag; a team batting average of .244 with eight whiffs per game don't project to many runs. Whether the answer lies within the organization, through team churning or has to come from the outside in a trade or free agency, the Bucs need to put the ball in play a lot more often next year.
RHP Charlie Morton (10-10, 3.67) takes on RHP Shaun Marcum (13-7, 3.31) at Miller Park tonight.The game starts at 8:10 PM and will broadcast by Root Sports. Not that you need reminded, but the Pirates have lost 36 of their last 39 games at Miller Park dating back to 2007, including all six in Milwaukee this season.
- The Pirates drew 28,758 for a season total of 1,940,429, the fourth largest attendance year in franchise history.
- Dontrelle Willis had an 0-6 record entering the game and hadn't beaten the Bucs since 2005. Guess the hidden vigorish was finally on his side, hey?
- Baseball America picked its New York-Penn League All-Stars. State College had a pair: RHP Nick Kingham (9), and 1B Alex Dickerson (11).
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Bucs Look For Sweep After 4-2 Win
Hey, the only thing sweeter than taking the opener is to take the next game, too. And the Bucs did that against the Reds in front of a rollicking sellout crowd of 37,388, equally pumped for the Pirates and Pittsburgh fav Steve Miller.
It didn't start off the Buccos' way; a pair of first inning doubles made it 1-0 against Bad Brad Lincoln in a heartbeat. But the Pirates nibbled back.
In the second, Ryan Ludwick walked, went to third on a Jason Jaramillo two-bagger and touched home on a Ronny Cedeno sac fly. In the third, they took control.
Josh Harrison started it off with a triple (he would end the night a homer short of the cycle) and a McCutch sac fly plated him. Derrek Lee singled and Neil Walker doubled, setting up the Bucs third straight sac fly, this one from Ludwick. Walker scored when JJ came through with a two-out knock to make it 4-1.
It stayed that way until the fifth, when Lincoln's control deserted him. He gave up walks to two of the first three hitters, and one scored on Joey Votto's double. Lincoln worked out of harm's way by getting Punxsutawney's Dave Mesoraco (who had a noisy cheering section of hometowners) to fly to center with the bases juiced.
Lincoln lasted one more batter, when a leadoff double chased him to the showers in the sixth. He gave up two runs in five innings on six hits and four walks (one intentional) with four K's. After that, it turned into a battle of the bullpens, neither one allowing another run. Jason Grilli got the save, as Hanny had the night off after a 31-pitch outing yesterday, his third in the MLB and first since 2009.
Tonight was a game that could have provided plenty more fireworks. The two teams combined to strand 20 runners and go 5-for-28 with RISP. The Pirates had eleven hits, and nine were collected among three players: Harrison (4), Walker (3), and Jaramillo (2).
And the go-go Bucs were back in stride with four steals, highlighted by Neil Walker stealing second and third in the fifth frame.
Dontrelle Willis faces James McDonald in the Bucs final home game this afternoon. The finale's lineup will be: Alex Presley LF, Josh Harrison 3B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ryan Ludwick RF, Chase d'Arnaud SS, Mike McKenry C, James McDonald P.
Rob Biertempfel of the Tribune Review has a piece on what a McCutch contract
might cost the Bucs. We lean toward the 6 year, $50M or so range with
an option as a fair deal. But just in case, he also looks at center
field options.
Jose Veras made his 80th appearance, second in MLB to Atlanta's Johnny Venters. He only worked 48 outings last year, so potential pitching burnout isn't just limited to the rotation. It's the first time Clint Hurdle has ever called on a reliever that often.
Neil Walker may not have great range, but when he gets to a ball, he catches it. He ran his errorless streak to 52 games last night, and his .992 fielding percentage is the NL's best.
The Pirates are 9-9 at home when they play in front of a sellout crowd.
Pittsburgh is 38-38 against Central Division opponents, with today's game against the Reds and three more at Milwaukee to go. They haven't had a winning record in the division since 1992.
It didn't start off the Buccos' way; a pair of first inning doubles made it 1-0 against Bad Brad Lincoln in a heartbeat. But the Pirates nibbled back.
In the second, Ryan Ludwick walked, went to third on a Jason Jaramillo two-bagger and touched home on a Ronny Cedeno sac fly. In the third, they took control.
Josh Harrison started it off with a triple (he would end the night a homer short of the cycle) and a McCutch sac fly plated him. Derrek Lee singled and Neil Walker doubled, setting up the Bucs third straight sac fly, this one from Ludwick. Walker scored when JJ came through with a two-out knock to make it 4-1.
It stayed that way until the fifth, when Lincoln's control deserted him. He gave up walks to two of the first three hitters, and one scored on Joey Votto's double. Lincoln worked out of harm's way by getting Punxsutawney's Dave Mesoraco (who had a noisy cheering section of hometowners) to fly to center with the bases juiced.
Lincoln lasted one more batter, when a leadoff double chased him to the showers in the sixth. He gave up two runs in five innings on six hits and four walks (one intentional) with four K's. After that, it turned into a battle of the bullpens, neither one allowing another run. Jason Grilli got the save, as Hanny had the night off after a 31-pitch outing yesterday, his third in the MLB and first since 2009.
Tonight was a game that could have provided plenty more fireworks. The two teams combined to strand 20 runners and go 5-for-28 with RISP. The Pirates had eleven hits, and nine were collected among three players: Harrison (4), Walker (3), and Jaramillo (2).
And the go-go Bucs were back in stride with four steals, highlighted by Neil Walker stealing second and third in the fifth frame.
Dontrelle Willis faces James McDonald in the Bucs final home game this afternoon. The finale's lineup will be: Alex Presley LF, Josh Harrison 3B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ryan Ludwick RF, Chase d'Arnaud SS, Mike McKenry C, James McDonald P.
Friday Game Recap: Bucs Take Opener From Reds
GW was out of action this weekend, but the Bucs weren't. They recaptured their June mojo by taking the first two games of their final home set against the Cincy Reds by 4-3 and 4-2 tallies, doing just enough to come up on the winning side both nights.
Friday's game was started by Jeff Locke. The young lefty fell an out short of going five, but kept the Bucs in the game. He allowed one run, six hits, and two walks but surpassed his 75-80 pitch count limit after a Joey Votto double. Danny Moskos came in to K Jay Bruce and leave runners at second and third, preserving a 3-1 lead. Locke was in trouble almost all night, but managed to wriggle off the hook through most of the contest.
The early lead was built on a Garrett Jones two-run blast that traveled over 450' in the second and some third inning two-out thunder started by McCutch, who doubled. After a Derrek Lee walk, McCutchen was chased home by a Dewey knock.
The Reds drew within a run against Chris Leroux in the sixth, turning a leadoff single, ground out and infield knock into a run. But the score held up until Hanny time. But this time it wasn't automatic.
Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey led off with a broken bat infield single followed by Brandon Phillips roller through the left side. Drew Stubbs bunted; the Bucs nailed the lead runner. Hanrahan struck out Joey Votto, and it looked like the crisis was averted.
After a double steal on a 3-0 count, Hanny intentionally walked Jay Bruce to load the bases. On a 3-2 count, he hit Todd Frazier on the back of left hand with a fastball to force home the tying run.
But the Bucs had enough left in the tank to take it in their half. Pinch hitter Jason Jaramillo dropped a double the opposite way with an out and was replaced at second by Chase d'Arnaud. Ryan Ludwick fell behind 0-2, fouled off a pitch and then drilled a low heater off the bottom of the center field wall for the walk-off win.
The Reds were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 men on base. The Bucs were an efficient 2-for-4 with RISP and left only five runners aboard.
Friday's game was started by Jeff Locke. The young lefty fell an out short of going five, but kept the Bucs in the game. He allowed one run, six hits, and two walks but surpassed his 75-80 pitch count limit after a Joey Votto double. Danny Moskos came in to K Jay Bruce and leave runners at second and third, preserving a 3-1 lead. Locke was in trouble almost all night, but managed to wriggle off the hook through most of the contest.
The early lead was built on a Garrett Jones two-run blast that traveled over 450' in the second and some third inning two-out thunder started by McCutch, who doubled. After a Derrek Lee walk, McCutchen was chased home by a Dewey knock.
The Reds drew within a run against Chris Leroux in the sixth, turning a leadoff single, ground out and infield knock into a run. But the score held up until Hanny time. But this time it wasn't automatic.
Pinch-hitter Chris Heisey led off with a broken bat infield single followed by Brandon Phillips roller through the left side. Drew Stubbs bunted; the Bucs nailed the lead runner. Hanrahan struck out Joey Votto, and it looked like the crisis was averted.
After a double steal on a 3-0 count, Hanny intentionally walked Jay Bruce to load the bases. On a 3-2 count, he hit Todd Frazier on the back of left hand with a fastball to force home the tying run.
But the Bucs had enough left in the tank to take it in their half. Pinch hitter Jason Jaramillo dropped a double the opposite way with an out and was replaced at second by Chase d'Arnaud. Ryan Ludwick fell behind 0-2, fouled off a pitch and then drilled a low heater off the bottom of the center field wall for the walk-off win.
The Reds were 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position and stranded 12 men on base. The Bucs were an efficient 2-for-4 with RISP and left only five runners aboard.
Thursday, September 22, 2011
Ohlie KO'ed, Bucs Dropped 8-5
Ohlie took a step forward in his last outing, but boy, did he ever backtrack yesterday afternoon. He got six D-Backs out, giving up seven runs on seven hits with a pair of walks and a hit batter.
It started in the first, when Arizona scored three times. Not only did the D-Backs rattle four opening frame hits, but caught Ohlendorf napping on the mound and ran a pair of successful double steals.
The Bucs cut into the lead thanks to a solo homer by Ryan Ludwick in the second. But in the third, the wheels came off for good.
Jared Hughes didn't help the cause a whole lot in the third after Ohlendorf gave up three knocks and a free pass. He inherited a bases-jammed, no out pickle, and two hits and a walk later, it was 8-1 Snakes.
Danny Moskos, D-Mac, Evan Meek and Chris Resop threw two-hit ball over the final five innings to give the attack a chance to chip away.
Derrek Lee drove in a pair with a single and 450' homer as he continues to build his free-agent value. Jason Jaramillo doubled in a run, and a wild pitch plated another. The Pirates actually had a chance to make a game of it with two away in the eighth, but Dewey bounced out with runners on second and third. Pittsburgh made the final score respectable but in the end fell short for the tenth time in the last 13 games, 8-5.
As for Ohlie, he looks like a lock to be a non-tender candidate during the offseason. The FO can't be faulted for bypassing arbitration as he's guaranteed a minimum of $1.6M through the process in 2012, and so we're guessing he'll join Lee looking for a 2012 deal on the market.
The Bucs are off today and take on the Reds Friday. Jeff Locke matches up against Edison Volquez in Pittsburgh as the season winds down to its last week.
It started in the first, when Arizona scored three times. Not only did the D-Backs rattle four opening frame hits, but caught Ohlendorf napping on the mound and ran a pair of successful double steals.
The Bucs cut into the lead thanks to a solo homer by Ryan Ludwick in the second. But in the third, the wheels came off for good.
Jared Hughes didn't help the cause a whole lot in the third after Ohlendorf gave up three knocks and a free pass. He inherited a bases-jammed, no out pickle, and two hits and a walk later, it was 8-1 Snakes.
Danny Moskos, D-Mac, Evan Meek and Chris Resop threw two-hit ball over the final five innings to give the attack a chance to chip away.
Derrek Lee drove in a pair with a single and 450' homer as he continues to build his free-agent value. Jason Jaramillo doubled in a run, and a wild pitch plated another. The Pirates actually had a chance to make a game of it with two away in the eighth, but Dewey bounced out with runners on second and third. Pittsburgh made the final score respectable but in the end fell short for the tenth time in the last 13 games, 8-5.
As for Ohlie, he looks like a lock to be a non-tender candidate during the offseason. The FO can't be faulted for bypassing arbitration as he's guaranteed a minimum of $1.6M through the process in 2012, and so we're guessing he'll join Lee looking for a 2012 deal on the market.
The Bucs are off today and take on the Reds Friday. Jeff Locke matches up against Edison Volquez in Pittsburgh as the season winds down to its last week.
- The 2011 attendance will finish as fourth highest in franchise history. Pittsburgh has drawn 1,850,651 fans so far, and the current fourth-place mark for season attendance is 1,866,713 with a three-game set coming up Friday against Cincy.
- The Pirates have six games left and 69 wins. We took a trip on the web way-back machine to check out the pre-season picks, and most pundits pegged this season's club as a 70-75 win group. Of course, most thought they'd improve as the season progressed, not back track. Ah, hindsight...
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
Notes
RHP Ross Ohlendorf (1-2, 6.82) goes against LHP Wade Miley (3-2, 4.24) in this afternoon's rubber match at Arizona. The first pitch is at 3:40 PM and will be shown on Fox Sports.
Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Pedro Ciriaco SS, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ryan Ludwick RF, Brandon Wood 3B, Matt Pagnozzi C, Ross Ohlendorf P.
You can tell it's get away day - Pedro Ciriaco, Brandon Wood and Matt Pagnazzi are all in today's lineup.
Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Pedro Ciriaco SS, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ryan Ludwick RF, Brandon Wood 3B, Matt Pagnozzi C, Ross Ohlendorf P.
You can tell it's get away day - Pedro Ciriaco, Brandon Wood and Matt Pagnazzi are all in today's lineup.
- The Pirates confirmed that they are moving Fanfest to Saturday, December 17th and Sunday, December 18th, with Friday, December 16th, open to Season Ticket Holders only. It'll include the usual goodies - Q&A session, autograph booths, handouts, kids' games...
Bucs Win 5-3
Hey, the Bucs actually scored last night. Didn't take long either, as Alex Presley and Neil Walker banged doubles to start the game and put the Pirates up 1-0. An inning later, Pedro went yard for the fourth time and it was 2-0. Dewey doubled home McCutch in the fifth, and it was 3-0 Pittsburgh. That would be Daniel Hudson's last frame for Arizona..
Charlie Morton sometimes struggled with his control, but was tough enough. He went six shutout frames, taking 106 pitches to get there, giving up three hits, three walks (one intentional) and bopping a batter along the way to go with five K's.
Chris Leroux yielded a run in the seventh when he gave up back-to-back singles, causing Clint Hurdle to quickly bring on Jason Grilli. Grilli gave up another knock, and then punched out the D-Backs.
Derrek Lee countered with a two-run blow in the eighth, plating Presley ahead of him. And Pittsburgh needed it. Jose Veras gave up three consecutive one-out knocks before Tony Watson took the ball. He gave up a bunt single RBI, but finished off the frame with the Bucs still up 5-3.
And that's all Hanny needed, striking out a pair to earn his 39th save while closing out Morton's tenth win.
The game had a lot of ebb and flow. The Pirates stranded a dozen and the D-Backs eleven, so the score could have easily turned into slugfest proportions. It was especially so for Pittsburgh, which banged out 14 hits, half of which were for extra bases, but allowed several scoring opportunities to slip by.
They did help themselves in the field last night, with Presley and Garrett Jones making back-to-back nice grabs to open the game, Pedro laying out for a couple of plays and Lee making a couple of sweet picks. It was a good way to rally against a championship caliber team that's playing for something, and one of the few building blocks to be taken away this September.
Charlie Morton sometimes struggled with his control, but was tough enough. He went six shutout frames, taking 106 pitches to get there, giving up three hits, three walks (one intentional) and bopping a batter along the way to go with five K's.
Chris Leroux yielded a run in the seventh when he gave up back-to-back singles, causing Clint Hurdle to quickly bring on Jason Grilli. Grilli gave up another knock, and then punched out the D-Backs.
Derrek Lee countered with a two-run blow in the eighth, plating Presley ahead of him. And Pittsburgh needed it. Jose Veras gave up three consecutive one-out knocks before Tony Watson took the ball. He gave up a bunt single RBI, but finished off the frame with the Bucs still up 5-3.
And that's all Hanny needed, striking out a pair to earn his 39th save while closing out Morton's tenth win.
The game had a lot of ebb and flow. The Pirates stranded a dozen and the D-Backs eleven, so the score could have easily turned into slugfest proportions. It was especially so for Pittsburgh, which banged out 14 hits, half of which were for extra bases, but allowed several scoring opportunities to slip by.
They did help themselves in the field last night, with Presley and Garrett Jones making back-to-back nice grabs to open the game, Pedro laying out for a couple of plays and Lee making a couple of sweet picks. It was a good way to rally against a championship caliber team that's playing for something, and one of the few building blocks to be taken away this September.
- As expected, RHP Gerritt Cole will fill the final spot on the Pirates Arizona League roster.
- Pedro Alvarez will not play winter ball, but start anew in 2012. He held out the possibility that he may join a winter league club for the second half of the season, although that would seem rather pointless.
- Chris Snyder said told the beat gang that he's willing to come back to Pittsburgh, but would prefer the FO to pick up his $6.75M option rather than negotiate a new deal.
- Pittsburgh got RHP Eliecier Cardenas from the Braves for Matt Diaz. The 23 year old Cardenas is a closer in Hi A ball with a good hook but no control. He was a minor league Rule 5 pick of Atlanta from Minnesota in 2010.
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Notes
RHP Charlie Morton (9-10, 3.81) take the hill against RHP Daniel Hudson (16-10, 3.39). the game starts at 9:40 PM and will be shown on Root Sports.
The Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Ryan Doumit C, Garrett Jones RF, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Charlie Morton P.
Whatever happened to Xavier Paul and Brandon Wood?
The Lineup: Alex Presley LF, Neil Walker 2B, Andrew McCutchen CF, Derrek Lee 1B, Ryan Doumit C, Garrett Jones RF, Pedro Alvarez 3B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Charlie Morton P.
Whatever happened to Xavier Paul and Brandon Wood?
- For the fans of the Piratefest and Pirate caravan, get ready for an earlier start. They'll go off in mid-December this year, both to give the participating players more of an off-season break and to try to tap into some pre-Xmas sales. Makes sense on both fronts.
- Ben Badler of Baseball America listed the top rookie prospects in the Gulf Coast League. The Pirates had two of the top five picks and three of the top fifteen, with RHP Luis Heredia ranked #3, 1B/OF Jose Osuna #5, and IF Alen Hansen #14. It's good to see Rene Gayo's amigos doing well.
- Congrats to Mariano Rivera who set the all-time saves record yesterday with close-out #602. He also has 42 post-season saves, with 11 during the World Series and four in All-Star games. Since taking over the fireman job in 1997, he's had an 89% save rate. And there are only two teams he doesn't have a save against - the Yankees, of course, and the Pirates.
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