Ouch! Braves score 7 in the 8th

"I'm throwing the ball, and it's not going where I want it to go," Marte said.

 

This scares me.  The worst possible thing for a pitcher is trying to direct or aim pitches.  If Marte gets into that rut, I hope Andrews has a magic potion.

 

In what was turning out to be a good close ball game, Damaso Marte turned into a laugher.  For the second straight game, the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen imploded allowing 7 runs in the 8th to cap off a 10-2 loss.

 

On the bright side, Nady was the offensive catalyst setting a nice trend early in the season.

 

Gorzelanny had a good, but unspectacular night.  The best news from the start was no reported pain after the game, he had some issues late last season and early this spring with his pitching arm.

 

Another note of notice.  Doumit got the nod behind the plate again.  Hmm, now that is interesting.

Post-Game Notes

Pirates lose to the Cardinals 9-4.

Four times the bases are loaded with less than 2 outs.

Four total runs scored.

How the heck can that happen?

A good team gets at least 8 runs in that scenario.

This team is trying to disguise itself as a good team. Until they get some runs in in those situations...this team will always suck.

Zach Duke with another poor outing. This is getting bad. Is it the curse of the Pirates number 1 starters? Opening day starters see their careers fall apart after becoming the ace of the Pirates.

At least until they leave.

Please Management, do not make Snell nor Gorzelanny the ace.

Post-Game Notes

The Pirates lost9-8 to Arizona in a confusing fashion last night.

With John Grabow struggling and pinch hitter Tony Clark coming to bat with the bases loaded and a 7-3 Pirates lead. Jim Tracy called on the bullpen.

Damaso Marte? No.

Salomon Torres? No.

Matt Capps? No.

Marty McLeary. What?

McLeary has been torched like his name was Armas since he was recalled from Indy. He promptly allowed the game tying grand slam on a 3-2 belt high fastball. The ball may not have landed yet.

Uncle Mo was completely in Arizona's favor as they scored two in the 8th to take a 9-7 lead.

There was no one stepping up for the Pirates like Ryan Doumit did the night before to drive a stake through the Snakes.

The offense was not the problem, this time it was the pen. Actually it was Tracy's use of the pen.

8 runs on 12 hits and 5 walks.

The offense is maintaining a hot streak and producing at an unexpected rate. Is this the offense we should expect with LaRoche in the middle of the order? If so, this team is going to get hot when they normally swoon.

June is only 12 days away. Let's pray for no swoon.

Post-Game Notes

Ian Snell was dominant in the first five innings allowing only 3 hits. Until the 6th. Arizona scored 4 runs off of Snell in the 6th. Arizona then added another run in the 7th off Jonah Bayliss.

A Pirate fan would expect a certain loss when seeing the opposing team scoring 5 runs in a game.

Not last night. The bats continued to show life in the Pirates 11-5 win over the D-backs.

Xavier Nady and Ryan Doumit both hit 3 run homers. Nady started the scoring in the 3rd with his home run. Doumit finalized the scoring and sealed the victory with his pinch hit shot in the 8th.

Sanchez, Bay, Nady, Castillo and LaRoche each had two hits. LaRoche finally is hitting above .200 on the season. LaRoche has raised his average to .203 while cutting down on his strikeouts. Last nights strikeout was only his second in his last 35 plate appearances.

Capps was Capps and Torres closed it out in a non save situation after the Doumit home run.

NOTES:
The Pirates have scored 33 runs since Monday spanning 5 games. In the previous 11 games they scored 30 runs.

Post-Game Notes

18 Down, 63 to Go!

Goodbye Tony Armas, we hardly knew you. As a starter at least. Ok, we know enough that it was just one more in a long list of bad signings by Dave Littlefield.

Despite Armas doing his best to lose another game for the Pirates allowing 2 runs in 3 innings on 77 pitches, somehow, someway the Pirates were able to pull out a 7-2 victory.

The win can be attributed as much to the Marlins shipping their gloves to their next series a day early, they committed 5 errors, as can be attributed to the Pirates timely hitting. There is no better way to put it than timely, considering 6 hits produced 7 runs.

Pirates batters also drew 7 walks for the second time in a week, surely a franchise record.

Shawn Chacon pitched 5 innings of two hit ball to earn the win. Chacon also helped with the bat and possibly the best, at least most alert, base running the Pirates have seen in 14 years.

The odds on favorite must be Chacon to take the number 5 starter spot in the rotation. I disagree with it already, he has been too valuable out of the pen this season. With as young as the rotation is he will be more valuable in a long/middle relief role.

Armas must be released, a long relief man needs to be able to last more than 2 innings.

NOTES:
Manny Ramirez passed Willie Stargell for 38th on the All-Time RBI list last night.

Arizon is next on the schedule for a 3 game series starting tonight at PNC.

Post-Game Notes

The Pirates fell to the Marlins 4-3 in a game where Zach Duke struggled. Duke still managed to go 7 innings allowing only 2 runs. Duke was in line to earn the win if the bullpen held up.

Adam LaRoche is shaking hands with Mr Mendoza after raising his average to .197 after a 3 for 4 day with two RBI and his first homer in PNC as a Pirate.

Matt Caps scored the loss after giving up 2 runs in the 8th on consecutive 1 out hits by the Marlins.

It looks as if the Slumber Company is back as players not named LaRoche accounted for 3 hits.

Post-Game Notes

The Pirates string of good hitting, uh 2 games worth, ended with a thud last night. A 9-3 loss to the Marlins highlighted the continuing problem of this team. Sunday the Pirates drew 7 walks, Monday they drew 5 walks.

Last night the Pirates drew zero, zilch, nil in the walk department. They faced a pitcher in Sergio Mitre who was not pounding the strike zone, at one point he had a 1 to 1 strike to ball ratio, yet the Pirates continued to swing at pitches they had no reason to swing at.

Mitre was not working the strike zone either, he primarily stayed in the same zone the whole game.

The bright spots were the defense (until they can figure out how to defend a homer that will be hidden), Jose Castillo who went 2 for 4, Adam LaRoche who went 2 for 4 with a double and a run scored. Ryan Doumit continues to hit. I am loving typing that.

In other news:
My superstitious phase has not ended, no pre-game notes again today. Maybe it is a lame excuse and I just don't have time to get one out with work and all, but I am blaming superstition.

Post-Game Notes

17 Down, 64 To Go.

Don't look now, but Freddy is back. With a 4 for 5 day he has raised his batting average to .283. If you have blinked since Saturday, he has raised his average 33 points in 2 days. I guess his stroke is back.

The Pirates, the offensive juggernaut, shut out the Marlins 7-0 in game 1 of a 4 game set. Tom Gorzelanny went 7 scoreless innings allowing 5 hits and no walks with 5 strikeouts. Matt Capps and Salomon Torres pitched the 8th and 9th respectively.

Every Pirate starter but Jack Wilson had a hit today, even the poor hitting Gorelanny who picked up his first MLB hit. Every starter reached base at least once.

Ronny Paulino hit a rocket of a home run to make the score 2-0 in the 6th.

In the 8th the Pirates tacked on another 5 runs, one of which was a squeeze play performed extraordinarily well by Chris Duffy on a ball at his chin.

Some of you may have noticed the lack of pre-game notes. Being the good superstitious ex-baseball player, I decided not to post a pre-game today since it worked so well Sunday. In two days of no pre-game notes the Pirates have collected 29 hits and 20 runs. Don't expect a pre-game post as long as it works. Maybe the Pirates players need to stop reading BTW?

Post-Game Notes

16 Down, 65 To Go

If I told you the final in the Pirates game today would be 13-2 what would you think?

Snell got bombed?

Did they almost get no-hit again?

How did Armas start back to back games?

Certainly you would not think the Slumber Company would break out the pink bats and leave welts all over the Braves behinds.

It would be impossible to fathom 13 runs on 18 hits while drawing 7 walks coming from this Pirates team.

There would be no way you would expect every inning the Pirates leadoff hitter would get on base.

Well it did happen. The Pirates win a game in unthinkable fashion against one of the premier teams in the NL.

This team is the most frustrating team I have watched in my 30+ years of following the Pirates. I have seen some great team in the 70's and early 90's. I have seen some awful teams in the 80's and the past 14 seasons. This team confuses me more than any.

Maybe it is the youth of the team?

The only Pirates not to score were Jose Bautista, who was injured trying to score, and Ryan Doumit. Every Pirate that batted, with the exception of Nate McLouth, had a hit in the game.

Freddy Sanchez may have found his stroke. Ryan Doumit is still raking, old news but good news.

Jason Bay is still smoking hot as of late, his average is now at .292. Amazing what a bat in the lineup behind you will do. Thank God we have Switchy McThump.

Ian Snell was as good as he has been all season going 7 innings allowing 2 earned on 7 hits with 7 strikeouts. Undoubtedly he is the undisputed ace of this staff.

Bleach the red shirts, this team likes pink.

Up next is a 4 game series with the fish.

Post-Game Notes

Happy Mothers Day. To celebrate Mothers Day, the Pirates gave the gift of the Mother of all losses on Saturday. A pitiful 9-2 loss to the Braves. It is clear this team needs to make changes, primarily getting Armas out of the rotation.

Armas went two horrid innings allowing 5 runs, 4 earned on 7 hits. I have to admit, I was wrong on Armas. I thought his ERA would be around 5.00, but still a serviceable fifth starter. In actuality, his WHIP (2.23) is closer to 5.00 than his ERA(8.76).

The Pirates bats continued to slumber, guess we can officially call this team the Slumber Company, no offense to Cory and the cast at Pittsburgh Lumber Co.

Bautista finally made an error, his first of the season. I have to say, he has impressed with the glove. I still feel confident his bat will come around with the power.

Jason Bay, Freddy Sanchez, Jose Bautista, Jack Wilson and Nate McLouth accounted for all the Pirates hits. They each had 1.

Did I mention the Pirates were hitless through six plus? Chuck James (who?) had a perfect game going into the 5th, he left after 7 innings with a 1 hitter.

NOTES:

A quick blurb from ESPN.com:

Figure this: Pittsburgh held a pre-game meeting to discuss offensive woes and then didn't get a hit until Jason Bay broke up the no-no in the seventh. The Pirates combined for just five hits

Just pitiful. I thought these closed door meetings fired up teams???

Post-Game Notes

The Braves and Mike Gonzalez took out the Pirates 4-1 last night. Zach Duke was pitching well into the 6th. With two outs the Braves were able to put 4 on the board with all runs charged to Duke. Andres Jones and Jeff Francoeur went back to back before Jonah Bayliss was brought in from the pen to allow a run scoring double.

Once again odd plays highlighted the game. A collision between Chipper Jones and Jose Bautista as Bautista fielded the ball. I am still unsure how an out was not called on somebody on that play.

The Pirates lone run was the result of a sac fly by Adam LaRoche with the bases loaded an no one out. Ronny Paulino followed the sac fly with a double play.

The Pirates 3-4-5 hitters went 5 for 9, the rest of the lineup chipped in two hits.

Jason Bay and Ryan Doumit continue their hot play. Bay was 2 for 2 reaching base 4 times. Doumit was 2 for 4 with a double.

Post-Game Notes

15 Down, 66 To Go

This Post Game will cover the last two days. Dang work has once again put itself in the way of something important. I have decided to offer up the last line of every post to mention one persons name. I am looking for one billionaire to gift me a measly million dollars or so to give me a chance to focus on this blog. In return for the gift, I will post their name at the end of every post I make. E-mail me for my address if you would like to make the gift. Mark Cuban, Bill Gates, anyone will do.

Don't worry guys I won't hold my breath, I have as much of a chance of that happening as this team has of making the playoffs this season.

Wednesday night the Pirates lost 1-0 to the Cubs. Neither offense was overly impressive, if one Gorzelanny change didn't get whacked on the second pitch of the game, it might have been another 15 inning marathon. Luckily a business dinner kept me from enduring that game.

Now on to the good stuff, the Pirates won today 6-4. Paul Maholm was pitching a gem through 7 innings, unfortunately for him his stat line included a two run shot in the 8th by Michael Barrett. Maholm pitched well enough to have a better line than 7 1/3 innings 7 hits and 4 earned runs. The bottom line is he earned the win with his best performance since the complete game against Houston.

Matt Capps came in and shut the door in the 8th. Salomon Torres locked it down in the 9th earning his 11th save in 14 chances. It looks as if Sally has put that bad week well behind him now.

On the offensive side, Jason Bay was the man. He went 2 for 4 with his 5th homer and 3 RBI. His shot out of Wrigley over the left field bleachers was a good thing to see. Bay seemed to see some better pitches with Doumit covering his back in the cleanup spot.

Doumit continued his hot recall going 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

I really liked today's lineup, Bay seems much more comfortable in the 3 hole. Freddy needs to bat either in the 2 hole or lead off as he did today. The Pirates best offensive lineup was on the field today, and it produced.

Defensively, Duffy is better in center than Nady without question. It is too bad Duffy is looking like he did at the beginning of last year rather than the confident player who ended the last two seasons.

Doumit has really looked smooth in right, he needs to be in the lineup daily. I am not even hinting only while he is hitting, I want to see how he handles the inevitable slump. This years Sanchez is Doumit. Now Tracy needs to figure out what Ryan's position is.

The Braves are coming to town for a three game set at PNC. This should be a good test to see where the Pirates are in their progression. Atlanta has some odd stats coming into the series. Atlanta's pitching staff has gone 24 innings without allowing a walk. On the offensive side, Atlanta has gone 67 innings without a home run.

Post-Game Notes

14 Down, 67 to Go

"Of all the dramatic things..." Ronnie Paulino crossing home plate with the go ahead run off of a Jack Wilson sacrifice fly in the top of the 15th to give the Pirates a 4-3 victory over the streaking Cubs to raise the Pirates record to 14 and 17.

This was an odd game to say the least.

Wilson, the hero, went 0-6 with 2 RBI.

Jason Bay and Xavier Nady went a combined 7 for 13.

Ronnie Paulino and Adam LaRoche left a combined 14 on base. Paulino had the other 2 RBI.

Ian Snell allowed 3 runs, 2 earned, on 10 hits in 7+ innings.

Damaso Marte saved the day stranding the bases loaded after inheriting runners at 1st and 2nd.

Tracy got mad and ejected.

The Cubs made some odd moves, walking Sanchez to face Bay.

Umpires called a horrid game. By my count they cost the Pirates 3 times when the game should have ended well before the 15th.

The Pirates had many chances in every extra inning but the 13th and 14th, usually stymied by the call of the umps, but they failed to get a runner across the plate. This game kinda justifies my statement Monday in Random Madness of the Pirates struggling due to umpires expectation that they suck.

Torres earned the save putting the Cubs down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the 15th for his 10th save.

Brad Eldred was the only position player not used by the Pirates. I wonder if Lett was saving him to use at first in the event LaRoche took over pitching?

Post-Game Notes

The worst shutout loss since 2002...That pretty well sums up last night 10-0 debacle, loss just does not describe the game, to the Brewers.

I tuned the game out after the 4th, so I have very little to comment on.

The lone bright spot is LaRoche saying he is seeing the ball better after the 70 minute video session on Friday. He went 1 for 3 with a walk.

Post-Game Notes

Good times, good times.

Just what the doctor ordered after a pair of tough losses to the Cubs, the Pirates rebound for a nice 4-2 victory over the Brewers. Tom Gorzelanny pitched went 7 innings on 92 pithes allowing 2 runs on 6 hits while walking 3 and striking out 3.

The bats were quiet amassing 2 hits until the 7th inning off Milwaukee starter Dave Bush. The theme for the 7th inning was back-to-back as Sanchez doubled followed by a Bay double to get the Pirates on the board and cut the Brewer lead to 2-1.

Back-to-back ground outs by Doumit and Nady brought another back-to-back situation. Jose Bautista went yard driving in Bay followed by a solo shot by Paulino to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead. I love back to back GO-BALLS!

Capps once again shut the door in the 8th, an 11 pitch domination leading to more Bucco fun. Every Pirate fan started to squirm as Salomom Torres took the mound in the 9th.

No worries.

Sally allowed a 2 out walk to Jenkins before getting Tony Graffanino to ground out to third baseman Jose Bautista to end the game and bump the Pirates record to 13-14.

Jack Wilson went 2 for 4 with 2 doubles.

First baseman Ryan Doumit went 2 for 4. He is making it tough for Tracy to keep him out of the lineup.

Jose Bautista went 2 for 3 with a HR and 2 RBI, continuing his strong start to the season.

Post-Game Notes

Game 1 ( Cubs 8 - Pirates 6 ):

Why does Jim Tracy continue to run "White Flag" Wasdin out in close games? If he provides the two innings of no run ball Chacon did in the second game the suspended game at least goes into extra innings.

A good outing by Armas gets wasted when the bullpen implodes. Grabow and Bayliss were brutal at best.

Jason Bay had a game to forget going 0 for 5 with 4 K's, striking out to end the game when he was the tying run.

On the bright side, Doumit continues to be hot. Paulino and Sanchez seem to be getting their bats back in order. Paulino went deep yet again.

How can an infield single score a runner from second? That was awful, I am speaking of the call at first. I think the ump called him safe because Bautista double clutched the ball before throwing.

Why didn't LaRoche make a throw home? Great base running by Jones, but the entire play was ridiculous.

Game 2 ( Cubs 7 - Pirates 1 ):
Snell had a tough outing giving up 4 runs in 5 innings of work.

It looks like the whale ate Jonah's lunch the last two games. He gave up 3 runs without recording an out in this one.

Chacon performed well out of the pen going 3 innings allowing no runs.

Freddy, Bay (2) and Doumit had the only hits for the Pirates. Doumit went yard with his lone hit, he is white hot.

Post-Game Notes

In a move reminiscent of walking Eckstein to face Pujols, Salomon Torres walked Ryan Theriot to face Derrick Lee. Obviously Theriot must be more clutch than Lee.

Once again the situation worked in the Pirates favor, so who am I to complain. Torres capped off the ninth with a Lee fly ball to Duffy to closeout his eighth save on the year as the Pirates won 3-2 over the Cubs returning the Pirates to .500 on the season.

Jason Bay's bottom of the eighth solo shot over the Clemente Wall gave the Pirates the lead heading to the ninth. Doumit just came short of making it back to back jacks as he was retired on a fly ball to Jacque Jones.

Prior to the eighth, the Pirates were able to scratch out two runs off the impressive Ryan Hill (just kidding on the Ryan thing, I know it is Rich) from the most unlikely of places. The struggling Bucs played a huge offensive role in the win.

Freddy went 2 for 4, possibly ending his in-season Spring Training.

Adam LaRoche went 1 for 3 with an RBI to raise his average to an awe inspiring .133.

Ronny Paulino went 1 for 3 with a double and an RBI.

Ryan Doumit, playing in right, continued to impress with the bat going 1 for 3 with a run scored.

From the mound Zach Duke went 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball being pulled in the 7th with the bases loaded. Jonah Bayliss once again saved the day by getting A-Ram to pop out to Bay.

Post-Game Notes

What started off as a promising 4-1 lead over the Reds became a disaster. Paul Maholm looked strong over his first 3 innings, the problems came in the 4th. Two walks and a bases loaded triple by Edwin Encarnacion sealed Maholms' fate. The 4-1 lead quickly turned into a 6-4 deficit the Pirates struggling offense could not overcome.

The Reds went on to win 9-5 to drop the Pirates 1 game under .500 at 11-12.

Jason Bay, Ryan Doumit, Jose Bautista and Paul Maholm supplied the offense.

Jason Bay went 2 for 4 with a double and 2 runs scored continuing his hot home stand.

Jose Bautista went 2 for 4 with a double a run scored and a RBI. He made a stellar defensive play sprinting down the line to catch a soft liner over his shoulder.

Ryan Doumit continued his torrid demotion and promotion by going 4 for 4 with a double, a home run, two runs scored and two RBI.

Paul Maholm went 1 for 1 with 2 RBI. Steve Blass called him the offensive player of the week.

MIA - Just like the offense.

I was forced into taking a day off from the blogosphere for personal reasons...Much like the offense in the 8-1 loss to the Reds Saturday. That game was putrid. Mental errors returned and bats disappeared. Lets hope for better Sunday.

Post-Game Notes

10 Down, 71 to Go!

The Pittsburgh Pirates sweep the Houston Astros in a nail biting, bases loaded extravaganza that ended with a 5-3 Pirates victory.

Jonah Bayliss saves the day, or at least gets out of a miserable jam in the 6th. A lead off single followed by back to back walks by Armas had the Pirates backs to the wall trailing 1-0.

Jim Tracy called on Jonah Bayliss who got Brad Ausmus to pop out to Freddy Sanchez for the first out. Then got a ground ball to short stop Jack Wilson for an inning ending double play off the bat of Wandy Rodriguez allowing no runs to score.

Bayliss went two innings allowing one hit a walk and no runs to earn the win.

In the bottom of the 6th the Pirates immediately loaded the bases with one out on A Castillo single, a Duffy walk and Sanchez reaching on an error by third baseman Mike Lamb bringing Jason Bay to the plate. Bay responded with a 2 run single to right scoring Castillo and Duffy giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

In the bottom of the 8th, the Pirates once again loaded the bases. Chris Duffy led off with a walk followed by a Jack Wilson single. Freddy Sanchez laid down a perfect sacrifice bunt to move the runners to 2nd and 3rd.

After an intentional walk to Jason Bay, Xavier Nady pinch hit for Matt Capps. Nady earned an RBI by taking one for the team getting hit by a pitch on an 0-2 fastball. Adam LaRoche hit a monstrous foul ball that went swimming in the Allegheny prior to striking out. The AAA red hot Ryan Doumit followed with a 2 out 2 RBI single to right to make the score 5-1 Pirates.

Salomon Torres came in to close out the game and promptly loaded the bases with one out. A sacrifice fly by Carlos Lee cut the Pirates lead to 5-2 prompting another pitching change. John Grabow came in to close out the game. After a allowing a run scoring single to Mike Lamb making the score 5-3 Pirates. Grabow walked Morgan Ensberg to load the bases again and give every Pirates fan another ulcer.

Adam Everett came to the plate with two outs and the bases loaded with Pittsburgh clinging to a 5-3 lead. Grabow earned a save by getting Everett to ground into a fielders choice to third baseman Jose Castillo ending the game, confirming the sweep and raising the Jolly Roger!

The win brings the Pirates back to .500 on the season at 10-10. Jason Bay was 2 for 3 with 2 RBI and Ryan Doumit was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI.