Watching the Pirates hit makes me want to bang my head against a brick wall. Duffy cheeses in his first start in 4 games, Sanchez pops out to short left, LaRoche pops out, Nady pops out with Bay on second (I didn't even see how Doumit failed to advance him). Even when Bay gets a hit, he manages to miss the homer by four feet. And this miserable hitting has been going on for six, seven weeks now. And Ian Snell takes tonight to do his Kip Wells imitation. I'm sure Kip is flattered and glad he's on the right side of this matchup for once. Even though the Pirates are currently a little better than the Birds, they're not.
Kip Wells season hitting stats going into this game? .267 (4-15) with a homer and a double. We shoulda resigned him for pinch-hitting duties.
Wednesday, May 23, 2007
Tuesday, May 22, 2007
What's his WHIP?
Zach Duke is going beyond his "give up a lot of hits and hope they don't score" routine tonight. Through four and two-thirds innings, the third-year southpaw has given up eleven--ELEVEN!!--hits in falling into a 4-2 deficit, miraculously less than it could be, considering Pujols popped out with two on and none out in the first and couldn't push Eckstein home from third in the fifth (he was gunned down by the great Ryan Doumit).
The offense has pecked at Wainwright similarly, but is its usual nonclutch self, getting only one run out of bases loaded, one out in the first, none out of juiced bags in the second, and only one out of the same situation in the fourth.
And as I write this, Duke gives up a bases-loaded walk (his first unintentional of the night). So his WHIP for the evening is....2.78. Awful. Unbelievably awful. I think I'm standing with Ron Cook on the Duke right now.
But I am glad that we brought in Brian Rogers, who is actually Dave Williams, the Pirates de facto ace in 2005 (Seriously. Only a June-callup era Zach Duke was better). This is the man Dee-troit gave up to get another Mayor for the city. Rogers gives up yet another base hit but is bailed out by Jim Edmonds' poor baserunning leading to the second man thrown out at home of the game. Wainwright is practically cruising considering his early-inning struggles. But the World Series stud is not up to the task of facing Don Kelly, even with a four-run cushion. More after the game.
The offense has pecked at Wainwright similarly, but is its usual nonclutch self, getting only one run out of bases loaded, one out in the first, none out of juiced bags in the second, and only one out of the same situation in the fourth.
And as I write this, Duke gives up a bases-loaded walk (his first unintentional of the night). So his WHIP for the evening is....2.78. Awful. Unbelievably awful. I think I'm standing with Ron Cook on the Duke right now.
But I am glad that we brought in Brian Rogers, who is actually Dave Williams, the Pirates de facto ace in 2005 (Seriously. Only a June-callup era Zach Duke was better). This is the man Dee-troit gave up to get another Mayor for the city. Rogers gives up yet another base hit but is bailed out by Jim Edmonds' poor baserunning leading to the second man thrown out at home of the game. Wainwright is practically cruising considering his early-inning struggles. But the World Series stud is not up to the task of facing Don Kelly, even with a four-run cushion. More after the game.
Saturday, May 19, 2007
Black Saturday
With the game blocked out on a Saturday night and being miles away from PNC Park, mlb.com's Gametracker was the only way to keep track of the happenings. Despite my pleas, Jim Tracy decided to sit the red-hot Jose Castillo for rookie Don Kelly, who could be a Pittsburgh-style second coming of Rafael Belliard. He responded with a 1-3 night, getting his single with none on and two out in the second, but popped out with one down and the bases loaded in the third. Thankfully, Tom Gorzelanny bailed him out with his second single...ever. Was it a positive sign that Kelly was the only starter below the Mendoza Line? After the D-Bags tied the game Jose replaced Kelly but also went 0-2, including an out in the ninth.
Tonight was a tale of two bullpens. Despite the quick 7-1 lead, this game never felt too safe. Gorzelanny allowed 10 baserunners in laboring through 6, but he only allowed one run before Grabow, McLeary and Capps blew it. A heartbreaker. And with the Big Unit tomorrow. He's a very old Unit, so let us hope the Pirates can continue working the count and salvage a win. But there's no question this one hurts in the drive for 82 wins. They could be at 21-21 if the bullpen had not blown two late inning leads, but here they stand, four games under .500. The third post down at Honest Wagner says it best.
Tonight was a tale of two bullpens. Despite the quick 7-1 lead, this game never felt too safe. Gorzelanny allowed 10 baserunners in laboring through 6, but he only allowed one run before Grabow, McLeary and Capps blew it. A heartbreaker. And with the Big Unit tomorrow. He's a very old Unit, so let us hope the Pirates can continue working the count and salvage a win. But there's no question this one hurts in the drive for 82 wins. They could be at 21-21 if the bullpen had not blown two late inning leads, but here they stand, four games under .500. The third post down at Honest Wagner says it best.
Jose Castillo
What to do with the Pirates' disgruntled 2b/3b/SS/OF? He has been mashing the ball since filling in for Jose Bautista during Sunday's game, prompting Boss Tracy to start Castillo at short for only the third time in the bigs, first of 2007. Castillo responded in a manner those familiar with him: 2-4 with a pair of ribs and a ball thrown into the stands behind first base. He has raised his batting average 82 points to .264 since Jeff Cox foolishly decided to send Bautista home on a shallow fly to Jeff Francoeur.
No truth to the rumor Castillo was seen pumping his fist after this happened.
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Castillo has asked for a trade. Reportedly the Bucs tried to deal him during the offseason, but could find no takers, no surprise after his disappointing 2006. If Littlefield is going to deal him, now would appear to be the time. But should he?
I say no. Castillo can be an important piece of this team. He has shown enough flashes that if he is producing, he deserves to receive some spot starts, especially since he can play five positions with steady enough defense. In fact, here is the lineup I'd like to see the Pirates run out tonight against Micah Owings and the D-Backs.
1 Sanchez 2b
2 Bautista 3b
3 Bay LF
4 LaRoche 1b
5 Nady CF
6 Doumit C
7 Castillo RF
8 Wilson SS
9 Gorzelanny P
I'm a big fan of playing the hot hands, and Castillo and Doumit are just that. Some is sacrified defensively without Duffy in center field, but his bat has been so atrocious of late that his bench spot is well-earned. At the least, Jim, drop him in the order. Please? And what is with Tracy's claims that putting Sanchez at third would be "unfair" to Freddy? This guy is paid millions to play a game that people pay ridiculous amounts just to watch. He played one of the best hot corners in the league last year while taking the batting crown. A night at third would cause him to slump again? I'm not buying it. Ryan Doumit seems to be doing just fine shuffling between three positions. With Bautista back in the lineup, Sanchez's position is more of a moot point, although I would have been more comfortable with him at short and Castillo at second last night. Having versatility in your players is a blessing, and it is mind-boggling that Tracy would try to eliminate this part of Sanchez's game. At the very least, Sanchez and Castillo being able to play short should save us from seeing Don Kelly starting when ol' Jack Smack needs a day off. You know, at least until we trade Grabow, Gorzelanny, and Jack to the Yankees for A-Rod.
No truth to the rumor Castillo was seen pumping his fist after this happened.(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
Castillo has asked for a trade. Reportedly the Bucs tried to deal him during the offseason, but could find no takers, no surprise after his disappointing 2006. If Littlefield is going to deal him, now would appear to be the time. But should he?
I say no. Castillo can be an important piece of this team. He has shown enough flashes that if he is producing, he deserves to receive some spot starts, especially since he can play five positions with steady enough defense. In fact, here is the lineup I'd like to see the Pirates run out tonight against Micah Owings and the D-Backs.
1 Sanchez 2b
2 Bautista 3b
3 Bay LF
4 LaRoche 1b
5 Nady CF
6 Doumit C
7 Castillo RF
8 Wilson SS
9 Gorzelanny P
I'm a big fan of playing the hot hands, and Castillo and Doumit are just that. Some is sacrified defensively without Duffy in center field, but his bat has been so atrocious of late that his bench spot is well-earned. At the least, Jim, drop him in the order. Please? And what is with Tracy's claims that putting Sanchez at third would be "unfair" to Freddy? This guy is paid millions to play a game that people pay ridiculous amounts just to watch. He played one of the best hot corners in the league last year while taking the batting crown. A night at third would cause him to slump again? I'm not buying it. Ryan Doumit seems to be doing just fine shuffling between three positions. With Bautista back in the lineup, Sanchez's position is more of a moot point, although I would have been more comfortable with him at short and Castillo at second last night. Having versatility in your players is a blessing, and it is mind-boggling that Tracy would try to eliminate this part of Sanchez's game. At the very least, Sanchez and Castillo being able to play short should save us from seeing Don Kelly starting when ol' Jack Smack needs a day off. You know, at least until we trade Grabow, Gorzelanny, and Jack to the Yankees for A-Rod.
Opening Up Shop
Welcome, everyone, to the Pirates' Cove. I'm starting up this blog to cover a topic and a team that does not get enough love in my eyes: the Pittsburgh Pirates. Using my tremendous knowledge of the team and its failures over the past 15 or so years (I have a vague memory of being at the NLCS in 1990 at age 5, although it's so vague it could just as easily been '91) along with my stellar wit, I'll offer my two cents on the Buccoes. I'll also cover two of the Pirates' farm squads, the Altoona Curve (AA) and State College Spikes (short-season A ball), although it will not be as expansive as it could, because when I am at the games I am working rather than watching. I can offer a bit of insight, such as lampoon Andrew McCutchen. The eleventh overall pick in 2005 has struggled mightily this season for the Curve, batting only .178 in 135 at-bats and only stealing four bases. MC Cutch has lost the plate discipline and strike zone recognition that made him the top prospect in the Pirates' organization. On the year he has struck out 37 times against only 11 walks, and a lot of the whiffs I've seen have been of the frozen pizza variety, although there have also been some flailers. For the guy projected by Baseball America to be the best for-average hitter in the Pirates's system (see above link), Andrew's performance has been disappointing.
It also calls to mind the Pirates's current center fielder and leadoff hitter, Chris Duffy. The Duffman is having the same problem: an inability to regularly put the ball in play and get on base. It is a damning problem for a leadoff hitter and a major reason the Bucs have struggled to score more than three runs a game, this past week's explosion notwithstanding. The struggles of LaRoche, Sanchez and Paulino have received more coverage, but Duffy has fallen apart in May, rather than turn the corner as those three appear to be doing. How much longer will Jim Tracy keep him at the top of the order? With Duffy and Jack Wilson usually batting 1-2, the Pirates have a combined .299 OBP in the lineup spots that get the most at-bats. I hope Billy Beane doesn't see that stat. He'd have a heart attack.
It also calls to mind the Pirates's current center fielder and leadoff hitter, Chris Duffy. The Duffman is having the same problem: an inability to regularly put the ball in play and get on base. It is a damning problem for a leadoff hitter and a major reason the Bucs have struggled to score more than three runs a game, this past week's explosion notwithstanding. The struggles of LaRoche, Sanchez and Paulino have received more coverage, but Duffy has fallen apart in May, rather than turn the corner as those three appear to be doing. How much longer will Jim Tracy keep him at the top of the order? With Duffy and Jack Wilson usually batting 1-2, the Pirates have a combined .299 OBP in the lineup spots that get the most at-bats. I hope Billy Beane doesn't see that stat. He'd have a heart attack.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
