Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 6 CUBS 2

WHY THE PIRATES WON: FIRST OFF, WHEN I SAW THAT STARTING LINE UP, I THOUGHT THE PIRATES DID NOT HAVE A CHANCE. FORTUNATELY, THE PLAYERS THAT SHOULD NOT HAVE BEEN ON THE FIELD OR IN THE LINE UP HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH THE WIN. THE PIRATES HAD 2 OUT LIGHTENING WHICH WON THE GAME. ALL THEIR RUNS CAME WHEN THERE WERE 2 OUTS. IN FACT, IN THE FIRST, THEY HAD 2 OUT AND NOBODY ON AND EVENTUALLY GOT 3 RUNS WITH GAMEL’S HOMER. THE BULLPEN WAS OUTSTANDING AGAIN. MAYBE WILL CROWE WILL BE ONE OF THOSE GUYS YOU READ ABOUT ALL THE TIME, WHO IS A MEDIOCRE STARTER, BUT BECOMES A TOP BULLPEN GUY. I KNOW ITS EARLY BUT THAT WOULD BE A NICE AND NEEDED SURPRISE.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: IN THE TOP OF THE FIFTH THE CUBS HAD 1ST AND 2ND WITH NOBODY OUT, WHEN DILLON PETERS ENTERED THE GAME. DEPITE SOME WILDNESS, THAT I SUSPECT WAS FROM LACK OF WORK, HE GOT THE FIRST OUT. THEN HE WALKED A BATTER TO LOAD THE BASES BUT GOT WILLSON CONTREAS TO GROUND INTO A DOUBLE PLAY TO END THE THREAT. THAT WAS WHEN THE CUBS COULD HAVE GOTTEN BACK IN THE GAME. THEY NEVER THREATENED AGAIN.

NEXT GAME: THE NATIONALS TONIGHT AT HOME. SHELTON WILL HAVE TO DO BETTER WITH THAT STARTING LINE UP IF WANTS THE PIRATES TO GET THE 1ST PICK NEXT YEAR. PUT THE TURTLE OUT ON THE FIELD, I DARE YOU.