Pirates Morning Report:

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 3 BRAVES 5

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: THE PIRATE PITCHERS COULD NOT KEEP THE BALL IN THE PARK GIVING UP 4 HOME RUNS ACCOUNTING FOR ALL 5 BRAVES RUNS. THE PIRATES IN THIS GAME MANAGED TO STIKE OUT ONLY 10 TIMES THEIR BEST PERFORMANCE OF THE SERIES. IN THE 4 GAMES THE PIRATES STRUCK OUT 51 TIMES. THIS WAS THE SECOND GAME OF THE SERIES WHERE IT WAS JUST ONE OF THOSE GAMES. THE TEAM ON FIRE STAYS HOT AND THE TEAM THAT IS STRUGGLING CONTINUES TO DO SO. THE PIRATES DID NOT PLAY A BAD GAME, IT WAS JUST NOT GOOD ENOUGH. IN THE LAST 4 INNINGS THE PIRATES COULD ONLY GET 2 HITS AND ONE OF THOSE WAS PICKED OFF FIRST IN THE 8TH INNING.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: THE 2 RUN HOMER BY ADAM DUVAL IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 4TH TO GIVE THE BRAVES A 4-1 LEAD, REALLY SEEMED TO SEAL THE DEAL. IN THE LAST 8 GAMES THE PIRATES HAVE SCORED 15 RUNS, SO ANY TIME A TEAM SCORES 4 RUNS IT SEEMS LIKE AN INSURMOUNTABLE LEAD AND YESTEDAY IT WAS.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, CARDINALS IN ST. LOUIS. UNLIKE THE RED HOT BRAVES THE CARDINALS ARE TREADING WATER A LITTLE BIT, GOING 5-5 IN THEIR LAST 10 GAMES. THE PIRATE BATS LOOK PRETTY PATHETIC AND THEY HAVE A DOUBLE HEADER COMING UP, WHICH MEANS THE SHADOW WILL BE IN HIGH REST MODE FOR HIS AGING TEAM. TWO GAMES IN A ROW WE HAVE NOT SEEN YU CHANG START. COULD IT BE THREE. THAT SEEMS TO BE THE ONLY EXCITEMENT LEFT TO BEGIN THIS WEEK.