Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 5 GIANTS 7

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: OVER THE LAST TWO DAYS WE HAVE SEEN WHAT GOOD TEAMS DO AND WHAT BAD TEAMS DO. IT IS A SIMPLE FORMULA FOR THE BAD TEAM PIRATES. WHEN THEY PITCH, THEY DON’T HIT AND WHEN THEY HIT, THEY DON’T PITCH. TODAY THE PITCHING WAS NOT VERY GOOD. THE PITCHING COMBINATION OF JOSE QUINTANA, WILL CROWE, CHRIS STRATTON, ANTHONY BANDA, AND LAST BUT CERTAINLY LEAST, HEATH HEMBREE GOT TOUCHED UP FOR 7 RUNS ON 10 HITS AND 9 WALKS. SURPISINGLY, THE ONLY ONE TO HAVE A GOOD OUTING WAS BANDA. WITH THE SCORE 6-5, THE SHADOW BROUGHT IN HEMBREE TO PITCH THE NINTH, TO MAKE SURE THAT THE GIANTS WOULD GET THAT MUCH NEEDED INSURANCE RUN. IT WAS NICE TO SEE DIEGO CASTILLO HAVE A BIG DAY WITH A 3 RUN HOME RUN AND 4 RBI’S. HE IS IN A HORRIBLE SLUMP. THE KIND OF SLUMP THAT GETS YOU SENT DOWN TO AAA TO SEE IF YOU CAN GET YOUR STROKE BACK. THIS MIGHT GET HIM BACK ON TRACK.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: AFTER THE TURTLE’S HOME RUN TO MAKE THE SCORE GIANTS 6 PIRATES 5, THE PIRATES PUT RUNNERS ON 1ST AND 2ND WITH ONE OUT. CAL MITCHELL THEN LACED A BALL TO DEEP CENTER AND MIKE YASTRZEMSKI RAN IT DOWN FOR THE SECOND OUT. IF HE COULD HAVE PULLED THAT JUST A TOUCH, IT WOULD HAVE SCORED 2 RUNS. THE PIRATES LOADED THE BASES BUT COULD NOT SCORE. THEN SHELTON BROUGHT IN HEMBREE TO ENSURE THE LOSS.

NEXT GAME: THIS AFTERNOON, GIANTS, AT PITTSBUGH. YU CHANG HIT 2 FLY BALL OUTS, SO IT IS PRETTY MUCH A GIVEN HE WILL START AGAIN. I AM SURE IT WILL BE CRAZY LINE UP TIME, AS THE SHADOW WILL GIVE THE GIANTS EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO GET THE SWEEP.