Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 5 RAYS 6

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: ANOTHER EXAMPLE OF A GOOD TEAM DOING WHAT IT NEEDED TO DO TO WIN ANDTHE PIRATES NOT. THE BULLPEN COULD NOT HOLD THE LEAD WHICH IS A BAD SIGN FOR THE FUTURE. THERE WAS SOME PRETTY GOOD CLUTCH PITCHING DURING THIS GAME AS J. T. BRUBAKER SPREAD OUT 9 HITS OVER 6 INNINGS GIVING UP ONLY 3 RUNS. THAT ALL ENDED IN THE 8TH AND 9TH. JACK SUWINSKI HIT A DEEP 3 RUN HOMER IN THE TOP OF THE 6TH TO TAKE A 5-3 LEAD AND IT LOOKED LIKE WE WERE HEADED FOR A SPLIT. IT WAS NOT TO BE AS THE BULLPEN FOLDED. DAVID BEDNAR MADE A HORRIBLE O-2 PITCH AND A LINE SINGLE BY ISAAC PAREDES WON THE GAME FOR TAMPA BAY.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: AFTER 2 WERE OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH BEDNAR WALKED 2 STRAIGHT BATTERS WHICH SET UP THE WHOLE WINNING INNING. EACH BATTER HAD STRUCK OUT TWICE DURING THE GAME. THERE IS NO QUESTION WALKS ARE KILLERS. I KNOW THAT A LOSS IS A LOSS, BUT I WOULD RATHER HAVE SEEN BACK-TO-BACK HOMERS OR A BLOOP AND A BLAST, THAN WHAT TRANSPIRED. LET’S HOPE THIS WAS A LESSON LEARNED. THIS LOST WAS REALLY A TOUGH ONE TO TAKE, ON A TEAM THAT IS STRUGGLING TO WIN GAMES.

NEXT GAME: THIS AFTERNOON: RAYS IN TAMPA. ROANSY CONTERAS GETS THE START TODAY AND HOPEFULLY, WILL LOOK A LITTLE SHARPER THAN HE HAS THE LAST 2 OR 3 GAMES. THE GUY STILL LOOKS LIKE THE FUTURE ACE OF THE TEAM BUT I THINK HE NEEDS TO HAVE AN IMPRESSIVE START JUST TO GET A CONFIDENCE BOOST. CASTILLO SEEMS TO HAVE GOTTEN HIS POWER STROKE BACK SO I AM WAVERING ON HIM BEING SENT DOWN. MAYBE VAN METER BETTER CHECK THE GREYHOUND SCHEDULE. PLEASE, NO YANG TOMORROW, PLEASE.