Month: April 2024

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Pirates Morning Report: Rotation Redemption

Final Score: Pirates 7 Nationals 4

Why The Pirates Won: They got off to a hot start scoring 4 runs in the 1st and 1 in the 2nd. Martin Perez gave the Pirates their first quality start of the season by going 6 and 2/3 innings giving up just 2 runs on 6 hits, 2 walks, while striking out 6. It was the best start of the year by a Pirate pitcher. The Pirates added to their lead in the 5th when Connor (Maybe This Was A Good Signing) Joe hit a 2-run homer. The bullpen had a little hiccup as Luis Otiz had some control issues giving up 2 runs, 2 hits, and 2 walks in 1 inning of work. Fortunately, Chapman and Bednar shut down the side by striking out 3 of the last 4 National batters of the game. The Pirates head home with a nice 6-1 record. Granted the competition has not been that tough, but you can still lose to bad teams over the season. The bottom line is the Pirates did not look overwhelming winning 6 out of the first 7 games, but who cares. The offense perked up again last night scoring 7 runs on 11 hits and 7 walks. They also had a season low of 7 strikeouts. Hayes had another error and is in a mini slump going 1 for 13 for the series. There is no question the competition will get tougher when the homestand starts today, with the Orioles and Tigers coming to town. If the Pirates go 3-2 in this homestand I will be happy, especially with Falter still scheduled to start on Saturday. I am sure the Pirates will be happy to be home today. Let’s just hope that the momentum continues.

The Key Moments Of The Game: After being shut down for the first time this season, the Pirates started the game quickly, setting the table early by loading the bases with no one out. Jack Suwinski hit a sacrifice fly. Connor Joe walked and Rowdy (I’m Going To Prove You Wrong Too) Tellez hit a ground ball 75 MPH but it was perfectly placed to get into centerfield scoring runs 2 and 3, sending Connor Joe to third base. Henry Davis hit another sacrifice fly and the Pirates scratched out 4 runs in the inning. Reynolds singled in the 5th run in the top of the second and before you could say BEER HERE, the Pirates had a 5-0 lead that was never really threatened. It got a little interesting in the 8th, but Chapman and Bednar quickly shut it down and the Pirates are 6-1.

Next Game: This afternoon, Orioles in Pittsburgh if it doesn’t get snowed out. Jared Jones will make his second start before a fired-up opening day crowd. This will be a good test for these early season Buccos as Baltimore is one of the best teams in the American League, with many people picking them to make the World Series this year. If they can win 3 out of these next 5 home games, then I would say job well done.

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Pirates Morning Report: You Knew They Weren’t Going To Win Them All.

Final Score: Pirates 3 Nationals 5

Why The Pirates Loss: Another mediocre pitching performance by a Pirate starter, this time by Mitch Keller, led to this defeat. In 5 and 1/3 innings of “work” he gave up 5 runs on 8 hits, walking 2, striking out 5, while throwing 84 pitches. Of the 8 hits 5 were doubles and another one a home run. Not a lot of cheap hits in the bunch. There was catcher interference that made one of the runs unearned, but all in all another forgettable performance by a Pirates starter. This time the Pirates bats could not overcome the rotation ineffectiveness. In fact, they were pretty silent striking out 13 times and getting only 4 hits. There were only 3 players in the starting lineup that got hits. Lots of collars were worn in this game for the Pirate offense. Their last hit was the home run by Jack Suwinski in the top of the 6th, and they were retired in order 4 times during the game. The bullpen did well again, giving up no runs on just 2 hits and striking out 3 in 2 and 2/3 innings. The offense was pretty punchless the last 3 innings and really never threatened to cut into the Nationals 2 run lead. It looks like 162-0 is now just a pipe dream.

Key Moments Of The Game: It was the ability of the Nationals to bounce right back every time the Pirates did do something on offense. The Pirates got 2 runs in the top of the 2nd and the Nationals came right back lighting up Mitch Keller to score 4 runs in the bottom of the 2nd. The Pirates got within one in the top of the 6th and the Nationals got that run right back in the bottom of the 6th. Each time, it allowed the Nationals to either get momentum or maintain momentum.

Next Game: This afternoon, Nationals in D.C. Martin Perez will make his 2nd start of the season and maybe he can give the Pirates their first quality start of the season. It would be nice to see them take the series today because even though they are headed home they are going to go up against one of the best teams in the American League in the Baltimore Orioles, with the Detroit Tigers to follow. Looks like Jared Jones will be starting the home opener, and he certainly had the most dynamic start so far this season, even though it did not count as a quality start. The other reason that a win today would be nice, is believe or not the Pirates have Barry (I am at) Falter penciled in to start on Saturday. I see no guarantee that the Pirates are going to score 10 runs that day, which is what they will need if he really starts that game. Come on management.

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Post Covid

Daily writing prompt
How have you adapted to the changes brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic?
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During the pandemic there were many changes that happened. Staying home more, traveling being basically banned, trying to keep from getting sick and trying not to make anyone else sick. I tested positive for Covid on December 28th, 2021, and fortunately it was nothing more than having a cold, although not as severe as some colds I have had, persisted longer than most. I would say I did not feel fully recovered until day 25 or 26. I coughed and sneezed mostly and did not even get a sore throat. The biggest symptom I had was being very tired throughout the whole experience. Now that it is no longer a pandemic, life for us is pretty much back to normal. The one thing that we do not do anymore which we use to a lot, is go to the movies. Even before Covid, most movie theaters were pig sties. carrying all kinds of bugs and diseases. It does not take near as long for a movie to either hit a streaming service or a cable outlet as it did before Covid. We both feel it is not worth the risk to see a movie and come down with a second case of Covid. I have been vaccinated and have had 4 boosters and will be getting another one in the summer. Compared to the way things were during the pandemic and how things are now, I think we have adapted very well. I think overall I would say our main theme has been to err on the side of caution. We still grocery shop during low volume times when before Covid we would always go on Sunday, when it was much busier. I used to walk the Mall in the winter on cold days but now I just walk outdoors no matter how cold it is. Compared to some, I feel blessed and fortunate that Covid has had virtually no effect on me or my family. Hopefully our medical scientists will continue to produce vaccines that will be effective to help control and someday end this horrible disease. Quite frankly I have no desire to inject disinfectant in my ass.

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Pirates Morning Report: Lumber Company Revisited

Final Score: Pirates 8 Nationals 4

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirate offense scored 8 runs yesterday to fall one run short of averaging 8 runs per game over the first 5 games. Not only does that explain why they won yesterday, but why they are 5-0. The offense could “only” manage to score 3 runs when 2 were out yesterday. All the starters got at least one hit except for Olivares. Michael Taylor surprisingly led the way with 3 hits, 2 runs scored and an RBI. Taylor, a lifetime .240 hitter, right now is going at a .471 clip. Andrew McCutchen may have found a new way to come out of a horrendous slump. His first two plate appearances he struck out and did not look good doing it. Then he took a 90 MPH slider right on the knee. It looked like he might even come out of the game. He hung in there, stayed in, and in his next 3 AB’s he went double, single, walk and drove in a run. Five players got 2 hits each. For the game the Pirates scored 8 runs on 15 hits and walked 6 times. It’s a good thing the offense is on fire because for the 5th consecutive game the Pirate starter could not get through the 6th inning. Marco Gonzales did not have a bad line for 5 innings giving up 1 run on 4hits, walking 2, while striking out 2. In the top of the 6th, he could not get an out and a 13 pitch at bat by Lane Thomas seemed to take it out of him. The bullpen did give up the tying runs in the bottom of the 7th when Roansy Contreras gave up a 2-run homer to knot the score 3-3. Then the new Lumber Company took over and scored 3 in the 8th and 2 in the 9th to win going away.

Key Moments Of The Game: The first came in the bottom of the 6th when Marco Gonzales seemed to run out of gas after throwing 77 pitches. He gave up a single and a walk to put runners on first and second with no one out. In came Roansy Contreras to make his 2024 debut. He got out of the jam getting a strike out, ground out, and strike out on 11 pitches. Unfortunately, he gave up the tying runs on a 2-run homer the next inning. The Pirates bounced right back in the top of the 8th to score 3 runs with 2 of those coming with 2 outs. The big hits were a double by Conner Joe, and 2 out hits by Hayes and McCutchen. The bullpen really did not have to face a high leverage situation again and it was 5 in a row for the new Lumber Company.

Next Game: Wednesday, the Nationals in D.C. The rotation starts over with Mitch Keller taking the hill for the 2nd time this season. Maybe he will start a new trend for the rotation, like contributing to a win. We all know that hitting is a sometime thing. The most runs scored in the modern era is 1067 by the 1931 New York Yankees in a 154-game season. That is averaging almost 7 runs per game. The all-time record is 1220 runs by the Boston Beaneaters. I did hear that they stunk in the field or was that they stunk up the field. They set the record in 1894. I have a feeling that both records are safe. If the Pirates kept up their current pace, they would score about 1260 runs. I think Michael Taylor has a better chance of winning the batting title.

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Pirates Morning Report: OK Rotation, When Are You Going To Contribute.

Final Score: Pirates 9 Marlins 7 in 10 innings.

Why The Pirates Won: Again, it was the 2 out lightening of the offense, this time scoring 8 of their 9 runs after 2 were out. This offense, which is on fire, scored 9 runs on 11 hits and 7 walks. The hits were spread out pretty evenly with only Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo getting 2 hits. The only starter to not get a hit was Jason Delay, but he walked and laid down the beautiful bunt that scored the go ahead run in the top of the 8th. It was another offensive win for the Pirates who scored 31 runs in the 4-game sweep. Barry Falter pretty much stunk getting touched up for 5 runs in the 1st inning including a grand slam home run. In his nifty 4 innings of work he gave up 6 runs on 4 hits, including 2 home runs while walking 3. Hopefully this will be the last time we see Falter starting for the Pirates. They should move Luis Ortiz into the starting rotation by the end of the week. I did hear that the Marlins may be interested in acquiring Falter so they can have 5 awful left-hand pitchers in the rotation. The Pirates did announce that Marco Gonzales will start against the Nationals today so he must be ok. The only weak link in this Pirate team has been the starting rotation. Jared Jones had the best start, but it was still not considered a quality start. The rest of the rotation has been pretty much terrible. The bullpen has been lights out, but this cannot go on forever. The team needs a starter to go 6 or 7 innings. The Pirates are miraculously 4-0 when they could easily be 2-2 or even 1-3. The Marlins looked lousy in this series, but it will be interesting to see where these teams are at the All-Star break.

Key Moment Of Game: The Pirates trailed 6-4 going into the top of the 7th and got the first two runners on base. Then Suwinski flied out and Triolo struck out to bring up Rowdy (Please Let Me See A Right-Handed Pitcher) Tellez. He had struck out 3 straight times against left-handed pitching but finally got to bat against a right hander, Vladimir Gutierrez. He battled for 8 pitches working the count to 3 and 2, fouling off the last 3 pitches. On the 9th pitch he lifted a towering drive to centerfield for a 3-run homer to give the Pirates the lead 7-6. A rusty Bednar gave up a tying home run in the bottom of the 9th to send the game into extra innings. The Marlins completely botched up 2 bunts and walked in another run to ensure that the Pirates would sweep the series. Hunter Stratton pitched a solid bottom of the 10th, getting a nice low-ball strike to end the game and seal the win.

Next Game: This afternoon, the Nationals in D. C. Marco Gonzales will pitch for the Pirates. Why he did not pitch yesterday I do not know. Maybe they did not want him to make his Pirate debut with the typical goofy Sunday lineup. Hopefully this does not affect his confidence that they made it look like Falter was the 4th starter over him. Let us hope that Falter can lead Indianapolis to a championship.