Final Score: Pirates 5 Cardinals 10
Why The Pirates Lost: Another bullpen failure led by David Bednar continued by Shelton’s favorite Jalen Beeks. Beeks is a perfect example of perception is worse than the reality. I feel that Jalen Beeks has really stunk out the joint. However, his statistics are not that bad. He has an ERA+ 109 and his FIP is 3.01 since he joined the Pirates. Here is some of his downside. He has been one Shelton’s favorite relievers. The Pirates have played 44 games since he was acquired. Beeks has appeared in 23 of those games, more than half. The Pirates have lost 16 of the games he has appeared in. He has had only 8 outings where he has not given up a hit or a walk. Last night was definitely real. He came in the game with runners on 1st and 2nd with one out in the bottom of the 7th and the score tied 5-5. In the course of 15 pitches, he gave up a single, single, and bases clearing double, to make the score 10-5. This put a runner on 2nd with still only one out. He walked Michael Siani with ball 4 sailing over the catchers head all the way to the backstop. It took a weird ricochet off the backstop and climbed way up the screen. Greg Brown and Bob Walk were both highly critical of Siani for just watching the ball and not running right away where he might have made it to 2nd, The score is 10-5 and you are bringing up this. When will they ever clean out the Pirate broadcast booth. Beeks managed to get 2 outs with no further damage, but the game was over. Billy Cook did hit his 1st major league home run, a 3-run shot to give the Pirates a 5-4 lead. Cook may have had his 1st major league home run sooner if Shelton had not pinch hit for him in the previous 2 games. Derek, at his foxy best. In fact, that is my new name for Shelton, Derek The Fox. The bullpen quickly blew that lead and more to turn the game into a rout for the Cardinals.
Key Moment Of The Game: When they brought Beeks in and had no one warming up in the bullpen in case things got out of hand, which of course they did. If someone had been warming up, he could have brought in a right hander to face Jordan Walker who hit the bases clearing double that broke open the game.
Next Game: Tonight, Cardinals in St. Louis. Luis Ortiz starts for the Pirates tonight. Luis Ortiz has had his ups and downs as a starter recently which makes me think he may be a good bullpen piece for the Pirates next year. It was his bullpen performance that got him into the rotation. The Cardinals are primed for the sweep. The Pirates are hoping to get Derek The Fox fired.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 