Final Score: Pirates 2 Cubs 3
Why The Pirates Lost: A bizarre starting lineup. No Hayes, no Gonzales, and no Davis. The batters went into passive mode again. This time they took 26 pitches for strikes. Spencer (Not Horawitz) Horwitz led the way, taking 6 pitches for strikes. Isiah Kiner-Falefa and Tommy (Yes, I Sleep Fine At Night) Pham were next with 4 each. Neither team lit it up last night. Both teams had 4 hits each. The Cubs took 14 pitches for strikes. They hit 2 home runs. Peter Crow-Armstrong hit a 2-run shot in the bottom of the 4th. It was a 5-pitch at-bat. He took no strikes. What is it with all these hyphenated names? Seiya Suzuki hit a solo home run in the 6th. He took one strike on a 2-0 count. He hit the next pitch into the seats. Andrew Heaney pitched a decent game. He gave up 3 runs on 4 hits. The Cubs never got a runner in scoring position in the entire game. When you pitch for a team that likes to stand there and look at strikes, you must perform better. Shame on you, Andrew Heaney.
Key Moments Of The Game: Crow-Armstrong’s home run was on a changeup that was chin high. Suzuki’s was on a changeup that was at the top of the strike zone. Mistakes by Heaney, and he paid the ultimate price. The Pirates had their one and only chance in the top of the 7th. Up to that point, Jameson Taillon had given up 1 hit and 2 walks. The hit came in the 1st inning. Bryan Reynolds opened the inning with a flyout. The Pirates woke up. Spencer Horwitz doubled on the first pitch of his at-bat. Adam Frazier singled him home on the 2nd pitch of his at-bat. IKF singled to move Frazier to 2nd. The Cubs brought in Brad Keller. Tommy Pham was the next batter. Don Kelly let him bat. Why, I do not know. Pham did not disappoint. He struck out taking 2 strikes, including the 3rd strike. Keller decided to help the Pirates. He hit the next batter, Brett Sullivan, who is supposedly a catcher. Then he walked Jared Triolo on 4 straight pitches to force in a run. This brought up Oneil Cruz. Keller struck out Cruz with one strike that was called. It was right down the middle, about 3 inches above the knees. At least he struck out swinging. The Pirates did not get a man on base in the last two innings.
Next Game: This afternoon, Cubs in Chicago. Hopefully, the Pirates will get serious today and play their best players. Paul Skenes is starting for the Pirates today. Man, this Pirate offense is so bad. Despite the Pirate broadcast propaganda, the fact remains that the Pirates are last in runs scored per game. They are worse than even the Colorado Rockies. They are 29th in home runs. They are 2nd most in grounding into double plays. They are 29th in total bases. They are last in slugging. They strike out the 5th most. If it is good, the Pirates are at the bottom of the league. If it is bad, the Pirates are at the top of the league. No changes are ever made unless someone gets hurt. You just can’t believe that this organization wants to win.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 