The Pirates and Tigers got rained out yesterday. They are playing a split doubleheader today. Some were saying that this would be an opportunity to see Tarik Skubal go up against Paul Skenes. Right now, it does not seem like this is going to happen. According to both ESPN and the Pirates’ website, Heaney is still going to face Skubal in game 1. Hopefully, this is true. Even if Skenes were to face Skubal, I think the Pirates would still lose. It would be less of an upset if Skenes and the Pirates won the game. At least with Skenes going in the nightcap, it gives the Pirates a better chance at splitting the games. The weather delay just postponed the possibility of the Pirates not getting a hit against Skubal.
A factor that might be in the Pirates’ favor is the current state of baseball. A lot of strange things are happening at the moment. The Yankees have lost 6 in a row. The Rays have won 11 of their last 15 games and are now 1.5 games behind the Yankees. This is why it is so frustrating being a Pirates fan. The Rays have the blueprint for a small market team’s success. The Pirates just don’t follow it. It is not a deep dark secret. The Mets have lost 5 in a row. The Phillies are now a game back of the Mets. The Dodgers have won 5 in a row. This has coincided with their 3 closest pursuers having losing streaks. The Giants have lost 4 games in a row. The Padres and Diamondbacks have lost 3 games in a row each. The Dodgers suddenly have a 4.5 game lead in the west. Finally, the Colorado Rockies have won 4 in a row. It has cut their run differential to minus 195. They scored 29 runs during this 4-game win streak. The Pirates have never scored 29 runs in any 4-game stretch. The unexpected is happening right now in baseball. If the Pirates beat Skubal today, it would be the biggest surprise of all. I still think there is more of a chance he will not give up a hit.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 