Month: August 2025

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Pirates Morning Report: Pirates On A Roll

Final Score: Pirates 10 Red Sox 3

Why The Pirates Won: For once, the Pirates took full advantage of a team’s generosity. The Red Sox walked 7 batters and committed 2 errors. The Pirates had 12 hits, which enabled them to put 10 runs on the board. Johan Oviedo went 5 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits. He struck out 6 while walking 3. The bullpen did protect the big lead, but it was definitely shaky. Oneil Cruz hit his 19th homer, and Bryan Reynolds had 3 RBIs. The only AAA player to play was Triolo; he went 1 for 3 with a walk and scored 3 runs. The Pirates have won 8 of their last 10 games and are now 4-2 on this road trip. No matter what happens today, they will have a winning road trip. It would be so nice to see them go 5-2. Another opportunity for a big psychological win. It will be interesting to see how hard management tries to win the game.

Key Moments Of The Game: With a 6-run lead, you would not have thought there would be any key moments. Mike Burrows pitched the worst 2 innings to just give up 1 run. Remember, you are in Fenway Park and this is the Pirates. Burrows came in to start the bottom of the 6th. The Pirates had just scored 5 runs in the top of the 6th. It took Burrows 44 pitches to get through 2 innings. His line read 1 run on 5 hits. That does not tell the story. He got a ground out to start the bottom of the 6th. The Red Sox got 3 straight singles to make the score 9-3. Runners were on 1st and 2nd with one out. Burrows hit the next batter to load the bases. This brought up weak-hitting David Hamilton to the plate. I am not familiar with the Red Sox bench. I would have thought a pinch hitter may have been warranted here. He immediately became someone the Pirates would be interested in. With the bases loaded, he took the first two pitches for strikes. He was able to work the count to 2-2 before striking out. This brought up No. 9 hitter catcher Carlos Narvaez. Burrows fell behind 3-0. He got away with throwing the next 4 pitches right down the middle of the plate. Narvaez went Pirate mode and took the last one for strike 3. In the bottom of the 7th, Burrows gave up an opening single. Alex Bregman hit a low line drive that Cruz made a great diving grab. That was followed up by another single, putting runners on 1st and 2nd. Trevor Story flied out to rather deep center field. Masataka Yoshida hit a 106 MPH knuckling line drive to right field. It was right at Bryan Reynolds. He battled the ball and was able to grab it just before it hit the ground. After those two innings, you felt it was not the Red Sox’s day. They could have easily gotten back in the game. The Pirates felt safe enough to bring Yohan Ramirez into the game to start the 8th. The Red Sox did not threaten the last two innings.

Next Game: This afternoon, the Red Sox in Boston. Mitch Keller will go for the Pirates as they “try” to go for the sweep. Whatever it is, Fenway Park seems to bring out the best in these Pittsburgh Pirates. They will be heading home to play the Dodgers and Brewers. The Pirates are not playing on Labor Day. A gift from MLB to the Pittsburgh fans, allowing them to have a happy Labor Day. Thank you, MLB.

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Pirates Morning Report: Man, Was That Quick

Final Score: Pirates 4 Red Sox 2

Why The Pirates Won: For 5 innings Fenway Park was rockin’. Payton Tolle was making his Major League debut. He was mowing the Pirates down. He had given up one hit and walked 2. He struck out 8. In the top of the 2nd, he gave up a fluke double to Andrew McCutchen. This put runners on 2nd and 3rd with no outs. He then struck out the next two batters on 7 pitches. He got Peguero to fly out to end the threat. The fans went crazy. Meanwhile, Paul Skenes was looking like Paul Skenes. The Pirates were looking like the Pirates. This all added up to a 2-0 lead for the Red Sox after 5 innings. The mood was festive. In the top of the 6th, Tolle got the first out. There was more hootin’ and hollerin’. In the next 7 pitches, he gave up singles to Nick Gonzales and Bryan Reynolds. Tolle was removed from the game, receiving a standing ovation. The Red Sox brought in Greg Weissert. In 4 pitches, he gave up back-to-back doubles to Tommy Pham and McCutchen. This gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead. The air was completely sucked out of the stadium. Suddenly, a big debut party became a sell out funeral. Skenes gave up a single in the 6th. He was erased on a caught stealing. Replay overturned a safe call. Skenes got a nice borderline call for a called 3rd strike to end his night. He gave up 1 earned run on 7 hits. He struck out 6 and walked 1. The bullpen protected the lead. The Pirates had a surprising opening game win.

Key Moments Of The Game: It was a big clutch performance by Paul Skenes. He kept his cool while all around him were panicking. In the bottom of the 2nd, after one out, he gave up 2 singles. He got out of that jam nicely. He got the next batter to hit into a force play. A steal of second put two runners in scoring position. He struck out the next batter. In the bottom of the 3rd, Alexander (I Can’t Field Or Hit But I am On The Team) Canario dropped a pop fly to center. I got it, I got it. Clang, I dropped it. A single put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Skenes got out of that jam by getting Alex Bergman to hit into a double play, putting a runner on third with 2 outs. He got Jarren Duran to fly out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 4th, the Red Sox finally broke through thanks to an Isiah Kiner-Falefa throwing error. This put runners on 2nd and 3rd with two outs and the Red Sox leading 1-0. Skenes got a ground ball out to end the inning. Skenes gave up a home run to open the 5th. This gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. It was a party-like atmosphere at Fenway until the party-pooping 6th inning. The Pirates came away with a 4-2 win.

Next Game: Late afternoon, Red Sox in Boston. I would be remiss if I did not mention the AAA boys. They lost a member as Jack Suwinski went to the IL with an injured groin. I don’t think he got hurt swinging at pitches. The way the Pirates heal, I would assume he is out for the season. The remaining three had their typical game against the Red Sox last night. They went 1 for 9 with a walk. They did drive in the 4th run in the 8th to give the Pirates a little insurance run. Their ranks are down to three now. I just have a feeling the games are not going to be as much fun to watch. I can’t remember the last game when none of them started. It could happen soon. I am very sad.

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Pirates Morning Report: Never An Urgency To Win

Final Score: Pirates 1 Cardinals 4

Why The Pirates Lost: The offense is back to normal. They are passive, taking 28 strikes. At one stretch, Liover Peguero saw 9 pitches in two at-bats and took them all. He struck out on 6 pitches and did not swing at one. I hear that Daniel Vogelbach is his personal advisor. They are pathetic, swinging at 18 balls that were out of the strike zone. They are putrid, going 0 for 6 with runners in scoring position, stranding 8 men on base. Only one AAA boy started, Suwinski, and he went 1 for 3. Triolo pinch-hit for him in the 9th and singled. The AAA boys did better than the team. Braxton Ashcraft pitched a nice 5 and 2/3 innings. He gave up 1 run on 4 hits. He struck out 5 and walked 1. He had thrown just 73 pitches. There was a runner on first with 2 outs. Don Kelly made the move to take him out. He decided to replace him with the worst reliever in the history of baseball, Yohan Ramirez. Maybe I exaggerate a little there. However, his ERA after this awful performance is a whopping 6.56. There were other options out there for the Pirates. They were lucky in the 6th. Ramirez hit a batter. The next batter parked a ball 384 feet, but to dead center field. Cruz made the catch to end the inning. The Pirates just could not stand their good fortune. They brought Ramirez out for the 7th. There is no good excuse for that move. This organization never has a real urgency to win. Taking the Cardinals 3 out of 4 games in St. Louis would have been a huge psychological boost for this team. Pirate management does not care. Ramirez came out for the 7th and got slaughtered. Of course, he walked the first batter he faced in the 7th. In just three pitches, he allowed a double and then a home run. Before you could say, “Why is he on this team?”, the score was 4-1. They took him out, but it was way too late. The Pirates never threatened in the 8th and 9th.

The Key Moments Of The Game: Like the Cardinals the game before, the Pirates could not take advantage of early opportunities. Tommy Pham hit a home run in the first, demonstrating what you can do when you swing at a pitch in the strike zone. After the home run, the Pirates managed to get 2nd and 3rd with one out, but they could not score. Cruz popped out, and Bart flew out. In the top of the 2nd, a leadoff walk and single put runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs. Isiah Kiner-Falefa has been one of their hottest hitters against the Cardinals. So what do the Pirates do? They have IKF bunt, moving the runners up to 2nd and 3rd with one out. The next two batters struck out, and the Pirates never threatened again for the rest of the game. The Pirates guaranteed a loss when they brought out Ramirez to pitch the 7th inning, and he did not disappoint.

Next Game: Tonight, Red Sox in Boston. This starts a brutal 9-game stretch for the Pirates. Three games against Boston on the road, three games against the Dodgers at home, and finally three games against the Brewers at home. Paul Skenes is going for the Pirates tonight. Will the Red Sox be another notch on his belt? Even if they are, it will not guarantee a victory for the Pirates with that offense. It has been brutal the last 2 games. We will see how many runs they score in these next 9 games. I am betting under 18.

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Pirates Morning Report: Back To Normal, Pitchers Win Another One

Final Score: Pirates 2 Cardinals 1

Why The Pirates Won: Both teams’ offenses were pretty much nonexistent. The difference was the Cardinals gave the Pirates one of their runs. Pirate pitching was dominant again. Carmen Mlodzinski had command issues that the Cardinals failed to take advantage of. The bullpen in the last 6 innings only gave up one hit. Bubba Chandler had another excellent 4-inning outing. He gave up 1 hit and walked one. He managed to get his first major league win. Isaac Mattson had one of the most effective innings of the year. He threw 8 pitches, 7 of which were strikes, to get 3 quick outs in the 8th. Dennis Santana walked a batter with 2 outs in the 9th. The game ended on a weird little line drive. It took a crazy hop. Nick Gonzales had to barehand it to throw out the batter. The Pirate offense only had 3 hits. The AAA boys went 0 for 6 with 2 walks. Seven of the nine starters did not get a hit. Somehow, the Pirates pulled out the win. They are now 2-1 on the road trip.

Key Moments Of The Game: Mlodzinski had given up a run on 2 hits and 2 walks through 2 innings. The Cardinals ran into an out in the 2nd, or they might have scored more. He started the 3rd by striking out Nathan Church. He walked his third batter of the game. Ivan Herrera singled to right, putting runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Mlodzinski struck out Alec Burleson on 5 pitches. It was the out of the game. He finished the inning by striking out Willson Contreras. With the play he made at first base in the 6th inning, the Cardinals probably wish he had started serving his suspension. Going into the top of the 6th, the Pirates had gotten only one hit off Sonny Gray. IKF had the hit and made it 2 with a line drive double. Jared Triolo walked. Spencer Horwitz hit a ground ball right to Contreras. It looked like he was about to start a 3-6-3 double play. With the lead-footed Horwitz running, it should have been a sure thing. Suddenly, Contreras changed his mind. He tried to flip the ball to Sonny Gray, who was not even looking at him. He was expecting a throw from 2nd base. Everybody was safe, and the Pirates had the bases loaded. After a force out at the plate, Tommy Pham drilled the first pitch up the middle for a single. He drove in 2 runs with the hit. If the double play is performed, the Pirates probably don’t score at all. Hopefully, the Cardinals don’t miss the playoffs by one game.

Next Game: This afternoon, the Cardinals in St. Louis. It looks like Braxton Ashcraft will be going for the Pirates today. The Pirates could use a win this afternoon. They will be going up against three teams that are most likely playoff-bound: the Red Sox in Boston and the Dodgers and Brewers at home. The Pirates will get to see what they are made of these next two weeks. Will they be competitive? After all, that is what Derek Shelton wanted. Who really cares about winning? Let’s just hope we can give them a game.

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Pirates Morning Report: Nice Bounce Back Win

Final Score: Pirates 8 Cardinals 3

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates started off with a bang. The first six batters got on base and the Pirates quickly had a 4-0 lead. Henry Davis hit a sacrifice fly to top off a 5 run 1st inning. The Pirates added 2 in the second on some loose Cardinal defense. In the top of the 3rd Henry Davis hit a solo home run to end the scoring. The AAA boys continue to have success going 4 for 12 with 2 runs scored and 2 RBIs. Of course the Pirate offense limped home in the last 6 innings getting 3 hits. They struck out 11 times including 5 straight outs in the 8th and 9th. Mitch Keller pitched well. He gave up 3 runs and 3 hits over 6 innings. It can be tough pitching with a big lead, but Keller got the job done. The bullpen shut the Cardinals down the rest of the way. The Pirates had a nice easy road win.

Key Moments Of The Game: After the Pirates put up 5 runs in the 1st, the Cardinals got two hard-hit singles with one out in the 1st, which created a sense of hope among their fans. Wilson Contreras hit a hard ground ball. It went right at Jared Triolo. Triolo made a nice play to end the inning with a double play, dousing the Cardinals’ momentum. If the Cardinals could have had a quick bounce-back inning, it may have made a difference in the overall atmosphere of the game, giving them the confidence they needed to close the gap. The score was 8-2 going into the bottom of the 6th. Keller started the inning by walking a batter and later hitting another. The Pirates traded 3 ground outs for a run, showing their ability to execute even in less-than-ideal situations. The Cardinals never threatened again after that, and their inability to capitalize on earlier opportunities continued to haunt them. The series is tied at a game apiece.

Next Game: Tonight, Cardinals in St. Louis. Carmen Mlodzinski will start for the Pirates. This will be a semi-bullpen game depending on how well Mlodzinski does. For whatever reason, the offense has come alive in St. Louis. Despite this, we are still well entrenched in last place in runs scored. Among teams with an equal number of games, the Pirates are 30 runs behind the next worst team. This is how bad this offense has been. In a nutshell, they have no power. They are last in home runs and slugging. It was a nice win last night, no question about it. You feel that they must win these next two in St. Louis if they are going to have any chance of playing close to .500 ball over the next 11 games.

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Pirates Morning Report: 136 Yard Golf Shot For Walk Off Cardinal Win

Final Score: Pirates 6 Cardinals 7

Why The Pirates Lost: The Pirates only allowed Johan Oviedo to go 4 innings even though he was pitching well. He had thrown only 53 pitches. They allowed Andrew Heaney to throw 31 pitches even though he was pitching poorly. The rest of the bullpen hung tough. However, Alec Burleson golfed a 136-yard wedge shot over the center field wall. This gave the Cardinals a 7-6 walk-off win. The Pirates scored 6 runs. The Cardinals tried to help them out. The Pirates committed baserunning gaffes. At times they got away with them thanks to the Cardinals’ poor defense. The Pirates were 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position. At first glance, you would have to say it was a good offensive day for the Pirates. As you will see, the Pirates should have scored 9 or 10 runs, but they do not understand baseball. They are a team that is very lackluster and just playing out the string. That is enough in my mind not to extend Don Kelly into next season. If this is all the effort the Pirates can put into playing the game, then it is clear the manager must take the blame. Somebody needs to tell the players not every team is as bad as the Rockies.

Key Moments Of The Game: In the first inning, the Pirates had 2nd and 3rd with 1 out and could only score 1 run. Both Horwitz and Pham had lousy at-bats. Horwitz swung at a ball low and outside to ground out. Pham took 2 strikes right down the middle. In the second inning, the Pirates had 1st and 2nd with no outs. Bart struck out, taking two called strikes. Peguero grounded into a double play after taking a called strike. In the top of the 7th, the Pirates had the bases loaded and nobody out, thanks to Cardinals’ misplays. Ronny Simon swung at two pitches that were in the dirt to strike out. Nick Gonzales hit a sacrifice fly to drive in a run. Bryan Reynolds struck out, swinging at a ball in the dirt. Simon told him how to do it. In the top of the 8th, Tommy Pham walked. Jared Triolo hit a little blooper into left-center field. The ball bounded away, but Pham could only make it to 2nd. No hustle, no effort. Andrew McCutchen swung at an inside pitch on a 3-1 count and grounded into an inning-ending double play. In the 9th, the Pirates saved the worst for last. With one out Simon doubled home the tying run. When Gonzales hit a ball back to the pitcher he tried to go to third base. He was thrown out by forty feet. The third baseman had a birthday waiting for Simon to get to the tag. All of this enabled the Cardinals to walk it off in the 9th.

Next Game: Tonight, Cardinals in St. Louis. Mister Average Major League pitcher Mitch Keller will go for the Pirates. Maybe it is better that the Pirates can’t really hit. That way they do not show how bad they are at running the bases. I am sure no one will pay for all the base running and batting blunders last night. That is not just the Pirates’ way. Accountability is a four-letter word.

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Pirates Morning Report: Skenes Dominates, Pirates Sweep Rockies

Final Score: Pirates 4 Rockies 0

Why The Pirates Won: In 27 innings the Rockies scored 1 run. Yesterday it was Paul Skenes who put a hurtin on the Rockies. He went 7 innings giving up 3 hits. He struck out 7 while walking 0. The Mattson and Santana duo finished up allowing a hit and a walk. The Pirates had the one big inning and it was enough. Jarod (I Made An Adjustment That Won’t Work Next Year) Triolo had the big hit. He hit a 2 out 3 run homer in the bottom of the 4th to give the Pirates a 3-0 lead. They added another run with a Henry Davis walk. He stole 2nd. IKF then laced a double to center to score Davis. The Pirates would only get one hit the rest of the game but the damage had been done. Thanks to Triolo the AAA boys were 2 for 8 with 3 RBI’s and 2 walks. It was a nice win as the Pirates head into a tough stretch of games

Key Moment Of The Game: In the top of the 3rd two replay calls went against the Rockies. Braxton Fulford was ruled safe on a ground ball to Triolo. This was after a single by Kyle Karros. It looked like the Rockies were going to have 1st and 2nd with no outs. The Pirates challenged and the call was overturned. Then Skenes picked the runner off second. The Rockies challenged. They lost the challenge. The inning quickly went from 2 on and no outs to 2 outs and nobody on. Skenes struck out the next batter to end the inning. The Pirates had the 4 run 4th. The Rockies never threatened again getting only one other runner in scoring position.

Next Game: Tonight, Cardinals in St. Louis. In the next 13 games the Pirates play all playoff contenders with the Cardinals the only team under .500. If the Pirates win 6 or 7 games I will be surprised. They will need at least a split with the Cardinals if that has any chance of happening. They finally feasted on a bad team. Even with the sweep they ended up 4-5 against the Rockies and the White Sox. We will see what they can do against the big boys.

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Pirates Morning Report: McCutchen, Pitching Stay Hot

Final Score: Pirates 5 Rockies 1

Why The Pirates Won: The pitching staff shutout the Rockies for another 8 and 2/3 innings before surrendering a run. Mike Burrows went 4 innings giving up 2 hits and a walk. He was taken out even though he had thrown just 57 pitches. Carmen Mlodzinski, Kyle Nicolas, and even Colin Holderman did a nice job the next 4 innings. They gave up only 2 hits. Yohan Ramirez got the first two outs of the 9th. He gave up a home run and the shutout was lost. The 5 Pirate pitchers combined for 13 strikeouts. The offense was led by Andrew McCutchen and the AAA boys. McCutchen hit a 2 run homer in the 2nd. Jared Triolo did the same in the 3rd. The AAA boys went 4 for 8 for the game. Two of them are now hitting over .200. This is the 3rd straight year that Triolo has hit well in August and September. If you want a player to hit big in meaningless games, he is your guy.

Key Moments Of The Game: The top of the 2nd was Burrow’s only shaky inning. The Rockies had 1st and 3rd with 2 out. Yanquiel Fernandez hit a weak roller down the 3rd base line. IKF made a nice play and threw him out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 2nd the Pirates opened with a bang. Pham a line drive single. McCutchen line drive home run right down the left field line for a quick 2-0 lead. The bottom of the 3rd opened the same way. IKF a single, followed by a 404 foot blast by none other than Jared Triolo. The Pirates led 4-0. They were not threatened the rest of the game.

Next Game: This afternoon, Rockies in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are on Roku TV today so I don’t know how much of the game I will see today. Paul Skenes is going today as the Pirates go for the much needed sweep. The AAA boys should be out in full force today. I expect to see at least 3 play. They have been on a bit of a roll lately. It still does not change the fact that they stink. There is no chance that any of them are really going to help the Pirates make the playoffs someday.

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Pirates Morning Report: Pirates Double Their Pleasure

Final Score: Pirates 9 Rockies 0

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates shutout the Rockies with the double pitching performance of Braxton Ashcraft and Bubba Chandler. Ashcraft went 5 innings giving up just 1 hit. He struck out 6, walked 1 while throwing only 65 pitches. Chandler went the last 4 giving up 2 hits. He struck out 3, walking no one while throwing just 40 pitches. For a change the Pirates gave offensive support to such great pitching. They had 7 doubles and 3 players doubled their doubles by hitting home runs. Spencer Horwitz, Tommy Pham and hold on to your hats, Alexander Canario all went yard. The AAA boys had quite the game. They went 5 for 12. Jared Triolo has pulled his average up to .199. The pressure will be enormous for him the next game. Overall it was nice to see them bury the Rockies.

Key Moments Of The Game: Andrew McCutchen had the big hits early that got the Pirates rolling. In the bottom of the first he had a 2 out double that made the score 2-0. In the bottom of the second, back to back doubles by IKF and Horwitz made the score 3-0. McCutchen came up with runners on 1st and 3rd and 2 outs. He delivered another double and the Pirates led 5-0. Without those 2 big 2 out hits you never know how the game might have gone. The Pirates went long ball after that to win going away 9-0.

Next Game: Tonight, Rockies in Pittsburgh. After having some shaky outings previously Mike Burrows had a nice outing against the Cubs giving up 1 run over 5 innings. Even though the bullpen is well rested it would be nice to see Burrows throw 80 to 90 pitches if he is effective. It would also be nice to see the Pirates sweep the Rockies. They have a tough stretch over the next 13 games. The Cardinals on the road who are just so so. Then the Red Sox in Boston and the Dodgers and Brewers at home. If they go 6-7 during that stretch it will be a miracle.

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Pirates Morning Report: A Positive Report

I admit, this was a tough one. Let’s start with the man that the fans and media feel the most negative about, Ben Cherington. Two years ago he picked Paul Skenes over Dylan Crews. I for one thought he should have picked Crews. Boy, was I wrong. It’s too early to put Crews in the same category as Henry Davis but he has not produced at the MLB level. He has had some injuries but his slash line in 196 plate appearances is .209/.280/.360 for an OPS+ of 81. Last year he picked Konnor Griffin in the first round. At 19 years of age he is the no.1 prospect in all of baseball. He is in AA where he seems to be making the adjustment fine, getting 3 hits last night. Tremar Johnson who just turned 21 in June is doing better lately. In AA his line is .267/.347/.393 with 9 homers and 31 RBI’s.

The Pirate’ pitching staff is above league average in every important pitching stat except strike outs. I believe the Pirates should keep the pitching staff intact. The Pirates need offensive help but not as much as you think. If the Pirates had scored 4 runs in every game their record would be 68-60 at the moment. They would be right in the wild card hunt. Their league worse average is 3.51 per game. Scoring 4 runs per game would move them to 25th. This is just a half a run a game. They could easily do this in the free agent market. I do not see the need to weaken a strength.

Finally, the Pirates have 8 players whose OPS+ is between 99 and 91. This 1 to 9% below league average. Even though they have no one above league average it is the most they have had above 90. There are 34 games to go. If some of these players get hot the offense may have a nice stretch run. Of course these 8 players have to play. This blog is supposed to be all positive so I won’t mention who could be standing in their way.

Well there it is, a positive Pirate blog. I did my best. The Pirates open a 3 game series against the Rockies tonight. I have a feeling things will be back to normal tomorrow. I could be wrong and they might sweep the Rockies. If that happens there could be more positive blogs in the future. It would be a nice change.