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.
The Goofy Game of Golf/Life Searching for the Answer 