The Pirates beat the Tigers 4-2 to finish the season 82-80. It was nice to see Konnor Griffin lead off the game with a home run. It was also nice to see Mason Montgomery bounce back from his blown save on Saturday. He did not throw a curve ball yesterday. Another nostalgic moment as a second Pirate played his last game in the Major Leagues, Billy Cook. He went out with a bang getting a double that drove in a run and he later scored the final run of the season. This winter he is one of the three nominees for the Wasted Roster Spot award. No matter how you spin this season it wound up being a big disappointment. This team had the talent to make the playoffs but was mismanaged into mediocrity.
I will be traveling a lot during the next week which will cut into my ability to watch the wild card round of the playoffs. Here are my fearless predictions. Red Sox over the Yankees. White Sox over the Astros. Padres over the Cubs. Braves over Phillies. I would love to see a Rays-Brewers World Series especially with the labor dispute looming over the horizon. Playoff baseball is my favorite time of the year.
