Category: sports

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Pirates Morning Report: The A’s Said Take It. The Pirates Finally Said Yes.

Final Score: Pirates 5 A’s 4

Why The Won Pirates Won: The A’s made sure of it. They gave up 10 walks, had little discipline at the plate, and dropped a blooper that was generously ruled a hit, that allowed the Pirates to score 5 runs. The Pirates scored all 5 runs on what was essentially non-hits. The blooper that was dropped, 2 walks with the bases loaded, and 2 sacrifice flies. The Pirates were 1 for 7 with runners in scoring position and left 9 runners on base. The one hit was the bloop “double” by Connor Joe. Oviedo pitched pretty well going 7 innings, giving up 3 runs, 2 earned, 2 walks, while striking out 5. The bullpen was shaky but scraped by thanks to the A’s. The top of 8th was another gift-wrapped job by the A’s. Rob Zastryzny gave a nice DFA performance giving up a walk, a double, a line drive out, and another walk to allow the A’s to tie the game, 4-4. Angel Perdomo came in and hit a batter on an 0-2 pitch to load the bases. He goes 3 and 1 on the next batter but threw the next 3 pitches in the strike zone, to strike the batter out. Nick Allen came to the plate to help the Pirates out. Perdomo threw the next 5 pitches out of the strike zone but fortunately Allen swung at 2 of them. Did he use to play for the Pirates? The 6th pitch was finally in the zone, and he flew out to center to end the inning.

Key Moment Of The Game: Colin Holderman came on to pitch the 9th, and you knew it was going to be exciting. Esteury Ruiz led off with a base hit up the middle. The Pirates threw him out trying to steal on a bang-bang play, where he never had his lead hand on the bag. Thank you, A’s. Then Holderman gives up a double. A bit of bad luck, as a bloop fell in for a hit and the A’s had runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Somehow Holderman buckled down, like he usually does, and got a short fly ball to centerfield that could not score the run. He struck out the last batter and the Pirates had a 5-4, thank you very much, win to climb 5 games over .500 into first place.

Next Game: Tonight, the A’s in Pittsburgh. Hopefully the Pirates will play better tonight. You cannot depend on a team giving you 3 straight games. We do have Keller going tonight and this would be a good time for him to get back on track. The Pirates need 2 more wins.

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Pirates Morning Report: Rich Hill Does It Again

Final Score: Pirates 2 Cardinals 1

Why The Pirates Won: Rich Hill went up against another very hot pitcher and outpitched him through 6 and2/3 innings. The Pirates scored their 2 runs in the first inning after 2 were out. There was a lot of traffic on the base paths during the first 3 innings. In fact, there was not a 3 up 3 down half inning until the bottom of the 4th inning. Hill followed up with two 3 up 3 down innings in the 5th and 6th. Despite all the base runners, the Pirates could only score those 2 first inning runs, and the Cardinals did not score at all. The Pirates were 2 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left 9 men stranded. The Cardinals failed to get a hit in 6 tries with runners in scoring position and left 8 men on base. The Cardinals broke through in the top of the 7th when Andrew Knizner hit a solo home run to make the score 2-1. Yohan Ramirez pitched a perfect 8th and Bedar got the save allowing a hit with 2 outs but striking out the last batter to give the Pirates their 5th win in a row.

Key Moment Of The Game: The first inning set the tone for the game. Tommy Edman opened the game with a double that Jack Suwinski almost made a spectacular catch on but probably kept it from being a triple. Paul Goldschmidt moved him over to third on a fly ball to right. The Cardinals kept Nolan Gorman in the 3rd slot even though he hits only .227 against left handers, and Hill was able to strike him out. Then Hill did what he does best. He got Nolan Arenado to hit a bullet right at Ke’Bryan Hayes to end the inning. Contrast that with what the Pirates did in the bottom of the first. With one out Reynolds and Suwinski had back to back singles to put runners on 1st and 2nd. Carlos Santana popped out for out number 2. Ke’Bryan Hayes then hit a hard ground ball off the glove of Goldschmidt for a single to load the bases. Ji Hwan Bae hit a soft line drive single to center to drive in the 2 runs. Hill and the bullpen were able to make the 2 runs stand up to pull out the win.

Next Game: Tonight, the A’s in Pittsburgh. The Pirates must keep the momentum going against the team with the worst record in baseball. Let’s hope they do not pull a Mike Tomlin Steeler’s move and play down to their competition. This is a must win 2 out of 3 games or this 5 game win streak has been wasted. The Pirates need to bury the A’s.

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Pirates Morning Report: Pattern Broken Equals 4 Wins In A Row

Final Score: Pirates 4 Cardinals 3

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates were able to survive an impromptu bullpen game, where everyone did not perform all that well. Overall, the bullpen was solid with the two newest members, Angel Perdomo and Yerry De Los Santos performing very well. I will have to come up with an abbreviation for Santos. His name is longer than the dearly departed DUJ. On the offense side of the ball, they were able to produce some 2 out lightening, scoring all 4 runs after 2 were out. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit another home run. Not a misprint. Colin Holderman who has been solid but always seems to keep it interesting, did a little more than that in the bottom of the 8th. He could only get through 4 batters getting one out, then giving up a single, home run and a walk. Shelton made the move and Yohan Ramirez made him look good, by getting 2 outs on only 8 pitches. Bednar gave up one hit in the 9th, but nothing else, and the Pirates had the 4-3 win to move to 30-27

Key Moments Of The Game: Another frustrating day for the Cardinals as they could not do much with 6 hits and 4 walks. They were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position and left 7 men on base for the game. On the other hand, the Pirates had the big 2 out run scoring 6th inning. It opened with a rare Nolan Arenado error. After two were out, pinch runner Ji Hwan Bae was at 2nd base. Bryan Reynolds walked. On a 3-2 pitch, Connor Joe ripped a double off the base of the left field fence to score the 2 runs. Carlos Santana followed with a pop up down the left field line that fell in for a hit and the Pirates had 3 unearned runs. That fluky little 4th run proved to be the difference in the ball game.

Next Game: This afternoon, Cardinals in Pittsburgh. Miles Mikolas goes for the Cardinals today and he has not given up a run in 15 innings. Rich Hill goes for the Pirates and the last time he hadn’t given up a run in 15 innings was when he was in high school. Just kidding! The last time Hill faced a similar situation the Pirates rocked the starting pitcher and Hill threw 6 shutout innings. If that happens again the Pirates will get the sweep. Finally, the pattern of the team that won the first game of the series lost the series ended yesterday. That has happened in the last 4 series that the Pirates have played, and it only went their way once. Ok boys let’s sweep those damn Cardinals.

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Pirates Morning Report: From 5 Batters, 5 Runs To Great Comeback Win

Final Score: Pirates 7 Cardinals 5

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates had a huge bottom of the 7th scoring 6 runs highlighted by Ke’Bryan( That’s Right I Did It) Hayes’ 3 run home run, followed by Josh(Maybe I’m Not Just A Triple A Player) Palacios’ solo home run to cap a big comeback from a 5-0 deficit. Roansy Contreras had one of the oddest pitching performances of the season. The first 2 and 2/3 innings he gives one hit, strikes out 5 with no walks. The next 5 batters all get hits, including 2 home runs, scoring 5 runs. The next 1 and 1/3 innings he gives up 1 hit and strikes out another batter. He threw 83 pitches in those 4 innings and his day was done. What happened with those 5 batters? The Pirate bullpen did “shut down” the Cardinals the rest of the way but it was harrowing.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates’ two 2 out homers in the bottom of the 7th were huge, but the Cardinals inability to add on after scoring 5 runs, despite the Pirates’ pitchers trying their best to give them runs was the key to this victory. How about these 2 pitching lines. Rob Zastrysny, 1 inning, 1 walk, 2 hits but 0 runs. Cody Bolton was even “better”, 1 and 2/3 innings, 4 walks, 2 hits, but 0 runs. Bolton threw 46 pitches and only 18 were strikes. The Cardinals loaded the bases 3 straight innings but could not score a run. As it turned out, this certainly cost them the game, and the Pirates won their 3rd straight in spectacular fashion to improve to 29-27.

Next Game: This afternoon, the Cardinals, in Pittsburgh. The Pirates send Luis Ortiz to the mound to break the pattern of what happens to the team that wins the first game of the series. Will the Pirates be able to get on a roll on this homestand? Any games in June you cannot consider critical but if this team is going to contend, now is the time to step up and yesterday, they did it big time. It is time to make a move.

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Pirates Morning Report: A Resounding Yes, Twice

Final Score: Pirates 9 Giants 4

Why The Pirates Won: I asked two questions at the end of yesterday’s report. Could the Pirates win the series and could they squeeze 4or 5 runs out of this pathetic offense. They did both in a big way. They scored 9 runs on 14 hits and 3 walks. They took the lead in the top of the 2nd and added on nicely the rest of the way. Mitch Keller for the 2nd straight game did not pitch all that well, but the Pirates gave him great run support and the manager finally took him out at the right time. Despite the nonsense that comes from Pirate broadcast booth, the fact of the matter is he has given up 10 runs in his last 12+ innings of work. I am not worried about these last 2 performances, but let’s say what they are, even if he does strikeout 8 or more batters. They are poor performances for your so-called ace of the staff. The bullpen shut the Giants down over the last 3 innings, with even Robert Stephenson having a nice 1,2,3 inning in the bottom of the 8th. I would be remiss in not mentioning that Chris Owings had another great game. He popped bunted into a double play and struck out 3 straight times. He did manage to hit some foul balls. The Pirates pulled themselves over .500 at 28-27 and are one game out of first place heading into June.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates had 9 singles and many of them just got by the Giant’s infielder. None were bigger than Bryan Reynolds’ 2 out single in the top of the 4th to make the score 6-2 that, was just out of the reach of the Giant’s second baseman. The Pirates were ahead 8-3 going into the bottom of the 6th when the Giants got two singles to put runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. Casy Schmitt barely missed a home run that Bryan Reynolds made a nice catch on, up against the left field fence. It did score a run, but if he had pulled it just a touch for a home run the score would have been 8-6. You never know what might have happened after that.

Next Game: Tomorrow, the Cardinals in Pittsburgh. The Pirates open a 9 game homestand tomorrow, with the Cardinals, the A’s and the Mets coming to town. It would be nice to see at the very least, a 6-3 homestand. So far, the Pirates have not really been tearing it up a home. They are 12-13 at home and this is not an acceptable record for a team that may contend for a playoff spot. This would be the perfect time to turn this around with a successful homestand. It was a rough May to say the least. The Pirate web site said they “stumbled a bit”. They stumbled all right, but unfortunately, they were at the edge of the Grand Canyon. They did come out of May with some momentum. We will see if they can carry it into June.

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Pirates Morning Report: Surviving Walks, Going To The A Team

Final Score: Pirates 2 Giants 1

Why The Pirates Won: The Giants could not take advantage of the Pirate’s generosity. The Giants had runners on base in every inning, but the bottom of the 9th, and could only score 1 run. Johan Oviedo was only able to pitch 4 and 1/3 innings giving up only the 1 run on 3 hits, but walked 5, while striking out 5. He threw 92 pitches in the brief outing. The Giants were 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position but it seemed worse than that. Every runner that got on base in the first 8 innings got on with less than 2 outs and 5 times with nobody out. The Giants only scored in the 1st inning. After Oviedo left in the 5th inning, the A bullpen took over. They did issue two more walks over the last 4 and2/3 innings but were dominate most of the way, with David Bednar having the first 3up, 3 down inning of the game, in the bottom of the 9th, with 2 strikeouts. The Pirate offense was not much better, but they found out that if you give you shall receive. The go ahead run scored in the top of the 5th on a wild pitch. Rodolfo Castro would have not even been on third base if Jason Delay’s single had not been misplayed by the left fielder.

Key Moments Of The Game: There were many, but in the bottom of the 5th, the Giants were able to move two runners into scoring position, thanks to Ji Hwan(I’m Still Trying To Understand Baseball) Bae making a nonchalant throw on a fly ball to medium right centerfield. Thankfully Dauri Moreta got the next Giant batter to hit a weak ground ball to third and the inning was over. In the bottom of the 6th the Giants led off with a single. One out later Jose Hernandez entered the game. On his 3rd pitch Ed Bailey lined a shot down the line, but right at Conner Joe for an unassisted double play, to end the inning. They had men on base in the 7th and 8th but could not advance them. The lack of the big hit helped the Pirates climb back up to .500 at 27-27

Next Game: This afternoon, the Giants in San Franscisco. Can the Pirates do the impossible and win the series to have a .500 road trip? They do have Mitch Keller taking the mound today. He did not have the best outing last time out, but I think he will come through today. The Pirate offense, now that’s another question. Could you please squeeze out at least 4-5 runs? That’s not asking too much is it? You cannot depend on wild pitches for the rest of the season.

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Pirates Morning Report: The Pattern Is Broken

Final Score: Pirates 4 Giants 14

Why The Pirates Lost: A complete pitching collapse with 2 horrible innings. Rich (The Old) Hill gave up 5 runs in the 2nd and Cody(The Young) Bolton gave up 8 in the 7th in just 1/3 inning of work. I don’t know if this is good news but the Pirates broke the pattern of winning the first game of the series, which they have done over the last 3 series. Then they would lose the next 2 to lose the series. Now, of course, they could be swept. The offense did a little better but still only produced 4 runs with Jack Suwinski hitting 2 useless home runs. They were 1for 9 with runners in scoring position or they may have gotten closer when it was still a game. One oddity,especially in today’s game, the Pirates did not walk and struck out only 3 times. They had 7 non home run hits so they put the ball in play 31 times.

Key Moment Of The Game: Probably the 2 run, 2 out homer by Austin Slater to make the score 5-0 in the bottom of the 2nd. Let’s face it, in a game like this there really aren’t any “key moments”. They did manage to cut the lead to 6-3, but Cody Bolton decided to throw batting practice and it was a blowout.

Next Game: Tonight, Giants in San Francisco. There is no question things look mighty bleak for the Pirates right now. Sometimes a game like this is the game that can turn things around. Remember, this slide started right after the Pirates blew out the Nationals 16-1. The Pirates will need to step it up in every phase of the game if they are going to turn this around. Or maybe we are just going to need another calendar flip to June to get back on track.

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Pirates Morning Report: The Pattern Continues

Final Score: Pirates 3 Mariners 6, in 10 innings

Why The Pirates Loss: The Pirates failed at the plate in situational hitting. They were 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position. They failed to move runners over in key situations. The Pirates continue to bat Ke’Bryan Hayes too high in the order and in this game it cost them dearly. Luis Ortiz was not efficient only going 5 innings, throwing 99 pitches. He gave up 3 runs, 5 hits, walking 4, while striking out 6. He gave up 2 home runs that barely left the park. Another hard luck day for the young right handed. The Pirates lost their 3rd series in a row in the same bizarre manner. They win the opening game. They lose the next 2 games in the series. One they lose by a wide margin. The other they lose in heart breaking fashion. After the great start, the Pirates stand at 26-26.

Key Moments Of The Game: In the top of the 9th, the Pirates had a runner on 2nd with nobody out and failed to score. They were worse in the top of the 10th, having runners on 1st and 3rd with nobody out and failed to score. In the 10th, Connor Joe may have had the worst at bat of the season, taking 2 strikes, then striking out on a ball in the dirt. The Mariners knew what they were doing when they walked Rodolfo Castro to load the bases to get to Hayes. He did hang tough but ended up striking out to leave runners in scoring position with 2 out for the fourth time. The Pirates chose Robert (They Think I Can Still Pitch) Stephenson to start the bottom of the 10th and you knew the game was over. He threw an 86 MPH slider right in the heart of the plate and Eugenio Suarez crushed it for the walk off home run. Hayes got the same type of pitch in the top of the inning and chose to take it for a called strike. Enough said.

Next Game: This afternoon, the Giants in San Francisco. Rich Hill takes the mound today for the Pirates and you almost hope they lose today to break the pattern. They say all things must come to an end but I don’t know about this stretch that the Pirates are on. They just can’t seem to get any momentum going. There have been many factors but they are just not playing good baseball and they are paying the price.

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Pirates Morning Report: It Was Just A Blip

Final Score: Pirates 0 Mariners 5

Why The Pirates Lost: The Pirates went from 7 home runs to 2 hits and 17 strikeouts. Suwinski, Hayes, and Santana each struck out 3 times. They did manage 3 walks but were 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position. Vince Velasquez could only go 2 innings before having elbow discomfort again. His whole day was nothing but bad luck. The offense went south big time and the Pirates fell to 26-25.

Key Moment Of The Game: It looked like Velasquez might get out of the 1st inning with only 1 run scoring after giving up opening doubles back to back to start the game. He got the next two batters to fly out. On the first pitch to Eugenio Suarez, he checked his swing, and blooped a hit just over the head of Bae to score the 2nd run. The Mariners added 2 more hits to extend the lead 3-0. We did not know at the time that the Pirates would be reverting back to their punchless selves. The game was essentially over after one inning.

Next Game: This afternoon, Mariners in Seattle. Luis Ortiz will take the mound for the Pirates today coming off his best career start. Can the Pirates finally win a series? If they don’t they will drop to .500. Maybe this will be a one game hitting slump. Yesterday was just a plain old depressing loss. Today, just has to be better.

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Pirates Morning Report: From Punchless To Punchout

Final Score: Pirates 11 Mariners 6

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates exploded for a record tying 7 home runs. Mitch Keller did not have his best stuff last night and did get roughed up for 6 runs, 7 hits, 2 walks, while striking out 8. What is amazing is that the Pirates let him come out for the 7th inning this time. He promptly gave up a walk and a home run to make the score 10-6. Since we won, we won’t need the long nonsensical explanation we got the last time when they took him out after 6 innings. They must have loved the way he was pitching from the stretch last night, since he got to do it so much.

The Key Moment Of The Game: In the top of the 5th Bryan Reynolds tripled in 2 runs with nobody out. The next 2 Pirate batters made outs that did not score the run, and it looked like for the 2nd time in the game they were not going to get a runner in from 3rd with less than 2 outs, and the score would remain 4-2. Jack Suwinski ended all that thinking when he took a 1-1 curveball and smashed it into the right field seats. Ke’Bryan Hayes followed with another homer and the Pirates had a 7-2 lead. They continued to add onto their lead and won the game fairly easily.

Next Game: This Afternoon, Mariners in Seattle. Vince Velasquez makes his return to the rotation today hopefully to start up right where he left off. This is the third series in a row that the Pirates have won the first game. In the previous two they lost the next 2 games. That pattern needs to stop today. Will the offense continue to produce or was this just a blip, like before, on the radar. This will determine their success.