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Pirates Morning Report, Put The Damn Ball in Play

Final Score: Pirates 0 Giants 2

How The 2023 Pirates Did: The bullpen pitched a nice game, giving up only 2 runs on 4 hits and 5 walks, while striking out 12. Mercano, Castro and Reynolds got 4 of the 5 hits but overall, it was just another bad day for the bats. Oneil Cruz had a particular bad day with the bat, striking out twice and grounding into a double play. The Pirates struck out 10 times and have struck out the 3rd most in baseball this year, heading for second place at this pace. The Pirate hitters are pretty much pathetic. At one time this year they were hitting the long ball but now have fallen to 17th in that category. OPS+ they are 27th and they are 28th in on base percentage. Hitting is just not in their DNA right now. It is a concern moving forward but it would be nice to see a game where the 28 and 29 year old rejects do not play.

Key Moment in The Game: Any time a Pirate came to bat with a runner in scoring position, you knew they were not going to get a hit. In the last 3 games they are 1 for 24 when a runner is in scoring position.

Next Game: Late afternoon, Giants, in San Francisco. The Pirates are 2 and 7 on this road trip. The bats have been very quiet on this trip and are unlikely to perk up tomorrow. The Pirates have been shutout 3 times in the last 9 games. They have been able to salvage at least one game per series, so who knows. Let’s hope that Cruz perks up a little bit if he gets to play. After all it is Sunday crazy lineup day.

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Pirates Morning Report, Gift Wrapped Win

Final Score: Pirates 3 Giants 5

How The 2023 Pirates Did: Right off the bat, Bryan Reynold had a horrible game. Misjudged a fly ball that cost the Pirates a run and was 0 for 5 with 3 strike outs. Wow! Other than that, it was a pretty good day for the 2023 team. The trio of Marcano, Cruz, and Castro, went 4 for 11 with one walk, and made some excellent defensive plays. Cruz had a particular good game with the bat, getting a home run and a triple and did not contribute to the Pirates 10 strike out performance. Chavis had a tough game at the plate and overall, the Pirates were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The bullpen did an ok job but gave up a big run in the 8th after there were 2 outs.

Key Moment of The Game: The Pirates had 1st and 2nd with no one out in the top of the 8th with Rudolfo Castro coming to bat who had homer and tripled earlier. Then Shelton decided to have him bunt. Why, as I always say, only The Shadow knows. Even though it was a pretty good bunt the Giant’s pitcher made a nice play and got the lead runner at third. The was just part of a gift wrapped win that the Pirates just handed the Giants. It was one of the dumbest moves Shelton made all year and he has made a ton of them. Are the Pirates aware of any analytics? Who the hell knows?

Next Game: Tonight, Giants in San Franscico. The Pirates are making sure that a top 5 draft pick will be theirs next year. Shelton is the perfect manager if you want to lose games. The starting lineup tonight should be another gem.

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Pirates Morning Report, Bullpen Implosion

Final Score: Pirates 3 Diamondbacks 9

How The 2023 Pirates Did: J. T. Brubaker pitched almost a carbon copy of the previous Mitch Keller game giving up 2 runs, on 3 hits, 2 walks, while striking out 6 and throwing 92 pitches, in just 5 innings. Not a great performance but adequate. Then the bullpen took over. Chase Dejong and Yerry De Los Santos, then gave up 7 runs on 5 hits, 3 walks, while striking out no one, in 1.1 innings. Relief pitchers are a volatile group. From one year to the next they can go from being great to being cut. Dejong and Santos have been good in the past but last night they got bombed. Both I think will contribute next year, but not if they pitch like that. It was not a good game for the 2023 position players either. Only Ke’Bryan Hayes had a decent game, collecting 2 hits and scoring a run. The other 2023 Pirates collected only 1 hit between them and stuck out 9 times. The Pirates continue to put out players that have no business being in the major leagues and hopefully they will not be on the team next year. When you are behind 9-3, is it really necessary to bat righties against left-handed pitching? Will the lefties that we have ever learn to hit left hand pitching if you limit their opportunities. The Pirates take them out when facing a left hander late in the game and then 2 days later will start them against a lefty. Maybe Shelton didn’t know what the score was.

Key Moment of The Game: When the Pirate bullpen took over the game. We did learn one thing yesterday. Dwayne Underwood Junior is very comfortable pitching when the Pirates trail by 6 runs. I am sure the Shadow put that in his little notebook.

Next Game: Tonight, Giants in San Francisco. Back to two date baseball again, as the game will start around 10pm. I would love to see the 2023 infield start one game this year. That would be Hayes, Cruz, Mercano/Castro, and Madris/Chavis. This is what Pirate fans do. They don’t hope for wins, they hope to see Major League players.

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Pirates Afternoon Report, That Was a Double Play

Final Score: Pirates 6 Diamondbacks 4

How The 2023 Pirates Did: Mitch Keller has pitched better games but still only gave up 3 runs on 5 hits and walk in 5.1 innings. Tucupita Marcano had a hit, got hit with a pitch and manufactured a run on shear speed in the top of the 4th. Rudolfo Castro had 2 hits and one of them a triple and was involved in the bizarre double play that squelched the potential ninth inning rally of the Diamondbacks. I thought Castro made a good play because he had the runner so dead to rights going to third. It was bonehead Kevin Newman who did not know it was not a force out at 3rd base. He should have just thrown the ball back to Castro right away to tag him out or a least get him in a run down. The bullpen did ok but again trying to get a 2nd inning out of Will Crowe proved to be disastrous. The 2023 team did contribute to 10 of the 12 times the Pirates struck out. Hayes and Reynolds just had so so games, with each getting one hit and scoring one run total. After the big pregame build up Michael Chavis hung an 0 for 5 collar with 3 strike outs.

Key Moment of The Game: The 2 out lightening in the 6th inning gave the Pirates the cushion that they would so desperately need. There were two outs and nobody on when Castro went triple, Greg Allen got a miracle double, and Marcano singled to give the Pirates 2 runs.

Next Game: In about 2 hours, Diamondbacks in Arizona. It will be so nice to see a game start and end on the same date. I just checked the starting lineup and Van Meter is back. This is so depressing that I just can’t type anymore. I was so hoping to see the 2023 infield. Good-bye.

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Pirates Noon Report, Let’s Take a Beating

Final Score: Pirates 4 Diamondbacks 6

Why The Pirates Lost: Dwayne Underwood Junior, who I said I would never write out his name again, was allowed to stay in the game in the bottom of 7th and take a nice pounding. In 1/3 of an inning, he gave up 4 runs, 5 hits, and walked 1 for good measure. Rumor has it that Shelton had to go take a dump between innings, and that was why the bullpen was not up sooner. No more Southwest cuisine for you Shadow. Hopefully we won’t have to go through DUJ pitching next year. I spelled out his name because that performance needed full disclosure. You’re not going to win many games when your 1st two batters and your last 2 batters go 0 for 15. Michael Chavis had a big game in a losing cause with 2 home runs and 3 RBI’s. It could have been a winning cause if anyone would have cared enough to take DUJ out of the game after the 2nd hit.

Key Moment of The Game: When Shelton fell asleep at the wheel, again. A top 5 draft choice looks like a lock now.

Next Game: Tonight, Diamondbacks, in Arizona. The Pirates have 52 games left in the season. Since it is obvious that the Pirate management team is continuing to try to lose games, by starting horrible players and not making any in game moves to win games, the report will take a slightly different format. Instead of discussing why the Pirates loss, that can simply be answered by saying because they want to, there will be a new segment, how the 2023 Pirates played. These are the players that are going to lead the Pirates to the promised land next season. This will end any mention of about one third to half the team. From this point on I will only write about players that are going to have an impact on the 2023 season.

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Pirates Morning Report, Silence of The Bats

Final Score: Pirates 0 Diamondbacks 3

Why The Pirates Lost: The bats were very quiet again, in fact they barely made a sound. The Pirates struck out 11 times, managed only 3 singles, and it was a clinic on how to make soft contact. The “bullpen game” fared better giving up only 3 runs but it was not enough. The only good news of the day was that Oneil Cruz did not strike out last night. It’s a shame when you bring in 2 pinch hitters to the plate and neither one of them are hitting over .185, why bother. Of course, they both struck out. A basic, lack luster game for the Pirates. Ke’Bryan Hayes got a scheduled rest day to help his tired old body. Seemed like the entire team took the night off, so they should be ready tonight. The Pirates made some hesitations on some throws that possibly could have kept the Diamondbacks off the board. In the end, I don’t think the Pirates would have scored a run last night, even with the extra inning rule.

Key Moment of The Game: With score 1-0 Diamondbacks, Bryan Reynolds drew a one out walk, in the top of the 7th. Ben Gamel hit a blooper out to center that dropped in and was deflected by centerfielder Alek Thomas. Reynolds had a difficult read but once the ball was dropped, he headed for third. There was hesitation, but that was before the catch. The ball was picked up by Dalton Varsho, who made a perfect throw to nail Reynolds at third. Despite what the Pirate broadcast booth said, this was more of a great throw by Varsho, than a base running gaffe by Reynolds. The Pirates make enough blunders, but this was not one of them.

The Next Game: Tonight, Diamondbacks in Arizona. The good news is that the Diamondbacks just about have as much trouble scoring runs as the Pirates. Hopefully we will show a little more life than last night. A well-rested Hayes should have at least 4 hits tonight with 2 Home Runs.

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Pirates Morning Report, Done In By The Baltimore Chop.

Final Score: Pirates 8 Orioles 1

Why The Pirates Won: Things did not look all that good for the Pirates in the early going. The first 13 Pirate batters made outs and the Orioles only run came on what could only be described as a cheap home run. Then with 1 out in the top of the fifth Michael Chavis hit a big Baltimore Chop that the Oriole 3rd basemen had to field over his shoulder and by the time he threw, Chavis had beat it out for the Pirates’s first hit and base runner. From that point on the Pirates blooped, seeing eye ground hit, and soft line drived their way to 2 runs. A wild pitch and a force out gave the Pirates another run and a 3-1 lead. The Pirates continued to add on with 1 in the 6th and 4 more in the 7th to seal the win. The Pirates made the most of 9 hits and 3 walks to score 8 runs. Overall, a very nice win for the Pirates to avoid the sweep.

Key Moment of The Game: It was not so much a key moment, but it was the overall ability of the Pirates to extend the lead and turn this into a rare easy victory. Bryse Wilson pitched well for the 5 innings plus, but I thought it was an unnecessary hook for Wilson after he gave up the lead off hit in the 6th. He had thrown only thrown 69 pitches and was still looking very good. However, The Shadow wants to wear out those new members of the bullpen, just as fast as he did with the first half relievers. After all, fair is fair.

Next Game: Late night, Diamondbacks, in Arizona. We will see if this game gives the Pirates any momentum heading into Arizona. It would be nice to see a lineup that does not have a player who is approaching 30 and stinks. I really don’t care if they have a pretty good game or not. This is not helping the players that are going to form the winning core for this team by sitting on the bench. The only way you make progress in baseball is to play. Hopefully management will see the light, but I doubt it.

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Pirates Morning Report, Doubles, Anyone.

Final Score: Pirates 3 Orioles 6

Why The Pirates Lost: The pitching just was not there last night. They were touched up for 6 runs, 11 hits and gave up 6 walks. They were lucky that the Orioles only scored 6 runs. It could have been much worse. The Orioles left 12 runners on base and were just 3 for 13 with runners in scoring position. In the first 2 games of the series the Orioles have hit 8 doubles. The Pirate’s bats woke up a little bit with Cruz hitting a 2-run homer and Hayes driving in a run in the 6th. Still, they only managed to get 6 hits for the game. One of those hits was by that dynamic duo of Allen and Van Meter. They went 1 for 5 to keep those averages below .200. It was really good to see those two get some playing time, so the young players could see how not to play baseball. They heavily contribute to every loss. But this loss has to be put on the pitchers. Chase De Jong went so far as to allow a run without giving up a hit by walking 3 batters in one inning. Here, take that extra run to help ensure victory, you don’t even have to swing.

Key Moment of The Game: The Orioles were making an effort to help the Pirates get back into the game by hitting a batter, then walking a batter to start the top of the 8th. Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a sharp ground ball just to the left of second base and Oriole shortstop, Jorge Mateo made a nice diving stop and flipped the ball to second while still on the ground to start a double play which essentially ended the threat.

Next Game: This afternoon, Orioles in Baltimore. I knew it would not be long before Van Meter made it back in the starting lineup to help lose some games. Will they have enough balls to do it 2 games in a row. Bryce Wilson starts tomorrow which does not bode well for avoidance of a sweep. Van Meter or Allen may not need to play.

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Pirates Morning Report, Just a Baseball Thing

Final Score: Pirates 0 Orioles 1

Why The Pirates Lost: When you don’t score any runs you lose. Getting away from the Brewers pitching staff seemed to silence the bats. There were some interesting takes from the game. The Pirates only struck out 6 times and Oneil Cruz had 3 of them. These new Pirates are at least putting the ball in play more. Apparently, Manny Banuelos could start the 8th last night and go into the 9th but could not face Kolton Wong on Wednesday in the top of the 10th. In the top of the 8th Shelton pinch hit for Cal Mitchell, with Greg Allen who is hitting .129 because there was a left hander in the game. Cal Mitchell’s splits are almost exactly the same against right and left hand pitching. Too bad Shelton did not get ejected earlier. Mitch Keller for the second game in a row danced through the raindrops and gave up only 1 run in 6 innings even though he did not have a 1-2-3 inning. It was another gritty tough performance by Keller, but despite what the Pirate website says, it was not a gem. All in all, it was a tough loss for the Buccos.

The Key Moment of the Game: Three times was a charm for the Orioles. They had led off with doubles in the 1st and the 3rd but could not bring them around to score. In the 6th, they led off with a double which set up the only run of the game. They needed a ball that hit Keller in the foot and seeing eye ground ball between Hayes and Cruz to finally score. The Pirates had a couple of minor threats late in the game but could not get the job done.

Next Game: Late afternoon, Orioles in Baltimore. The big question, is this the day that Van Meter gets back in the lineup? I can’t wait to find out. Do you think the Pirate management team ever look at analytics during the game? With the moves they make, or sometimes the lack of moves, it could not be possible. I will be curious to see if the bats can make a comeback today.

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Pirates Morning Report, Who’s on First.

Final Score: Pirates 5 Brewers 4 10 innings

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates did it all yesterday. The bullpen did the job, as they technically did not give up an earned run, although they came close. Two great defensive plays saved the day for them. Again, the Pirates offense thrived on Brewer pitching, getting 5 runs on 12 hits, 3 walks, striking out only 4 times. Let that sink in for a while, they only struck out 4 times. The highlight of the game may have been when Bob Walk and Greg Brown were trying to figure out when and how Christian Yelich was ejected from the game, followed by the ejection of Craig Counsell. Walk and Brown have nothing on Abbot and Costello’s who’s on first. They were so engrossed trying to figure it out, that they almost ignored the game as the Pirates were in the process of tying it up. Walk was so confused it was hilarious. Who got tossed from the game? Yelich. Who? Yelich After he ran out onto the field? No. He ran out onto the field and then got tossed. No. I don’t think Counsell got tossed. Yes, he did. It didn’t look it. Well, he did. Did what? Got tossed from the game. When? Before Yelich. For running out onto the field. No, Yelich was tossed before that. Are you sure? Not really. Is Counsell in the dugout? Let’s look. It went on and on.

Key Moment of The Game: In the top of the 9th the Brewers loaded the bases on a double, an intentional walk and a hit batsman, with one out. Tyrone Taylor hit a hard ground ball right down the third base line, that Ke’Bryan Hayes made a great backhanded stop , then stepped calmly on the bag at third and threw to first for a spectacular inning ending double play. Ben Gamel made a great catch in the top of the 10th to end that inning with the bases loaded. DUJ, after getting 2 men out in the 10th, completely imploded while The Shadow was still trying to figure out if Yelich was still in the game and if Counsell was still on the bench and did not see the need to get DUJ out of the game. Gamel’s catch saved the day.

Next Game: Tonight, Orioles in Baltimore. It will be interesting to see if the bats can continue to hit after getting away from Brewer pitching or was this just one of those crazy baseball things, like the Pirates beating the Dodgers 5 out of 6 games. The lineup looks good with the young guys in there. The most impressive of the group so far has been Tucupita Marcano who has been hitting well. His defense has never been questioned but he seemed to have problems with the bat at almost every level. He looks great at the plate right now and if that continues, he would be a great asset to this team.