Tag: .071 pinch hitter

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 2 BRAVES 4

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: THIS IS THE KIND OF GAME YOU SEE WHEN ONE TEAM THAT IS VERY HOT IS PLAYING A TEAM THAT IS VERY COLD. THE BRAVES MADE THE PLAYS, THE PIRATES DID NOT. ROANSY CONTRERAS PITCHED OK BUT GAVE UP A HOME RUN AND GOT NICKED UP FOR RUNS IN THE 4TH AND 5TH. THE PIRATES TRIED TO MAKE A GAME OF IT BY GETTING 2 RUNS IN THE TOP OF THE 8TH, BUT ALL IN ALL, ANOTHER BAD DAY FOR THE OFFENSE. SECOND STRAIGHT GAME WHERE THEY STRUCK OUT 13 TIMES. TRAVIS SWAGGERTY’S CAREER MAY HAVE BEEN RUIN BECAUSE HE WAS PINCH HIT FOR BY YU CHANG. NATURALLY HE STRUCK OUT, BUT THE PSYCHOLOGICAL DAMAGE TO SWAGGERTY COULD BE CAREER ENDING. YOU ARE PINCH HIT FOR BY A MAN BATTING .071. I HAVE TO WONDER IF THAT HAS EVER HAPPENED IN THE HISTORY OF BASEBALL AFTER JUNE 1. IT WAS THE PIRATES 4TH LOSS IN A ROW WITH MORE TO COME.

THE KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: KE’BRYAN HAYES LED OFF THE TOP OF THE 8TH AND WAS AHEAD IN THE COUNT 3 BALLS AND 0 STRIKES. HE TOOK THE NEXT PITCH FOR A STRIKE BUT SWUNG AT THE NEXT TWO PITCHES THAT WERE BOTH INSIDE TO STRIKE OUT. THIS WAS FOLLOWED UP BY TWO SINGLES AND A DOUBLE WHICH MADE THE SCORE 4-1 AND THE PIRATES HAD 2ND AND 3RD WITH ONE OUT. IF HAYES WOULD HAVE WALKED LIKE HE SHOULD HAVE, THE SCORE WOULD HAVE BEEN 4-2 AND THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN 2ND AND 3RD WITH NO ONE OUT. THERE IS NO TELLING WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IN THAT SENARIO.

NEXT GAME: LATE AFTERNOON, BRAVES IN ATLANTA. THE PIRATE MANAGEMENT TEAM CONTINUES TO MAKE DECISIONS THAT CONTRIBUTE GREATLY TO PIRATE LOSSES. I AM SURE THAT WE WILL SEE YU CHANG BACK IN THE STARING LINE UP. THE 5TH STRAIGHT LOSS IS A FORE GONE CONCLUSION. HOWEVER, WE WILL STILL WATCH, JUST TO GET A GOOD LAUGH.