Tag: Hitless Wonders

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Pirates Morning Report: You Can’t Steal First

Final Score: Pirates 0 Reds 4

Why The Pirates Lost: They only got 2 hits. They had 10 hits for the entire series. The last 23 batters did not get on base. At the end of the game, 7 of the 9 starters did not have a batting average over .200. This could be one of the worst offenses in the history of baseball after it is all said and done. They have 6 players on their active roster that have batting averages under .150. You have heard of the Mendoza line. This is the the Pirate line. As long as you can hit over .125 you can play for us. The rest of the Pirates’ game was not bad. They did not commit an error. The bullpen threw shutout ball over the last 3 and 2/3 innings. The Pirates are solidly in last place with a less than 1% chance of making the playoffs. It is April 14th. Congratulations to the Pirate organization.

Key Moments Of The Game. In the first two innings the Pirates had scoring opportunities. In the 1st they had runners on 1st and 2nd with one out. In the 2nd they had a runner on 3rd with one out. Hunter Greene was able to keep the Pirates from scoring. Little did we know at the time that the Pirates would not get a man on base the rest of the game. The Reds scratched out 2 runs in 3rd and 2 runs in the 5th. For the third consecutive game walks haunted the Pirates’ pitching staff. Every game the Pirates offense haunts this pitching staff.

Next Game: Tonight, the Nationals in Pittsburgh. I am sure the Pirates will be happy to get home to a packed house of their adoring fans. Paul Skenes will pitch tonight. For the first time in his career he will have to have a bounce back start. How long will it take the Pirates to get their first man on base. What ridiculous lineup and batting order will The Shadow cook up tonight. Let’s start with the leadoff hitter. Let me make one suggestion. ANDREW MCCUTCHEN. You don’t even have to pay me for that no brainer suggestion.

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Pirates Morning Report: Pirates More Inept Than Blue Jays

Final Score: Pirates 3 Blue Jays 5 in 14 innings.

Why The Pirates Lost: From the bottom of the 9th on there were 11 times that a team had a runner on 2nd base with nobody out and they failed to score 6 times. The Pirates did not get a hit the last 8 innings of the game. The fundamental of situational hitting went out the window for both teams. Inept hitting was pretty much equal, although the Blue Jays did get a huge 2 out hit in the bottom of the 11th to tie the game 2-2. Of course, baseball fans would not have been put through such an appalling performance by both teams stretching out for 14 innings if Ji Hwan Bae had not lost a big high lazy fly ball in God knows what by none other than Daniel “The Turtle” Vogelbach, that tied the game 1-1 in the bottom of the 7th. All of this wasted another solid performance by Bailey (It Was Shelton’s) Falter again. Over 6 innings he gave up 2hits and 2 walks throwing only 81 pitches. Shelton then decides to take him out for a bullpen that stinks. Sure enough, the combination of Colin Holderman and Ji Hwan (Blind As A Bat) Bae gave the Blue Jays their tying run. Five of the Pirate starters hung big O for collars led by Connor Joe going 0 for 6. Grandal and Reynolds were next going 0 for 5. Stop the presses Rawhide Rowdy did get a hit.

Key Moments Of The Game: If you count ineptness there were about 25 key moments to this game. No question the big hit by George Springer in the bottom of the 11th with 2outs to tie the game 2-2 kept the Blue Jays alive to play another mediocre 3 innings. What really hurt was it was on a 1-2 count. Hunter Strickland decided to throw a four-seam fastball right out over the plate. This was the 21st inept moment. The walk off homer to win the game again with 2 outs was huge, if for no other reason it put the fans out of their misery. The Pirates lost another game to a floundering team to put their record at a floundering 26-31

Next Game: This afternoon, Blue Jays in Toronto. Mitch Keller starts today and has looked great his last 4 outings. The interest is high for this game to see how many innings the Pirates can go without getting a hit. Right now, it stands at 8. The Blue Jays are throwing a lefty so it will be unlikely that Tellez will get 2 starts in a row, but with Shelton you never know. This guy rolls the dice like managing is gambling in Vegas, and not a thought out skill. He has the record to prove it too.

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Pirates Morning Report:

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 1 TIGERS 3

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: THE BATS REALLY FELL ASLEEP IN THIS GAME. HAYES AND REYNOLDS WERE PARTICULARLY BAD GOING 0 FOR 7 WITH 2 STRIKEOUTS EACH. THE FEEBLE OFFENSE COULD ONLY GET 4 HITS. MITCH KELLER PITCHED AN OK 6 INNINGS, CONSIDERING THE TIGERS ARE THE WORSE OFFENSIVE TEAM IN BASEBALL. THIS TIME THE BULLPEN DID NOT COME THROUGH GIVING UP RUNS IN THE 8TH AND 9TH INNINGS. THERE WAS SOME BAD LUCK INVOLVED AS THE TIGERS REALLY DID NOT PUT A LOT OF POWER TO THE BALL. IT WAS GOOD ENOUGH TO WIN THE GAME.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: IT CAME EARLY IN THIS ONE. AFTER YU CHANG AND MICHAEL PEREZ GOT HITS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 3RD, THE PIRATES HAD 1ST AND 3RD WITH ONLY ONE OUT. YES, THAT IS NOT A MISPRINT, THEY GOT BACK-TO-BACK HITS. THIS WAS THE MOMENT FOR THE PIRATES TO TIE THE GAME OR TAKE THE LEAD WITH KE’BRYAN HAYES AND BRYAN REYNOLDS COMING TO BAT. THEY BOTH STRUCK OUT TO END THE THREAT. AT LEAST THEY SWUNG AT ALL THE STRIKES BUT ONE. THE PIRATES NEVER THREATENED AGAIN. JACK SUWINSKI DID TIE THE GAME IN THE 4TH WITH HIS 7TH HOME RUN OF THE SEASON. IT WAS SAFE TO SAY THE PIRATES WERE NOT GOING TO SCORE ANYMORE RUNS.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, BRAVES IN ATLANTA. THIS HAS THE FORBODING FEELING THAT THE PIRATES ARE GOING TO FINALLY REACH THEIR LEVEL OF INCOMPETENCE. THE BRAVES ARE STARTING TO GET HOT AND THEY HAVE A GREAT PITCHING STAFF. HAYES AND REYNOLDS LOOK LOST OUT THERE OFFENSIVELY. A BRAVE 4 GAME SWEEP SEEMS IMMINENT. THIS TEAM HAS FOOLED ME BEFORE. I AM HOPING THEY WILL AGAIN.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 1 ROCKIES 2, IN 10 INNINGS

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: AGAIN, IT WAS THE SILENCE OF THE BATS, AS THE PIRATES REFUSED TO FEAST ON STRIKES. HAYES AND REYNOLDS LOOKED REALLY BAD AS THEY WENT O FOR 9 WITH 3 STRIKEOUTS COMBINED. WHY MICHAEL PEREZ WAS NOT PINCH HIT FOR IT THE NINTH, ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS. THE GUY IS HITTING .108 AND WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE HE GETS TO BAT. WOW! CAL MITCHELL HAD A NICE DEBUT DRIVING IN THE ONLY PIRATE RUN AND MAKING SOME GOOD DEFENSIVE PLAYS. HE HAD A CHANCE TO BE THE HERO BUT FAILED.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: THE PIRATES HAD 1ST AND 3RD WITH ONE OUT IN THE BOTTOM OF THE NINTH, WITH THE ROCKIES DEPLOYING THE 5 MAN INFIELD. MITCHELL MADE A ROOKIE MISTAKE BY SWINGING AT A PITCH LOW AND AWAY, THAT WAS HIT SHARPLY RIGHT AT THE SHORTSTOP, AND CRUZ WAS THROWN OUT AT THE PLATE. I AM SURE HE WAS ANXIOUS AT THE PLATE, GIVEN THE SITUATION, BUT I DON’T MIND SEEING A YOUNG PLAYER MAKE A MISTAKE LIKE THAT. CONTRERAS WHO IS 22 PITCHED A SOLID 5 INNINGS AND MITCHELL WHO IS 23 PLAYED A SOLID GAME. THIS IS WHAT WE NEED TO SEE MORE OF. LET THE YOUTH BE SERVED FOR GOD’S SAKE.

NEXT GAME: THIS AFTERNOON, ROCKIES IN PITTSBURGH. THE PIRATES HAVE GONE 12 GAMES WITHOUT SCORING MORE THAN 4 RUNS AND THEIR RECORD IS 4-8 DURING THIS SPAN. IT IS AN EASY SOLUTION. JUST START SWINGING AT STRIKES, PLEASE. ONE AT BAT LAST NIGHT, HAYES TOOK 3 STRAIGHT STRIKES. I GUESS HE IS TRYING TO DISPROVE THAT YOU CAN NOT GET A HIT IF YOU DON’T SWING. MAYBE THEY WILL SEE BETTER IN THE DAYLIGHT BUT I DOUBT IT.

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Pirates Morning Report

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 0 CUBS 9

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: DILLON PETERS DID NOT LOOK RIGHT FROM THE START, AND THE CUBS EXPLODED FOR 8 RUNS IN THE FIRST. THE PIRATES HAVE BECOME, FOR NOW, THE HITLESS WONDERS. THEY WENT 12 AND 1/3 INNINGS GOING BACK TO SUNDAY BEFORE FINALLY GETTING A HIT. TO PUT THIS IN PERSPECTIVE, ON 2 SWINGS WILLSON CONTRERAS HAD TWICE THE NUMBER OF TOTAL BASES, THAN THE PIRATES DID FOR THE ENTIRE GAME. THE PIRATES HAVE DEFINED THE TEAM BATTING SLUMP

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: AS BAD AS THINGS LOOKED, THE CUBS ONLY HAD A 2-0 LEAD WITH 2 ON AND 2 OUT. THEN PETERS WALKED THE NEXT BATTER. ENTER BRYCE WILSON. HE GAVE UP A SWINGING BUNT AND THEN WALKED ANOTHER BATTER, TO GIVE THE CUBS A 4-0 LEAD. THEN CONTRERAS TOOK THE VERY FIRST PITCH AND SMOKED IT INTO THE LEFT FIELD STANDS FOR A GRAND SLAM. GAME OVER.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT: CUBS IN CHICAGO. TEAMS, NO MATTER HOW BAD OR HOW GOOD, ALL GO THROUGH A BATTING SLUMP. THE KEY WILL BE, HOW LONG WILL IT LAST. THE ENTIRE TEAM HAS CAUGHT THE SOFT CONTACT OR STRIKE OUT VIRUS. THEY CAN ONLY HOPE IT WILL END SOON. MAYBE WE WILL HAVE THE CATCHER LEAD OFF, ONLY THE SHELTON KNOWS.