Tag: Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Pirate Morning Report: Mercifully Just 29 Games Left

The Pirates have just about a month of the season to go. Their playoffs hopes have been dashed by going 7-18 in the month of August. This will be their worse month of the season, no matter what they do in Cleveland the next two days. Even after scoring 23 runs in three games, the Pirate offense remains one of the worse in baseball. They are 21st in runs scored, 25th in on base percentage, and 27th in OPS+. This defines putrid. The pitching despite those horrific last 3 games, fares a little better. In fielding independent pitching, they are 12th in baseball. They are 21st in runs allowed and 18th in ERA+. Still in the bottom half of most things, but part of their problem is the Pirates bad defense. In Defensive Efficiency they are 24th in baseball. There was a lot of hype going into the season with talk of the Pirates contending for the division. The young Bucs were ready to play. What went wrong?

I will go into much more detail at the end of the season but here is a list in a nutshell with no expansion of details. I will take them in chronological order. A horrible offseason that included awful free agent signings, no significant trades. Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jared Triolo did not come close to the kind of production at the plate that they had during the last 2.5 months of 2023. With the exception of about 3 players the entire offense was way below league average. What looked like a good defensive team on paper, turned out to be one of the worst in baseball. An inconsistent and underperforming bullpen that plagued the Pirates all year. The bullpen was totally mismanaged, and many times players were put in positions where they would most likely fail. The Pirates did nothing to bolster this bullpen at the trade deadline despite their apparent deficiencies. In general, the Pirates do not make basebally plays. They throw to wrong bases, they do not run the bases well, and I believe have no idea what situational hitting means.

Now that the pressure is off, the Pirates may rally and finish close to .500. The other possibility is they may be tired of playing for a manager that is constantly throwing them under the bus to cover up his in game blunders. They may be tired of getting no help from a coaching staff that does not seem to know what they are doing. The latest example is Martin Perez. He has started 5 games for the Padres, and his ERA+ is 153 compared to 81 with the Pirates. The Padres have won all 5 games he has started. They noticed his best pitch is his curve ball and told him to throw it more. I guess the Pirates consider that rocket science. Better luck next year, maybe.

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Pirates Morning Report: How To Blow A 7 Run Lead By Derek Shelton

Final Score: Pirates 10 Cubs 14

Why The Pirates Lost: In one of the strangest 3 game series in Pirate history, the Cubs came back from a 7 run deficit to score 11 runs in the last 3 innings to sweep the series. My words were rather prophetic a couple of blogs ago when I wrote that this bullpen is so well rested, they will forget how to pitch. The bullpen in the last 4 innings gave up 11 runs, 11 hits, and 6 walks. One walk was in the 6th inning, so everything else happened in the last 3 innings. The Pirates scored 23 runs in the series and lost all 3 games. That is because the Cubs scored an unbelievable 41 runs. That is just 1 run short of 14 runs per game. Derek Shelton stated after the game we need to finish games. Here is a tip. Stop putting in David Bednar in the 9th. The problem with Bednar is easy to see but does not seem to be fixable, at least by this coaching staff. Last year before the All Star break Bednar had walked only one batter excluding intentional walks. Ever since then he almost walks a batter every time he comes in. Is there a mechanical issue or is it mental? Who knows, but this lack of command has been why he is getting hit. Yesterday he threw 9 non fast balls out of 28 pitches and only two of those were in the strike zone. Only one time was the pitch swung on. Talk about sitting on the fastball. It is ridiculous that he is still the closer. In a nutshell this bullpen has been shaky all year. The Pirates did nothing at the trade deadline to improve it. Padres added to their bullpen at the deadline. You can see what they are doing now.

Key Moment Of The Game: I felt it was when they did not let Dennis Santana come out for the 9th inning. He had thrown 2 pitches to get out of the 8th inning. This was the perfect time to see what he could do and have Bednar warming up in the bullpen if needed. That is how you finish a game, Shelton.

Next Game: Tomorrow night, the Guardians in Cleveland. Barry (Yesterday Was Not My) Falter will start. The Pirates are now 9 games under .500 and will be hard pressed to win as many games as they did last year. This was a team that expected to contend.

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Pirates Morning Report: Loo-Loo-Loo-Losers

Final Score: Pirates 5 Cubs 9

Why The Pirates Lost: They are a bunch of losers. They do what losers do. Since the Pirates lost 10 games in a row, they have been 8-8. During this stretch of games, they gave up 1 run in 27 innings and yet they only won one of those games. In the last 2 games they have scored 13 runs, and not only have they lost both games, but lost them by a total of 14 runs. Last night they threw in the towel early for the second straight game. Jared Jones was plagued with a lack of command and the home run ball, giving up 5 runs in 4 innings. The score was 5-2, still a ball game. Who does clueless Shelton bring in to pitch the 5th, Jalen Beeks and Ben Heller. They promptly gave up 4 runs on 2 hits, 2 walks and a hit by pitch. Nick Gonzales made an error to help things along. With the game out of reach Shelton then uses Carmen Molodzinski, Dennis Santana and David Bednar. Molodzinski even pitched 2 innings. Why couldn’t he have pitched the 5th. As Ace Ventura pet detective said, “They are loo-loo-loo-losers.

Key Moment Of The Game: It was the top of the 5th when the Pirates decided the game was over even though the score was 5-2. Jalen Beeks gets one out but a single and an error puts runners on 1st and 2nd. Shelton then decides to put Ben From Heller into the game. He strikes out the first batter he faces. In the next 21 pitches he throws 7 strikes which result in a hit batter, 2 walks, a single, and before you could say Derek Shelton is clueless the score is 9-2. After the game is out of reach, he brings in the A squad bullpen and they shut them out the rest of the way without giving up a hit. Great managerial moves.

Next Game: This afternoon, Cubs in Pittsburgh. Paul Skenes goes for the Pirates today. I hear they are going to only let him go 3 innings to improve their position in the draft lottery. A season that was full of hope is spiraling into a mess. To show you how bad this team is, Michael Taylor, who was put on waivers, but nobody wanted him, is 5th in WAR among all the position players on the Pirates. This includes the players they acquired at the deadline and what they did for their previous teams. Let that one sink in for a while.

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Pirates Morning Report: What A Debacle

Final Score: Pirates 8 Cubs 18

Why The Pirates Lost + Key Moment Of The Game: I am combining these two because there is too much of a tie in. What is hard to believe is that after 5 innings the score was 3-2 Cubs. That is when the Pirates decided to throw in the towel. That is the only reason I can think of for leaving Domingo German in the game to take that beating. There were plenty of arms in the bullpen. I wonder when they decided to just give up. They put what’s his name in finally and he took another beating. The Pirates are more interested in creating feel good stories than they are in winning games. Just think in the last 3 games Rowdy (Call Me Shohei) Tellez has made more pitching appearances in the last 3 games than Bednar. Maybe they are considering making him the closer. Speaking of moves the Pirates announced they are moving Oneil Cruz to centerfield. All I can say it is about time, although I would have preferred him in right, but none the less putting him in the outfield should keep down the wear and tear on his body. He DH last night and already Greg Brown was questioning what his effort would be at the plate. This from a man that puts forth no effort in the booth. Henry Davis still looks lost at the plate. He will always be known as Mr. AAA.

Next Game: Tonight, Cubs in Pittsburgh. Jarred Jones will start tonight after almost a two month stint on the IL. He has been told that he won’t be removed from the game until he gives up 10 runs no matter what his pitch count is. The bullpen is so well rested that none of them remember how to pitch. Domingo German was told he may even pitch tonight if the game is close going into the 7th. David Bednar was told not to come to the park tonight because they are saving him for the Guardian series. In any other organization heads would roll but it is not happening here.

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Pirates Morning Report: No Momentum For The Pirates

Final Score: Pirates 3 Mariners 10

Why The Pirates Lost: Jake Woodford got lit up pretty good, but a dark cloud still hovers over him, literally. He had to pitch in a downpour in the 2nd inning and 2 of the 7 runs he gave up were unearned as the Pirates botched up a routine play. The offense could only get 5 hits and 3 runs as the Mariners blew the Pirates away to salvage the final game of the series. Ben Heller pitched a scoreless 1 and 1/3 innings to bring his ERA down to 13.50. The Pirates needed to get some real momentum going but failed miserably in every phase of the game.

Key Moment Of The Game: The throwing error by Jared (I Don’t Belong In The Major Leagues) Triolo really opened up the gates when the Pirates at least had a chance to win. The Pirates now go on an unusually scheduled 3 game road trip to Texas before returning home to face the Reds on Thursday. The next 10 games are against teams with losing records. Eight out of ten wins is a must. I am not expecting it.

The Next Game: Tonight, the Rangers in Texas. Luis Ortiz will start for the Pirates, and he has had a couple of rough outings. I noticed that Keller is pitching on Tuesday but on Wednesday it is TBD which would have been Skenes’s turn. I am sure they are going to hold him off until they return home to sell tickets, to hell with winning games. Maybe they might bring Jones back then, but I doubt it. This organization had no intention of making the playoffs this season. Their horrible free agent signings over this past winter basically proves the point.

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Pirates Morning Report: A Series Win

Final Score: Pirates 7 Mariners 2

Why The Pirates Won: The Pirates brought out the long ball hitting 3 home runs which accounted for 4 of the 7 runs. The Pirate hitters continued to like home cooking putting up 7 runs on 9 hits, walking 3 times, against a pretty darn good pitching staff. Barry No Falter Insurance pitched his typical game, going 5 and 1/3 innings, scattering 8 hits, giving up just 2 runs, walking no one, and surprisingly striking out 8 batters. The bullpen did fine until the top of the ninth when Domingo (The Ankle Hunter) German came in. He walked the first batter, then hit the next two to quickly load the bases. The Pirates brought David Bednar into the game and for a moment you thought are they going to blow this game. Whether it was Bednar or just the fact that the Mariners offense really stinks, the Pirates were able to quickly get out of the inning in 9 pitches to end the game, extending their winning streak to TWO WHOLE GAMES. They will need 8 more to get back in the race.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates were leading 3-2 going into the bottom of the 5th and even though they did not score in the inning, they made Luis Castillo throw 29 pitches to get through it. It may have not had anything to do with it but in the next inning they hit him pretty good with a Joey Bart double and Luis Castillo single that knocked Castillo out of the game and gave the Pirates a 4-2 lead. The Pirates added 3 runs in the 7th inning to seal the deal. German made it interesting by trying to cripple the Mariners in the top of the 9th. Ji Hwan Bae made a nice play on a little blooper that could have gotten the Mariners going if it would have dropped. Bednar struck out the next 2 batters to end the game.

Next Game: This afternoon, Mariners in Pittsburgh. Jake (Don’t Take Me To Vegas) Woodford will be making his 3rd start for the Pirates. He has had nothing but bad luck in both starts ranging from horrendous defense to no run support. In his last 14 innings of work, he was not walked a batter and has an ERA of 3.07. Let’s hope his luck evens out today and the Pirates get a much-needed sweep.

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Pirates Morning Report: Losing Streak Over

Final Score: Pirates 5 Mariners 3

Why The Pirates Won: Paul Skenes had another struggling outing, but a struggling Paul Skenes is better than most. He pitched 6 innings, only gave up 3 hits, but one was a home run after a walk to give the Mariners a 2-0 lead. He walked a career high of 4 and hit a batter so there was plenty of traffic on the basepaths. Yes, he did not throw a fastball that touched 100 MPH. The Pirate offense after a slow start scored a run in the bottom of the 4th and 2 in the 5th to take the lead 3-2. In that same inning Yasmani Grandal hit a homer to tie the game. The bottom two in the order Grandal and Michael Taylor came up big, going a combined 3 for 8 with a walk, scoring 3 runs and driving in 1. It was a good win for the Pirates to stop the bleeding. Still, don’t you think it’s time to take Bednar and his 5.83 ERA out of the closer role, at least for a while.

Key Moments Of The Game: There were two key moments to this game. The first was in the top of the sixth. The Pirates had just taken the lead 3-2 in the bottom of the fifth. With Skenes pitching, the Mariners opened the inning with a Julio Rodriguez double. He was pushed over to third on a relatively deep fly ball to right field. Skenes walked the next batter to put runners on 1st and 3rd with one out. On the very next pitch Dominic Canzone hit into a shortstop unassisted put out at second on to first double play, that Oneil Cruz did not screw up and Paul Skenes was out of the inning. In the bottom of the seventh with one out Michael Taylor had a rare walk. Andrew McCutchen followed that up with a drive down the left field line that would have been a double if he had not pulled up lame. Now the Pirates had 1st and 3rd with one out. Bryan Reynolds struck out and it looked like another big opportunity would be wasted. Oneil Cruz finally got the big 2 out hit, that the Pirates have been lacking this entire losing streak, to drive in two runs that the Pirates ended up needing thanks to David Bednar. Cruz pulled up lame also, twisting his ankle after a sudden stop. Let’s hope that he will be back in the lineup today. It was nice to see the losing streak come to an end, and we will see if they can streak in the other direction.

Next Game: This afternoon Mariners in Pittsburgh. Barry Falter will start for the Pirates and let’s hope he can befuddle the Mariners. Mariners have more trouble scoring runs than the Pirates and that is hard to believe. This may be just what the doctor ordered for this struggling bullpen.

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Pirates Morning Report: A Mystery and A Change In Philosophy Needed.

The Pirates, despite their 10-game losing streak, open up an interesting part of their schedule when they host the Seatle Mariners tonight at PNC Park. They play 20 of their next 29 games at home. Granted their home record has not been anything to write home about, but it’s nice to be home for that many games. They only play 9 games against teams with winning records and 6 of those games are home. If there was any time to right the ship and at least have a season where they finish close to .500 this is it.

In order for that to happen, the Pirates need a change of philosophy. They need to become more aggressive on the offensive side of the ball. When the Pirates got off to that hot start last year one of the things they did was to take advantage of the new rule change and tried to steal a lot of bases. When they went through a phase where they were getting caught stealing, they went into a shell that they have never come out of. Right now, they are 18th in baseball in stolen bases. They have stolen 72 bases and have been caught only 14 times for a success rate of 83%. That is way over 75% which is considered the parameter for making stolen bases a positive impact. The Pirates need to be more aggressive at the plate. In my view they take way too many strikes. In the most recent series against the Padres and I know this is only 3 games, they took 23, 29, 31 strikes each game. Compare that with the Padres who took 22, 22, and 18 strikes per game. The first game was about the same, but it was dramatically less in game 2 and 3. In game 2 the Padres had more situational takes because Luis Ortiz was working from behind so much. The Pirates took most of their strikes early in the count. During the series rookie sensation Jackson Merril took only one strike for all three games. The Pirates need to start swinging at more strikes. I know the idea is to get the opposing pitchers pitch count up but there may be a hidden advantage of being more aggressive on pitches in the zone. If his count his low, then you may have more of a chance to see the same pitcher for the third or even fourth time which has been shown to be an advantage for the batter. The Pirates need to start swinging at strikes. The Pirates need to play Ji Hwan Bae more just to see what he can do and get the running game going again.

What is it with the starting rotation and fastball velocity. Beginning in 2022 almost every starting pitcher the Pirates have had that has a mid to upper 90 fast ball, loses velocity the longer he pitches for the Pirates. It is even happening to the great Paul Skenes. In his last outing he did not have one fast ball that touch a 100 MPH. In fact, there were one or two fastballs that were 96 MPH. In his first outing he through numerous fastballs that touched 100-101 MPH. I am not going to go through the numbers, but you can look it up, beginning with Roansy Contreras, Luis Ortiz, Jarred Jones, and Mitch Keller. They have all had drops in velocity from when they debuted with the Pirates. There was year that during a winter workout that Keller was throwing close to 99 MPH. He has not come close to that during the regular season. In his last outing he rarely touched 94-95 MPH. Most of his “fastballs” were 92-93 MPH. Most of these drops in velocity are anywhere from 1-3 MPH. The poster child for this phenomenon is Luis Ortiz. When he came up at the end of 2022 his fastball regularly hit 99 MPH and once in a while touched a 100. Last year his velocity mysteriously went down to 95-97 MPH and although it has gone back up to 97-98 at times, he is still not touching 100 MPH. Now if this is some kind of plan or philosophy of the Pirates’ coaching staff to help save the arms of the starters, that may not be such a bad idea, but they sure aren’t talking about it. You do not see this drop off in any of the relievers. Even though he has had some rocky outings David Bednar’s fastball is clocking in at 98-99 MPH. Could it be some flawed training method the Pirates are doing with their starting pitchers. Whatever it is, it is definitely a mystery. Keep a close eye on Paul Skenes tonight and see if he hits 100 MPH on any of his pitches. If he doesn’t, we may be watching the destruction of a starting rotation by the Pirate management team. The game is on Apple TV. I can see the documentary coming soon.

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Pirates Morning Report: Tenth Loss In A Row, A No Doubter

Final Score: Pirates 2 Padres 8

Why The Pirates Lost: This one was over in 3 innings. Mitch Keller got beat up to the tune of 8 runs on 8 hits, walking 2 and striking out 3. He gave up all of the runs in the first 3 innings. The bats were silent as usual, scoring 2 runs for a grand total of 3 runs for the series. The Pirates have lost 10 games in a row and this 10th one was no heartbreaker.

Key Moment Of The Game: In the bottom of the 1st the Padres jumped right on Keller. Luis Arraez singled on the 4th pitch of the game and immediately stole 2nd. Jurickson Profar on the 9th pitch of the game hit a hot smash down first that Connor Joe was able to stop but not hold on to, and the Padres had 1st and 3rd with no outs. On the 12th pitch of the game Jake Cronenworth hit a home run and before you could say 10 game losing streak the score was 3-0 Padres. The Padres added a run in the 2nd. They broke it open in the 3rd with 4 runs that saw Keller walk the first two batters of the inning and then on consecutive pitches give up a triple and a home run. A sad end to a very sad road trip.

The Next Game: Tomorrow night, the Mariners in Pittsburgh. Tomorrow I am going to look at a mystery about the starting rotation and what I think is a major problem with this team.

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Pirates Morning Report: Nine Hits, No Runs, Nine Losses

Final Score: Pirates 0 Padres 3

Why The Pirates Loss: Oneil Cruz and Bryan Del La Cruz both made errors on routine plays which led to 2 unearned runs. David Peralta’s solo home run in the bottom of the 5th would have been enough to win with these incompetent bats. The Pirates did get 9 hits but could not get a run because they struck out 15 times, hit into 2 double plays, left 8 men on base, and were 0 for 7 with runners in scoring position. In one stretch of the game 7 of the 9 outs were strike outs. For the two games in San Diego the Pirates have 1 run on 16 hits and 3 walks. They have out hit the Padres both games. Luis Ortiz while he only walked 2 batters seemed like he was working from behind on every batter. It took him 91 pitches to get through 5 innings. The big news is Ben Heller pitched another 2 scoreless innings to lower his ERA to 16.50. The ninth loss in a row would not be a memorable game by any stretch of the imagination.

Key Moments Of The Game: The Pirates put runners on base in 8 of the 9 innings. In two innings they were immediately erased by double plays. In the 2nd inning they had 1st and 3rd with two outs, did not score. The 3rd inning, 1st and 2nd with 2 outs, did not score. The top of the 7th, runner on 3rd with one out, did not score. Top of the 8th, runner on 2nd with one out, did not score. How not to get the big hit in 4 easy lessons. It is a sad state of affairs for this team, as they become firmly entrenched in last place, 2 games behind the 4th place Cubs.

Next Game: Late afternoon, Padres in San Diego. Mitch Keller reluctantly takes the mound for the Pirates this afternoon. He is going up against former Pirate Martin Perez and he does not want to lose to him. Double digit losing streak seems inevitable. Mercifully the Pirates have an off day on Thursday.