Tag: Pittsburgh Pirates.

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 2 CARDINALS 6

WHY THE PIRATES LOST: AGAIN, THE PIRATES HAD MEDIOCRE STARTING PITCHING WITH MITCH KELLER GOING JUST 4 INNINGS AND GIVING UP 4 RUNS. HE HAD NO COMAND OF HIS SECONDARY PITCHES AND EVEN HIS FAST BALL WOULD GET AWAY FROM HIM AT TIMES. THE PIRATES WERE ALSO AT A MAJOR DISADVANTAGE BECAUSE FOR SOME REASON THE NATIONAL LEAGUE MADE THE PIRATES PLAY THE GAME WITHOUT A RIGHT FIELDER. THE PIRATES ALLOWED MILES MIKOLAS OFF THE HOOK IN THE FIRST INNING WHEN THEY LOADED THE BASES WITH NO ONE OUT AND COULD ONLY MUSTER 1 RUN. THEY MAY HAVE SCORED 2 RUNS, IF THEY DIDN’T HAVE A TURTLE LEADING OFF THE GAME. IT WAS ODD THAT THE PIRATES HAD 2 DH’S AS COLE TUCKER MADE THE LAST OUT WITH THE BASES LOADED, AND I NEVER SAW TUCKER ON THE FIELD FOR THE ENTIRE GAME, AT LEAST HE MADE NO PLAYS. THE PIRATE DEFENSE DID MAKE SOME GOOD PLAYS BUT THEY COULD NOT MAKE UP FOR SOME AREAS THAT WERE VACANT ON THE FIELD.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: THE PAUL DEJONG 2-RUN HOME RUN WITH 2 OUT IN THE THIRD, ON A GROOVED FASTBALL, WHICH CAPPED A 3 RUN INNING WHERE THE CARDINALS WENT FROM A 2-1 DEFICIT TO TAKE A 4-2 LEAD.

NEXT GAME: SUNDAY IN ST. LOUIS. THE PIRATES WENT FROM LOSING BY 9 TO LOSING BY 4. MAYBE THE ST. LOUIS BULLPEN WILL BE ABLE TO GET A SAVE.

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 0 CARDINALS 9

WHY THE PIRATES LOSS: MANY OF THE PLAYERS DID NOT REALIZE THIS WAS OPENING DAY OR A REAL GAME. KEVIN NEWMAN WATCHED MOST OF THE GAME FROM SHORTSTOP. DID NOT GO AFTER THE POP UP IN THE FIRST INNING, DID NOT REALLY CHARGE THE BALL IN THE SECOND INNING, AND THEN BOOTED A ROUTINE GROUND BALL IN THE THIRD. COLE TUCKER DIDN’T REALIZE THERE WAS A RUNNER ON THIRD IN THE EIGHTH AND ST. LOUIS SCORED ON A SHORT POP UP TO RIGHT FIELD. THERE WERE OTHER BONEHEAD PLAYS AND WHILE SOME OF THEM DID NOT LEAD TO RUNS BEING SCORED, IT SHOWED THAT THE PIRATES WERE NOT READY TO PLAY. THE SHORT SPRING TRAINING REALLY AFFECTED THE PIRATES. NEXT YEAR THEY SHOULD REPORT TO BRADENTON ON JANUARY 2. THE PIRATE PITCHERS WALKED 7 BATTERS. THE PIRATE BATTERS PRODUCED 0 RUNS AND STRUCK OUT 9 TIMES. IT WAS A TOTAL TEAM EFFORT OR LACK OF.

KEY PLAY OF THE GAME: THE CARDINALS TOOK THE FIELD.

NEXT GAME: SATURDAY IN ST. LOUIS. PRAY FOR RAIN.