Tag: The One Hundred Club

Final Score: Pirates 1 Cardinals 2

Why The Pirates Lost: The One Hundred Club did not disappoint. The Pirates started three players with batting averages under .150. Jared Triolo, Henry Davis, and Alexander Canario lived down to expectations. They went 0 for 8 with 3 strikeouts and a walk. Why anybody would walk one of those three God only knows. Henry Davis is being called Paul Skenes’s personal catcher. I hope he gets over that. Why would you want anybody that is as bad as he is? He is hitting .133 and is below average behind the plate. Skenes was solid as usual but again not spectacular. He certainly deserved a better fate. He gave up 2 runs on 3 hits. He struck out 6 and walked 4. One of the walks cost him. He threw 102 pitches over 6 innings. No fastball touched 100 MPH. Paul Skenes is still a stud, but he is not throwing like he did in 2024. It’s a fact, Jack. The Pirate offense was even worse than usual. Ke’Bryan Hayes had a decent game. He went 2 for 4. He doubled home the Pirates’ only run. This happened with 2 outs in the top of the 6th. In the bottom of the 6th, the Cardinals did the Pirates one better. Skenes got the first two outs of the inning. Nolan Arenado singled to left. Willson Contreras walked on 5 pitches. The 2024 Skenes would have challenged him. On the very first pitch of the at-bat, Alec Burleson lined a double down the left field line. It scored both runners, making the score 2-1.

Key Moment Of The Game: The Cardinals were very confident. They believed the Pirate bats were so ineffective that they brought in Gordon Graceffo. Graceffo has appeared in 6 Major League games in his career. His ERA was right around 7. You would think there might be some nerves playing here. The score is 2-1 in the bottom of the 9th. But alas, the Cardinals knew who they were playing. Adam Frazier started the fiasco by swinging at two of the four pitches that were out of the strike zone. The fourth pitch out of the strike zone he smashed 80 MPH on the ground to the second baseman. Enmanuel Valdez swung at the first pitch that was just above ankles and grounded out to first base. Joey Bart lined the first pitch he saw right to the center fielder, and the game was over. Bart’s pitch at least was right down the middle. The Pirates gave one of the most inexperienced pitchers possible a 6-out save. Only 2 of those 6 pitches were in the strike zone. Enough said.

Next Game: This afternoon, Cardinals in St. Louis. The Pirates will try to avoid their 7th loss in a row. Sonny Gray will pitch for the Cardinals. Liover Peguero went 1 for 3 yesterday, and every ball he hit was 100 MPH or greater. He probably won’t play today. They asked Mitch Keller if he wanted Henry Davis as his personal catcher. After he stopped laughing, he said, “No way.” Thursday, the Pirates do not play. I hesitate to call this an off day. If the Pirates lose today, could this be Derek Shelton’s last game? Even “The Shadow” doesn’t know that one.