Tag: Thrilling win

FINAL SCORE: PIRATES 8 CUBS 7 IN 10 INNINGS

WHY THE PIRATES WON: DESPITE HAVING ANOTHER BIZARRE LINE UP, CHANG BATTING IN FRONT OF CRUZ AND BATTING MADRIS 9TH, THE PIRATES OVERCAME A VERY BAD BULLPEN PERFORMANCE TO PULL OUT THE WIN. IT’S NOT OFTEN WHEN A TEAMS DH HAS A LOWER BATTING AVERAGE THAN MOST PITCHERS DID, WHEN THEY HAD TO HIT. THE SHADOW SHELTON AGAIN SAT ON HIS HANDS AND WATCH A RELIEVER STRUGGLE, KEEPING HIM IN THE GAME WAY TOO LONG. THIS ALLOWED THE CUBS TO ERASE AND OVER COME A 4 RUN DEFICIT IN THE TOP OF THE 8TH INNING TO TAKE THE LEAD 7-6. THE PIRATES BATTLED BACK TO TIE THE GAME ON A MICHAEL CHAVIS LEAD OFF HOMER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE INNING.

KEY MOMENT OF THE GAME: MICHAEL CHAVIS’S GREAT GROUND BALL PICK UP AND QUICK THROW TO THE PLATE TO NAIL THE CUB’S RUNNER IN THE BOTTOM OF THE 10TH. THIS ENABLED THE PIRATES TO KEEP THE CUBS SCORELESS IN THE 10TH INNING WITH THE RUNNER ON 2ND RULE. THIS PUT A LOT MORE PRESSURE ON THE CUBS IN THE BOTTOM OF THE INNING WHICH THEY WERE NOT ABLE TO OVERCOME. THE PIRATES WERE ABLE TO JUST SQUEEZE THAT WINNING RUN HOME ON THE CHAVIS BLOOPER.

NEXT GAME: TONIGHT, RAYS IN TAMPA BAY. NORMALLY THIS WOULD NOT BE A GOOD PLACE FOR THE PIRATES TO GO, BUT RIGHT NOW THE RAYS HAVE A LOT OF INJURIES AND WITH THE PIRATES NEW BLOOD THEY COULD DO PRETTY WELL. MITCH KELLER IS STARTING TOMORROW NIGHT AND HE IS STARTING TO LOOK LIKE A PITCHER FOR THE FIRST TIME IN HIS PIRATE CAREER. THE BIG STORY IS, THERE ARE FOUR PIRATES ON REHAB ASSIGNMENTS IN THE MINORS. BEN GAMEL WILL BE SOON, WHILE KEVIN NEWMAN, JOSH VAN METER, AND YOSHI TSUTSUGO ARE CURRENT. TUCUPITA MARCANO IS STILL ON THE COVID IL. SO, WHO STAYS AND WHO GOES OR GETS TRADED? I DON’T KNOW WHAT THE PIRATES ARE GOING TO DO AND THEY PROBABLY DON’T EITHER. HAYES MAY HAVE TO GO ON THE IL. IN MY VIEW THERE ARE FOUR PLAYERS WHO NEED TO GO DOWN, OR SIMPLY GO. DIEGO CASTILLO NEEDS MORE SEASONING AND NEEDS TO GET HIS CONFIDENCE BACK AT THE PLATE. SAME THING CAN BE SAID FOR CAL MITCHELL. TSUTSUGO AND CHANG SHOULD GET A GREYHOUND BUS SCHEDULE, BECAUSE THEY JUST NEED TO LEAVE TOWN. THAT PUTS GAMEL, NEWMAN, VAN METER AND MARCANO BACK ON THE TEAM. GOD ONLY KNOWS WHAT IS GOING TO HAPPEN THE WAY THE PIRATES THINK. THEY MAY EVEN SEND CRUZ BACK DOWN, NOTHING WOULD SURPRISE ME. WHO KNOWS, ONLY THE SHADOW KNOWS.