Soriano. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	1	7	0	5
	3	8	0	6

Garrett Jones went 2 for 4, continuing his recent hitting success, and Ryan Doumit went 2 for 3 with a home run that turned out to be the only run scored for the Bucs.  The rest of the offense was anemic as usual.  Jeff Karstens had a good game, allowing 7 hits, 3R/2ER, 1 BB, 2 K, but the 2 HRs from Soriano did him in, as well as the lack of offense by the Pirates.

A quick loss, but the Pirates don't have much time to dwell on it as they have to play the series deciding game in like 5 seconds in yet another of the Cubs' 5 bajillion afternoon games per year.

Rocco game. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	2	7	1	10
	1	7	0	7

The Pirates finally caught a break.  No errors came back to haunt them, no dropped popups that turned into home runs, no baserunning blunders (well, at least none that cost any runs), no late inning fiascos that cost the Pirates a win.  Just a good solid effort, especially from the pitching staff, something that has been sorely lacking of late.  Paul Maholm went 8 innings, with 1 ER, 7 hits and no walks, and came away with his 5th win of the year.  Octavio Dotel was outstanding in relief, striking out 3 batters.  Even though he did hit the lead-off batter with a pitch, it didn't come back to hurt the Pirates' efforts.

On the batting side it was very evenly distributed.  7 players had 1 hit each.  Andrew McCutchen hit an RBI triple in the 3rd that bounced off the right center wall, and might have been an inside-the-park home run if he hadn't hesitated coming out of the box.  His speed around the bases is nothing short of incredible.  I never get tired of watching his helmet fly off while he's running.  Jose Tabata hit a nice RBI double in the 9th to score Ryan Doumit,  who almost didn't make it to the plate before the throw from right center came in.  No harm done, this time.

The only bad thing to note about this game is that the Pirates lost another 2nd baseman on the same type of pop fly that caused Ryan Church to collide with Neil Walker.  This time it was Bobby Crosby who collided with Lastings Milledge.  Delwyn Young came in to replace Crosby.  No word yet on whether Young will start at 2nd until Crosby or Walker recovers, or when that will happen.  I wish them both a swift recovery, and I hope the "RF collides with 2B" play never happens again.

Overall, it was a great effort by everyone on the team, something you don't always see around this time of year from the Pirates.  I hope this trend continues.

SERIES 26 - Cubs

Chicago Cubs

Monday, June 28, 8:05 PM (FSN)
 Tuesday, June 29, 8:05 PM (FSN)
 Wednesday, June 30, 2:20 PM (FSN)

 

Wrigley Field, Chicago, IL

Listen live on [WPGB]

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Text text Textity text.

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Expected Pitching Matchups

June 28: Paul Maholm (4-6-5, 4.24 ERA) vs. Randy Wells (3-6-6, 5.21 ERA)
June 29: Jeff Karstens (2-2-10, 4.60 ERA) vs. Ted Lilly (2-6-4, 3.28 ERA)
June 30: Brad Lincoln (0-2-2, 6.00 ERA) vs. Tom Gorzelanny (2-5-8, 3.41 ERA)

Proposed Lineups

Pirates

1. J. Tabata, LF
2. B. Crosby, 2B
3. A. McCutchen, CF
4. G. Jones, 1B
5. L. Milledge, RF
6. P. Alvarez, 3B
7. R. Doumit, C
8. R. Cedeno, SS
9. [Pitcher]

Cubs

1. R. Theriot, 2B
2. T. Colvin, RF
3. M. Byrd, CF
4. D. Lee, 1B
5. A. Ramirez, 3B
6. A. Soriano, LF
7. G. Soto, C
8. S. Castro, SS
9. [Pitcher]

Let's Go Bucs.

Damn you, Jaramillo. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	2	8	4	8
	3	3	1	5

As if failing to catch an easily playable foul ball for the 3rd out in the 8th--which led to the game-winning home run 2 pitches later--wasn't bad enough, in the top of the 9th, Jaramillo grounded into a double play which killed almost any chance of the Pirates coming back.  Then there was that whole "Tabata's single hits Pedro in the leg for the final out" thing.  WTF.  Ohlendorf's 6 inning, 2 hit, 2 run, 0 ER effort was completely wasted.  The Pirates nearly tripling Oakland's hitting efforts and Lastings Milledge finally getting his first home run of the season.  Wasted.  Just like this whole season.  Thank God interleague is finally over.  Only 32 losses to go...

Shut out. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	0	2	0	5
	5	8	0	6

Not even 70's throwback uniforms could prevent the Pirates from having one of their most pitiful offensive outings yet.  Tabata and Milledge had the only hits for the Bucs, although 3 were able to get on base because of walks.  Daniel McCutchen wasn't horrible at least, going 6 innings and allowing 4 ER, bringing his ERA down to a lovely 11.00.  Not much to say about this one, as nothing really happened.  The Pirates have lost 16 road games in a row, going back to a win in Cincinnati on May 25th.

Return of the terrible bullpen. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	4	9	1	5
	14	17	2	8

Once again the 6-9 spots did nothing in the hitting department.  This after hitting well the past few games all the way through the order.  Neil Walker went 3 for 4 and hit a home run, but had to leave the game after colliding with Ryan Church while chasing a foul ball.  No word on his status, although it's unlikely that he'll be able to play tonight.  Garrett Jones and Ryan Doumit both went 2 for 4, and Andrew McCutchen ended his hitless streak which had been going since the Cleveland series.  Brad Lincoln was sub-par, giving up 5 runs, 3 earned, but the real story was the absolutely terrible bullpen.  4 pitchers came in relief of Brad Lincoln, and not one of them left with less than 2 earned runs (DJ Carrasco gave up 3).  Not sure what happened to our formerly excellent pen, but it needs to turn around in a hurry to make these games even watchable in the late innings.

SERIES 25 - Athletics

Oakland Athletics

Friday, June 25, 10:05 PM (FSN)
 Saturday, June 26, 10:05 PM (FSN)
 Sunday, June 27, 4:05 PM (FSN)

 

Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum, Anaheim, CA

Listen live on [WPGB]

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This is the last interleague series for the Pirates this season. It's probably a good thing, as they have won a grand total of 2 interleague games so far, tied with Houston for the worst interleague record in the majors.  However, Oakland, while not as bad as Cleveland, is not as tough a team to beat as the Tigers, White Sox, or Rangers are, and I'm expecting the Pirates to take at least 1 game in this series.  On the other hand, the 3 starting pitchers for the Pirates in this series have yet to win a game all season, so who knows. Late night games suck.

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Expected Pitching Matchups

May 28: Brad Lincoln (0-1-2, 6.50 ERA) vs. Ben Sheets (2-7-6, 4.95 ERA)
May 29: Daniel McCutchen (0-2-2, 13.50 ERA) vs. Trevor Cahill (6-2-3, 3.21 ERA)
May 30: Ross Ohlendorf (0-6-4, 5.43 ERA) vs. Gio Gonzalez (6-5-4, 3.89 ERA)

Proposed Lineups

Pirates

1. J. Tabata, LF
2. N. Walker, 2B
3. A. McCutchen, CF
4. G. Jones, 1B
5. D. Young, DH
6. P. Alvarez, 3B
7. R. Doumit, C
8. L. Milledge, RF
9. B. Crosby, SS

Athletics

1. C. Crisp, CF
2. D. Barton, 1B
3. C. Jackson, DH
4. K. Suzuki, C
5. K. Kouzmanoff, 3B
6. G. Gross, RF
7. A. Rosales, SS
8. M. Ellis, 2B
9. R. Davis, LF

Let's Go Bucs.

Blown. Bucs SWEPT

	R	H	E	LOB
	5	14	1	6
	6	12	1	8

The Pirates found yet another way to lose a baseball game, having leads of 4-0 and 5-1 blown.  Not even having one of the best hitting days in weeks could help them win this game.  Only Ryan Church was held off the bases, and while Cutch's hitless streak continues, he was able to score a run after taking a walk.  5 Pirates had 2 or more hits: Jose Tabata (3 for 5 with a run), Garrett Jones (3 for 4 with a run and an RBI, Ryan Doumit (2 for 4 with a run and an RBI), Lastings Milledge (2 for 4), and Bobby Crosby (2 for 4).  Jeff Karstens had yet another solid outing with 3 runs (2 earned) allowed, but the bullpen let him down.  Evan Meek, arguably the best reliever in the league and certainly the best on the Pirates, let 2 runs score to tie the game.  He didn't get the call on a strikeout, but he still had an opportunity to leave the inning intact.  In the 9th, new reliever Steven Jackson let the walkoff single that won the game for the Rangers, and the Bucs were swept. Sigh.

Yuck. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	6	1	7
	13	17	0	13

Never trust a pitching matchup to go the way it's expected to when it comes to the Pirates.  Paul Maholm only lasted 1+ innings and gave up 7 R, 7 H, and 4 BB in that span.  Dana Eveland was equally horrible in long relief.  The rest of the bullpen was solid.  GFJ's hit streak was snapped.  Bobby Crosby had 2 hits to run it up to 8 hits in 3 games. Terrible game.

Double Up. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	10	1	8
	6	7	1	5

Another very frustrating game to watch.  Ross Ohlendorf was perfect through 3 innings, and then fell apart, giving up 2 homers and 4 runs.  Despite getting hits from all but 2 Pirates (Tabata, who reached on a Fielder's Choice in the 9th, and McCutchen, who went 0 for 4), the Pirates were yet again unable to bring home more than 3 runners.  Garrett Jones went 2 for 4 with an RBI, extending his hitting streak to an NL-best 12 games.  Bobby Crosby is on a ridiculous hitting tear, garnering 3 hits for the second time in as many games and an RBI in each.  No reason to switch him out for Cedeno at short at this point, as his defense is comparable to Cedeno's.  Pedro got his second MLB hit, a soft single to RF.  The bullpen came back down to Earth again, with only 1 K, 2 ER, 1 HR, and 4 walks.  Hopefully the Pirates can get back on track tonight with an easier pitcher on the Rangers' side and Paul Maholm, the Bucs' most consistent starter, on the mound.

SERIES 24 - Rangers

Texas Rangers

Tuesday, June 22, 8:05 PM (FSN)
 Wednesday, June 23, 8:05 PM (FSN)
 Thursday, June 24, 8:05 PM (FSN)

 

Rangers Ballpark in Arlington, Arlington, TX

Listen live on [WPGB]

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This will be a very tough road trip for the young Bucs, although the hardest match-up is the first one against the Rangers.  On paper, the Bucs' lineup for this trip is one of the strongest they've had in years.  If all goes well and the pitching is good, we should have strong hitters the whole way through the lineup.  Of course, it almost never works out that way.  Ryan Church is the DH, and he will probably be switched out for Delwyn Young if he does poorly.

The Rangers are coming off an 8-game winning streak and have won 11 of their last 12.  Obviously, they are one of the hottest teams in baseball right now, but all good things must come to an end eventually.  The Pirates bring a much more modest 2-game streak and hope they can add to that.  The attitude in the clubhouse is much improved from last week, so hopefully that works in their favor as well.

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Expected Pitching Matchups

June 22: Ross Ohlendorf (0-5-4, 5.22 ERA) vs. Tommy Hunter (2-0-1, 2.08 ERA)
June 23: Paul Maholm (4-5-5, 3.77 ERA) vs. Dustin Nippert (2-3-18, 5.01 ERA)
June 24: Jeff Karstens (2-2-9, 4.72 ERA) vs. Scott Feldman (5-6-3, 5.16 ERA)

Proposed Lineups

Pirates

1. J. Tabata, LF
2. N. Walker, 2B
3. A. McCutchen, CF
4. G. Jones, 1B
5. R. Church, DH
6. P. Alvarez, 3B
7. R. Doumit, C
8. L. Milledge, RF
9. B. Crosby, SS

Rangers

1. E. Andrus, SS
2. M. Young, 3B
3. I. Kinsler, 2B
4. V. Guerrero, DH
5. J. Hamilton, LF
6. N. Cruz, RF 
7. J. Smoak, 1B
8. M. Treanor, C
9. J. Borbon, CF

Let's Go Bucs. (100th post!)

Closing on a High Note. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	11	3	8
	5	8	0	7

Finally get a couple wins in a row.  Short recap as I've been really busy since Sunday and haven't had a chance to put anything together.  Pirates win back-to-back games by more than 2 runs since May 5-6, which featured Charlie Morton's only win and an 11-1 drubbing, both against the Cubs.  Sort of a weird game as Bobby Crosby went 3 for 3.  Garrett Jones went 2 for 3, and Pedro hit a sacrifice fly to score the winning run.  The bullpen also appears to be righting the ship, with 4 Ks, 3 hits, and no walks.  All good stuff.  And Brad Lincoln had a nice outing too, even if he didn't get a decision.  Just 3 ER and 1 walk, although he did allow a HR on 8 hits. Keep it going boys.  It's nice to see the young guns contributing in a positive way, and to see the Pirates luck is changing, if only a bit.

Channeling the 1960 Pirates. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	4	9	0	7
	6	9	0	11

This is the first time in a long while that the Pirates have been able to get hits almost the whole way through the line up.  Jose Tabata had an off night, going hitless for only the second time since he's been called up, and ending a 3-game hitting streak.  The rest of the Pirates position players lit up the Indians pitchers, to the tune of 9 hits and 8 walks drawn.  Andrew McCutchen had another explosive day, going 2 for 2, drawing 3 walks and scoring 4 runs.  Garrett Jones went 1 for 4 with a walk, scored a run, and drove in a run, extending his hit streak to 10 games. Lastings Milledge went 3 for 4 with a walk and was a home run shy of hitting for the cycle.  He also drove in 4 runs.  Pedro Alvarez finally got his first Major League hit, and it was a big one.  In the 5th inning, he hit a ground rule double over the low left field wall to score Garrett Jones and give the Pirates a 5-1 lead at that point.  Neil Walker and Ryan Doumit also had a hit apiece.  Even Bobby Crosby, while not getting a hit, was nonetheless able to get on base twice by drawing a pair of walks.  Overall, this was a very productive day for the Pirates' offense.  You could see it in the face of the players during the shots of the dugout in the later innings.  They were relaxed, confident, and joking around with each other.  It's great to see that, as what you normally see when looking at the dugout is a bunch of stony faces that can't wait for the game to be over.  This is the first 6+-run game for the Pirates in what feels like months, but that's only because it was the last game prior to this one that the Pirates got a W.  Speaking of Ws, Jeff Karstens took only the 2nd W for a Pirates starter since Zach Duke got one way back on May 18th against Roy Halladay.  Still a fan of Jeff Karstens.  He hasn't had a truly terrible game as a starter since May 2nd against the Dodgers.

This game was a glimpse of the future of the Pirates.  Remember this one in September, when the Pirates are closing out another losing season.  The 1960 champion Pirates, who were in attendance for a celebration of that team, all agreed that this team has the potential to explode in production without warning, similar to what happened in 2008 for Tampa Bay.  Maybe not next year, but it's not far away.

The Dirty Dozen. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	4	9	0	7
	3	6	0	3

Another rally falls short, and the Bucs drop their 12th in a row.  At this point it's not really about talent anymore, except for starting pitching, but it's gonna take some time for these young guys to learn how to play the game at a Major League level.  We know that.  Doesn't mean it's any less frustrating to watch.  Just have to hope that they do better the next day.

The offense continues to exist only in the top half of the order, with all baserunners coming from the 1-5 spots.  Garrett Jones and Neil Walker both went 2 for 4, and Ryan Church (batting 5th) hit a bases loaded double to give the Pirates their only scoring play in the game.

Paul Maholm was excellent until his utter collapse in the 7th inning.  More tough luck for him, and the organization in general.  Bullpen seemed like it was back to form, but as it was the Indians they were pitching against, the jury is still out on whether they can get back to the consistent domination they had earlier in the year.

SERIES 23 - Indians

Cleveland Indians

Friday, June 18, 7:05 PM (FSN)
 Saturday, June 19, 7:05 PM (FSN)
 Sunday, June 20, 1:35 PM (FSN)

 

PNC Park

Listen live on [WPGB]

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Nearly half of the way through the 2010 MLB season, the Pirates have not faired well.  They are just 23-43 this year, and are in the midst of a gigantic 11-game losing streak.  But the team they draw next has not done much better.  The Cleveland Indians are 25-40 on the year and are currently extending their own losing streak, albeit a much smaller one at 4 games.  These streaks are the longest currently in the Majors.  Something's got to give.  Maybe a good old fashioned rivalry game will finally be the spark the Bucs need to get back on track.  Time will tell.

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Expected Pitching Matchups

June 18: Paul Maholm (4-4-5, 3.63 ERA) vs. Fausto Carmona (5-5-3, 3.23 ERA)
June 19: Jeff Karstens (1-2-9, 4.50 ERA) vs. David Huff (2-8-2, 5.82 ERA)
June 20: Brad Lincoln (0-1-1, 7.50 ERA) vs. Justin Masterson (2-6-5, 5.02 ERA)

Proposed Lineups

Pirates

1. J. Tabata, LF
2. N. Walker, 2B
3. A. McCutchen, CF
4. G. Jones, 1B
5. L. Milledge, RF
6. P. Alvarez, 3B
7. R. Doumit, C
8. R. Cedeno, SS
9. [Pitcher]

Indians

1. J. Donald, SS 
2. S. Choo, RF
3. C. Santana, C
4. A. Kearns, CF
5. R. Branyan, 1B
6. J. Peralta, 3B
7. S. Duncan, LF
8. L. Valbuena, 2B
9. [Pitcher]

Let's Go Bucs.

Rally Falls Short. Bucs SWEPT

	R	H	E	LOB
	5	11	0	6
	4	9	0	5

Always tough to see a late rally fall short, especially when it could turn around a losing streak the size of Texas.  The meat of the order continues to hit decently, while the 6 through 9 spots does not.  Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, and Lastings Milledge all had a pair of hits, while Jones and Tabata each contributed 1.  Walker, Cutch, Jones, and Milledge each had an RBI, while Tabata and Walker combined to score 3 runs.  After the 5th spot, however, the batting continues to be sterile.  The 6-9 spots were responsible for all but 1 of the Pirates 9 Ks and had just 1 hit, an Andy LaRoche pinch-hit double that probably should have been caught by the CF.  Pedro had a particularly difficult time, striking out 3 times.  He'll get better as the season wears on.  Ross Ohlendorf still does not have a win.

And so the streak moves to 11.  Maybe a rivalry series against the slightly less sucky Indians will break it.

Double Digits. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	7	11	0	6
	2	5	6	3

Six errors.  Seven runs allowed.  Boooo.  Pedro's up.  Jose hits his first dinger.  Woooo.

A night of the highest highs and the lowest lows.

The core is finally all up now.  That's a good thing.  Are they all going to start clicking immediately?  Hell no.  Not everyone is Andrew McCutchen.  But I'd much rather see them getting some experience now than in August.  Get used to the way the game is played in the big leagues.  And come out strong next year.

Six errors is the most by the Pirates in a long time, but who cares, they weren't going to win this one anyway.  Pedro was shaky at third, but I'm chalking that up to nervousness because of playing in his first big league game.  He went 0 for 2 with a walk, a strikeout, and a fly to left that almost dropped in for a single.  His walk led to the other of the 2 Pirate runs.  Not a bad start in my book.  He'll get better the more he plays at this level.

As for the other Pirates, Lastings Milledge was the only player to get 2 hits in the game, his second hit being a double that moved Pedro to 3rd and set up Bobby Crosby's sacrifice grounder to get the Bucs on the board for the first time.  Other than that the list of interesting hits is pretty short.

So the losing streak moves to 10 games.  As I've already given up on this season and am merely watching to see the young players progress, this doesn't bother me that much.  We've been here before, and we'll be here again.  You can tell that the players are losing confidence, though.  They really need a win, if only to prove to themselves that it's still possible for them to win a game.

Pedro's Here!

Let's Go Bucs.

Number 9... Number 9... Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	6	7	0	7
	4	10	1	9

Another disappointing outing for Brad Lincoln, but it's nice to see him at the big league level instead of Charlie Morton or Daniel McCutchen.

Garrett Jones continues to drive in runs, going 1 for 4 with a 2 RBI double. Cutch is back, going 3 for 4, including a nifty play where he stole second and third in two consecutive pitches.  Neil Walker and Ryan Doumit also had two hits each.

But the 6 through 9 spots continue to be more barren than a hysterectomy patient.  Brad Lincoln was the only player in those spots to get a hit, unless you count Aki's pinch-hit double in the 6th.  Ryan Church, Andy LaRoche, and Ronny Cedeno all went 0 for.  Even Delwyn Young's pinch-hitting for LaRoche yielded no results.

Once again, Dotel was in a non-save situation, and once again he gave up a run.  Although the Pirates haven't exactly been in many save situations lately, so he probably just needed to throw some balls.

SERIES 22 - White Sox

Chicago White Sox

Tuesday, June 15, 7:05 PM (FSN)
 Wednesday, June 16, 7:05 PM (FSN)
 Thursday, June 17, 7:05 PM (FSN)



PNC Park

Listen live on [WPGB]

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Interleague play has not gone well for the Pirates, overall and this season alone.  They will try to turn that around as they head home to face the White Sox in a 3-game series, a team which they have not had much luck against in the past.  Many people are freaking out that Pedro isn't in the big league club yet.  I would love to see him up here right now, but I understand the concerns the management has with him.  I still think he'll be up during this home trip, though.

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Expected Pitching Matchups

June 15: Brad Lincoln (0-0-1, 7.50 ERA) vs. Freddy Garcia (6-3-2, 4.82 ERA)
June 16: Zach Duke (3-7-3, 5.30 ERA) vs. John Danks (5-5-2, 3.27 ERA)
June 17: Ross Ohlendorf (0-4-4, 4.95 ERA) vs. Peavy (5-5-3, 5.62 ERA)

Proposed Lineups

Pirates

1. J. Tabata, LF
2. N. Walker, 2B
3. A. McCutchen, CF
4. G. Jones, 1B
5. R. Doumit, C
6. R. Church, RF
7. A. LaRoche, 3B
8. R. Cedeno, SS
9. [Pitcher]

White Sox

1. J. Pierre, LF
2. O. Vizguel, 3B
3. A. Rios, CF
4. P. Konerko, 1B
5. M. Kotsay, RF
6. A. Ramirez, SS
7. R. Castro, C
8. G. Beckham, 2B
9. [Pitcher]

Let's Go Bucs.

Bullpen Blunders. Bucs SWEPT

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	7	0	5
	4	7	0	4

The one aspect of the Pirates that we as fans could point to and say, "well at least we have that," was our bullpen.  "As long as the starter can maintain the lead," we'd say, "our bullpen can win us the game on any given night."  Well, now the bullpen has blown two leads in a row.  The bullpen is not nearly as dominant now, in June, as they were in May.  And the Pirates continue to lose, and lose, and lose.  In other words, a pretty typical June for the Bucs.

Jeff Karstens out-dueled Mr. Nearly Perfect, Armando Galarraga, and through 7 innings, the Pirates had the 2-1 lead.  He had held the Tigers scoreless through 6 innings, allowing just 4 hits.  He did give up a solo home run in the 7th, but was able to escape with the lead intact.  After allowing a single to start the 8th, he was pulled in favor of Carrasco, and that's where things went south.  3 different pitchers (Carrasco, Lopez, and Dotel) couldn't get the 3rd out, and Dotel gave up the 3-run homer that gave the Tigers the lead for good.

Garrett Jones is looking like the home run machine he was last year.  He's hit 2 dingers in his last 2 games.  I hope this continues, as the Pirates are really hurting for runs this year.  Jones and Cutch both went 2 for 4 today, and it's nice to see Andrew finally getting back on track after his slump.

It's good to see Doumit back at catcher after that catastrophe on Saturday.  I have no idea why they had him playing 1st, and I hope I never see him there again.  Jones should be our everyday 1st baseman.  We need hitting, and we have plenty of bench players who can play RF (Delwyn Young, Ryan Church, Lastings Milledge).  Why sacrifice an extra good bat for a mostly defensive player such as Bobby Crosby?  Ideally, our position players should be Ryan Doumit C, Garrett Jones 1B, Neil Walker 2B, Ronny Cedeno SS, Andy LaRoche 3B (Pedro Alvarez when he finally gets called), Jose Tabata LF, Andrew McCutchen CF, and a rotating RF of Delwyn Young, Lastings Milledge, and Ryan Church.  But that's just my opinion.

Walk-off. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	9	2	6
	4	13	0	11

Tough loss as some major blunders probably cost the Bucs a win.  With the score 2-1 Pirates in the bottom of the 7th (helped out by Garrett Jones's 9th homer of the year in the 4th; he went 2 for 4 on the day with 2 runs), 1 out, and runners at the corners, Evan Meek inexplicably runs to tag the guy at 3rd instead of throwing to second for an incredibly easy double play.  This puts guys on 1st and 2nd instead of putting the Pirates in the dugout.  One play later, Meek makes a tough throw on a grounder to 1st which Doumit still should have caught, but instead it goes past his glove and 2 runs score.  Jose Tabata is able to score in the next inning to tie it after some nifty baserunning and a Neil Walker single.  In the 10th inning the Pirates for some reason decide to put Donnelly in, who promptly gives up the game-winning home run. Sigh.  This one should have been ours.  But that's the Pirates for you.

Mowdown. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	2	5	0	7
	6	12	0	7

I could go on about how the Pirates' lineup was weird, or ask why Doumit is playing first when he has next to no experience at the position, or why Jose Tabata was not in the lineup after playing the previous day, or why Ryan Church was Russell's choice as DH, but I won't.  I've moved on from Denial and Anger to Acceptance.  The Pirates are not going to have a winning season this year.  I knew that at the beginning of the season, but it's still a bit of a shock every year when you actually see them play.  You try to fool yourself into believing "if he can hit like that for the rest of the year, we're good" and other such thoughts.  But then reality sets in.

So, instead, I'm just going to enjoy it for the sport of baseball, even if my team is pretty awful.  I'll try to look at the good things, the positive steps toward the future that the team is clearly making.  I feel a lot more confident under Huntington than I ever did under Littlefield.  We've got some great talent coming up through the system right now, and while it takes time for them to develop the system after what Littlefield and McClatchy turned it into, it's looking bright for the future.  Andrew McCutchen got back on track in this game after slumping for a few weeks, going 2 for 4.  Garrett Jones also hit 2 for 4.  Dana Eveland was good in relief, even though he didn't have much to work with after Ross Ohlendorf was done.  You have to look at the little things.  And have faith.  Some day, the Pirates will get back to the proud organization they once were.  The sky is always darkest just before the dawn.

SERIES 21 - Tigers

Detroit Tigers

Friday, June 11, 7:05 PM (FSN)
 Saturday, June 12, 7:05 PM (FSN)
 Sunday, June 13, 1:05 PM (FSN)

 
Comerica Park, Detroit, MI

Listen live on [WPGB]

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Interleague play.  To say that the Bucs don't do well in it is an understatement.  Their overall record in interleague games is just 71-110, worst in the league.  Last year, however, they did go 8-7 against the AL, which is encouraging.  Things never get any easier for the Hard Luck Bucs, as they will have to face the nearly-perfect Armando Galarraga in the last game of this series.  Now that the Pirates' season is all but over, maybe I can just enjoy watching the young players finally get a chance to show what they can do.  Andy LaRoche is finally on the bench, which makes me happy, even if it means Aki Iwamura is back at 2B.  He's been hitting okay as a pinch hitter, so who knows.  Maybe he'll start to resemble the Aki of 2008.  One can only hope.  Now if only I could understand why Russell wants to sit Jose Tabata in favor of Lastings Milledge...

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Expected Pitching Matchups

May 28: Ross Ohlendorf (0-3-4, 4.30 ERA) vs. Justin Verlander (6-4-2, 3.65 ERA)
May 29: Paul Maholm (4-4-4, 3.80 ERA) vs. Jeremy Bonderman (2-4-5, 4.40 ERA)
May 30: Jeff Karstens (1-2-8, 4.81 ERA) vs. Armando Galarraga (2-1-2, 2.77 ERA)

Proposed Lineups

Pirates

1.  A. McCutchen, CF
2.  N. Walker, 3B
3.  R. Doumit, 1B
4.  G. Jones, RF
5.  R. Church, DH
6.  L. Milledge, LF
7.  A. Iwamura, 2B
8.  R. Cedeno, SS
9. J. Jaramillo, C

Tigers

1.  A. Jackson, CF
2.  J. Damon, DH
3.  D. Kelly, LF 
4.  M. Cabrera, 1B
5.  B. Boesch, RF
6.  C. Guillen, 2B
7.  B. Inge, 3B
8.  A. Avila, C
9. R. Santiago, SS

Let's Go Bucs.