Almost there. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	1	7	0	8
	4	6	0	2

Well, that went pretty much as expected. The Padres have allowed the fewest runs in the league, and the Pirates have scored the second fewest. Doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what's going to happen.

Jeff Karstens went 6.0 IP, with 3 H, 2 ER, 1 BB, 3 K, and 1 HR. Relievers Wil Ledezma and Chris Resop allowed a run each.

The offense was pretty weak, but managed to outhit the Padres, barely. Jose Tabata had the only multi-hit game for the Bucs, going 2 for 4. Ronny Cedeno and Andy LaRoche had doubles, while Pedro had the only RBI.

The Race For Last™

The Bucs are now just a half game behind Baltimore for the 1st Pick.

Baltimore: Won 14-8.
Arizona: Won 2-1.
Seattle: Won 2-0.
Cleveland: Lost 14-8.
Kansas City: Lost 3-1.

The current standings:

Team	W	L
Baltimore	39	74
Pittsburgh	39	73
Seattle	44	70
Arizona	45	69
Kansas City	47	66
Cleveland	47	66

Eyes on the prize, Bucco fans.

Shutout. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	0	5	1	6
	2	5	0	5

Ross Ohlendorf finally got his win.  Pedro Alvarez is on a 5-game hitting streak.  Andrew McCutchen went 2 for 3 and took a free ride.  Things are going good.  Even Andy LaRoche got in on the action with an RBI that turned out to be the game winning run.  But most of all, the starting pitching is keeping us in the games.  3 wins in a row, and all of them were by pitchers who hadn't recorded a win all year.   Will the Pirates finally get over the 3 game streak barrier that has kept them from gaining any ground all year tonight?  We shall see.  The matchup is favorable, but that doesn't always mean anything.

Blown. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	6	10	1	1
	4	5	0	4

Can't believe Duke blew a 4 run lead.  Jones, Milledge, Cedeno, Crosby, and Doumit all went hitless. Walker went 2 for 4, raising his average to .333.  Andy LaRoche also went 2 for 4.  Other than the 2nd inning where the Bucs scored all 4 of their runs, none of them earned due to a 2-out, 2-base error with Zach Duke batting, this game sucked balls.  The Pirates went down in order in 6 separate innings.  Bullpen efficient as usual, the only real bright spot in this game.  If we could actually get some decent hitting our bullpen should be able to win the game on any given night.  Too tired to do a legit recap after the rain delay as I have to work in the morning.  Suffice it to say that after the 3-hour wait for the game to start it was a huge disappointment.

When it starts to rain, everything's the same. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	7	1	5
	7	13	1	9

This was another one of those games where the outcome was determined after only a few innings.  After a rain delay pushed back the start of the game (still no postponements, not sure if that's a good thing or not),  The Braves scored 5 runs in the first 2 innings and after that you knew it was over.  A bad game for Zach Duke, earning all 7 runs the Braves scored, but poor play tends to be contagious and the Braves are a tough team to beat anyway.  Neil Walker continues to hit the ball well, going 2 for 4 and scoring a run and an RBI.  His average is up to .294 right now, not bad for a kid no one thought could do anything at the major league level a few years ago.  Garrett Jones also went 2 for 3 with an RBI.  The other RBI was hit by Andy LaRoche, who was the only pinch-hitter for the Bucs in this game.

Freshly called up pitcher Steven Jackson pitched well in relief for 1.6 innings, allowing just 1 hit and throwing 2 Ks.  Joel Hanrahan wrapped it up in the 8th with 2 Ks and no hits.

GAME.

Lloyd Braun gets greedy. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	4	10	0	10
	6	12	1	8

This one was neck and neck until the 7th.  That's when the Bucs took the lead for good.  Legend, Doumit, and Steve Pearce hit 3 straight RBIs, scoring Milledge, Cutch, and GFJ.  Twice in this game the Beers had the bases loaded, but it was all for naught.  The bullpen was great again, even if D.J. Carrasco had a bit of trouble in the 7th, allowing 1 run to score.  After that it was 4 straight Ks, 2 each by Javier Lopez and Joel Hanrahan.

In the 9th, Lloyd Braun bunts a quick ball, realizing that LaRoche was playing deep.  He steals second as Prince Fatass strikes out for the 3rd time, but then he gets greedy.  Not realizing that Andy LaRoche, who had been playing the shift to right for Fatass, was still holding the ball that was thrown to him by Doumit, he tries to steal third.  Andy quickly turns around and makes the tag.  2 quick outs in a weird little double play.
McGehee flies out after that and Dotel earns his 9th save.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Steve Pearce went 3 for 4, raising his average from .167 to .273 in the process.  Hope this is the start of a return to the way he was hitting in AAA, because it was really starting to look like he was going back to the way he hit at the end of last year.

Garrett Jones went 2 for 4 and Andy LaRoche went 2 for 3 with a walk.  That's good news for Andy, who was in a bit of a slump after being red hot earlier in the year.

The bullpen combined for 6 Ks in just 3 innings of work.  Brian Burres added another 3 as the starter.  He also had an RBI, a pretty rare thing for a pitcher.

Bucs look for the 2-game sweep tonight.

Errors. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	4	13	0	13
	3	11	2	8

Another frustrating game to watch.  There were so many chances for the Bucs to take this one it's crazy.  Zach Duke had no Earned Runs but allowed three due to two errors by Ronny Cedeno, who had had one of the best fielding percentages in the majors, and Andy LaRoche.

And then there was the 8th inning baserunning circus.  Andy LaRoche, trying to reach home, inexplicably runs back to 3rd where Andrew McCutchen is already standing.  Cutch is tagged out, but Andy steps off the bag for some reason and he is tagged out too.  Weirdest double play I have ever seen.

All this after making Poo Holes go 0 for 5.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Cutch went 3 for 4 with one run.

Zach Duke threw 7 Ks and Meek threw 3.

The bullpen was dealt its first loss of the season, with Meek taking the L.

Blowout. Bucs SWEEP

	R	H	E	LOB
	1	6	3	8
	11	9	0	7

Brian Burres, who knew?  Absolutely dominant in this game, striking out 4 and allowing just 3 hits in 7 IP.  I kept flipping between the Penguins and Pirates games, and it seemed like every time I went back to the Pirates game, the lead had increased.  Pirates sweep a team that had just come off its own sweep.  Seems like the starting pitching has gotten on track, and the bats are starting to wake up again.  The bullpen, as mentioned previously, is one of the best that the Pirates have had in many years so far.  Keep it up, boys.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Andy LaRoche scored 3 runs on 3 walks.

Lastings Milledge hit a long double, which he thought was a home run (and would have been a grand slam).  Unfortunately, it bounced off the wall and he was tagged out slowly jogging from 2nd to 3rd.

Randy Wells, who had previously been one of the Cubs best pitchers, was turned inside out, giving up 7 runs in just 2 innings.

Three Buccos had 2 hits: GFJ, Cutch, and Clutch.

Go to Church. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	2	8	0	12
	3	8	0	5

Wasn't able to watch this game, for obvious reasons, so I'll have to go by the box score.  Basically, this game was all about home runs.

Andy LaRoche started things off with a big homer to the left corner.  He's starting to look like a good pickup if he keeps hitting the way he is.

Soriano homer in the top of the 4th and Soto homered in the top of the 6th to give the Cubs a 2-1 lead.

Ryan Church says "Not In My Town." A 2-out, 2-run shot by him over the Clemente Wall in the bottom of the 6th gave the Bucs the lead for good. 3-2.

Relievers took out the rest of the trash.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Once again the Bucs win a one-run game.  they are now 6-1 in those situations.

Andrew McCutchen was out of the lineup, presumably with his ankle problem, although he was available as a pinch-hitter if needed.

Steve Pearce was on the bench, which in turn sent Brendan Donnelly to the DL and Raynor back to the Marlins.

3 Buccos had 2 hits: Andy LaRoche, Ryan Church (playing CF for Cutch), and Ronny Cedeno.  Cedeno went 2 for 3.

A total of 5 walks by the Buccos' pitching staff and only 1 by the Cubs contributed to the lopsided LOB stat. Meek apparently beaned some joke too.

Dotel got his 4th save of the season.  Meek and Hanrahan had holds.

Nearly 11,000 showed up during a Pens playoff game.

Bad Luck. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	8	0	6
	9	16	0	7

Frankly, it's amazing that the Pirates ended up with a 0 in the Error column, because there were defensive breakdowns in droves.  On the other side of the game, it seemed like no matter how impossible it was for the Dodgers to make a play, they were able to pull it off.  Like the Crosby play.  LaRoche reaches first on an infield single. Okay, that's pretty good.  But then Crosby hits a bloop down the third base line and somehow Belliard makes a ridiculous stretching catch after running from third base.  LaRoche, who is absolutely stunned at this point, is almost to second.  He quickly runs back to first only to be called on a putout, even though the first baseman had his foot off the bag.

That wasn't the only play LaRoche was involved in.  In the bottom of the fifth, LaRoche leaps up to make the catch at third, getting Russell Martin out, but nobody notices that Xavier Paul has somehow wandered over to second.  Andy throws to first and Paul should have been out, but no one argues.  One play later Ethier hits his 2-run homer, and that's the only highlight you'll see from that inning.

Just a frustrating game to watch.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Andrew McCutchen apparently got his ankle hurt on a play in the 3rd.  hope he'll be back sooner rather than later.

Garrett Jones had 2 hits, 2 runs, and an RBI to lead the Pirates.  Andy LaRoche had 2 hits as well.

Jeff Karstens got a hit.  His average is now .250.

Relief was not good allowing 3 ER.  Brian Bass did not look particularly strong in his 2 IP, but he's still a work in progress I guess.

Bucs go 3-7 on this road trip.  Not exactly stellar.  Maybe a home stand is just what the doctor ordered.

Epic. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	6	13	0	12
	5	10	0	10

Damn, it feels good to win a series in Milwaukee.  And this game was absolutely incredible to watch.  By the 13th inning, I couldn't sit still and started pacing back and forth in front of my TV.  I just can't express in words how happy I am that the Pirates proved me wrong by winning this series.  I lost track of the stated goal of this blog, but then again, it was one of the worst stretches in Pirates history.  The way they played in these last two games showed the talent I knew this team had since the first series of the season.  All we need now is for the Pirates to keep their level of play this high for the rest of the season.  Easier said than done, obviously.

Bucs started  things off strong with 2 homers in the 1st; the first, by Andy LaRoche, scored two runs; the second, by Cutch, was a solo shot.  Then the bats went quiet for 7 innings as Milwaukee slowly built a 4-3 lead.  Paul Maholm had another solid outing, keeping the Brewers' bats relatively quiet over his 7 IP.  His 5 BB is a little concerning, but his 6 Ks made up for it.  Maholm has been the most consistent starter for the Bucs, as he has not given up more than 4 ER in a start.

In the top of the ninth, Ryan Doumit happened.  A solo dinger ties the game and gives Trevor Hoffman his second blown save in as many games.  The Beers might want to start looking for a new closer, because he looks like he's running on fumes at this point.

In the tenth, both teams scored a run to keep it even.  Cutch had his second homer of the game.  But Casey McGehee drove in Lloyd Braun to tie it back up.

Nothing terribly interesting happened in the 11th or 12th.  In the 11th, Andy LaRoche was thrown out of the game for throwing his bat to the ground after a called 3rd strike.  Bobby Crosby took over his duties for the rest of the game.  A couple Bucs hits in the 12th, but mostly it was guys going down in order.

In the 13th, there was a scare as Escobar hit a single to left-center and it looked like Edmonds was going to score.  Milledge throws to home where Ryan Doumit is waiting.  Praise the Lord, he made the tag!

And so it's on to the 14th.  Iwamura beats a throw to first for a single.  But then Crosby and Cutch line out and fly out.  Somebody has to step up.  The Legend comes to the plate.  He hits a single to far right.  Aki scores.  6-5.  All that's left is for Carrasco to finish it off.  He takes them down in order.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

• The Beers' decision to pinch-hit Edmonds for Corey Hart in the 10th looks like a terrible decision in retrospect.  Not only did he fail to reach base, but on the game-winning hit by Garrett Jones, he made an absolutely awful throw to the infield, which allowed Iwamura, who had started the play at first base, to reach home safely.  Not to mention that tag at the plate in the 13th.

• Andy LaRoche's bat quieted somewhat in this game, only going 1 for 5, a two-run homer in the 1st.  Not to worry, though, as Cutch went 4 for 7 and Iwamura went 3 for 6 with a walk.  Both scored two runs.  GFJ also had two hits, including the game-winning RBI in the 14th.

• All but one of the Bucs' runs came off homers.  The sole exception was Garrett Jones's game-winning single in the 14th.

• This is the first series the Bucs have won in Milwaukee since a late-July series in 2006.  Coincidentally, Maholm was the starting pitcher in the series-winning third game back then as well.

• Bucs now stand at 9-12, currently tied for 4th in the division with Milwaukee.  Incredibly, second place is only one win away.  First place is still a ways away, with 5 games between the Bucs and the Cards.

• It's effin' TIME. woooo

WOOOOOO. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	7	14	0	9
	3	8	0	9

I have been a Jeff Karstens fan since the almost no-hitter in 2008.  He had some bad outings in 2009, but when he was moved to reliever later in the year, he did pretty well.  I have no idea why he was not on the roster since the beginning of the season.  He has been pretty much all over the map in Indianapolis, granted.  He has pitched anywhere from a 2-hit 0.00 ERA in 4 IP to a 6-run, 15.00 ERA nightmare over 3 innings in AAA.  I still believe he should have a spot on this Pirates roster.  If not a starter, than in relief.  If Ross Ohlendorf does not start next week, give Jeff a try.  Or maybe you could give Charlie Morton some work in AAA.  Maybe give the bullpen some rest and let Karstens pitch a few innings.  Whatever it takes.  Jeff has the talent to pitch in the majors.

There is no doubt that tonight he was our savior.  He held a Brewers offense that has been absolutely explosive against Pirates pitchers to only 2 runs over his 6.6 IP.  He is the first decent start against the Brewers since Paul Maholm allowed 1 run in 7.6 IP to cap a sweep of the Brew Crew in Pittsburgh in late August of 2009.  Maholm, coincidentally, will start tomorrow afternoon.

One player I have not mentioned often enough is Andy LaRoche, who went 4 for 5 today.  He has been absolutely amazing so far with a .400 batting average, albeit in fewer games due to injury.  In players with 40 or more at bats this season, he ranks 3rd. Unfortunately, due to injury, he is not eligible for the batting crown at this point.  His OPS is a team-best .959, not counting Ross Ohlendorf's 2 walks in his only at-bats.  It's funny, but I always considered Andy to be the lesser LaRoche when his brother was on the team.  Boy was I wrong on that count.  Keep up the good work, young man.

The Brewers took a 3-2 lead into the top of the 9th, thanks to a tie-breaking home run by Prince Fielder off Javier Lopez.  So Trevor Hoffman comes in, looking for his 14 bazillionth save.  What he didn't count on, however, was Ronny Cedeno homering.  Or Andy LaRoche singling.  Or Lastings Milledge doubling.  Garret Jones gets intentionally walked.  No problem.  Ryan Doumit decides to roll some salami.

7-3.

D.J. Carrasco strikes out the first two.  Then Lloyd Braun grounds out to short.  He just liked ringing that bell.

THE STREAK IS OVER.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Three Buccos went 3 for 5 or better: Andy LaRoche, Ryan Doumit, and Jeff Clement.

Trevor Hoffman is 42 years old.  He certainly looked like it tonight.

The Bucs look to begin a new streak and take the series win tomorrow at 1:10 pm.  Paul Maholm will get the start against former reliever Chris Narveson.

As unbelievable as it sounds, the Pirates are only 5 games behind 1st place St. Louis right now.  A win tomorrow could push them as high as 3rd place in the surprisingly even NL Central.  There's a slight glimmer of hope for the Bucs.  Do it.

XXII. Bucs LOSE

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	8	1	11
	17	17	3	10

This is what the fanbase looks like right now:

"Winning is coming... winning is coming... winning is coming..."

The Andrews, Cutch and LaRoche, were the only Pirates who had more than 1 hit.  Cutch had 2 RBIs.  Legend added another.

GAME.

UPDATE: Jeff Karstens will get the start tomorrow against Randy Wolf.

Canyon. Bucs SWEPT

	R	H	E	LOB
	3	14	1	9
	10	10	0	8

After 4 starts, Charlie Morton is looking really bad.  He gave up 5 in this contest, and only lasted 3 innings.  I'm of the opinion that he should have one more chance to prove he can pitch at the major league level, and if he looks the same as he has in the first 4 starts, send him down to Indianapolis and bring up Kevin Hart or Jeff Karstens.

The Bucs offense has gotten really anemic, which is not good considering the pitching is really bad.  It's not that they're having trouble getting hits, as evidenced by the 14 in the box score, but getting those baserunners home is turning into a real problem.  The Pirates were 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position.  That's not gonna cut it.  Andy LaRoche was the offensive leader in this game.  He went 4 for 4 with 2 RBIs.  Cutch went 3 for 5, and Doumit went 2 for 3 with a walk.  The Pirates really need to get those runners home, because the pitching and defense is not going to help you win at this point.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

6 in a row.  Time to panic?

Bucs fell to last place in the division.  I really thought this was going to be the year we finally escaped the cellar, but right now it doesn't look like that is going to happen.  Of course, there's still a lot of baseball left to be played, and who knows what will happen over the course of the season.  Maybe Alvarez, Tabata, or Lincoln will spark the Bucs' comeback.  It looks pretty bleak at this point, though.

Not looking forward to the Milwaukee trip.

Dead even. Bucs WIN

	R	H	E	LOB
	6	9	0	5
	5	11	1	7

The end of this game is what I like to imagine playoff baseball is like.

The Bucs started out by taking a slow 3-0 lead through the 3rd, including an Aki Iwamura homer to left field.  How clutch has he been so far?  Very.

This lead was slowly eaten away by the Giants and by the end of the 6th the score was tied at 3.  The Pirates bats couldn't get anything from the 4th through the 7th.  The Pirates went down in order in 5 total innings (2nd, 4th-7th).  In 3 of those the batters were Andy LaRoche, Paul Maholm/Ryan Church, and Ronny Cedeno.  Hmm.

But then the Pirates were able to score one in the 8th to take the 4-3 lead thanks to a costly error by Edgar Renteria.  If that ball doesn't bounce out of his glove it was almost certainly an easy double play and the Bucs do not win this game.  Brendan Donnelly (who has been pretty clutch so far) gets things done in the bottom of the 8th by taking the Giants' bats down in order.

So, top of the 9th, Pirates up 4-3.  Bobby Crosby strikes out.  And Andy LaRoche is up to bat.  Oh boy, here we go.

What? A home run? Andy LaRoche?

Yes, it's true.  He blasts it out of the park to center.

5-3.

Then Ryan Church, who struck out in the 7th, hits a triple because some jobber on the Giants misplays the ball.  Aki Iwamura hits a clutch single to score Church.

6-3.

Ok, so the Bucs are up 6-3 in the bottom of the ninth, a comfortable lead for solid closer Octavio Dotel, right?

Wrong.

Pinch-hitter Eugenio Velez hits a two-run homer to deep right.  Suddenly, it's 6-5, and the Giants are at the top of their order.

But Dotel calms down and gets it together.  He takes the next three down, including a panda, which I guess must've escaped from the zoo or something.  Only in San Francisco.

GAME.

---

Miscellaneous shit

Paul Maholm made an amazing rolling scoop glove throw in the 3rd.  You can watch it here (the #1 play).

Garrett Jones made a nice reaching catch to end the game.  He had a nice game in other areas too, with 3 hits and 2 RBIs.

Ryan Doumit had a nice hit in the 3rd, scoring McCutch,  but got a little greedy trying to stretch it into a double.

Speaking of McCutchen, he appears to be getting into stride as he had a hit, scored 3 runs, and stole 2 bases.

Pirates now lead the NL in stolen bases with 8 (tied with Dodgers).  Their basestealing percentage is still 100%.

The Pirates pitchers, not normally known for strikeouts, had a nice outing with 8 combined.  Maholm had 3 over 5, Meek had 3 over 2, and Donnelly had 2 over 1 inning.

Bucs try to win the series in about 2.5 hours.