Snap Judgments - Game 10 - Pirates 1, Reds 0
Sometimes you just get lucky...
The Pirates didn't play terribly well tonight, but somehow it was enough. I watched the game on my computer while the Penguins/Senators playoff game dominated the plasma. During intermissions and commercials, I flipped to the Bucs/Reds on FSN Ohio (before you ask, yes, I bought MLB.tv, MLB Extra Innings and NHL Center Ice so as to not miss any of my teams) and through a couple of rain delays, I viewed with a cynical eye as the Bucs scraped out a 1-0 win at home to end a three-game losing streak.
Tonight's Snap Judgments will focus on what I feel are the larger issues facing this team. To be competitive this season, the Buccos will need to remedy these problems and hopefully, avoid them altogether.
1.) Time to Start Making Routine Plays
The Pirates made two more errors tonight. According to my notes, that gives them 16 miscues in the field over the first 10 games of the season. I'm not going to project it out, because it would be disgusting to look at if I did. The Pirates are definitely missing Jack Wilson at SS and with Jack on the DL, shortstop has been a terrible, creaky carnival ride every night with Bixler/Rivas. It's the type of carnival ride you're scared of, one that makes you throw up...like the Gravitron. But the larger problem is that everyone in the infield has been making errors. LaRoche has one, Freddy has two, Rivas has five (!), and Bautista has three. This type of sloppy play is unacceptable, especially on the Major League level.
D'oh! Freddy Sanchez has been uncharacteristically shaky in the field so far in 2008, along with the rest of his infield mates.
2.) Two-out Hitting and Leaving Runners on Base
Jason Bay seems to be seeing the ball better than he was at the beginning of the season (or at any time last season) and he absolutely pulverized a Jared Burton hanger to give the Pirates the only run they needed to win tonight. The 430-foot bomb came with two outs in the 6th inning and was Bay's 19th career homerun against Cincinnati. However, the Pirates left 10 runners on base tonight (outdone by the Reds' 12 LOB) and failed on several occasions to get a two-out hit with runners in scoring position. The most notable occurrence was during the 8th. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, the Pirates loaded the bases with two outs. Xavier Nady came on to pinch hit against David Weathers and flew out weakly to end the inning. The Pirates will not shut teams out every night and they must cash in with timely hitting or they will continue to suffer the extra-inning, one-run losses we saw during the Cubs series.
Finally! A two-out RBI!
3.) Bullpen Overworked Again...Thanks a Lot Mother Nature!
Paul Maholm was cruising. He'd worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and was keeping himself out of trouble and the Reds' hitters off-balance. After back-to-back, one-out singles by Adam Dunn and Joey Votto, a huge thunderclap was heard, a bolt of lightning seen and the heavens opened up. Umpire Tim McClelland ordered everyone off the field at the sight of lightning. Rain dumped by the bucketful on PNC Park and the tarp came out as players and fans scampered for cover. Just like that Maholm's night was done, much to the chagrin of manager John Russell, I'm sure. Russell was certainly hoping for seven, maybe eight innings from Maholm tonight and it looked as if he'd deliver. But the rain delay stretched for an hour and 22 minutes and it was impossible to bring Maholm back out to pitch. So Russell went with Grabow, Marte, and Capps. On a normal night, 3 2/3 innings pitched out of your bullpen isn't the end of the world, but as I wrote yesterday, the bullpen desperately needs a break. Hopefully Snell tomorrow and Gorzo on Sunday can give the guys in the pen some much-needed rest.
"You mean I'm pitching AGAIN? I'm not Salomon Torres, you know!" -- Damaso Marte
The Pirates didn't play terribly well tonight, but somehow it was enough. I watched the game on my computer while the Penguins/Senators playoff game dominated the plasma. During intermissions and commercials, I flipped to the Bucs/Reds on FSN Ohio (before you ask, yes, I bought MLB.tv, MLB Extra Innings and NHL Center Ice so as to not miss any of my teams) and through a couple of rain delays, I viewed with a cynical eye as the Bucs scraped out a 1-0 win at home to end a three-game losing streak.
Tonight's Snap Judgments will focus on what I feel are the larger issues facing this team. To be competitive this season, the Buccos will need to remedy these problems and hopefully, avoid them altogether.
1.) Time to Start Making Routine Plays
The Pirates made two more errors tonight. According to my notes, that gives them 16 miscues in the field over the first 10 games of the season. I'm not going to project it out, because it would be disgusting to look at if I did. The Pirates are definitely missing Jack Wilson at SS and with Jack on the DL, shortstop has been a terrible, creaky carnival ride every night with Bixler/Rivas. It's the type of carnival ride you're scared of, one that makes you throw up...like the Gravitron. But the larger problem is that everyone in the infield has been making errors. LaRoche has one, Freddy has two, Rivas has five (!), and Bautista has three. This type of sloppy play is unacceptable, especially on the Major League level.
D'oh! Freddy Sanchez has been uncharacteristically shaky in the field so far in 2008, along with the rest of his infield mates.2.) Two-out Hitting and Leaving Runners on Base
Jason Bay seems to be seeing the ball better than he was at the beginning of the season (or at any time last season) and he absolutely pulverized a Jared Burton hanger to give the Pirates the only run they needed to win tonight. The 430-foot bomb came with two outs in the 6th inning and was Bay's 19th career homerun against Cincinnati. However, the Pirates left 10 runners on base tonight (outdone by the Reds' 12 LOB) and failed on several occasions to get a two-out hit with runners in scoring position. The most notable occurrence was during the 8th. Clinging to a 1-0 lead, the Pirates loaded the bases with two outs. Xavier Nady came on to pinch hit against David Weathers and flew out weakly to end the inning. The Pirates will not shut teams out every night and they must cash in with timely hitting or they will continue to suffer the extra-inning, one-run losses we saw during the Cubs series.
Finally! A two-out RBI!3.) Bullpen Overworked Again...Thanks a Lot Mother Nature!
Paul Maholm was cruising. He'd worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings and was keeping himself out of trouble and the Reds' hitters off-balance. After back-to-back, one-out singles by Adam Dunn and Joey Votto, a huge thunderclap was heard, a bolt of lightning seen and the heavens opened up. Umpire Tim McClelland ordered everyone off the field at the sight of lightning. Rain dumped by the bucketful on PNC Park and the tarp came out as players and fans scampered for cover. Just like that Maholm's night was done, much to the chagrin of manager John Russell, I'm sure. Russell was certainly hoping for seven, maybe eight innings from Maholm tonight and it looked as if he'd deliver. But the rain delay stretched for an hour and 22 minutes and it was impossible to bring Maholm back out to pitch. So Russell went with Grabow, Marte, and Capps. On a normal night, 3 2/3 innings pitched out of your bullpen isn't the end of the world, but as I wrote yesterday, the bullpen desperately needs a break. Hopefully Snell tomorrow and Gorzo on Sunday can give the guys in the pen some much-needed rest.
"You mean I'm pitching AGAIN? I'm not Salomon Torres, you know!" -- Damaso Marte
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