Series Thread: Pirates @ Cards

[Darkstone42]

The only way I could possibly hate that team any more is if Pujols and Beltran were back.

If there's going to be a walkoff tonight, let's hope it's by the right team.

If there's a walkoff tonight, it will be by the Cardinals since they're playing in St. Louis, so let's just agree to no walkoffs tonight.

 

[Burgh Sports Rule]

This is a HUGE series & a HUGE week!

I want, at least a split with the Cards & a 4 - 3 week overall.

Gotta make a stand & at least stay even in the standings with the Cards & Reds. Hope we gain more ground? However, it's very important not to lose any of the gains we've made on these two teams.

Burgh

 

[evolver115]

Yeah, Wainwright didn't really have his best control, but he got a lot of pretty favorable strike calls. He doesn't really need the help, but he got it anyway, and it directly cost us at least a few baserunners, and who knows what kind of impact it had on the approach through the lineup. I mean, when fastballs four inches outside are being called strikes, that backdoor curveball poses all sorts of extra problems.

But even so, we needed to at least capitalize on one opportunity. We had a runner in scoring position almost every inning and never drove him in. Cutch had an especially rough night in that respect. But if we were going to drop a game in this series, it was going to be the Wainwright one, and a split would still be a victory, in my opinion, and is still highly attainable.

No kidding about Wainwright. He's one of the best in the game right now. Adam doesn't need any extra help from behind the plate, but the stars seem to get the calls when it comes to balls and strikes. I'm serious about the bad calls that seem to plague the pirates. I literally cannot remember a close call that went their way for a long time. That HBP on Martin was six inches inside of the batter's box. Where the hell is Martin supposed to go? He's entitled to stand in the box and take a pitch. If that pitch hits him, take your base.

 

[sychmd]

for as good as cutch is, he is terrible with runners on 3rd and less than 2 outs.
i think he gets them in about 40% and league average above 50 or something like that.
you figure he will probably have a fast runner on 3rd most of the time.

needed to jump out to a lead and martinez is 22, hitting 99, and all 10 pitches were strikes.
why is cole so hittable and guys like this are more swing and miss. has cole lost some velocity and is his ball just that flat.

 

[Darkstone42]

Pedro pulls us even!

 

[element1286]

for as good as cutch is, he is terrible with runners on 3rd and less than 2 outs.
i think he gets them in about 40% and league average above 50 or something like that.
you figure he will probably have a fast runner on 3rd most of the time.

needed to jump out to a lead and martinez is 22, hitting 99, and all 10 pitches were strikes.
why is cole so hittable and guys like this are more swing and miss. has cole lost some velocity and is his ball just that flat.

Is Cole hittable, less than 1 hit per inning isn't great, but isn't terrible.

Also, Martinez doesn't have a breaking pitch, which is why he can't break their rotation except through injury. He's hittable, that's the problem. And considering Martinez pitches mainly out of the pen, he strikes out less guys than Cole on a per 9 basis.

 

[sychmd]

seems like cole doesn't have a very high swing and miss ratio.

 

[element1286]

8.5% this year, about league average for a starting pitcher.

 

[pixburgher66]

If tonight is a reprise of last night, something is getting broken.

 

[Darkstone42]

If tonight is a reprise of last night, something is getting broken.

No kidding. Maybe Pedro can run into another one.

 

[Darkstone42]

Nice at bat for Mercer, and now the go-ahead run is aboard for Jay Hay.

 

[pixburgher66]

Dear lord...Frieri is warming in the pen? If Hurdle does this "not using best pitcher" thing two nights in a row...so help me.

 

[Darkstone42]

Harrison walks, and now the go ahead run is in scoring position for Polanco.

 

[Darkstone42]

Two down, it's up to Marte now.

 

[pixburgher66]

RISP problems continue to haunt. I thought we left those in 2013.

 

[evolver115]

What the hell! don't bring in Frieri!

 

[pixburgher66]

Hurdle's inability to manage pitchers is his Achielle's heel. Even if Frieri goes 1-2-3 here on 3 pitches, what made him think this was a good choice?

 

[Darkstone42]

Oh hey, we got the benefit of a call!

 

[evolver115]

Yeah, who didn't see that coming

 

[Darkstone42]

Ugh.