Cincinnati vs. Pittsburgh, 11 April 2008
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 12:41 PM EDT
Email
PrintCincinnati Reds at Pittsburgh Pirates, Apr 11, 2008 7:05 PM EDT
Sorry, all - busy day yesterday. I'm also pretty busy today, but hopefully all that should finish in time for me to join this thread right after game time. I'll recap both games after this one is over.
It's a pretty interesting matchup tonight - we've got youngster Edinson Volquez facing off against Paul Maholm. Volquez dominated his first start of the year, against the Phillies. Here's the box.
Other news:
-P- Sean Burnett apparently hit 93 on a radar gun at Indianapolis. I haven't looked it up, but I don't recall him ever hitting 93, even pre-surgery.
-P- Via Primer, Nelson Figueroa starts for the Mets tonight. If his Baseball Cube Page is correct, this is the first time he's started in the big leagues since he was with the Bucs in 2004. His story since then is pretty interesting, though also pretty typical - he had arm surgery in 2004 and has spent his time since then doing anything to get another shot in the big leagues, pitching in Mexico, Taiwan and the Dominican. This is a good article, and a good story - Figueroa was born in Brooklyn and grew up rooting for the Mets, so this has to be an emotional time for him.
136 comments
|
0 recs |
Do you like this story?
Comments
Pretty cool
check this out, it gives you a panoramic view of PNC. If you go to a game, see if you can find yourself
http://www.pittsburghlive.com/images/video/2007_flash/2007gigapan/3.html
FrankD from Pensburgh.com
Evan Meek
Did anyone notice the last pitch the he threw last night hit 97 MPH for a strike out? If only he could control that thing. IMO he has some mechanical issues and you'd think that would have been addressed in the past. Probably the reason he has not stuck with anyone before ( not coachable??).
For them...
Hopper
Keppinger
KGJ
Phillips
Dunn
Encarnacion
Voto
Bako
Volquez (1-0, 1.69)
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
For us...
Morgan
Sanchez
McLouth
Jason-ity
LaRoche
Doumit
Bautista
Rivas
Maholm (0-1, 9.00)
The boldness signifies the "Black Hole"
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Starting with an error by Maholm. Apparently all the Pirates' pitchers missed fielding practice in Spring Training.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 7:30 PM EDT reply actions
Not a good start
for Maholm.
Error, and now a HBP.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Hits Griffey, then gives up a single to Phillips. Not so good indeed.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 7:32 PM EDT reply actions
Man, McLouth is just awesome.
Volquez has very good stuff. Good changeup.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 7:41 PM EDT reply actions
Man, why is Paul Bako still in the majors?
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 7:44 PM EDT reply actions
Oh, great play by LaRoche to get out of it.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 7:51 PM EDT reply actions
I don't care who plays short
as long as it isn't Luis Rivas.
Rivas already has 4 errors on the season...
and Maholm has 2.
Nice to see.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Man, Rivas just swung at a fastball at his shoulders.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 7:57 PM EDT reply actions
Please Neal do not take
Rivas to the West Coast
Man, Morgan is not good on defense. That was such an amateurish-looking play.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:05 PM EDT reply actions
he plays some really bad routes on the field
Wouldn't hurt if they send him in Indy
Rivas! He's at it again!
Am I just crazy? Am I assigning too much blame? Jeez, Doumit was standing there ready to gun down Phillips, but Rivas was not near the bag, so he couldn't throw it.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:06 PM EDT reply actions
I admit I was glad to see Rivas make the team
out of Spring Training then the season began
This looks like it's going to be delayed again.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:07 PM EDT reply actions
His shoulder looks like it's really bothering him.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
Morgan
with another terrible slide trying to steal 2nd. Speed strikes again.
Joining late, but had to point this out
On the play where Freddy dove but had to throw from his knees...that's a scoop that LaRoche has to make. That's junior high stuff.
Maybe. My impression was that it was out of his reach. But I could be wrong. In any case, the throw was off, but you can understand it because of Freddy's shoulder.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Have other teams been playing their third basemen that far toward second when Doumit bats LH? I haven't seen that with him before. Encarnacion was almost at second when he made that play.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:34 PM EDT reply actions
Anyone watching this?
Does Malholm look as good as the impression I'm getting from MLB Gameday?
Not a lot of strike outs, but he's only thrown 65 pitches through 5 innings and given up no runs.
Is he getting a bit lucky, does he look fantastic, or a bit of both?
I wouldn't say he looks fantastic. He just looks like regular old Maholm to me.
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:50 PM EDT up reply actions
There's that one inning where he usually falls apart
This may be the one
FIrst and second, one out.
If the Reds score, I'm blaming you. :)
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 8:52 PM EDT up reply actions
Probably dancing among the raindrops of disaster
I think there's some mathematical equation that tells you the longer the Pirates go allowing the other team to be in the game, the greater the number of runs that teams scores in the 7th, 8th, or 9th innings.
Or that if you pitch
your starter past the 5th/6th inning, you're screwed.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Is it that bad?
They should've finished the inning at least.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Apparently,
a huge bolt of lightning hit near the stadium and the heavens opened in biblical proportions. You could hear the thunder over the broadcast and the umps immediately stopped play.
Depending on how long that may be
that may be the last we see of Maholm!
Great Timing
I have to go pick up one of my kids from the movies. I'll be back in time to drink and hear the painful details.
From a Bautista apologist
He looks disinterested. He looked solid (to me) last year, and I thought he really had something more to give. This year, he looks different. I don't think lazy's the right word, just lacking a spark.
Sorry boss
But I'm thinking about turning in my membership card. He's my only 3B on my fantasy team, he's got to pick it up.
The league's much deeper than that.
16 teams x 25 players.
If they're gonna
call it good for the day... when would they do that?
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Just in time too after the Pens
pulled one off. 2-0 heading to Ottawa Monday. Couldn't resist.
Grabow in.
Talk about great timing... just got back to my computer. :)
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Grabow's good at holding runners scoreless
Let's hope that's true tonight.
Maholm 5 1/3 scoreless innings
No harm done. Good job.
Was because of the rain...
but they pulled him before he had a chance to implode.
That's always good.
Now it's up to the 'pen.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Volquez gone...
might be a good thing... he was 3-hitting us.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Bullpen seems to be
better than it was last year, all things considered.
* Throw out the 1-inning implosions by Marte and Capps. Those won't happen again.
* You have to expect to have one barely hanging in there guy and Meek is ours.
* Doumatrit has done well, but you can only expect so much. If you keep running him out there, he will get hit eventually.
Jason-ity
nothing really. It's like Vinsanity (or Vinceanity, your choice) adapted to the name Jason.
I guess it's more like Ja-sanity, but yeah...
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
ohhhh
and here I was thinking it was Jason-sh****
by Trogluddite on Apr 11, 2008 10:09 PM EDT up reply actions
Would it be fair if we declared Bay's slump over?
by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 11, 2008 10:06 PM EDT reply actions
Anyone else reach for their
beer, heart medicine, or something when you hear that a ball is hit toward Rivas?
No...
of course, I see it after it happens, so no worries.
But I'd imagine (based on other sporting events/reactions) that I'd get all tense and ready to explode at a mistake.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
And...
you pulled out the guy that was the last out last inning (LaRoche) to put the pitcher in that spot. Doesn't make sense... do you really expect Marte to pitch for 3 innings that you have to worry about his spot coming up in the order?
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Anyone getting a bad feeling about this?
bases loaded again.
That turned out well...
Encarnacion had the right idea though... "hit it towards Rivas".
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
On a lighter note...
April 11, 2008 --
The new Yankee Stadium may be cursed!
A devilish Boston fan working on a concrete crew at the $1.3 billion stadium covertly buried a Red Sox T-shirt under what will become the visiting team's locker room to jinx the Yanks, two construction workers told The Post yesterday.
Kind of makes you wonder who buried what where when PNC Park was built. Any guesses?
Why bury anything?
It's not like you have to worry about the Pirates threatening for the WS...
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
How could the Yanks hire ANYONE
from Boston is what I what to know? I guess that's why it's important to have references (sarcasm)
Good point, but
maybe it was something to curse us for trading away Barry "sure I can hit .180 in the playoffs" Bonds.
24 pack of Iron City Beer and a pierogie!
Is what's buried I think!
I like that thought
have to buy some IC the next time I'm home.
by Trogluddite on Apr 11, 2008 10:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Minkie at 3rd 1 out
Sanchez at the plate. Need that insurance run!
Hmmmm
Now what if Bixler had "froze" on third on that play? from the description the Reds announcers gave, a runner who broke on contact could have a good chance at scoring. The old "the defense has to do everything right."
Well Minkie is known to be the slowest runner
on the team so anything at the INFs give Minkie no chance to score
Smart move by Weathers
walking McLouth and Bay
Come on X-Man take them home
As usual the Bucs blew that one!
Now it's Mad-Capper time holding on to a 1-0 lead
What could possibly go wrong?
10 extra points if you can name the cartoon character who used that line for one episode.
by Trogluddite on Apr 11, 2008 10:51 PM EDT up reply actions
I know Hopper
is young and 1-3 on the game and all...
but why would you pinch hit for him with Corey Patterson?
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
So then
why not start him?
Is it a lefty/righty thing?
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
BUCS WIN BUCS WIN
RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER
1-2-3 goes the Reds!
Great game by Maholm...
huge hit by Bay.
Grabow was huge in the 6th.
And the defense... got 2 more errors.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Grabow gets the win,
Capps gets a save.
The only way our starting rotation may be able to get wins is to let Doumatrit or Meek pitch the first two, then come in for five or six innings.
Provided
Meek & Dumatrait don't fall apart in the 1st 2 innings... which isn't much of a given.
Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...
Okay, but given all the weird games we've had
the middle relievers have a better chance of getting the win than the starters.
Also, Ndog was 1/3 w/2 walks. Great on-base percentage for a lead-off guy, let the big lumber drive you in.
by Trogluddite on Apr 11, 2008 10:57 PM EDT up reply actions
Another Luis Rivas error:
Where is Don Kelly when you need him?
Isn't Rivas a ....
natural 2nd baseman and Gomez a natural shortstop? If so, what great managerial wisdom reverses their roles?
by Trogluddite on Apr 11, 2008 11:00 PM EDT up reply actions
Reds announcers
just noted that Bronson Arroyo has the worst starts to date of all Reds starters to date. Behind even Josh Fogg. Mmmm, that can't warm your heart if you're a Reds fan.
Ease Up
Say what you will about Fogg, ut the fact is he was a .500 pitcher on a piss-poor team.
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recommended FanPosts
Recent FanPosts
Baseball Nation Recent Stories
In Association With
Big League Stew - MLB - Yahoo! Sports
- Five tips for Showtime’s second season of ‘The Franchise,’ featuring the Miami Marlins
- The 10 best things about being a Detroit Tigers fan
- Surprise! A’s finally end the Yoenis Cespedes derby with $36 million deal for Cuban star
- The time Whitney Houston sang to Jim Bowden
- Pitchers and catchers! Mariners get early start in Arizona
Certain photos copyright © 2012 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
