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Cubs 13, Pirates 6

Another ugly game, and believe it or not, Evan Meek didn't allow any of those thirteen runs. Luis Rivas didn't play in this one, either, so our usual whipping boys aren't to blame.

Instead, Zach Duke got bombed, then Franquelis Osoria relieved him in the fifth and got bombed even worse, and then Damaso Marte came in for an inning and got bombed too. Duke had no strikeouts, which means that in three of his four starts he has had either one strikeout or none. Marte now has nine earned runs on the year; last year, he had 12 in the whole season. The Bucs now have six pitchers with ERAs over five, and two with ERAs over 10. 

Oh, and there's this:

Adam LaRoche, April 2007: .133/.255/.265
Adam LaRoche, April 2008: .132/.220/.208

Adam LaRoche: even worse this year

In happier news, Nate McLouth kept his hit streak going and Ryan Doumit had two homers. That's about it.

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Dear Zach Duke

Develop another pitch.

Thank you.

Steve Z

by steve_z on Apr 20, 2008 5:55 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Steve Z

Duke has nothing. Nothing at all. He can`t develop another pitch. He`s made everyone look like a batting champion for 2+ seasons now. It`s time for everyone to stop dreaming that the guy from Texas with the cool name who had one stretch of good games in 2005 is ever going to even a mediocre MLB starter. Let`s not blame Jim Colborn anymore, either. Zach Duke stinks. Duke stinks, Morris is crap, and Gorzy is, unfortunately, just biding time til a trip to Dr. Andrews is in order.

Duke will hang around the rest of 2008, run up a 6.00 ERA and give up a .350 BA and some here will still be going on and on that he will turn it around soon.

Zach Duke is not a major-league caliber starting pitcher. He stinks. Period.

by patthatt on Apr 21, 2008 12:20 AM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

LaRoche

is doing a huge favor for a team that talked about giving him a long-term deal. Let’s hope NH is smart enough to pick up on it.

by bucdaddy on Apr 20, 2008 8:07 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

In happier news, Nate McLouth kept his hit streak going and Ryan Doumit had two homers. That’s about it.

Better than yesterday, where the only good thing was McLouth getting a hit.

Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...

by UtesFan89 on Apr 20, 2008 8:25 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Well...

at least no one can say that Laroche is not consistent. I’m worried about our young staff. Gorzo looks like his arm is going to fall off. None of our lefties are hitting 90 mph consistently and Duke once again cannot strike anyone out. With our defense he is in line for 15 losses. Needless to say I’m concerned.

by Slick1 on Apr 20, 2008 10:36 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

All things considered...

...this is the best possible scenario we could have hoped for.

We all knew this was not a championship team, not a playoff team, not even likely a .500 team, so we know even more clearly now (as if we didn’t already) that Huntington has to mostly blow things up.

Very soon (if not already), any pretense of making a ‘stand’ for a winning 2008 will have to be abandoned.

That being said, the two players we need to trade (Nady and Bay), are playing very well, despite the fact that the team is not.

I think most of us would agree that one of the more important things (important to the longer term success) about the first month or two of the season, would be the play of Nady and Bay. That they are both playing as they are is a huge silver lining, I think.

On another note, does it make any sense, assuming LaRoche gets back in form, to move Pearce back to 1st, trade LaRoche and have someone else slated for right (Doumit? but that leaves Poulino at catcher)?

by steve_g on Apr 20, 2008 11:00 PM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Yes, but...

First… call Pearce up and make sure he can play (I know he’s been up before, but we know the one-hit wonders the Pirates have had) at least semi-consistently.
Maybe try to get a catcher in return in one of the trades?

Biased Fan
A disillusioned Pirates fan in Utah...

by UtesFan89 on Apr 20, 2008 11:55 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

April's not over, Charlie

Your comparison is a bit premature.

Formerly known as Econolodge

by Willton on Apr 21, 2008 12:51 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Has anyone noticed

that only McClouth, Doumit, and, to a lesser extent Nady (Pearce), had to compete for starting jobs this spring?

Would a sixth competitor (Chacon?) have brought a better effort from the starting rotation? The five starters were handed their jobs in October/November.

by Pirate in Ole VA on Apr 21, 2008 1:22 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Come July

Keep McLouth (lf), Doumit©, Cutch(cf), Walker(3b), Pearce(1b), Snell (Ace), Capps (closer) and trade the rest for developing prospects. Also draft the best prospects money can buy the 1st 10 rounds and maybe overpaid some HS draftees in the later rounds. Get that international pipeline going. Here’s hoping for a 5-2 homestand to make it 12-13 heading to NYC. (6-1 is asking way too much)

by Bad Andy on Apr 21, 2008 9:46 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

It's Deja' Vue All Over Again

Seriously. What were we thinking? This is the same team we had last year and we allowed Neil to convince us that they would play better because we had a new front office? Huh? The last time I looked Coonely still didn’t have any hits. I’ve never seen a team finish last, make no significant player transactions, and then significantly improve. Meanwhile, everybody else was making moves to improve their teams and we stood pat while Neil waits for something that isn’t going to happen. The only way for this franchise to improve is to take some chances and make some big deals by trading vets for young talent. Besides, young talent is all we can afford. Hold them and use them for 5 years and set them free and then start all over again. It’s the only solution.

by Illinois Pirate Fan on Apr 21, 2008 10:45 AM EDT reply actions   0 recs

Well

this is exactly what the management is proposing to do. The “vets” (that is, trade targets) on the team had poor years last year. Nady hit well but did not show he could stay healthy. Bay played poorly. Everyone else is either young or nearly untradeable (Morris) or both (Bautista, Paulino).

by poorboywilly on Apr 21, 2008 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

Sort of.

There were at least two potentially shoppable veterans who had good years in 2006, but weren’t given heavy play at the winter meetings: Marte and Freddy. Both would’ve brought a decent return, and both have lost significant trade value so far this spring.

by Vlad on Apr 22, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

I agree...

...with your larger point, though.

by Vlad on Apr 22, 2008 12:07 PM EDT up reply actions   0 recs

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