Pittsburgh @ St. Louis GameThread, May 15, 2008 1:15 PM EDT

Smalls

Indy and Altoona also playing this morning/afternoon. Indy has left 6 on through 4 and Nyjer Morgan has been picked off first base. I’ll bet it was an exciting play though, because Nyjer brings the excitement. Or it is energy? I don’t know but wherever he goes, man, energy, excitement…. bad baserunning.

by azibuck on May 15, 2008 12:25 PM EDT 0 recs

This reminded me

Jack’s first rehab game, right? He is batting second and is 1 for 3 with a single and a strikeout.

by DITO on May 15, 2008 12:39 PM EDT up 0 recs

Lineup looks kind of ugly on paper

2B Sanchez
CF McLouth
LF Michaels
1B LaRoche
RF Nady
3B Minky
C Paulino
SS Gomez
P Snell

by DITO on May 15, 2008 12:59 PM EDT 0 recs

I hope they don't trot that lineup out there tomorrow

I’ll be at Wrigley, wearing Pirates’ gear, and I’d like to be able to enjoy a few innings before they Cub fans start in…

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

Bay will be back tommorrow

but who knows, maybe he will rotate Michaels through the outfield again…

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

from espn dot com

Pujols is batting .579 (11-for-19) with four homers in his career against the right-hander (Snell).

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:04 PM EDT 0 recs

On the radio

Jeff Andrews said Snells struggles have resulted from not being entirely sure about how he approaches left handed hitters.

Sure enough, check out these splits:

v. Left
106AB; 14k/17bb…...but .245/.350/.368

v. Right
82AB; 16k/4bb…...but .341/.374/.500

Leftys are not hitting him hard, he just seems like he can’t figure out how to punch them out and keeps losing counts against them. Andrews suggested he tries to hang out on the outsider corner with his sinker too much, and ends up missing and getting behind.

This is especially encouraging because I can guarantee right handed hitters won’t hold that line over the long haul—if he can work ahead of leftys and start busting them inside a little more, maybe he will return to the form of 2007 pretty quickly.

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:10 PM EDT 0 recs

Cards have four left handed hitters in the lineup

should be an interesting game to watch

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

He had to mean how Snell approaches right handed hitters, didn't he?

Those numbers are clearer than clear that Snell is not handling righties—.874 OPS vs. his career mark of .716 v. righties.

by azibuck on May 15, 2008 1:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

What the hell

terribly called on the radio…not really sure what just happened

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:17 PM EDT 0 recs

Nate triple off the wall at first,

changed to a solo HR!

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

Let's see Nate Sr. do it

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

Pujols 1 Snell 0

just a single, but two on, one out in the first

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:24 PM EDT 0 recs

gameday is reallllllly slow

...maybe I should just start drinking now.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:28 PM EDT 0 recs

Looks like

Snell is getting knocked around pretty bad so far…

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 1:29 PM EDT 0 recs

8th man at tha plate already

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:30 PM EDT up 0 recs

er, 7th?

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ah...

1 run, 3 left on, 3 outs

So i think 7 hitters faced

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah

I forgot LaGenius bats the P 8th

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah

sometimes he settles in well after doing this in the first inning…hopefully he can get this last out here…

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:30 PM EDT 0 recs

Sounds like that was a nice catch by McLouth

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:31 PM EDT up 0 recs

lucky to get out of there with only 1 run, it would seem

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:32 PM EDT up 0 recs

Nate scores 1

and takes away 2 or 3.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 1:31 PM EDT 0 recs

box score

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/boxscore?gid=280515124

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 1:32 PM EDT 0 recs

wtf?

2-2 count for like 5 minutes

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:41 PM EDT 0 recs

I feel like

cbsportsline’s game center is usually faster than espn’s

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:48 PM EDT up 0 recs

Don't know if this was part of the plan

but Jack only played 6 innings for Indy today.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 1:42 PM EDT 0 recs

Yeah

Someone pinch hit for him after three at bats.

Hopefully they were just easing his day one workload.

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:47 PM EDT up 0 recs

Actually

according to the play by play, he was replaced defensively by Josh Wilson, and Josh then led off the next inning…which seems sort of strange.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 1:50 PM EDT up 0 recs

Yeah defintely

That is a little bit more discouraging, but not necessarily bad news.

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:52 PM EDT up 0 recs

GIDP, please.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:45 PM EDT 0 recs

How did Ryan get to 2nd? balk, or SB?

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:48 PM EDT 0 recs

sb

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

it finally showed up. Gah.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 1:49 PM EDT up 0 recs

I hope Fleury doesn't give up any goals like that tonight

on the strikeout, the pitch found the 5-hole…clean. Yes it bounced, but Ronnie didn’t even get a glove on it.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 1:51 PM EDT 0 recs

If the Flyers win tonight

I won’t be upset… it’ll just mean that the Pens will clinch for the home crowd. Philly is doing some line shuffling tonight that probably won’t help all that much.

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:04 PM EDT up 0 recs

Hi, we're the Pirates...

and we hate getting out of 2-out innings without some sort of drama.

Enjoy… here, have some cake.

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 1:51 PM EDT 0 recs

or

a bobble head

by DITO on May 15, 2008 1:53 PM EDT up 0 recs

Man

first and third again…nobody out

by DITO on May 15, 2008 2:00 PM EDT 0 recs

Snell’s doing this on purpose, right?

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:01 PM EDT 0 recs

At least

so far he’s been keeping the bleeding to a trickle

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:05 PM EDT up 0 recs

But

if you have too many trickles…you can still die from loss of blood.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:09 PM EDT up 0 recs

I once had too many 'trickles'...

I swore I’d never drink tequila again!

but seriously, if the Pirates’ starting pitching and infielders’ offense doesn’t come around, I expect a boom in alcohol sales in the Pittsburgh region.

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:15 PM EDT up 0 recs

Consumption is up in Chicago today.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:18 PM EDT up 0 recs

ha!

thank you for the in-depth report!

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:20 PM EDT up 0 recs

I'm about

to make my 2nd cocktail…might as well get numb today and hope for a better game tomorrow. I’ll be sitting on the right field line, by the Pirates’ bullpen.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:24 PM EDT up 0 recs

it's like Snell doesn't do 1-2-3 innings

this game is reminding me a lot about last night’s, in that the starter has given up a lot of baserunners. (since when did batting practice for the other team become part of the game?) last night’s score could have been much worse than it was, and I hope this game at least stays ‘reasonable’ (as in, the Pirates have a reasonable chance at winning).

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:11 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ugh

Sanchez bobbled a double play ball and had to go to first.

Could have led off next inning with pitcher and scrub

by DITO on May 15, 2008 2:05 PM EDT 0 recs

I swear

his shoulder must be a lot worse than they’re letting on. But what other alternative to they really have?

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:07 PM EDT up 0 recs

DL him

in a week…as soon as Jack is back.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:10 PM EDT up 0 recs

Comedy option:

Rivas/Gomez at short, Bixler at 2nd. Could you imagine the hilarity that would ensue?

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:12 PM EDT up 0 recs

Snell

would end up in jail for killing his infield.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:17 PM EDT up 0 recs

The next sound you hear

will be me hitting the bottle.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:07 PM EDT 0 recs

another leadoff baserunner for Snell

how does his stuff look today? is he just having trouble with his location, or his velocity, or …?

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:18 PM EDT 0 recs

62 pitches so far.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:19 PM EDT up 0 recs

and 2 more just scored, still no one out.

enjoy your bottle… we just might see the Pirates’ bullpen hitting the sauce soon too.

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

Ronnie wouldn't know

he hasn’t caught many of Snell’s pitches today.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

Two run double

after he fell behind Duncan (lefty). Bucs didn’t make a throw home and Bob Walk thinks they had a good chance at him.

by DITO on May 15, 2008 2:20 PM EDT 0 recs

They should pull him right now.

This sucks. He sucks. Argh.

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:21 PM EDT 0 recs

Of course

ironically, he’s contained Pujoles today so far…

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:22 PM EDT up 0 recs

So far….

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:23 PM EDT up 0 recs

Someone is up in the pen

Osoria

by DITO on May 15, 2008 2:22 PM EDT 0 recs

That's a bad stat.

Pirates bullpen has pitched more innings than any other bullpen in the majors.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:24 PM EDT 0 recs

true, but...

there’s been several extra-inning games, and Matt Morris made 5 starts.

I agree, it’s a bad stat, but hopefully some of it is ‘noise’ in the data, that will smooth itself out over the season.

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:27 PM EDT up 0 recs

Welp....

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:27 PM EDT 0 recs

DUDE

GET THE LAST OUT… FFS, JUST GET AN OUT!!!

.500 or bust...

by phillybucco on May 15, 2008 2:29 PM EDT 0 recs

Oh,

fer fuck’s sake….

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:29 PM EDT 0 recs

another 8-man-up inning. Gah.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:30 PM EDT 0 recs

I'm following Dougie

...with a double of my own. Cheers.

When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro. -- HST

by cocktailsfor2 on May 15, 2008 2:31 PM EDT 0 recs

look at it this way

it took Maholm 6 innings yesterday to give up 11 hits. Snell is just being more efficient…

to the other team’s benefit.

let’s hope getting shelled sparks some kind of emotion out of Snell. he sure could use some energy to his performances this year.

by humbucker on May 15, 2008 2:32 PM EDT 0 recs

Watching the Cards feed is interesting

and Snell needs to watch it. Al Hrabosky is basically detailing why Snell is getting hammered. He and Paulino can’t agree on signs. Hrabosky continually mentioning that there’s been little difference between his curve and slider…and little speed difference between his changeup and breaking ball…so 3 of his 4 pitches look basically the same. And his fastball isn’t reaching the speeds it normally does.

by Thunder on May 15, 2008 2:34 PM EDT 0 recs