Pirates Defeat Diamondbacks, 9-6
by Charlie Wilmoth on Sep 18, 2010 10:56 PM EDT
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PrintMy apologies for the gamethread this evening - I was sitting in the Columbus Greyhound station this afternoon trying to publish it, and it looks like it didn't go through. Anyway, I got to watch most of the game back in Wheeling. James McDonald was a little wild and not particularly efficient, but his stuff looked good and he (and other Pirates pitchers) did a nice job exploiting the Diamondbacks' tendency to swing and miss at just about everything, but particularly pitches out of the zone. McDonald was visibly angry at himself for allowing D'Backs pitcher Barry Enright to deliver the hit that ended McDonald's 20-inning scoreless streak, but streaks are made to be broken, and McDonald's more pressing problem is that he needs to work deeper into games. (This is, however, a pretty good problem for a pitcher to have, certainly better than not throwing strikes or not being to get a batter to swing and miss, for example.)
The Pirates' hitters likewise did a nice job exploiting a bunch of Arizona pitchers who really just weren't very good. John Bowker went 3-for-4 with a homer (a liner to center) and a double, Andrew McCutchen homered as well, and Chris Snyder had three singles (all to left field). Diamondbacks pitchers, meanwhile, racked up seven walks.
-P- The Altoona Curve eliminated Trenton for the Eastern League championship tonight, thanks in part to a ten-strikeout start by Tony Watson.
-P- Jose Bautista hit his 49th (!!!) homer of the year tonight. When Bautista was traded two years ago, I would have bet that he wouldn't have 49 homers left in his career. Good for him.
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I think Jose is on the juice
that is the only thing I can think of
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene and Jerry Kramer
"I’ve been beer-cussed!" Steelfever
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Jose isn't on the Juice
If anything he drinks the purple drank. but honestly im really happy for him. its been really fun this season checkin to see wat he does each night
Great timing for Bautista to become HR King just as winding down a journeyman career
goes from 15 HR career high to 50 HR!
Baseball has Never seen anything like this before, except for Palmero/Giambi/Caminiti/Luis Gonzalez etc.
Solution: Suspend Bautista one game for every HR he hits over 15.
by BucsFaninCA on Sep 19, 2010 10:24 AM EDT up reply actions
My God
Its brilliant! Let’s suspend every player 1 game for every homerun over their career high. Oh no, I hope Pedro doesn’t start hitting homeruns…
The glare of the spotlight is harsh, and the pressure that success breeds immense. We revere our heroes, but expect much. And criticism can come as easily as praise.
Yeah, good for Bautista.
Not everything in baseball is logically explainable.
I also don’t think Huntington should be singled out for trading him for nothing. Five different teams gave up on him before this year. It’s just a really stunning turnaround.
That's not actually right
The 4 teams that “gave up on him” before the Pirates were all teams grabbing him as a 23-y.o. Rule 5 pick. Position players rarely last as Rule 5 picks, and it’s no knock on them at all if they don’t take up one of 3-5 bench spots on a MLB roster all year. Actually, what’s noteworthy is that so many clubs viewed him as worth picking up, even as a raw guy who hadn’t done anything at the major league level yet. The guy was viewed favorably, which is why he got as many chances as he did in Pittsburgh. He sometimes hit OK, but his glove was too raw at 3B to justify his bat.
His bat now justifies his glove.
Yeah, and he’s hit 20 or more seven other times! Bautista never has.
C
by Charlie Wilmoth on Sep 19, 2010 1:41 AM EDT up reply actions
No problem-o on the Gamethread, Charlie...
gotcha covered.
Too bad I didn’t get to watch the game.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
Ladies and gentlemen, please put your hands together for Mr Tony Watson!
http://bleedblackandgold.com/
by Say Hey Johnny Ray on Sep 19, 2010 8:59 AM EDT reply actions
Congrats Curve!
I’m excited for the Curve. I got to listen to the last few innings. It was fun. The good news is that Curve wins w/ pitching and defense. They even win on the road! This core group has won two years in a row, now it’s on to AAA. I’m not unrealistic enough to think it directly translates to the Majors, but I do think it’s a step in the right direction to build a culture of winning and some big game experience.
Yinzers uber alles
Jose
has 57 homers in slightly over one calendar year.
His HR splits by month for 2009:
April: 1
May: 0
June: 1
July: 1
Aug.: 0
Sept/Oct.: 10
And of those 10 homers, he had just two until Sept. 15. He hit eight the rest of the season and this year you know about.
I’d find it hard to believe he was juicing, in that you can draw such a clear line IN THE MIDDLE OF A SEASON when he turned into Sammy Sosa. Did the juice just suddenly take effect on 9/15/09? But what else is possible? Did somebody spot a flaw in his swing and correct it? Did he just decide “If I’m on the way down, I’m going down uppercutting?” Did they change the air conditioning currents in the Skydome? (He has 30 HRs at home, also has 42 off RHP.) Is it some kind of fluke? But how do you “fluke” almost 60 homers in a year? Did prayer do this, or a chicken bone on the bat?
Beats me.
Jobu.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on Sep 19, 2010 11:15 AM EDT up reply actions
IIRC
It was to make his swing more level (ironically), but to maintain an aggressive approach, or something to that effect. Previous efforts had been focused on upping his BA, with the assumption that the power would stick around.
As Fangraphs recently noted, his no-doubt HRs are like 10 more than anyone else has – there’s nothing lucky about what he’s done (although it could still be a fluke).
FYI - Bautista faced alot of AAA pitchers in Sept/Oct last year for Sept call ups
that would explain it.
by BucsFaninCA on Sep 19, 2010 12:06 PM EDT up reply actions
seems like lots of Jays players are slugging dingers
aaron hill had 36 hrs last season
by white angus on Sep 19, 2010 12:53 PM EDT up reply actions
Not necessarily
The eight after 9/15 were:
M. Dunn (Yankees)
C. Gaudin (Yankees)
I. Snell (Mariners) Actually one of Ian’s better games, the HR was the only earned run he gave up.
H. Jones (Red Sox)
C. Buchholz (Red Sox)
H. Okajima (Red Sox)
C. Ray (Orioles)
J. Guthrie (Orioles)
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