Pirates 7, Nationals 2: Bucs Take Advantage Of Weak Nationals Team

by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 24, 2011 2:08 AM EDT

It's always nice to send out your sixth starter and score five runs in the first inning. It's also nice when the opposing team is nice enough to send out Jayson Werth, Adam LaRoche (who earned a bunch of boos in my section in the upper deck for his second-inning double - apparently he knows how to do that in April now) and a bunch of guys who might, under different circumstances, be in Class AAA. The Nats played a bunch of ugly defense, and the Pirates got to Livan Hernandez in the first. Hernandez's curveball looks so unbelievably slow that it looks like you can pretty much treat it as a batting practice pitch if you guess it's coming - it's amazing to me that he's still as effective as he is.

Jeff Karstens pitched six decent innings for the Bucs, and was bailed out in the seventh by Chris Resop, who pitched what appeared to be a very good two-strikeout inning. Evan Meek again had serious problems finding the strike zone, but escaped the ninth inning unharmed.

Andrew McCutchen, by the way, had a great day, going 1-for-2 with two walks, stealing two bases, and gunning down Rick Ankiel at second in the first inning.

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Comments

Not to

hate, but I’d rather have Washington’s double play combo than ours right now. Great victory nonetheless.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Apr 24, 2011 2:57 AM EDT reply actions

Neither is all that good, particularly Desmond, so I’d probably pass.

by Adam Reynolds on Apr 24, 2011 7:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Really?

Obviously Walker is better than Espinosa, but I don’t think the gap is that significant. Desmond is much better than Ronny with some legitimate upside.

Da'Sean Butler - A Mountaineer Legend

by McCutchenIsTheTruth on Apr 24, 2011 1:43 PM EDT up reply actions

I agree on Espinosa, but Desmond is particularly bad with the glove and not a tremendous stick. I dont think he’s an answer at short.

by Adam Reynolds on Apr 24, 2011 4:21 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Nope…Adam LaRoche knows it’s April. He’s got a .213 batting average and a .328 slugging average.

by Thunder on Apr 24, 2011 3:27 AM EDT reply actions

and he's there cleanup hitter?

by BadAndy on Apr 24, 2011 8:30 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Nothing's changed...

I was at the Brewers-Nats doubleheader last weekend, and LaRoche couldn’t hit anything until the 8th inning of the nightcap. Up 4-1, LaRoche hits a classic useless solo shot to make it 5-1.

Unrelated, but also funny, was that the bases were loaded in the 7th with the game tied at 1. Werth, the however many million dollar man, didn’t start the nightcap, so he was available to pinch hit. So they pinch hit….Matt Stairs instead.

Finally, to end this series of inane stories, before the top of the 7th or 8th, Jerry Hairston Jr misses a ball during OF pre-inning throwing. The ballgirl picks up the ball and gives it to a fan. I guess Hairston wasn’t done warming up because he stared the ballgirl down for about 2 minutes with this face like someone dented his car…

Anyway, that’s about it. Wish I got to go to MLB games more often…

by bigjpiot on Apr 24, 2011 8:56 AM EDT up reply actions

is Jerry Hairston Jr gonna have to smack a b*tch?

LOL

by BadAndy on Apr 24, 2011 10:06 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions

Article on Post gazette.com

Colin dunlap is reporting that Livan hernandez complained that he didnt get proper notice of the game time, and that Jeff Karstens had more time to warm up. and thats why he had such a bad 1st ininng,

http://www.pittsburghpostgazette.com/pg/11114/1141689-63.stm

If its true, suck it Nationals and tell sean burnett to suck it also

age of last winning season: 5

by Bobby Hill on Apr 24, 2011 8:54 AM EDT reply actions

You know, I saw that but while listening on the radio, I distinctly remember them saying both pitchers were heading to the bullpens at the same time they announced the new start time, around 7:45. Livan’s suggestion that Karstens was out there warming up for 15 minutes before anyone on the Nationals noticed seems rather strange to me. Also, Hernandez continued warming up while the Nat’nals were batting so he’s the one who got extra time.

by Aphthakid on Apr 24, 2011 9:51 AM EDT up reply actions

Um...

He had the top of the 1st to warmup. That should have been plenty of time…

There is no love in the World. There's only pain.

by IAPiratesFan on Apr 24, 2011 10:22 AM EDT up reply actions

well, Livan is in his late 40's, ya know.

theres only so much that Tiger Balm can actually do.

by white angus on Apr 24, 2011 11:10 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs

This

is the best comment you’ve ever made, angus.

Unfortunately, I can only rec it once.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Apr 24, 2011 11:17 AM EDT up reply actions

always leave them wanting more...

enjoy the veal.

by white angus on Apr 25, 2011 12:56 PM EDT up reply actions

Who told you to put the balm on?

by maguro on Apr 24, 2011 12:10 PM EDT up reply actions

typical washington crap

by GO_BUCS on Apr 24, 2011 11:41 AM EDT up reply actions

Danny Espinoza, Ian Desmond, and Ramos....

Are hardly great, but that are definitely not AAA players.

by CabreraKilledMyChildhood on Apr 24, 2011 9:28 AM EDT reply actions

What I said was that under different circumstances, they might be in Class AAA. All three have limited experience at that level, and in some cases they have had uneven results in the big leagues. It’s not much of a stretch to imagine any of them being at Class AAA if they were in different organizations.

by Charlie Wilmoth on Apr 24, 2011 12:24 PM EDT up reply actions

In watching the highlights,

it turns out GFJ’s hit was his first of the year at PNC…wow.

Free your ass and your mind will follow.

by cocktailsfor2 on Apr 24, 2011 12:17 PM EDT reply actions

Guess that means...

we’re seeing all righties on the road…and about half lefties at home. Weird.

by Thunder on Apr 24, 2011 1:05 PM EDT up reply actions

Nats announcers

The Nats announcers were amazed that LaRoche was getting booed. Couldn’t understand it because he got traded away (vs. leaving in free agency) and had never said anything bad about Pittsburgh after leaving. “How could you boo a guy as nice as Adam LaRoche?”

I guess neither of them ever considered the possibility that he was being booed retroactively for sucking so much as a Pirate.

by mak_DC on Apr 25, 2011 9:24 AM EDT reply actions

But LaRoche DIDN'T suck as a Pirate.

Across his two-years-and-change with the team, he put up a .265/.340/.469 batting line, good for a 112 OPS+. That’s not a star-level performance, but it’s definitely not “sucking”, either. If people expected more from him, then that’s their own fault for being gullible sheep who bought into all that “Lefty McThump” hype.

I was at the game on Saturday, and I was really embarrassed by all the stupid Yinzers booing LaRoche. He was a classy guy and a hard worker while he was here, he never had anything bad to say about the city, and he left because he was traded (after asking about an extension and being turned down). Booing him was just classless.

It’s also counterproductive. You think all the players on the Nats’ bench didn’t notice the reception he got? After seeing that, with them knowing the kind of guy LaRoche is and knowing that he didn’t do anything to merit that kind of treatment, why would any of them ever want to sign with us when they become free agents?

by Vlad on Apr 25, 2011 10:29 AM EDT up reply actions