Pirates 4, Dodgers 1: Bucs Move To 18-17
by Charlie Wilmoth on May 9, 2011 10:16 PM EDT
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The Pirates moved to 18-17 on the year after a 4-1 win Monday against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Jeff Karstens allowed just one run in 5.2 innings despite scattering seven hits. The Bucs scored one in the third on an RBI single by Garrett Jones. The Bucs caught a huge break in the eighth, when Jose Tabata trapped a ball with a runner on first and no outs. The play was called a catch, and the Pirates doubled Matt Kemp off first. Don Mattingly and Juan Uribe were ejected for arguing the call, and ROOT cameras showed Tabata in the dugout after the play, winking at his teammates.
It might not have mattered, though, as Jones got on with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning, and then Neil Walker brought home pinch-runner Xavier Paul with a double down the line. Lyle Overbay then got into a good count (when Hong-Chih Kuo missed the plate on his first two pitches) and smacked a double to right, scoring Walker. Then Ryan Doumit added a double of his own, scoring Overbay.
Joel Hanrahan nearly made things interesting in the ninth when he allowed a single by Rod Barajas and then failed to catch a throw to first, giving the Dodgers runners on first and second with one out. But Pedro Alvarez got Jamey Carroll on a fielder's choice, then made an excellent stop to get Aaron Miles for the third out.
Obviously, having a record over .500 at this point in the year doesn't really matter, but it certainly feels good.
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The fact that you can turn on a game or go to the park with the mindset that you are more likely to see your team win, rather than expecting to lose matters. Being 2 games out in a crappy division matters. Having a young team that will be together for a while who are winning more than they are losing..and not by luck matters.
I wouldn't say luck isn't a factor...
CENTRAL W L RS RA DIFF
St. Louis 20 15 183 139 44
Cincinnati 19 16 179 154 25
Pittsburgh 18 17 132 141 -9
Yeah, St. Lou is impressing
I was checking the Bucs’ RD/RA the other day and was amazed to see that, shitty as Pujols has been, they’re on pace for iirc 93 wins.
yep
does anyone follow them close?
Where are the runs coming from?
When we played them, that lineup looked abysmal, with the exceptions of Pujols and Rasmus (not accounting for form, just ability), and Yadi (taking position into account). Holliday’s addition is a boost, but I didn’t expect them to be scoring 5 runs a game.
by BurgherKing on May 10, 2011 11:33 AM EDT up reply actions
right
Berkman… forgot all about him! Keeping my fantasy team afloat, he is!
by BurgherKing on May 10, 2011 12:18 PM EDT up reply actions
It does matter
They are learning how to win close games. Also, a winning record may mean some butts in seats and more money.
by RichieHebner on May 10, 2011 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions
It feels great!
Can’t remember the last time I felt this good about the Bucs. Wait til the bats come around!
Obviously, having a record about .500 doesn’t really matter, but it certainly feels good at this point in the year.
I believe it does matter. This core group needs to learn that it can win in the Major Leagues. When that time comes — now! — it will matter alot.
s.zielinski
Oh and Ohlendorf can take his good ole time coming back...
the rotation has been strong. No need to shake things up right now.
Yup. Karstens has been better this month than Ohlie has been at any point in his career.
by Suffering Buc on May 9, 2011 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Karstens has been a pretty good pitcher overall in his career, the issue for him has been late-game effectiveness, evidenced by his 2.50 ERA from pitches 1-75 this year, then 5.60+ on pitches 76 and after. Even today he let 2 baserunners on after his 76th pitch before Crotta came in and finished it up to end the inning.
Basically, if our bullpen can keep up this effective dominance, then having Karstens in the rotation isn’t such a bad thing; the only issue is that he rarely lasts through 6 innings, so the pen will need to pick up the slack for a few innings afterwards almost every time.
It becomes an issue if the other starting pitchers show an inability to go deep in their games consistently. As long as the bullpen isn’t overworked/overused during the other 4 games of the rotation, having Karstens in the rotation isn’t something to sneeze at. So far.
"When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth."
-Roberto
by blackjackfishtaco on May 9, 2011 11:27 PM EDT up reply actions
Exactly right
Not surprisingly, 5th SPs don’t go as deep into games as #1s. One of the problems our pitching has had over the years is far too many SPs throwing innings like #5s, even when they’ve been more effective than that. If we’re getting 6+ from the other 4 guys – which looks like a reasonable expectation (OK, McDonald’s a question mark on that front) – then Karstens being effective for 5+ is fine. Especially since he has been mostly excellent through that 5+: would you rather have 3 ER in 6 from a starter or 1 ER in 5 1/3?
All that said, if Lincoln or Owens start to dominate in Indy, I’ll be happy to see Karstens return to the ’pen.
to lazy to check but I think Ohlie dominated the after the break in 2009 with about 6-7 wins and a very low WHIP and ERA. It’s been a long time however.
Yinzers uber alles
Ohlendorf’s peripherals have never been good. He throws (or threw) a hard sinker that did well for him in 2009, but he wasn’t good last year or this spring. He labors too much, throws too many pitches.
Last year, everyone kept talking about how he got so unlucky to have such a bad record in spite of a respectable ERA. I’d argue that he deserved that record but not the ERA.
I genuinely want the guy to do well, but I think his time in Pittsburgh has to be winding down. He’s going to make way more than he’s worth in arbitration, and the Bucs might walk away.
by Suffering Buc on May 10, 2011 7:32 AM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
worth pointing out
that trap by tabata also ended up preventing ethier and kemp from coming up in the 9th. as scary as it was already, i wouldve had a heart attack if one or both of those guys got an AB with that mess going on.
Is it sad that I’m more happy and excited about this than I was about the Steelers going back to the Super Bowl?
There is no love in the World. There's only pain.
Nah. When things happen all the time, they’re less exciting. The Steelers go to a lot of Super Bowls. It gets boring.
by Suffering Buc on May 9, 2011 10:24 PM EDT up reply actions
Seconded.
"What do we have here?"
"We're going to Saint Croix."
"We are? Oh, goody. I'm so happy."
"Well, I hope you're happy for us, because it's just Carrie and me."
"I see. Once again I humiliate myself by assuming that I'm a member of this family."
-Arthur and Doug, bantering about the Heffernan's vacation plans
I think you missed the most important part in the recap
Dan was back in the crowd giving reports, I missed a few innings but no sign of Lacee at all!
Also, did they do away with the Northshore studio? I enjoyed walking by there after games…
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
I think they still use it for away games
and I guess Lacee isn’t allowed to broadcast for a winning team
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Wes Westrum
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
by WVPiratesfan on May 9, 2011 10:33 PM EDT up reply actions
I found her somewhat attractive
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Wes Westrum
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
by WVPiratesfan on May 9, 2011 10:39 PM EDT up reply actions
was it her stuttering or was it the way she seemed at a loss for words that hooked you lol
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
All the above
Players who should be in the Hall of Fame: Pat TIllman, Dwight White, Donnie Shell, L.C. Greenwood, Ray Guy, Steve Tasker, Jack Butler, Greg Llyod, Andy Russel, Cris Carter, Kevin Greene, Curtis Martin, Willie Roaf, Andre Reed and Jerry Kramer
"Baseball is like church. Many attend, but few understand." Wes Westrum
Canal Street Chronicles resident Steelers Fan
by WVPiratesfan on May 9, 2011 10:53 PM EDT up reply actions
kinda harsh
but its okay that we haveta keep hearing Blass tell us that NFW is actually a pittsburgh native… over… and over… and over…
Blass is a very nice guy
and very intelligent. Funny as hell. He is also intensely passionate about this team. I find it refreshing and, if you know the guy, very endearing.
by RichieHebner on May 10, 2011 12:26 AM EDT up reply actions
I like him, too
He’s a little goofy sometimes, but I like him.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
Jeeze, looks like I’m in the minority then.
Then again, I’m a little stubborn when it comes to this stuff. If I don’t have Sculley, I’m not happy :-P
Thank you Ned Colletti.
I still cringe whenever I hear Pedro's walkoff call from last year.
by pittpanther on May 10, 2011 11:28 AM EDT up reply actions
So does he
He mentioned it once and it was clear he wished he could have a do-over.
by RichieHebner on May 10, 2011 7:24 PM EDT up reply actions
ha she wasnt very good at her job, i wasnt that harsh i just prefer Dan Potash, he knows what he is doing (or saying for that matter)
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
so glad to see Dan Potash
Lacee was an abomination to sports journalism
by BadAndy on May 10, 2011 8:11 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
many many teams have female field reporters, by the way
hope Dan can purdy himself up before the next home series
back in the dark days of DL
we used to have the lovely trenni kusnierek, before nutting was to cheap and we traded her away to milwaukee for a broadcaster to be named later and cash.
Let’s be honest and say what can you talk about on air for 162 games and not be repetative? Broadcasting baseball has to be the toughest of all the major sports.
by StripesForLife on May 10, 2011 12:22 PM EDT up reply actions
Trouble is
If you’re with the MLB team, you don’t have much to say about the minors.
That said, it would be IMO a smart call to have 2 sideline-types, and rotate them between the Bucs and the minors. I guess that’s a lot of travel costs (altho not so much with most of the teams, just Bradenton), but it would really add depth to the reporting. I’ve never heard of anyone who thought that sideline reporters in general are worthwhile, but if yours could add some value as well as some fluff, that would make them worth paying attention to.
It would also lay some groundwork for really nice coverage as prospects reach Pgh.
Or perhaps
get “phone-in” or studio reports from the local announcers in Indy, Altoona, etc., and play them during broadcasts once or twice a week or summat?
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 10, 2011 10:06 PM EDT up reply actions
Good idea
One of the benefits being that, if one of the minors announcers actually has some chops, you can start grooming him – not nec. for a seat in the main broadcast (those don’t come available very often) – but for either a future hire or just having a go-to announcer who’s already established himself a bit.
I think that, in general, a mistake that MLB clubs make is not taking advantage of vertical integration opportunities. I get that the Pirates don’t own ROOT, and that ROOT doesn’t own any of the minor league broadcasting crews, but it seems to me that all it would take is one talented mid-level FO person to start pulling this sort of thing together and create A. a more talented presentation of PBC baseball, from short-season to MLB, B. a sense of cohesion and professionalism, and C. a narrative that comes through.
I understand that the semi-casual fan in Pittsburgh doesn’t want to know about Locke and ZVR and the like; but the Olympics have shown pretty clearly that stories like Ngoepe’s and Rinku’s are a freaking goldmine for fan interest and engagement..
“I understand that the semi-casual fan in Pittsburgh doesn’t want to know about Locke and ZVR and the like …”
They can’t be expected to be interested in something / someone they don’t know about.
I think the “phone” thing I mentioned above would be an inexpensive way to get the casual Bucs’ fan interested in what’s going on down on the farm, and to get some idea of how the FO is really executing their plan.
Free your ass and your mind will follow.
by cocktailsfor2 on May 11, 2011 10:51 AM EDT up reply actions
our first 3 game winning streak o' the season
and we’ve only been “blown out” twice… much better baseball we are seeing, even if we were still below 500
There’s more to be encouraged about than at this time last year, where the record really wasn’t bad but the team was clearly horrible.
by Suffering Buc on May 9, 2011 10:34 PM EDT up reply actions
Not to be too much of a Debbie Downer....
but they reeaaaallly need to start hitting better, especially their “Big 3”. Mostly because the pitching just can’t be THIS good all year long.
Can it?
Um, that's actually a reason for excitement
Knowing that the majority of the lineup is under-performing, and they are still above .500.
The reason for concern though is the fact that coming into the year, the offense wasn’t the question, it was the rotation. Instead, the bats are underperforming but the rotation has been rock-solid, possibly one of the top-5 in baseball so far this year. So the issue then becomes will the bats come around and the rotation keep up this improvement, or will the rotation falter and the hitting stay inconsistent. If it’s the former then we have a good shot at .500 at least; if it’s the latter, then we’ll have to hope for next year.
can you imagine what the Pirates record could be if they actually had some hitting?
5 of our starting 8 are struggling badly at the plate, yet we are winning. instead of 18-17, you possibly could add on 4 more wins by now.
For 18 years of being irrelevant...
we finally got a call go our way tonight. The Dodgers can get over it. Let’s us have nice things for once!
Watching the game on TV in CA- Maddning for Mattingly
Watching the game in S. CA with LA broadcasters, they said it best that this would be a difficult loss to swallow, especially with the blown call which would have put 2 runners on base with no one out and the meat of the order coming up. Their manager stated after the game the ump was not 100 percent sure, but would not check with the other umps, which was maddning for Mattingly. Still, a great win for the Bucs, and Pedro’s play at 3rd was a killer play to end the game. Go Bucs.
over the course of 162 games they wont always get the call so they can live with it, its about time things went our way. I do agree thats a tough one for the Dodgers to take, especially when we have KC, Maholm and Morton to finish this series.
(sniff, sniff) I smell us taking this 4 game series, anyone else?
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
Possibly...
but we’re the Pirates. If there’s a way to screw up a sure win, we will do it.
I’m just hoping for a clean, well-played series. Good start tonight.
im just comparing the starting pitching to this point in the season and i like our shot of taking 2 of 3 the rest of the series.
and we’re not those Pirates anymore, its time to be a bit more confident in this team, until they start screwing things up and blowing games regularly like PIrates of old at least
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
honestly
this was by far our worst pitching matchup of the series. I give us at least even odds if not better for the next three matchups.
They have been playing a lot better...
but I’m guessing you didn’t see the first game of the Astros series. There was a lot of “old Pirates” frustration from that game. Not to mention the 7th inning in Sunday’s game.
But I digress. Let’s take the series!
Given the missed catch call against Cutch yesterday afternoon, I’ll take the makeup call. Not to mention the fact that we won both games.
It was a different umpiring crew than yesterday, so I doubt anybody thought of it as a makeup call.
by Charlie Wilmoth on May 9, 2011 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
(Maybe that’s not the sense in which you meant it, though.)
by Charlie Wilmoth on May 9, 2011 11:29 PM EDT up reply actions
Look, I give full credit to Pedro for making that play...
but that play wasn’t nearly as dazzling as Pedro made it seem. If you watch the replay, Miles hit that ball MAYBE one step to Pedro’s right. As soon as it was hit, Pedro dove (for some reason…he kind of just plopped down on the ground) and scooped it on the backhand.
Good play, but he didn’t have to dive to get that ball. I think he thought the ball was hit a lot harder off the bat initially than it really was.
But whatever. Great win! Let’s get those bats going and keep winning!
No
That ball was crushed. Slo-mo isn’t doing him justice, he had to react.
by Pghfan987 on May 9, 2011 11:03 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
i agree
not only was the ball crushed but the ball came up on him after the bounce. lets give Pedro some credit here, he saved a run or two and possibly the game.
well done, el toro
How bout a little love for Doumit
Taking the ball the other way to double in an insurance run in the eighth, to go along with 2 other singles. Sweet — one of those catchers will bring a little extra the Bucs way if they keep it up until the trade deadline…
And it will be Doumit...
Doumit is a switch hitter with some pop. Snyder is not. Case closed.
He did get the curtain call yesterday and that was good to see. I’ve been to games were fans are terrible to him. His problem IMO is talent not effort.
Yinzers uber alles
I have to disagree
He can be the laziest person on that field. And thats what pisses me off. We’ve all seen him at his best, but he can almost get to Adam Laroche level, keyword almost, when he wants to. His defensive woes, from what I saw last year, were mostly pure laziness. I’m glad that he actually showed up to play this year, guess when the trades on the table the fire is lit
Steelers - Immaculate Reception. Penguins - Immaculate Rejection. Pirates......Immaculate Resurrection???
I think he gets tired from overuse...
I think it’s extremely unfair to call him lazy. He is a big guy who just isn’t quick ao he can look lazy. But we have also seen some more spring in his step since he is a part time player and staying fresh. The “platoon” is good for both of these guys.
It's also early May
let’s see how much spring he has in late July or August before we deem it a complete success.
and i have to disagree with you
its been said on here, by others, that Doumit plays better with more rest, both offensively and defensively. with snyder playing at least half the time, this has basically been proven to be accurate
Also, he's got those eyes that kind of make him look dazed
I don’t think he’s lazy.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
The eyes...
I definitely don’t hate Doumit like some on here – he can be extremely useful if he isn’t overused or used out of position – but there’s something a little off about those eyes…
For anyone who has seen “True Blood”, his eyes remind me of everyone in Season 2 who got brainwashed by that she-devil (or whatever it was – I really lost interest in the show towards the end of that season). Almost entirely black… a bit disconcerting…
Snyder is more experienced and Doumit is injury prone
Hope you are right, though I predicted before the season if he stuck around and could stay healthy (2 big IFs), that Doumit would have a good year. Time will tell. Win Win for the Buccos though IMO.
Snyder isn't exactly an iron man himself
Ideally, IMO, they both last the season in black and gold. Both have options for next year (yes?), so we could keep one and cut the other loose and bring up Sanchez to, hopefully, be the full time starter. Wouldn’t kill me if we were to flip one at the deadline. I think Doumit’s bat would get us a better return, but I hate not having it around when we might need it. Snyder is much better receiving, framing, and calling games, so it really is a double edged sword when it comes to how to move.
Personally, if the Pirates are hovering around .500 at the trade deadline...
I kind of hope they hold onto Doumit and even Maholm, even though it may not make sense from a personnel standpoint long term. As important as it is for this team to learn how to win, they need to have confindence that if they are performing well, that they wont have to worry about being moved. Doumit and Maholm are the vets on this team, and if they are near .500 and are moved, it will rip the hearts out of the guys who are still around, and completely destroy any good will that would be built up by a strong half season or so.
I agree but at the same time disagree. Unless a team is def overpaying to acquire either Maholm or Doumit I think we need to keep them.
I like what pskell02 says about keeping both and letting one walk at the end of the season. Clearly both are working for this team right now and Sanchez will hopefully be ready come 2012. What happens then is anyones guess but I like having both this year.
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
I’m just not sure on which one should walk. Doumit is a valuable piece with the bat to compliment Sanchez’s defensive prowess. But Snyder would be an excellent mentor for him that could further Sanchez’s positive defense.
I suppose it is a good position to be in. If the FO has to make a decision like that, it will mean that the team was successful this year. But if they fall apart, that whole thought/optimism is shot out the window.
Which catcher do you keep next season?
Snyder: $6 million in 2012
Doumit: $7 million in 2012 and $8 million in 2013
Doumit’s two options are a package deal: you either have to pick up both or neither after 2011. So given the options, you’d probably go with Snyder.
by Adam Reynolds on May 9, 2011 11:52 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
You could always see if he's open to renegotiating his contract...
wouldn’t mind keeping this tandom together til Sanchez is ready.
Doesn't it depend on trade market value
Who has more value at deadline this year? Got to be Snyder because acquiring team could plan to exercise his 2012 option. Snyder could fill a need for starting C this year and next. Doumit’s option not just a bad deal for Pirates. Unlikely any acquiring team would want to commit 2 years $15 m to Doumit. Most teams would view Doumit as a temp rental and a bench player, albeit a very useful one.
Trade Snyder July 2011, play Doumit 2011, Sanchez/Jaramillo in 2012
If Snyder has trade value, I say trade Snyder and play Doumit rest of the year. Then let Doumit walk. Play Sanchez next year with Jaramillo as his back up. If Sanchez is not ready at the start of the year, Jaramillo, Brown and Fryer can compete then the winner can slide to back up when Sanchez comes up.
We gain: whatever return Snyder fetches, Doumit’s bat in lineup for 2011 run for respectability, and a clean slate financially for 2012. Doumit and Snyder’s salaries can be used to sign a free agent SS, 1B, and/or SP. Those are positions of greater long-term need than C. We should
We risk: might have to settle for a defense-only C next year until Sanchez is ready.
Seems to me a good risk/reward tradeoff to me.
what SS's are available?
Reyes is said to be looking at 15MM per season, so what do you do?
a 1B free agent is much easier to find than a good shortstop
by white angus on May 10, 2011 11:09 AM EDT up reply actions
It's not pretty
(From Cots: http://mlbcontracts.blogspot.com/2001/04/potential-free-agents-for-2012.html)
—starred guys have options for 2012
Yuniesky Betancourt MIL *
Rafael Furcal LAD
J.J. Hardy BAL
John McDonald TOR
Augie Ojeda ARZ
Jose Reyes NYM
Ramon Santiago DET
Marco Scutaro BOS *
Jack Wilson SEA
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
I loved Jack Wilson in Pittsburgh, but I don’t think it’s worth bringing him back. The others on the list aren’t all that interesting.
by StripesForLife on May 10, 2011 12:26 PM EDT up reply actions
Id take a flyer on Furcal depending on price and years. do the same for Hardy if not live with what we have, we’ve done it to this point….
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
I think both would demand a lot of money, and I don’t think the production from either is there anymore.
by StripesForLife on May 10, 2011 1:19 PM EDT up reply actions
Furcal's been injury-riddled lately
as has Hardy. I feel Hardy would be cheaper, and as they age, Hardy probably projects a little better because so much of Furcal’s game relies on speed, which, given his back injury history and age (33), that’s probably not a good gamble.
But yeah, pickins are slim.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
Anyone
know what type of free agents they will be? Could we get a draft pick from one or both if they leave?
Maholm is gone
with Owens, Locke, Wilson, Morris, and Lincoln all waiting, and him making 9.75 mil next year hes def gone…His stuff is below average and has been lucky to this point in my opinion…he will be gone by July 31st, but im saying before that.
depends on what the return is on Maholm. I would assume that if he is playing well enough they get a nice return but pending on the 2012 draft class as well as how well he is playing, they could get a nice sandwich pick in the draft, no?
obviously you dont let this play out if you have a nice trade offer but just some food for thought
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
In theory, yes but...
Owens and Lincoln (even though the periferals are good) are struggling at AAA, Morris is hurt, Locke in AA, and Wilson probably not going to be this season. No reason to make a move to open up a spot for them, if they aren’t ready
by goodtymes31 on May 10, 2011 12:21 AM EDT up reply actions
I wouldn't rule Wilson out...
but your point is well taken. I posted this on another thread that Maholm provides good depth and I wouldn’t mind keeping him around another 2-3 years on a team friendly extension. This will help bridge the gap until some of the more interesting pitching prospects are knocking on the door.
Most likely....
…but Maholm’s pitching very well this year despite the 1-4 record. His Ks are up a bit (so are his walks, though), and his sub-4 ERA is actually just about in line with his xFIP.
I’ve been bullish on trading Maholm, BUT if the Pirates are around .500 this year, AND improving, I could see keeping Paulie, because he’s pitched quite well this year so far and because that record, as it stands, is going to decrease his trade value, even though he’s pitching MUCH better than that.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
Actually, Vlad sold me the other day
Paulie has been consistently worth $10M plus, per WAR (which uses iirc FIP, not ERA, so it doesn’t look at luck, it looks at peripherals). My feeling had been that he wasn’t worth the money to this particular team, largely for what you say, but look at this:
Ohlie isn’t long for the rotation, one way or the other. Morton and McDonald are far from certainties (although they look good), and Correia has been solid, but could well regress to being a marginal guy. Point being, the 2012 rotation doesn’t have 3 guys, let alone 5, who are clearly better than Maholm.
Meanwhile, Lincoln may never make it as an SP (although I like him), Owens has started slowly, and none of the other guys have stepped up either. Which is to say that only 1 guy currently in the minors figures to be ready for Opening Day 2012. Maholm would be a very useful guy to have around, and with Doumit and Snyder gone, we can certainly afford one ~$10M contract. If the rotation really gets overcrowded with guys better than Paulie, then we can trade him after we know that for certain.
I’d be willing to see him go this year for a nice return, but I no longer think that he has no place here, this August or next April.
2010, through 35 games: 124 runs scored , 217 (!) runs allowed
2011: 128 runs scored, 141 runs allowed.
4 more runs scored and 76 fewer runs allowed this season through 35 games, compared to 2010.
Run differential from -93 last season to -13 this season.
by Adam Reynolds on May 9, 2011 11:24 PM EDT via mobile reply actions
That’s a great stat to see. Even with the main hitters not hitting, the offense is (slightly) better and should improve over the season. Most importantly, the pitching has been much better.
"When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth."
-Roberto
by blackjackfishtaco on May 9, 2011 11:28 PM EDT up reply actions
W/L record in 2010 was 15-20, only 3 games different than now. But the run differential shows that last year’s record was a lot more fluky.
by Adam Reynolds on May 9, 2011 11:30 PM EDT via mobile up reply actions
eh lots not forget that ugly series with the Brewers where they scored a ton to our very little….just to keep things in moderation
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
That Brewers series accounted for a -35 run differential, so the remaining RD was -58, which is still very, very ugly.
"When I put on my uniform, I feel I am the proudest man on earth."
-Roberto
by blackjackfishtaco on May 10, 2011 10:16 AM EDT up reply actions
Correction
“Jones got on with a leadoff walk in the bottom of the inning and was brought home by Neil Walker on a double down the line.” Paul PR for Jones and scored.
by Central*Scrutinizer on May 9, 2011 11:41 PM EDT reply actions
Unrelated
But check out the potentially game-saving play by Yuniesky Betancourt/Rickie Weeks today:
http://milwaukee.brewers.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2011_05_09_sdnmlb_milmlb_1&highlight_content_id=14645257&c_id=mil
Why unnecessary?
‘Duk at Yahoo called it that, too, but I don’t understand why. It can’t possibly be preferable for him to try to spin around and toss it underhand as he runs away from 2B. It was a great play with a great transfer; it wasn’t a Jeteresque jump-throw.
BTW, speaking of Jeter
I checked. Before his big 2 HR game, his wOBA was .267 and his wRC+ was 64; they’re now at .302 and 88ª. Still not great numbers, but what a difference a day makes.
ª His BABIP also jumped from .288 to .296. Which is still .060 below his career average.
Quite possibly the biggest win in the history of PNC Park. It sure is an exciting time right now. Lets Go Bucs!
Cutch walk off HR?
(was that at home?)
by BlindSquirrel on May 10, 2011 4:00 AM EDT up reply actions
Giles HR to complete the 7-run comeback
Pedro’s walkoff last year. But really it’s hard to top Mackowiak.
by BadAndy on May 10, 2011 8:14 AM EDT via mobile up reply actions
Yeah, that comeback/Giles HR was awesome
I was there and almost left early. Glad I didn’t.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
Well...
technically he couldn’t hit a walk -off HR if the game wasn’t at home.
Soooo…yeah, it was at home.
Also delighted
to see how well this RF platoon is working. Jones looks better at the plate this year because he is in better position to succeed and not ovrexposed as he had been, and Diaz’ is swinging like he did when he was hitting well with the Braves.
The biggest development
with no outs, a man on 1st base and one of our best hitters in Walker at the plate… we didn’t bunt!
Actually...
that’s a perfect time to bunt. Tie game. Bottom of the 8th. You need one run to take the lead and bring the closer out to shut it down in the top of the 9th.
I’m glad he didn’t bunt, but I wouldn’t have been totally pissed. It was a hit-and-run, and I’m glad NW executed it.
Soooo…the only time to waste outs is when you need them the most?
Ehhhhh…I’m not gonna ask.
Thank you Ned Colletti.
here we go again
Hurdle is YOUR GOD!!! accept his actions as such, peasant!!!!
by white angus on May 10, 2011 11:12 AM EDT up reply actions
If they hang around..
Will the front office make some kind of deal to improve the club? Where?
Personally I think acquiring a 1B or another suitable starting pitcher might be too cost consuming for the Pirates especially with Overbay due 5 mil as it is.. More likely than not I see them holding out and waiting for the likes of McCutch, Alvarez and Tabata to heat up on offense, and relying on the names mentioned previous for pitching.. (Owens, Lock, J. Wilson, Mcpherson, even ohlendorf, etc..)
I’m a believer you can never have enough depth in the bullpen even though sometimes relievers are unpredictable year to year.. Especially as the year goes on and the makeup of the staff, you are going to find more 6th and sometimes 5th inning outs if your starter can’t get them… Hopefully Meek’s arm turns out alright and Veras continues pitching well.. Moskos and Beimel look pretty dependable from the LH side and Hanrahan’s been rock solid.. Perhaps when Ohlendorf returns, using him as the long man shouldn’t be out of consideration especially with his struggles early on and Karsten’s success to date..
Wouldn’t mind seeing Justin Wilson given a rotation spot either.. perhaps after a Maholm trade and/or replacing Ohlendorf and/or Karstens
forgot about dmccutch
who has looked real nice outta the pen so far
by MApiratesfan on May 10, 2011 3:21 AM EDT up reply actions
cedeno/wood will do for now
heres a positive: no errors for Cedeno at SS in the last 20 games.
i know, i know. baserunning is poor. wahhhh, wahhhhh.
Also, he's misplayed several balls that didn't go for errors.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
I mean, it's true
Listen, I think I’m one of the more optimistic people around, but man, Ronny is all sorts of bad.
Santa Roberto Clemente
Ora Pro Nobis
FireRickReilly
If by hang around...
you mean for the wild card or division, yes you might see a small move made. Nothing that will require or top prospects or destroy the depth he’s worked to build up. Most likely it would prevent NH from trading the likes of Doumit or Maholm or Veras. So in short, no, I wouldn’t expect too much to happen in that scenario. Probably just stay the course.
I agree
This team isn’t constructed to be trading away prospects to upgrade the major league roster.
by StripesForLife on May 10, 2011 12:28 PM EDT up reply actions
Let's wait til about mid-June before we start talking about "hanging around" and "acquiring players"
Still a little early for that.
Ivan Rodriguez?
I’ve been thinking about the catcher spot for next year. Ivan is a free agent, that is trying for 3000 hits, from Puerto Rico, etc. I’d be willing to bet he would come to Pittsburgh and take Sanchez under his wing as our backup type catcher. He has a ton of knowledge to pass on, and it seems that Sanchez would be a similar defensive catcher as Rodriguez. Something to consider?
by ballparkfranks on May 10, 2011 10:22 AM EDT reply actions
I can't believe he still has a job this year
It’s a nice thought, but the bottom line is that his wRC+ the last 3 full seasons is 92, 73, 68. And he’s currently at 52. He hasn’t posted an ISO above .140 since 2005.
OTOH, Jaramillo’s wRC+ last season was 15, so maybe Ivan wouldn’t be the worst backup option….
Actually after mulling this over
I wouldn’t mind the team trading a good cast of players away. We were not expecting to have a great season and NH has shown he doesnt mind taking the PR hit to improve the minor leagues by trading away the long time vets. This season a lot of our players values may be at their highest if they contiue at this pace, a la Maholm, Doumit, Veras, KC, Resop, etc.
This would probably be the best time to sell high and really improve an already improving minor league system. plus another strong draft and we could look back on 2011 as the time where are minor league system went from looking up to being up.
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
Depends on the return of course
but you can’t keep playing for two years down the road. The Core is in Pittsburgh now. At some point you have to think about supplementing it.
right but the majority of the guys on the trade block for this year probably wont be around by say 2013-2014? Understandably we can attempt to win now and win in the future but I really think this year is a big opportunity to win or some trades rather than lose
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
3 out of the 4 you mention...
could be here in 2013. Maholm extension could probably be worked out as well. Corriea is the wild card. Bucs have him next year too but as good as he’s doing now I think he’s pitching over his head. You could deal him and pick up a nice package but with Owens, Morris, Locke and, until recently, Lincoln all struggling, we don’t have a lot of depth right now. It’s possible that all of those guys might start off in AAA next year too. I think we look to deal guys like Correia and Maholm when/if prospects from AAA are pusing them out the door. Not before.
fair enough, i just dont want these guys to walk after this year when we could have traded them for something of value with the good season they are having (up to this point)
We have to unify and watch our flag ascend!
At the very least we should get draft picks for Maholm...
I have checked but I would think he would be at least a Type B.
Unless he falls off the table
There’s no way to know for certain now, but if he has a typical Paul year, he would (almost) surely be Type B.
If he were headed toward Type A, you take the option for 2012!
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