In a style of writing made recently popular by Bill Simmons, I will be RetroBlogging tonight's Pirates vs Blue Jays game. I will be posting thoughts and comments about the game (and broadcast) every 3 innings (maybe every inning, depending on events of the game). Looking forward to doing this so I hope you join me at 7PM EST. 

Questions for Tonight

1.) Will enough fans show up for Overbay to actually hear the boos? (ANSWERED: No)

2.) Will Correia continue to be a dominant road warrior?

3.) Alex Presley. (ANSWERED: 2-Run Homer in 2nd at bat)

See you at 7PM!

I will be posting a recap of the blog following the game to get some feedback on my thoughts. Thanks for your input in advance.

7:00PM – Tim Neverett and John Wehner on the call tonight. I am more of a fan of Greg Brown, but both guys are better than Lanny Fratteri. Sorry old schoolers, but that guy bored the heck out of me

7:02 – Both announcers putting on a straight face while talking about the production of Batista in Toronto. Would have loved to see a comparison of his Toronto stats to his Pittsburgh stats. Thankfully I have the internet at hand:   Toronto: 366 Games, 93 HRs  Pittsburgh: 400 Games, 43 HRs

7:07 – Report: Blue Jays starting Jose Batista at third to show the Pirates how a third baseman is supposed to perform

7:08 – Welcome to the big leagues Presley, Strike 1

7:09 – Not a good view shown, but doesn’t tie go to the runner? No, tie goes to the veteran.

7:09 – Another note, the speed at the top of the lineup is ridiculous. If Presley and D’Arnaud can just produce singles, McCutchen is strong enough to hit doubles and bring in those runs. As I finish writing this, I see that Walker is now up. So much for that point.

 7:15 – Jo Jo Reyes…Jo Jo Reyes…why is that name familiar? Oh wait, he just broke his streak of 28 straight starts in the Major Leagues. Pirates need to score runs tonight.

7:18 – Here is your chance Correia! Right in the earhole! (Pirates fans sigh as the first pitch is a strike to Batista). Also, my goodness do the players look like ants on this field. I don’t know if it’s the camera or the park, but the playing surface looks huge. Get on base speedsters.

7:23 – Cheers for Overbay apparently. I would cheer as well for a strikeout if I was a Blue Jays fan.

7:26 – Do they do firework nights in Toronto with the dome? Do they care about baseball more in Toronto or Tampa Bay? This crowd is making the typical crowd at PNC on a Tuesday night look like a sell out.

7:34 – Walker and Cedeno should probably figure out who covers the bag in a situation like that (ground ball to Correia, who covers) That close to disastrous. Experience the tour? Do people actually watch the Tour de France on TV? Sounds so awful. 0-0 Through 2 Innings

7:38 – I went to the game on Sunday and Eric Fryer looked pretty good. And by pretty good, I mean better than McKenry. This guy plays hard and seems very fundamentally sound with his catching technique, but he just cannot produce hits. Fryer got robbed of a hit Sunday with the ball that was rocketed off of Andrew Miller’s foot. Interested in seeing more of Fryer. I’d say we are one or two 0-3 games away from that. (McKenry strikes out on a clear ball)

7:44- Alright Presley, you got 15 days to show us something. Wow. Presley hits a 2-run homer. What a way to start…

7:47 – C’mon Neverett…”That’ll make you thirsty hitting a ball that far (As Presley takes a drink)”

7:50 – There is so much empty space in the stands that fans don’t even chase after foul balls that land in an empty area.

7:51 – Walker is out again. He is in a slump. 50 RBI or not, he is just not seeing or swinging well right now. 2-0 Pirates, Mid 3

7:57 – The best thing about Pirate pitching this year: When they have given up home runs, so many of them have been without runners on base.  Encarnacion hits a homer, 2-1 Pirates. Lacy Collins with her first play by play call of the year as the homer occurred. Nervous as usual. Bad as usual. Wish Root would either pay Potash enough to travel with the team or hire a former player to do the on field work. Lacy (or Lacie??) Collins just does not cut it.

8:01 – Correia wins a 12 pitch at bat. He looks so calm and collected tonight, even after giving up that homer.

8:03 – If I ever met Greg Brown or anyone on that staff, I think the first thing I would say to them is, “Now I’VE…got a place to Root”

8:05 – There is no reason for that play to happen for the home team. Glad Wehner didn’t make this out to a good play by the Pirates (“Pirates take advantage”). If I am the Blue Jays manager, I can’t decided who I am more mad at. The LF for misjudging that play or the CF for not backing him up correctly. 3-1 Pirates

8:08 – Wow, Blue Jays..How was Reyes not there to cover? Replay shows that Reyes did not even see where the ball was hit. His back is completely turned to the right side of the infield after his follow through.

8:09 – So far this inning: Matt Diaz hit a triple, Garrett Jones stole a base and got an infield single (would have been close at first even if Reyes got over). #RAPTURE

8:13 – McKenry strikes out again. (FryerWatch)

8:16 – I know it is very early…but who is the odd man out when Tabata comes back? (Presley with another hit and another RBI, 2-3 2-R HR, 3RBI)

8:19 – Jo Jo is leaving a lot of pitches right out over the heart of the plate. Even Pedro would be getting base hits (maybe even home runs). Walker gets a hit. Reyes is throwing the closest form of Live Batting Practice. And he is hooked…6-1 Pirates.

8:27 – Please…no more talking of Aliens.

8:31 – John Wehner, if you saw this talent that you speak of and how it was just “different”, then why isn’t he still a pirate. If he was that special, then I don’t think we would have released him. So please stop talking like YOU saw something the rest of us didn’t. Joey Bats goes yard with a bomb. 6-3 Pirates. Correia seems to do this often.  Batters give him some support, but Correia still has to get his 3 ER per game. No problem here, as long as he goes 6IP.

8:35 – Still fired up about Wehner. If you truly saw something THAT special, then why didn’t you say something or why didn’t we hear more about this guy’s talent. Batista was never viewed as a top prospect. He has been a late bloomer and is now the best power hitter in the AL. No Pirate fans, analysts, commentators, or management can say that they saw this all along. If they did (from a MGMT perspective), there is no way we would have given up on him for a PTBNL. He was also a 20th round pick.

8:42 – Escobar not happy with that slide. Diaz hands went towards the bag though. Unlike Polanco earlier this year.

8:45 – That pitch was moved at least a foot by Arenciba. Bad break for Ronny. 6-3 Bucs, mid 5

8:52 – Arenciba gets hit right on the Ulnar Nurve. Bet his hands are tinglin right now.

8:58- McKenry strikes out again (That’s three, FryerWatch is now really on. Hurdle?)

9:00- Wehner: “Why is the d small in d’arnaud”  Neverett: “Because it is lower case”

9:04- Darn it, I was really hoping Thames would strike out so I could write, “Eric Thames channels his inner Marcus Thames with that strikeout”

9:07 – C’Mon Correia! Earhole him! Chopper to third. Fumbled. Not D’Arnaud’ s fault though. That ball would have sky’d over him if he doesn’t charge it. Tough Play. 6-4 Pirates

9:10 – 0 Outs, 2 runners on. I’d put ten bucks on Resop coming in this inning.

9:12 – And I’d be ten dollars poorer. Correia gets the pop out and then the double play. Impressive to get out of trouble there. 

9:20 – By the way if we haven’t said it enough, Thanks Ned Colletti (Dotel enters the game)

9:23 - UGH! Lacie Collins again...

9:24 – Prediction for the rest of the game: Watson, Veras, Hanrahan

9:25 – When Root Sports starts going on tangents about random stuff, it makes the game sound boring and like it is a blow out. Corey Patterson just homered and this is a 2 run game.

9:29 - …and it’s a one run game. In comes Resop. Tony Watson’s ERA jumps from 0.98 to 2.81

9:35 – This is not looking promising. Need a big effort from Resop right now. Pirates pitching: When it rains, it pours.

9:37 – YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT TIES NOW ROOT SPORTS! (I’m sorry, you are not the cause for the collapse this evening) 2nd and 3rd, 0 outs 7-6 Bucs.

9:40 – Fans booing when their star player is walked is like fans at an MMA fight not reacting after a takedown. 

9:44 – I have been calling for the Pirates to trade Jose Veras for a month now. Not because I don’t like him, but because his value is not going to get any higher. Veras is Black and White. Either really good or really wild. WOW. Someone made a comment about Pirate pitching being lucky this season. For that rocket right at Overbay, I will agree.

9:50 – Just realized that I still have MLB TV for another week and can watch Michael Pineda vs Tommy Hanson matchup tonight. Both on my fantasy team. Neal Huntington could learn a lesson or two from my GM skills. I can see Ronny doing something dumb hear.

9:52 – I wish this was a live blog because I definitely just called that. Hurdle with words for Cedeno when he got back. Guess we are seeing Josh Harrison or Brandon Wood tomorrow now.

9:54 – Knock it off McKenry, FryerWatch.

9:55 – So either Danny McCutchen or Veras will stay in the game. I am hoping that they go with the former. 

10:13 – Missed the last inning, looks like it is the same score and it is Hammer Time. Rockin’

10:16 – Quick two outs. I think we have seen 1 slider in his last 5 outs, which is surprising considering how dominant that pitch is…98 MPH…I can feel the heat. Infield hit. Tough play for Ronny.

10:17 – Hanrahan is so locked in. He reminds me of Eric Gagne when he was in his prime.

10:19 – Strike 3! I get the usual text from dad, “Raise the Jolly Roger”. Working on recap to get feedback.