Johan Is No Match For The Bucs

How strange does that sound? Well, tonight it happened. After Johan Santana retired the first 10 batters, 9 of the 15 hitters he faced the rest of the way reached base as the Pirates overcame a one run deficit to win 3 to 1. Zach Duke pitched very well once again, scattering 8 singles over 7 innings.

Another aspect of this game that I found particularly interesting was the lineup John Russell employed. Against probably the best left-handed pitcher in the game, Russell used what could best be described as his standard lineup when facing a righty. And if you had to set a Pirates' lineup based on the best overall talent, it would be this lineup. What's unusual is that Russell generally plays the lefty-righty matchups religiously. Personally, I'm not a huge fan of playing these matchups so much. And it's especially important in regards to someone like Brandon Moss, who has been protected from left handed starters in recent weeks, despite the fact that he's been hitting much better since a rough start to the season. If Moss is going to be a key component of this team, now and in the future, he has to learn to hit lefties. Tonight was a step in the right direction.