Malaise

A close loss to the Cardinals, one in which many a runner was left on base, should upset a Pirate fan like me. For some reason, it doesn't. Maybe it's nice to lose to a team other than Milwaukee. To lose a game that does not extend some dreadful streak (though, to be fair, versus St. Louis: it's 2 and counting). The Pirates usually lose to the Cardinals, but the Bucs always beat them occasionally, so losing the first of two can't be shocking, or especially disappointing. It's business as usual again, with no Brewers games on the schedule until after the All-Star Break. There will be wins. There will be losses. Probably more of the latter. But no games against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pirates' one bane. Except for Inter-League Play, of which the Bucs play 15 games between now and the next series with the Brewers, and which the Pirates are 63 and 103, the worst in the Majors, since its inception in 1997. Oh.

On the bright side, I'm actually kind of excited about the Bucs' lineup for today's game in St. Louis:

1. McLouth, CF
2. Young, 2B
3. Monroe, LF
4. Hinske, 1B
5. Moss, RF
6. Andy LaRoche, 3B
7. Diaz, C
8. Bixler, SS
9. Ohlendorf, P

The team has lost 8 of 9, so it's really time to give some guys a day off and get some other players involved. I like seeing McLouth back at lead off, for today, anyway, not permanently. And I like seeing Delwyn Young getting some more playing time. I worry about having 2 pitchers hitting at the end of the lineup, but hopefully the top 7 can create some runs.

Heartbreaking

If I were a Brewers fan, Monday night's game in Pittsburgh would have been such a thrilling contest. Our best hitter was not even in the stadium when the game began, yet he appeared on the field at the most opportune time, delivering a pinch-hit double to tie the game in the 8th. But, oh no! Our bullpen gives the opponents the lead right back and we have to face the Pirates' closer in the 9th. But then, we score 4 runs and win! Our 16th consecutive victory over the Pirates, even. What a game!

Unfortunately, I am a Pittsburgh Pirate fan, and last night's game was horrendous. So many things were going right in this one. Paul Maholm out pitched Yovani Gallardo, who completely baffled the Bucs last week in Milwaukee. Brandon Moss drove an RBI triple off the center field wall in the second, give him a whopping 3 RBIs on the year. Andy LaRoche hits his first homer of the year, and the Pirates' first home run since big bro Adam hit a pair just over a week ago in San Diego. Everything was going so well until the 8th. After one out, Maholm walked JJ Hardy. With Rickie Weeks due up, John Russell called on the eratic Tyler Yates to relieve Maholm. Even though Yates would eventually strike Weeks out, I found it unnecessary to pull Maholm at this point. He was pitching well, the Bucs had a 2 run lead and he had only thrown 98 pitches. Though that's not exactly a low total, Russell allowed Ian Snell to throw 130 last week in an even closer game. Anyway, so Weeks strikes out and Russell brings in John Grabow to go after Prince Fielder. Grabow has been struggling, but I felt confident he could get Fielder. However, the big guy singled to center and then Grabow walked Mike Cameron, bringing up Chris Duffy. But wait. Ryan Braun, who was in Milwaukee earlier in the day to have an MRI, is called on to pinch hit. This isn't quite Kirk Gibson dramatic, but close enough. So Braun then dumps a 2 run double into shallow right and the game is tied. Gut-wrenching. Heartbreaking. Pathetic. Whatever you want to call it. So, even though the Pirates took the lead back in the bottom of the 8th, it was no surprise that this one ended up being a loss, as Matt Capps allowed 4 runs in the 9th. Horrible, horrible game.

This past week, culminating in last night's loss, has sucked all the excitement and optimism out of the season, at least for right now. ESPN, who ranked the Bucs 7th in their Power Rankings 8 days ago, have dropped them back where they belong this week: 19th. Tonight the Pirates try to avoid their 17th consecutive loss to the Brewers. As we all know, the Pirates are also trying to avoid their 17th consecutive losing season this year. Will tonight's game be a sign of things to come?

Also, it appears that the aforementioned Mr. Capps is suffering from minor discomfort in his right elbow, possibly brought on by guilt. He is expected to rest for a few days. I get the feeling that the pain is at least partially related to his performances the past two games he's pitched. Perhaps rust, perhaps overcompensation. But I don't feel the loss of Capps will hurt the Bucs too much for the next few days.

Watching Karstens Pitch = Torture

I know he's had some success in the Majors, even with the Pirates, but in today's game against the Reds, Jeff Karstens was almost unbearable to watch. Granted, many a Pirate has had a worse pitching line (5 innings, 6 hits, 5 runs, 4 walks, 1 strike out), but few have been as methodically and deliberately bad. I cringed with every pitch he threw, knowing that he had nothing that any Reds hitter couldn't at least put in play, if not drive hard. And, of course, his one strike out was of opposing pitcher Johnny Cueto, he of 4 career hits and an OPS that would make even Brandon Moss blush. I know that Karstens is better, or at least more capable, than previous number five starters the Bucs have sent out there; the names Morris, Van Benschoten and Vogelsong immediately come to mind. I was just hoping for more today, since this was only the Pirates' second televised game of the year here in Indiana. The other was also a loss, though far less dreary (Harang shutting out the Pirates 2-0, while Snell pitched pretty well).

Aside from Karstens, the Bucs' offense did next to nothing today, in the 5-0 loss. Though, to be fair, much of that had to do with Cueto, who pitched brilliantly. After getting roughed up by the Bucs a few weeks ago in Cincinnati (and in my presence), he held the Pirates to 4 singles and a walk in 8 innings, striking out 9. He mixed speeds and locations well, and the Pirate hitters were constantly off balance. Aside from not being able to adjust to Cueto's pitching, the only blatant blemish for the offense today was Nyjer Morgan breaking for second way too early and getting thrown out by an alert Cueto. This is the second time I've seen this happen in the two televised games I've watched this year, and I find it a little distressing. I've always been a Nyjer supporter, and I'm incredibly pleased with his performance this year, but getting picked off like that is very aggravating.

Oh, I suppose another area of concern for the offense is the play of Brian Bixler. Though he did have a clutch hit last weekend in San Diego, he still looks as over matched as he did last year, when he struggled with a .157 average and 36 strike outs in 108 at bats, while primarily filling in for Jack Wilson. Speaking of which, it's looking more and more like it's a bit too soon to anoint Bixler as Wilson's heir. Jack's no slugger, but he can put the ball in play and provide solid to spectacular defense. If his asking price for 2010 is low enough, I think the Bucs' management should seriously consider keeping him around another year.

Another bonus today (for me) was seeing Evan Meek pitch. I hadn't seen him yet this year and I'm not too sure I saw him at all last year. Meek pitched the 6th, 7th and 8th to help minimize the usage of the Bucs' pen in this fairly one-sided affair. And Meek looked pretty good out there, though compared to Karstens fumbling his way through 5 excruciating innings, Meek was a regular Greg Maddux. Also, Jesse Chavez saw some action in this one, pitching a scoreless ninth. Chavez has been a very pleasant surprise, out pitching most all Pirate relievers. He's probably getting closer to supplanting Tyler Yates as the top right handed set up man, which at this point, I fully support.

Up next is a quick little two game series against the Brewers. As everyone knows, the Pirates have lost an obscene number of consecutive games to the Brewers overall (plus an equally obscene number at Miller Park, though these 2 are in Pittsburgh). The match ups for this pair of games are Paul Maholm against Yovani Gallardo on Monday and Ian Snell versus Jeff Suppan on Tuesday. I have nothing too insightful to add here. Clearly the Pirates need some wins in general if they are to stay competitive early in the season here. Also, it would be a huge relief to the team, and us fans, to break this Brewer streak.

Pirates Score, And Win!

Though it's been less than a week, tonight's Pirates' win over Cincinnati feels like the first victory in such a long time. It felt excruciating to watch, even on Game Cast. Grabow allowing the run in the 8th and Matt Capps, out of action for 8 days, giving up hit after hit in the 9th before finally getting the bases loaded strike out to end it. Speaking of Capps, I'm not a fan of not using your closer for such a long time. Granted, the six consecutive games he did not pitch in were either losses or blowout wins. But still, you want your closer to be sharp when you need him and I think it's important to make sure he gets work, even in non-traditional situations. This past week marks the second time this season that Capps has been on the bench for a full week. And the rust certainly showed tonight.

Anyway, regardless of how ugly the win was, a win is a win and the Bucs definitely needed this one. And now, the Pirates are tied for second once again, with a chance to win this series against the Reds. I'm never excited when Jeff Karstens is the starting pitcher, but he could be due for a decent game tomorrow. Johnny Cueto is pitching for the Reds and the Bucs have already beaten him this year, so it could happen. Hopefully, with this messy win, the Pirates can put their mini-slump behind them and start playing some good baseball again. With the hated Brewers in town for two starting Monday, it would be nice to have some positive momentum heading in to that series.

Minor League Recap: April

Indianapolis Indians (AAA): Of course, it's all about Andrew McCutchen. He has gotten off to a pretty solid start this year, hitting .282, with 11 extra-base-hits, 17 runs scored and 4 steals. He will be in Pittsburgh this year. It's just a matter of when. I'm guessing not until there's not enough games left in the season to make him eligible to be a Super-2 player in arbitration in 3 years. It sounds petty, but whatever.

Other potential Pirates of the future include Brian Bixler (currently filling in for Jack Wilson) hitting .327 with 8 RBIs for the Indians. Shelby Ford is hitting .208 with a homer and 4 RBIs, and no walks. (What happened to the Pirate fans that were calling for Freddy Sanchez to get traded so Ford could take over?) Steve Pearce is hitting .246 with 3 homers and 14 RBIs, but I bet he's looking at a major league career as a 4th or 5th outfielder/first baseman at this point. And Neil Walker is only hitting .205, though he does have 3 homers and 12 RBIs.

Pitching wise, Tom Gorzelanny is doing pretty well, aside from the walks (11 in 22 innings) which has not helped his 4.91 ERA. I'm still hoping he can get things straightened out some day. Daniel McCutchen has done pretty well (3.74 ERA), though he's also a bit high on the walks (10 in 21 2/3). I'm not sure if the team has high hopes for Virgil Vasquez, but at least he can throw strikes (4 walks in 22 2/3).

Altoona Curve (AA): The most notable player for the Curve, Jose Tabata, is out 4 to 6 weeks with a hamstring injury. With his mysterious wife stealing babies and now this (plus Tabata's .250 BA with no home runs prior to the injury), it's been a rough year for him.

Second baseman Jim Negrych is off to a hot start, hitting .373, with twice as many walks as strike outs. A couple of notable pitchers are in Altoona are '06 1st round pick Brad Lincoln and '07 first rounder Danny Moskos. Lincoln has a 4.26 ERA in 19 innings, but his 16:6 strike out to walk ratio is impressive. Moskos has a 5.94 ERA in 16 2/3 innings, with 8 walks and 8 strike outs.

Lynchburg Hillcats (High A): Pedro Alvarez has been a little inconsistent so far. He's had a number of clutch hits, but also some serious droughts. His average is currently .219, but he has drawn 15 walks already. He's also struck out 22 times and committed 7 errors at third. His 4 homers and 20 RBIs are nice though.

Jordy Mercer (SS) has done pretty well so far. He's hitting .246 with 2 homers and 13 RBIs, but he also has 7 doubles and 2 steals. He's probably not much more advanced than Chase D'Arnaud (at Low A) but they may always be playing a level apart so both can play short.

West Virginia Power (Low A): Speaking of Chase, he's hitting quite well so far, with an average of .355, with 2 homers, 12 RBIs and 4 steals. Young Robbie Grossman is getting some hits, but the 25 strike outs in 69 at bats doesn't look too hot. Another '08 draftee, Calvin Anderson is hitting quite well. His average is .318 and he's hit 3 homers to go along with 13 RBIs.

One Month In

Here we are, one month into the 2009 season, and the Pirates are 11-10, tied with Cincinnati for third in the NL Central. Before the season began, I would have been pretty pleased if you told me that's where Pittsburgh will be on May 1, but after the sweep in Milwaukee to close out the April schedule, 11-10 almost seems disappointing. But all things considered, I am happy about the way the team has played, and even the games against the Brewers were close. I'm not sure the Bucs can keep up this pace for the full season, but they could remain in the middle of the division, provided some other teams continue to struggle. And with Nate McLouth scheduled to return to the lineup tonight against the Reds, I'm hopeful that the team can put the Milwaukee series behind it.

There's been a lot to like about the team as a whole this season. The Pirates currently lead the majors in ERA, with a mark of 3.41. Of course, last year the team was 28th, and since most of the staff this year was here last year, at least some credit must be given to new pitching coach Joe Kerrigan.

The Pirates defense has shown considerable improvement this year too. Bucs Dugout offers some details on the Pirates' first place Defensive Efficiency ranking from Baseball Prospectus. I am a fan of the newer wave of defensive statistics, I just don't know enough about them to add anything here. For the old-schoolers, the Pirates currently rank 9th in the MLB in fielding percentage, so any way you slice it, the Bucs are definitely improved in that department.

As for the offense, the team batting average of .264, currently ranks 15 (last year, .258, 22nd) and the Pirates have scored 4.81 runs per game this year, versus 4.54 in '08. Last year's team, of course, had Jason Bay and Xavier Nady for nearly 4 months and this year's has been missing Ryan Doumit for 9 games and Nate McLouth for the past 6. Clearly, as a unit, the offense has been more productive from top to bottom. And because a decent amount of this has been done without two of the Bucs' top hitters, I'm a little optimistic that it can continue. The pitching? Not at the level it has, but better than last year, easily. The defense? Maybe.

My April Awards:
Offensive Player: Freddy Sanchez
Starting Pitcher: Zach Duke
Relief Pitcher: John Grabow