Lets Sweep the Dbacks!

[steelparrot]

Our longest homestand of the year coming up, 11 games vs the NL west.

It would be a really good time for Pedro to get in one of his red hot power streaks.

 

[evolver115]

I feel good about this series/home-stand. I think that Cincinnati series made these guys' hungrier than they were before. D-backs and Dodgers are tough, but I think the Bucs will enjoy some good home cookin'

 

[Darkstone42]

Bedard's giving us a nice start to this homestand. Pitching on long rest seems to be his thing.

 

[Darkstone42]

Very good start from Bedard, another automatic eighth from Grilli, now let's get Hammer some insurance and finish this game out.

 

[element1286]

Good to see the bottom of the lineup contributing some hits tonight, team needs to up the OBP as a whole, to reliant on the homerun ball the past month.

 

[element1286]

BTW, Brock Holt got a well deserved promotion to Indianapolis today, since he was not being challenged at AA anymore. He reminds a lot of Jim Negrych, but hopefully he is more Jeff Keppinger in the long run.

Kyle McPherson was also promoted to AAA.

 

[element1286]

Also, great call by Hurdle to push Bedard back one day, and have Burnett, who is rolling, pitch the biggest game of the year thus far this past Sunday.

 

[magnumo]

Also, great call by Hurdle to push Bedard back one day, and have Burnett, who is rolling, pitch the biggest game of the year thus far this past Sunday.

Agreed. And what a nice game by Bedard!

Wade Miley pitched an outstanding game for Arizona, as well. He appears to be a pretty good young lefty. It's almost a shame that someone has to lose when both starters pitch that well.

Efficiency seemed to be a key in this one. Bedard threw only 84 pitches in his 7 innings, while Miley threw 112 in 6 innings.

 

[thecrow124]

Good to see the bottom of the lineup contributing some hits tonight, team needs to up the OBP as a whole, to reliant on the homerun ball the past month.

While I would like to tend to agree, I don't think OBP matters all that much this year. Case in point, if you look at every contending team this season, they all have 2 things in common, the only exception is San Fran. They all have very good pitching, and they all hit a lot of HR's. While most still have good OBP's, it is looking more like pitching and power numbers are what is winning this year.
Heck, you don't even need to look past our own Pirates. Early in the year they had great pitching, but weren't hitting for power, with all due respect, they weren't getting on base either. But now, they still have the good pitching, but they are hitting for power, and still not getting on base.
I don't think this approach will be successful should we make the playoffs, where working counts and getting on base will be paramount, but it just may get us to that point.

P.S. If this trend holds true for the season, San Fran should probably drop out of the race in the west. However, with their pitching, I don't see how they could.

 

[sychmd]

hope for the best: 4-0
expect the worst: 2-2
realistic goal: 3-1

it is good to catch up on the board. i have been in africa since 7/30 and very rare internet for scores even as download time poor. ut finally have a good spot. finding this is the best commentary to catch me up on all i have missed.

looking good. some interesting moves, but younger and more ceiling with sanchez and snider.

hope jmac gets back to earlier form or wandy is a stud for us to have chance to win one or 2 series in oct.

 

[Darkstone42]

I was at tonight's game...

I also had a foul ball go off the tip of my finger. It was just out of my jumping reach. So close...

 

[magnumo]

I was at tonight's game...

I also had a foul ball go off the tip of my finger. It was just out of my jumping reach. So close...

Hey, that's a shame, Darkstone.

I've attended literally hundreds of Pirate games (mostly in my younger days) and never had a ball come closer than 5 rows or 5 seats away.

Better luck next time..... with both the game result and with catching a baseball.

 

[Burgh Sports Rule]

hope for the best: 4-0
expect the worst: 2-2
realistic goal: 3-1

it is good to catch up on the board. i have been in africa since 7/30 and very rare internet for scores even as download time poor. ut finally have a good spot. finding this is the best commentary to catch me up on all i have missed.

looking good. some interesting moves, but younger and more ceiling with sanchez and snider.

hope jmac gets back to earlier form or wandy is a stud for us to have chance to win one or 2 series in oct.

I have to say, eventhough we are at home & the Bucs play great at PNC. I would be very happy with a 2 - 2 split in this series against the Dbacks.

Arizona is a very talented team in my opinion, that is starting to find themselves. Getting Chris Johnson in that trade with the Astros was an excellent pick - up for them & Arizona can really hit the ball.

So, in my eyes, we are 1 - 1 through the first 2 gms of this series.

While I would love to win 3 - 4 against them? If, the Pirates can split & go 2 - 2 vs Arizona this week & they get outta town.

I would be very pleased with that, as a Pirates fan.

Burgh

 

[thedddd]

I think they need to win this series. Any team that is "close" like the D-Backs giving them any optimism at this point doesn't help the Pirates to hold the wild card spot.

 

[element1286]

While I would like to tend to agree, I don't think OBP matters all that much this year. Case in point, if you look at every contending team this season, they all have 2 things in common, the only exception is San Fran. They all have very good pitching, and they all hit a lot of HR's. While most still have good OBP's, it is looking more like pitching and power numbers are what is winning this year.
Heck, you don't even need to look past our own Pirates. Early in the year they had great pitching, but weren't hitting for power, with all due respect, they weren't getting on base either. But now, they still have the good pitching, but they are hitting for power, and still not getting on base.
I don't think this approach will be successful should we make the playoffs, where working counts and getting on base will be paramount, but it just may get us to that point.

P.S. If this trend holds true for the season, San Fran should probably drop out of the race in the west. However, with their pitching, I don't see how they could.

Couldn't it be argued that was a symptom of being too reliant on the HR ball?

 

[Darkstone42]

Hammer looked awfully good out there tonight.

Good to get that squeaker out.

 

[thecrow124]

Couldn't it be argued that was a symptom of being too reliant on the HR ball?

Possibly, but since they have become reliant on the longball, they, like all the other teams that have pitching and are reliant on the longball, are winning, and that is all that matters, well unless you are a starting pitcher.

 

[evolver115]

Couple thoughts on last nite's win:

- Pedro Alvarez has hit a real rough patch in his season. His glove looks almost as bad as his bat. Today is a day game, though.. If he's lucky enough to get the start against the lefty, he better be hoping for a performance to wipe out last nite's abysmal showing

- Rod Barajas had no business starting that game, last nite. I know it's a tough stretch for them right now with no days off in the immediate future, but Mike is as hot as they come, how can you keep him on the bench?

- Jordy Mercer needs to see the starting lineup more often. He doesn't play any worse defense than what Barmes provides, and he shows ability with the bat when given the opp

- Great win. Cutch and Walker are playing outstanding baseball, and Marte continues to impress

- Kevin Correia is the luckiest SOB among the staff when it comes to run support. I don't know how it keeps working out the way it does

 

[element1286]

Possibly, but since they have become reliant on the longball, they, like all the other teams that have pitching and are reliant on the longball, are winning, and that is all that matters, well unless you are a starting pitcher.

I hear what you are saying, but I just can't buy this Pirates offense as being good with an OBP just a tick above .300 (third worst in MLB), and a slug % that isn't even top 10.

 

[thecrow124]

I hear what you are saying, but I just can't buy this Pirates offense as being good with an OBP just a tick above .300 (third worst in MLB), and a slug % that isn't even top 10.

The bad OBP is due to a horrible BA as our difference between BA and OBP has stayed pretty consistent throughout the season, and pretty much in line with the rest of major league baseball.. We basically are drawing the same amount of walks now as we were at the beginning of the season. Our slugging % is actually tied for 9th in MLB, so is acceptable. However, we are in the bottom third in BA, which drives our OBP down. The biggest difference between the team as we sit today and the team at the beginning of the season is that we are hitting better since the end of May, which coincides with the time in the season we started to hit for power.
Our K rates haven't regressed, and our walk rates haven't progressed, we have just become more aggressive in the batters box and hitting the ball harder. I have not checked our LD% but I would be willing to bet that it had the same actions as our BA and power numbers.
Now, please don't confuse what I am saying, I am not saying we are a good offensive team, just that our offense is passable now, at this point in the season. However, unless we are on one heck of a hot streak, I don't see how we can maintain this success in any meaningful way as the games really start to mean something in September.
All of that being said, we do play a weak schedule in September for the most part, with quite a few teams that will be checking out youngsters from their prospective minor league systems.