Series Thread: Pirates at Reds Series Thread|04/06-04/09

[Darkstone42]

The Bucs open the 2015 season on the road against Cincinnati. Hopefully they can get off the a good start with a division series win on the road, setting the tone early for this season.

Liriano v. Cueto
Cole v. Leake
Burnett v. DeSclafani

Go Bucs!

 

[steelparrot]

Not looking to good so far.

 

[steelparrot]

Maybe we got saved by a rain delay and can get to the bullpen

 

[WVUinVegas]

Cueto always destroys us, year in and year out

 

[Darkstone42]

Cueto always destroys the league.

 

[Darkstone42]

That was a tremendous at bat from Lambo. 13 pitches, and he hit the ball pretty hard, but Hamilton caught up to it (because of course he did).

 

[evolver115]

Cutch goes deep, and it's tied!!

 

[steelparrot]

Rockets after Rockets, Byrd robbed Polanco, Lambo stung one to deep center, then cutch goes yard!

 

[steelparrot]

Could have been 4 runs easy, but 2 is enough

 

[Darkstone42]

More hard hit balls off of Gregg. Harrison with a hard single to left, Polanco robbed by Byrd going the other way with authority, and now Cutch with the game-tying 2-run home run.

I guess he doesn't need the hair.

 

[Darkstone42]

Could have been 4 runs easy, but 2 is enough

Haha, that's what I was thinking. Polanco was so close to a double.

 

[steelparrot]

Walker takes Parra up the middle on his first pitch, lets get some more!

 

[Darkstone42]

I guess the Bucs have finally found their bats. Keep it going, make Price use his whole 'pen!

 

[steelparrot]

Parra leaves after 1 pitch

 

[steelparrot]

Well thats the game, cant believe it was off Watson.

 

[thedddd]

Glad Liriano had a good start and McCutchen seems healthy after the few minor incidents in ST.

 

[dare2be]

Well thats the game, cant believe it was off Watson.

This is a good example of something I said long ago in another thread on another board...

I'm not worried about the offense either, but I do expect a drop off in the pitching production across the board...a snowball effect that will come from pitch selection in key situations and less runners picked off and more steal attempts...all a direct relation of Russ' absence.

While the Pirates may look better this year on paper, I'm not too optimistic about them matching expectations this year.

 

[Darkstone42]

Frazier is all sorts of locked in. Almost turned around 99 mph right on the inside corner and down at the knees into a home run. He hooked it foul. Fortunately, Arquimedes got him chasing a really good slider (at 94 mph).

And if anyone other than Hamilton was on second, Polanco would have gunned him down, but Walker couldn't get a ground ball to his side even with the shift, and the tying run came in to score.

Kang now making his first at bat.

 

[Darkstone42]

Well, that game was disappointing.

 

[Darkstone42]

AJ looks good, and Pedro just hit an opposite-field home run, taking advantage of a hitter-friendly park.

Bucs up 2-0.