- Thread starter
- #1
Darkstone42
Oh.
- 35,052
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- Joined
- Apr 19, 2010
- Location
- Tucson, AZ
- Hoopla Cash
- $ 1,000.00
- Fav. Team #1
- Fav. Team #2
- Fav. Team #3
April
Record --> 10-12
ERA --> 2.78
WHIP --> 1.19
K/9 --> 7.07
OBP --> .282
OPS --> .618
Runs/Game --> 2.64
May
Record --> 15-13
ERA --> 3.58
WHIP --> 1.29
K/9 --> 7.34
OBP --> .264
OPS --> .617
Runs/Game --> 3.18
June
Record --> 17-10
ERA --> 3.97
WHIP --> 1.62
K/9 --> 7.28
OBP --> .329
OPS --> .785
Runs/Game --> 5.41
July
Record --> 17-9
ERA --> 3.74
WHIP --> 1.29
K/9 --> 7.83
OBP --> .321
OPS --> .786
Runs/Game --> 5.00
Observations:
Pitching
With the exception of June, the pitching has been very good. In June it was still about average, so for no month this season have the Pirates suffered from poor pitching. It's also nice to have a lot of guys on staff with bat-missing ability, as indicated by very solid K/9 numbers every month, especially July.
Even with McDonald suddenly underachieving, and Bedard's new found ability to strike out 7 batters in 4.1 innings and still surrender 8 runs (that line baffles me), we've been pretty consistently getting competitive performances from our starters. Once McDonald finds himself again, I think we can be rather confident in this rotation.
It's also encouraging that they've been very consistent this season. That bodes well for the coming months.
Offense
Put simply, April and May were atrocious, and June and July were very good. Two full months of solid offensive numbers, and especially power numbers, in addition to the continuation of McCutchen's torrid MVP-candidate pace, as well as the Snider and Sanchez acquisitions have been enough to encourage me that this is the true Pirates offense. And there's still room for Pedro to improve, as well. Or just another absurd hot streak.
The big difference between April/May and June/July is that the Pirates have been getting on base at a very respectable rate. Batting averages and walk rates are up essentially across the board. As a young team sometimes does, they're learning and getting better it seems.
Scoring five runs per game helps confidence, too, I'm sure.
Final Notes
Every day, this team looks less and less like a fluke. I think the Cubs series is a good indication that this is a winning team. They had a rough go of it losing 14-4 to a division rival on the road, and then they came back the next two games and turned in strong all-around performances. Getting crushed didn't even phase them. It might have just made them angry.
This upcoming series with the Reds will be a good measuring stick, as well. Can we beat the team we're chasing? It would certainly help. And given that the Reds' schedule is even easier than ours down the stretch, we almost have to make up the ground essentially exclusively when we play each other. The road trip has already been a very successful 5-2, but winning the series with the Reds would be a huge deal.
I'll update this thread again at the end of August, then again at the end of the series, since three games in October hardly constitute another update.
Record --> 10-12
ERA --> 2.78
WHIP --> 1.19
K/9 --> 7.07
OBP --> .282
OPS --> .618
Runs/Game --> 2.64
May
Record --> 15-13
ERA --> 3.58
WHIP --> 1.29
K/9 --> 7.34
OBP --> .264
OPS --> .617
Runs/Game --> 3.18
June
Record --> 17-10
ERA --> 3.97
WHIP --> 1.62
K/9 --> 7.28
OBP --> .329
OPS --> .785
Runs/Game --> 5.41
July
Record --> 17-9
ERA --> 3.74
WHIP --> 1.29
K/9 --> 7.83
OBP --> .321
OPS --> .786
Runs/Game --> 5.00
Observations:
Pitching
With the exception of June, the pitching has been very good. In June it was still about average, so for no month this season have the Pirates suffered from poor pitching. It's also nice to have a lot of guys on staff with bat-missing ability, as indicated by very solid K/9 numbers every month, especially July.
Even with McDonald suddenly underachieving, and Bedard's new found ability to strike out 7 batters in 4.1 innings and still surrender 8 runs (that line baffles me), we've been pretty consistently getting competitive performances from our starters. Once McDonald finds himself again, I think we can be rather confident in this rotation.
It's also encouraging that they've been very consistent this season. That bodes well for the coming months.
Offense
Put simply, April and May were atrocious, and June and July were very good. Two full months of solid offensive numbers, and especially power numbers, in addition to the continuation of McCutchen's torrid MVP-candidate pace, as well as the Snider and Sanchez acquisitions have been enough to encourage me that this is the true Pirates offense. And there's still room for Pedro to improve, as well. Or just another absurd hot streak.
The big difference between April/May and June/July is that the Pirates have been getting on base at a very respectable rate. Batting averages and walk rates are up essentially across the board. As a young team sometimes does, they're learning and getting better it seems.
Scoring five runs per game helps confidence, too, I'm sure.
Final Notes
Every day, this team looks less and less like a fluke. I think the Cubs series is a good indication that this is a winning team. They had a rough go of it losing 14-4 to a division rival on the road, and then they came back the next two games and turned in strong all-around performances. Getting crushed didn't even phase them. It might have just made them angry.
This upcoming series with the Reds will be a good measuring stick, as well. Can we beat the team we're chasing? It would certainly help. And given that the Reds' schedule is even easier than ours down the stretch, we almost have to make up the ground essentially exclusively when we play each other. The road trip has already been a very successful 5-2, but winning the series with the Reds would be a huge deal.
I'll update this thread again at the end of August, then again at the end of the series, since three games in October hardly constitute another update.
