Bryan Bullington returns

Bryan Bullington has waited a long time for today's game - Bill Gentry

As Pittsburgh bloggers and fans, we love to make light of the Pirates' failures. It is one of the things that keeps us going year after year. One popular topic is the unbelievable streak of injured first round draft picks over the past decade. I think we sometimes forget that we are joking about incidents that have severely altered the lives of young men.

Earlier in 2007, John Van Benschoten made his triumphant return to the Pirates. After battling injuries for years, he pitched in a Major League game for the first time since 2004. While the results were not great, it was nice to see him overcome such difficulties to return.

In less than two hours, another player will make his much-anticipated return from a major injury. Bryan Bullington made one appearance with the Pirates in 2005, allowing two runs in 1.1 innings. After missing all of 2006 due to shoulder surgery, Bullington will make his first Major League start at Busch Stadium today. To this point, his season has been encouraging for a player returning from a major arm injury.

No matter what happens in today's game, it will be a very special day for Bryan and his family. We should all be rooting hard for Bullington and Van Benschoten to find success in the future.


Note: Cory has written a much more detailed post about Bullington's story.

Pirates @ Brewers, Bats @ Indians

Zach Duke is back in Indianapolis tonight, where he excelled in 2005 - Bill Gentry

The Pirates have dropped their past three games, and are back in last place in the NL Central. With a 59-75 record, the Bucs must finish the season on a 22-6 run to reach .500. They will face the Brewers again tonight at 7:05 PM. With last night's victory, Milwaukee sits 1.5 games behind Chicago at 67-67. Shane Youman (5.59 ERA, 1.55 WHIP) throws for the Pirates, Dave Bush (4.96 ERA, 1.36 WHIP) for the Brewers. Tonight's game is radio only. (EDIT: I missed this in the PG this morning. Steve Pearce, Nyjer Morgan, and Juan Perez will join the Pirates tomorrow. Hopefully, Pearce and Morgan will receive regular at-bats over the final month of the season. It would be interesting to see what they can do against Major League pitching. But I am sure we will keep sending a gimpy Xavier Nady out there instead. Brilliant.)

The pitching matchup in Indianapolis tonight is a somewhat interesting one. Zach Duke goes for the Indians, making a rehab start. He will face former Pirate Victor Santos, who will be throwing for the Louisville Bats. At least, I think this is an interesting pitching matchup.

Pirates erase late deficit, defeat Giants

Play of the game - Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images

This game was progressing as one might expect. Barry Bonds had homered. Matt Morris could not keep Rajai Davis off the bases, allowing him to score four runs. The Pirates were close early in the game, but slowly the Giants' lead grew to 6-2. Now it was the top of the eighth, and it was easy to see how the final two innings would proceed. The Pirates’ offense would go down quietly, and the only relevant question remaining would be whether the bullpen would let things get out of control.

But the Pirates did not concede. Adam LaRoche, Jason Bay, Ryan Doumit and Ronny Paulino singled in succession to start the eighth inning. After a Jack Wilson sacrifice fly, the Giants’ lead was suddenly only 6-5. A gimpy Xavier Nady pinch-hit and reached on an error. Nate McLouth ripped a double off the wall in right and the game was tied. Jose Bautista deflated Pirate fans everywhere when he made his 33rd unproductive out of the game. But Freddy Sanchez poked a single to center on the first pitch he saw, and the Pirates had taken an 8-6 lead.

The Giants had a chance to tie the game in the bottom of the inning. With one run in, Paulino’s lame attempt to block a ball in the dirt moved runners to second and third with one out. Red-hot Rajai Davis was at the plate with the tying run at third. The stage was set for Davis to fittingly burn his former team. But Bautista made a fabulous play on Davis’ slow chopper to third, cutting down the run at the plate. Salomon Torres struck out Omar Vizquel, and the Pirates went to the ninth with the lead.

With one on in the ninth, Ryan Klesko was at the plate representing the winning run. I cringed as Matt Capps grooved the first pitch right down the middle. But the ball had just enough movement on it that Klesko popped it straight up in the air for the second out. Capps struck out Bengie Molina and the game was over. Pirates win 8-7.

This was a solid win for the Bucs, one that sends you to bed at 2 AM with a smile on your face. Some thoughts:

• Matt Morris was lousy. He walked five guys, did not strike out a batter, and was terrorized all night by Rajai Davis. Very appropriate.
• Bonds and Davis killed us at the plate in this game, but each humorously misplayed fly balls as well. Watching those ugly attempts put a smile on my face, if only for a moment.
• Huge hit by Sanchez in the eighth. The Giants had just taken some momentum when Bautista’s groundout failed to score a run, but Freddy wasted no time in giving the Bucs the lead.
• It was nice to see Bautista make the game-saving play at third in the bottom of that inning. He was clearly frustrated after failing to produce a run during the Pirate rally, and immediately making up for it in the field likely allowed him to rest a bit easier last night. Also, Paulino made a great tag on the play. This was immediately after he allowed a wild pitch to skip past him.
• I guess Xavier Nady is not going on the DL. It has been over a week since he re-injured his hamstring, and he has been limited to three pinch-hit appearances during that period. With the team already down to four bench players, this really limits what Jim Tracy can do with his lineup. I have no idea why the Pirates like to keep injured players on the active roster for extended periods, regardless of whether they are able to play. Wait, maybe it is because Brad Eldred is the only uninjured position player available on the 40-man roster. Who is in charge around here?
• Steve Pearce went 2 for 4 with a double yesterday for Triple-A Indianapolis. He is now hitting .375/.444/.725 with four home runs in 40 at-bats with the Indians. He is clearly on pace to reach Pittsburgh very soon.

Tony Armas (6.31 ERA, 1.62 WHIP) goes against Tim Lincecum (3.59 ERA, 1.29 WHIP) early this evening. Armas very well may be auditioning for a job. First pitch is at 3:55 PM.

Maholm, Pirates defeated

The Pirates fell to the Diamondbacks last night by a score of 10-6. Paul Maholm was shaky, as was the bullpen. Adam LaRoche had a big day at the plate, going 4 for 5 with a double. I saw very little of this game, so I will not try to provide any analysis. Here is a link to the Post Gazette's recap.

Tonight Ian Snell (3.91 ERA, 1.30 WHIP) goes for the Bucs, Doug Davis (3.88 ERA, 1.58 WHIP) for the D-Backs. Gametime is 9:40 PM.

Gorzo shines in return

Tom Gorzelanny makes a successful return from injury - AP Photo/Matt York

On September 16, 2006, I went to PNC Park for a game between the Pirates and the first-place Mets. The Mets were one win away from clinching the NL East. On the hill for the Bucs was Tom Gorzelanny, making his first start in just over a month due to an arm injury. Gorzo went four innings, allowing just one run on four hits and leaving after throwing 72 pitches. The Pirates eventually won 3-2 on Ronny Paulino's ninth inning double. The gutty performance from the rookie Gorzelanny helped the Bucs sweep the Mets and keep them from clinching in Pittsburgh.

Fast forward to August 7, 2007. Gorzelanny has enjoyed a brilliant second season, and currently is one of the National League's top left-handers. Last night he made his first start in about two weeks due to shoulder stiffness. Again, he pitched very well in his return from injury. He went seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, striking out nine and walking two. For his effort, he was rewarded with his tenth victory of the season, as the Bucs won 8-3. Jack Wilson and Ronny Paulino continued their recent mini-surges at the plate to lead the offense.

One knock against Gorzelanny has been poor mental toughness. But to be quite honest, I don't see it. The two times he has missed time due to injury in the Majors, he has responded with a strong outing in his return. Just over a year ago, he faced the Cubs in his hometown of Chicago, his first professional appearance there. With countless friends and family in attendance, Gorzo threw eight shutout innings and allowed only two hits. He had a terrible spring in Bradenton this season, but shrugged it off and has been tremendous since the team came north to Pittsburgh. Finally, he has dealt with poor run support all year. In Gorzelanny's six losses this season, the Pirates have scored a total of six runs. In five of those games, they have scored one run or less. That is quite a burden to put on a young pitcher, but Gorzo has handled it calmly. I have no concerns about his mentality on the mound.

The play of the game was made in the seventh inning. With the Pirates leading 4-2, one on and nobody out, Chris Snyder yanked Gorzelanny's 1-2 pitch deep to left. Jason Bay, who was the subject of this article in Tuesday's PG, headed back toward the wall. On this play, Bay looked about as comfortable as I have seen him all season. He leaped at the fence and pulled Snyder's home run back. He capped it off by throwing a laser to second for the double play. Gorzelanny ended the inning on the next pitch, and the Pirates held their two-run lead. Bay has taken quite a bit of grief for his defense this season. It was nice to see him make such a huge play.

(Off the topic a bit: I have always felt that Bay's largest flaw regarding his throwing arm is poor mechanics. He rarely gets his entire body into a throw, which usually results in a Little League style toss. He definitely got more on this throw as he seemed to have more momentum moving toward second after bouncing off the wall. My question is, who do we blame for this? The coaching staff for not fixing the problem? Bay for being a Major League Baseball player, but not knowing how to crow-hop? Dave Littlefield? Tony Randazzo? I'm not sure.)

The Diamondbacks defense was terrible in this game. What was Micah Owings doing when he fielded a routine comebacker, jumped into the air and launched the ball into right field? Has Chris Young ever seen a fly ball? I almost thought the ninth inning was a dream. I believe it was about midnight, and 19 hours awake was beginning to catch up with me. I dozed, woke briefly, dozed again, and so on. Repeatedly, I woke to Lanny's voice rising to say, "...and the throw gets away! [Insert name of Pirate player] scores on the play!" It seemed like the D-Backs made five errors in the inning (I see now they only made two. Weird.). If this is how you get to first place, maybe the Pirates are not that far away.

Tonight, it is Paul Maholm (4.50 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) throwing against Byung-Hyun Kim (4.63 ERA, 1.57 WHIP). Gametime is 9:40 PM.

Pirates at DiamondBacks

The Pirates are in Arizona for a late one tonight. Tom Gorzelanny (3.55 ERA, 1.29 WHIP)throws for the Pirates with Micah Owings (4.91 ERA, 1.49 WHIP) going for the D-Backs, a rematch from this debacle in May. First pitch is scheduled for 9:40 PM.

Deadline

Have we seen the last of Jack Wilson in a Pirate uniform? - AP Photo/Tom Mihalek

UPDATE (4:15 PM): The deadline has come and gone. There is no word on any moves by our Pirates.

UPDATE (12:55 PM): MLB Trade Rumors claims that Wilson has been traded. There are no details nor is there confirmation at this point.

It is Dave Littlefield's time to shine. With less than five hours remaining before Major League Baseball's non-waiver trade deadline, Littlefield is ready to work his magic.

I honestly have no idea what might happen by 4 PM. I would not be very surprised if we did not make a move, although I also would not be shocked if Salomon Torres, Damaso Marte, Shawn Chacon, Jack Wilson and maybe even Jose Castillo are all missing from tonight's game. At the very least, expect Chacon to be gone.

Marte should definitely be traded. He has been nearly perfect against lefties this season, and almost the entire league is looking for bullpen help.

Rumors have Wilson, and maybe a reliever, being sent to the Tigers. Personally, I would not rush to trade Jack unless the right deal came along. There would likely be more options to deal him after the season.

Dejan reports that the Dodgers have been scouting the Pirates for two weeks in search of pitching depth. Chacon would be a good fit for them, while the Dodgers have plenty of young talent to offer in return. Hopefully, DL can work out a decent deal there. The Pirates will not be willing to pay Chacon $5 million+ for next season, and that is likely what would be necessary to keep him.

After the wheeling and dealing concludes, the Cardinals will visit PNC Park tonight. Paul Maholm (4.57 ERA, 1.34 WHIP) throws for the Pirates, Adam Wainwright (4.45 ERA, 1.51 WHIP) for the Cards. The Bucs are desperate to escape their current tailspin. First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Spiral continues

The Pirates dropped another to the Mets last night by a score of 6-3. Tom Glavine notched win number 299 by going six innings and allowing three runs. This game was basically decided in the first inning. Glavine walked the bases loaded, but Xavier Nady hit into a double play and the game remained scoreless. In the bottom of the inning, the Mets loaded the bases with one out. But this outcome was different. Paul Lo Duca doubled in two and Marlon Anderson's sacrifice fly made it 3-0 Mets. This was a perfect example of how the Mets and Pirates are completely different teams.

Tom Gorzelanny allowed three additional runs in the third and left the game with shoulder stiffness. This kind of news instantly makes Pirate fans queasy. Judging from the team's remarks in today's PG, they do not seem worried about a long-term injury. But we have heard that before. Until Gorzelanny comes back and makes a couple of decent starts, I will remain nervous.

Jason Bay homered again, making him 4 for 7 with three home runs in the two games in New York. Yes, it is only two games. But with the way he has looked at the plate the past few months, it is very comforting.

The Bucs and Mets conclude the three-game series this afternoon. Former Pirate Oliver Perez (3.00 ERA, 1.19 WHIP) takes the mound for the home team, with Paul Maholm (4.57 ERA, 1.35 ERA) throwing for the visitors. Perez has been very good this season for the Mets, and today is his opportunity to get some revenge against the team that gave up on him in 2006. If he can keep his emotions in check, the Pirates could be in for a long day. Maholm has been very solid for the Bucs after a rough start to 2007, and will attempt to salvage a win out of this series. First pitch is scheduled for 12:10 PM.

Losing streak continues

[Insert tired metaphor involving Josh Fogg's name and last night's dreary weather conditions] - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

The freefall continues. The Pirates went down without much argument last night, losing to the Colorado Rockies by a score of 6-2. A familiar face greeted the Pirates’ offense from the PNC Park mound, as former Pirate Josh Fogg became the most recent below average pitcher to shut down the Bucco bats. I am not going to bother going much deeper into this game, as I have written this same recap many times before.

The Pirates have now scored 16 runs in five games since the All-Star break. That includes Monday’s game, when the team put eight runs on the board in a losing effort. As I was on my way to a softball game last night, I listened to the game on the radio. The last thing I heard was Xavier Nady being left stranded at second after a two-out double. That sent the game into the fourth inning with the Rockies leading 5-2. Hours later, I returned home and went to my computer to check the outcome of the game. I was dismayed to find that I had not missed even a single Pirates’ hit. Grabbing something to eat, I figured I might as well fire up the DVR and quickly watch the ninth inning. It did not take long for our 4-5-6 hitters to strike out on 12 consecutive strikes. At least they managed those three foul balls. It’s like I’ve always said: if you have to go down, you might as well go down without a fight.

What a depressing game.

Ian Snell and Jeff Francis are on the hill as the Pirates and Rockies finish off this series. This game is beginning right now (12:35). Hopefully Snell can end this dismal streak. If there is one guy on this team that can be the stopper, it is Mr. Snell.

Back to business

Pirate baseball is back. Their strong play leading up to the All-Star break made the four days off feel like a month, and it will be nice to get home from work and be able to look forward to a ballgame. The Bucs play in Atlanta tonight looking to continue their recent success in a brief three-game road trip. Ian Snell (2.93 ERA, 1.17 WHIP) will make the start, and expect him to have a chip on his shoulder after spending the All-Star break at home. A pissed off Ian Snell is usually a welcome sight for Pirate fans. He will be opposed by Tim Hudson (3.54 ERA, 1.21 WHIP), who has been somewhat inconsistent after a red-hot start to the season. After allowing only two runs in his final 14 innings of June, he allowed six runs in just three innings in his most recent start. First pitch is scheduled for 7:35.

Pirates look to continue streak

It is a big night in Pittsburgh. That's right, it is beach towel night. It is very rare that I look forward to a promotion at PNC Park, with beach towel night likely being the only exception. There is just something about waving a towel at a sporting event that causes great enthusiasm among Pittsburgh sports fans. Every beach towel night I have attended has resulted in an electric atmosphere at the ballpark. In fact, the most enjoyable game I have ever attended was a beach towel night. Tonight shall be a good night.

John Van Benschoten will throw for the Bucs, Ted Lilly for the Cubs. Van Benschoten has not looked sharp since being recalled from Triple-A, but he has kept the Pirates in each game he has pitched. Lilly has been up and down at times this season, but his overall numbers are strong (3.84 ERA, 1.08 WHIP). The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Kuwata roughed up, Torres angry

It was a tough night for Kuwata and the Pirates - AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar

My meeting wrapped up around 9:00 last night. I immediately checked my phone and saw the Pirates and Brewers were tied 3-3. Not bad at all. After a quick run to the store, I got into my car and turned on the game. The first thing I heard was J.J. Hardy singling in a run give the Brewers a 5-3 lead. Things very quickly got much worse. I was turning onto my street as Damien Miller launched his second home run of the game, this one a grand slam. By the time I reached a television, John Wasdin was warming up with the Brewers leading 10-3. Not long after that, we had a slightly larger number in the loss column.

We all know what happens when Sully gets pissed

On the way to work this morning, I heard a story that caught me completely by surprise. Salomon Torres filed a grievance against the Pirates and asked to be traded. Apparently, Torres signed for less money before the 2006 season because he was led to believe the Pirates would rent one of his baseball academies in the Dominican Republic. Torres also feels he is being punished for filing the grievance by being assigned an unnecessarily long rehab stint. Here is a PG article from my 22nd birthday (04/02/2006) that verifies that Torres was seeking the agreement with the Pirates when he signed his contract. Here is another from 12/03/2006 mentioning that the Pirates turned Torres down. I am not sure exactly what was discussed with Torres, but I would not hesitate to guess that Pirate management tried to screw Torres. Now Sully is pissed, and we may have to part ways with one of our few reliable relievers because of it. It looks like we have taken another step forward in our revival of scouting in Latin America.

The Pirates will play an early game today because a concert was scheduled for PNC Park later tonight. Shane Youman will make his first start of the season against Chris Capuano. Capuano is making his first start since June 8 due to a strained groin. Personally, I am hoping for an eight-hour game, so that everyone's concert plans are ruined. Sorry. The first pitch is scheduled for 4:05 PM.

Pirates' power surge drops Marlins

The Pirates brought their big boy sticks to the park last night, and the result was a 7-5 victory over the Marlins in ten innings. The Bucs built a 5-3 lead through five innings, led by home runs by Jose Bautista and Xavier Nady. However, the Marlins chipped away against the Pirates' bullpen and tied the game at five in the eighth. As the game crept into extra innings, Pirate fans had to be thinking, "Here we go again." Adam LaRoche and Jason Bay went down quickly in the top of the tenth, bringing Xavier Nady to the plate. Nady was 2 for 4 with a home run and two strikeouts to that point. He got a first-pitch fastball from Florida closer Kevin Gregg, and hammered it into the right-center field seats for his second home run of the game. Ryan Doumit followed with a line shot over the right field fence, and the Pirates took a two-run lead into the bottom of the tenth inning. Matt Capps recorded three quick outs for his seventh save, and the Pirates took the game.

A few thoughts:

• I only caught the first couple of innings of this one, but I went back and watched the tenth inning on DVR. Maybe it was the empty stadium. Maybe Greg Brown was tired and unable to produce his usual super enthusiasm. Maybe I was half asleep as I watched the game's conclusion at around 12:30 AM. But whatever the reason, this seemed like a relaxed team as they slapped hands after the game. Like they expected to win, regardless of whether or not extra innings would be needed. Like they were used to winning games like that. Who knows what they were thinking? But the sooner this team stops pressing, the sooner the huge number of fundamental errors is reduced.
• I am not sure if I wrote it on this site, but around mid-May I was about done with Xavier Nady. On May 15, he was hitting .240/.284/.400 with four home runs and only three walks. Ryan Doumit was hot, and I wondered why we kept putting Nady in right field. Well, starting on May 16, Nady has gone .311/.373/.563 with nine home runs and 12 walks. Overall, Nady is at .281/.336/.494 with a team-leading 13 home runs. Looks like I was wrong again. It has been infuriating for Pirate fans to watch Oliver Perez pitch so well this season, and I totally agree that it was asinine to give him up in that trade. But keep in mind that the Pirates would be the worst team in Major League Baseball right now without Xavier Nady.

The Pirates are going for the sweep right now in Florida. Zach Duke is throwing for the Pirates, with Scott Olsen going for the Marlins. The Pirates are already trailing 4-0 after one inning. It sounds as Duke has been a victim of poor defense and some soft singles thus far. That sounds about right. On the other hand, Scott Olsen has struck out the first five Pirates he has faced. That also seems about right.

Pirates defeat Marlins, 3-2

The Pirates took a day off after getting pushed around out west, then defeated the Marlins last night by a score of 3-2. I didn't see the game, but it seemed as if the Pirates played fundamentally sound baseball. Paul Maholm went 7.2 innings, allowing only two runs on three hits. He retired 15 consecutive Marlins after Dan Uggla's third inning home run. The bullpen came into the game and retired four straight batters with a one-run lead. The offense did not do much, but they did scrape together three runs. This was enough considering the way Maholm was pitching. The Pirates took a 2-1 lead in the second with four straight singles and a sacrifice fly. In the fourth inning, Jack Wilson broke a 2-2 tie with a solo home run. This was a nice win for the Pirates, as they try to rebound after another disastrous week of baseball.

Before the game, Ian Snell provided us with another great quote. Snell was asked to consider that the Pirates are not underachieving this season, but simply lack the necessary talent to win consistently. He responded by saying, "Seriously, you can tell anyone who says that to go shove it." You've gotta love this guy.

The Pirates and Marlins go at it again tonight at 7:05. John Van Benschoten will go for the Pirates, Sergio Mitre for the Marlins.

We are Pirate fans and it is June

The Pirates hit another low point over the weekend, as they were swept by the Angels and fell to 31-44, 12.5 games back in the NL Central. I have often debated with myself as to what type of loss hurts more, the heartbreaking one-run loss or the complete blowout. Well, we were treated to the best of both worlds in this series, losing one game 10-1 and the other two in extra innings. The Bucs have now lost five in a row and are 1-5 on the current road trip. Of course, we are used to this. It seems to happen every June. But it seems as if people are nearing their breaking points this season. The Pirates' current slide has led the majority of people to depression, anger, protest attempts and others are simply assessing the current situation and looking to build a better future. Even Pirate players are letting their frustration show (from the PG):

"I [expletive] hate this," [Ian Snell] said at his stall, his voice rising. "And you can put that in the paper. I [expletive] hate losing. I hate when the team doesn't bring out its full potential. And if they fine me, fine me. I don't care. Because this is getting stupid. We're better than what we're showing."

Ian Snell - AP Photo/Chris Carlson

These are the kinds of statements we should hear coming out of the Pirate locker room on a nightly basis. I think the fans are more frustrated this season because it does not seem as if players even care about winning. It is one thing to watch the Pirates lose. It is something altogether different to watch them lose because Ronny Paulino does not seem interested in any extraneous movement. It is even more frustrating to watch him walk out to home plate night after night, regardless of how he plays. I have said it before, I'll say it again: the Pirates should be pissed off because of all the losing, and they need to play with a chip on their shoulder if there is any chance to right the ship. That kind of attitude is what makes Ian Snell so good.

There was talk of a players-only meeting before Sunday's game, but it did not occur due to the early game. Hopefully, the team used the free time on Monday constructively. Tonight, the Pirates visit the Florida Marlins. Paul Maholm will pitch for the Pirates, and Dontrelle Willis will take the mound for the Marlins. Willis has struggled his past few outings, and had this start pushed back two days due to a tight forearm. We all know what happens when a struggling starter faces the Pirates. The first pitch is scheduled for 7:05 PM.

Pirates shut out again

After the Pirates were shut out by Jeff Weaver, what did you expect them to do against one of the better young arms in the Majors? Felix Hernandez has struggled a bit recently, but last night he found the perfect remedy in the Pittsburgh Pirates. Hernandez pitched eight shutout innings in defeating the Bucs 3-0, as the Pirates' scoreless streak was extended to 20 innings. John Van Benschoten was solid for the second straight outing, but his three runs allowed in five innings were too much for the Bucs' offense to overcome. The bullpen was unusually stable, throwing three scoreless innings after Van Benschoten's departure. Masumi Kuwata led the charge, striking out four Mariners in two innings. Jonah Bayliss also pitched a scoreless inning.

After the game, the Pirates designated Dan Kolb for assignment and recalled Brad Eldred from Indianapolis. Apparently, since Eldred's consistent at-bats at Triple-A were not helping (.212 average), the Pirates figured they should let him sit on the Bucco bench for extended stretches again.

Tonight the Pirates are in Los Angeles to face the Mighty Angels of Anaheim. Jered Weaver, possibly worried that he could not match his brother's performance against the Pirates, will miss his scheduled start. Joe Saunders was recalled from Triple-A to take his place. Being a Pirate fan, pitchers just called up from Triple-A scare me to death. First pitch is scheduled for 10:05.

Pirates win out west

Tom Gorzelanny had another quality start and beat the Mariners last night - AP Photo/John Froschauer

The Pirates started their road trip off right, defeating the Mariners 5-3 last night in Seattle. Jim Tracy left Tom Gorzelanny in the game as long as possible (123 pitches), then turned things over to his shaky bullpen. Five pitchers were used in the final two innings, as Tracy's hook was extremely quick. Masumi Kuwata diffused an eighth inning rally and Shawn Chacon struck out the final two batters to earn the save. The Pirates' offense was not great, but they managed to put five runs on the board and get the victory. I only saw the first few innings of this game, so I will not comment any further.

Tonight the Pirate hitters have a chance to have some fun, as Jeff Weaver will be throwing for the Mariners. Weaver is 0-6 with a 10.97 ERA, an ERA+ of 39, and a WHIP of 2.19 in 2007. Those are absolutely terrible numbers, but he has pitched fairly well since returning to the rotation on June 9. He has posted an ERA of 3.60 in his two starts since that return. He did not receive a decision in his last start against the Cubs, but went six innings and allowed only three runs. Paul Maholm (3-9, 5.00 ERA, 1.41 WHIP) will be on the mound for the Pirates. Maholm has also been throwing well recently, specifically his past five starts. Maholm's numbers would look much better, but he has been let down by his defense in many of his outings. First pitch is scheduled for 10:05 PM.

Pirates at Mariners, 10:05 PM

The Mariners prepare for the Pirates' arrival - AP Photo/Jessica Kourkounis

The Pirates begin a three-game series with the Mariners tonight in Seattle. Tom Gorzelanny will take the mound for the Bucs, with Miguel Batista going for Seattle. This game begins at 10:05, which means I must decide between watching the game and sleeping for more than four hours. If you don't see any posts from me tomorrow, you'll know what I chose.

Expect to see the Pirates win by a comfortable margin tonight, only to have Seattle fans complain about the umpire's strike zone for the rest of their lives. (Yes, I will take shots at Seahawk fans, despite the fact that I am still bitter about the Joe Nedney game from January 2003 and the Tony Randazzo call in June 2005. No, I don't care whether or not that is fair.)

Brian O'Neill has an interesting article in today's Post-Gazette, as he looks at the Pirate infield issue. The Pirates currently have four players (Jack Wilson, Freddy Sanchez, Jose Bautista, and Jose Castillo) to play three positions (second, short, and third). The problem is that the two best fielders are the two worst hitters and vice versa. Offensively, the best infield includes Bautista, Sanchez, and either Wilson or Castillo. Defensively, the best alignment would be Castillo at second, Wilson at short, and either Bautista or Sanchez at third. Bautista and Sanchez have both been red-hot at the plate, making it difficult to remove either of them. However, Freddy's lack of range at second has really hurt the team this year. It does not help that the Pirates' rotation includes several groundball pitchers who do not strike many batters out. This is something I have been mulling over for several weeks, and I still do not have a satisfying answer.

Rangers at Pirates, 7:05 PM

The Pirates will go for the sweep tonight against the Rangers, as Tom Gorzelanny (2.76 ERA, 1.28 WHIP) faces off against Kameron Loe (7.40 ERA, 1.68 WHIP), who will be recalled from Triple-A to make the start. This is another huge mismatch on the mound, as the Rangers send out another starter who has been awful so far this season.

Jose Castillo has had a hop in his step the past three games - Matt Freed, Post-Gazette

I would expect to see Jose Castillo back at short for the Pirates, as he had another solid game at the plate last night. To be honest, the Pirates may have been extremely smart with the way they handled Castillo this season. He was the obvious starter for three seasons, but his great potential never progressed into performance. Maybe this was due to a lack of motivation, as the starting spot at second was clearly his. Maybe not. But the Pirates sent a message by mostly sitting him late last season and then keeping him on the bench for the first two months of 2007. Jose had to be sitting there, watching the team play, wondering if he would ever get back on the field. Then he gets a spot start at short and plays well, including a brilliant defensive play. Then he is in the lineup again the next game. And the next. Now Castillo sees that if he performs, he will get the opportunity to play. He has clearly recognized that, and he is playing with the fire and emotion that was so often missing last season. This is not the first time he has displayed that emotion this year, as I noted it during a start he made about a month ago. Castillo is playing as if he understands that it is a privilege to start in the Major Leagues, and he seems to have a greater appreciation for this opportunity to play than he had in his first three seasons in the league.

Then again, it has only been three games. Hopefully he can continue to produce in the long-term.

UPDATE (6:10 PM): The Pirates have sent Shawn Chacon back to the bullpen and will recall John Van Benschoten to start on Saturday. I'm not sure if this was done to stabilize the bullpen or because Chacon was shelled in New York. Either way, we will see what Van Benschoten can do in the Major League rotation. It makes me nervous. He was 6-4 at Indianapolis with a 2.73 ERA and a WHIP of 1.35. He struck out 45 and walked 30.

The Rangers come to town

Prince Fielder rounds the bases as Vicente Padilla stares into the distance - AP Photo/LM Otero

Interleague play continues tonight, as the Pirates welcome the Texas Rangers to PNC Park. Our Bucs were swept by the Yankees over the weekend in their first interleague series of 2007. For those of you keeping track at home, the Pirates are now 10-32 against the American League since the beginning of the 2004 season. Ouch.

The Rangers come to town boasting a Major League worst 23-40 record. Their offense is average (.322 OBP, .420 SLG) and their pitching is terrible (5.48 ERA, 1.57 WHIP). The Pirates are struggling right now and the season looks as if it might free-fall out of control at any moment. A series with the Rangers seems like the perfect elixir for what ails the Bucs. A couple of solid wins (or something ridiculous like a sweep) would go a long way towards healing some painful wounds from this past weekend. That would help build some confidence, and with the White Sox bringing their woeful offense into town this weekend, could help salvage what seems like a lost season right now.

Or, as Pat points out, this could simply be a repeat of the embarrassing series with the Royals last season. Either way, this might be the most critical point of the season.

Tonight it is Zach Duke (2-6, 5.75 ERA, 1.68 WHIP) facing Kevin Millwood (2-5, 7.57 ERA, 1.91 WHIP). I predict a final score of 13-10. The Bucs will come out on top with the bullpen coming up huge, only allowing four runs after Zach Duke leaves in the 6th inning.