OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: New season of plundering begins

[DJ Spinoza]

It's funny how easy opinion shifts when certain orgs do something. When the Jays DFA'd Cavan Biggio, I saw people saying the Pirates needed to go get him, and all I could muster was the low bar that he'd probably be better than Rowdy.

Dodgers just traded for him so I am sure they will turn him into a super utility player off the bench who accrues 3-4 wins somehow.

 

[PensandCaps]

It's funny how easy opinion shifts when certain orgs do something. When the Jays DFA'd Cavan Biggio, I saw people saying the Pirates needed to go get him, and all I could muster was the low bar that he'd probably be better than Rowdy.

Dodgers just traded for him so I am sure they will turn him into a super utility player off the bench who accrues 3-4 wins somehow.

Wouldnt have been a bad bet to snag him, he's got good plate vision and draws walks, despite his low hitting average.

 

[Empoleon8771]

https://www.mlb.com/news/nick-gonzales-on-hot-stretch-since-promotion-to-majors

 

[metalan2]

That Reynolds double would have scored Tellez, but old man cutch can't be sent. Knew as soon as that happened we were scoring zero runs.

Absolutely absurd to not score one run there.

 

[wheelz87]

Reynolds trying to be the hero on a ball he was nowhere close to. With our offense, that might be game.

Feel like Joe, whos been incredible overall, is starting to get overplayed a bit.

 

[Empoleon8771]

I genuinely do not want to see Davis play another game for this team this year. He's downright useless out there.

 

[ChaosAgent]

Not seeing a way back for Davis. Time to cut bait.

Pathetic ABs in the 1st inning by Joe and Cruz sealed this one.

That Reynolds double would have scored Tellez, but old man cutch can't be sent. Knew as soon as that happened we were scoring zero runs.

Absolutely absurd to not score one run there.

The 3B coach is a total wuss. Make them throw you out. You see all the time guys get sent when a perfect play could beat them, and score. Most of the time a perfect play is not made.

 

[metalan2]

Not seeing a way back for Davis. Time to cut bait.

Pathetic ABs in the 1st inning by Joe and Cruz sealed this one.



The 3B coach is a total wuss. Make them throw you out. You see all the time guys get sent when a perfect play could beat them, and score. Most of the time a perfect play is not made.

With our offense, any chance you have a maybe run you have to send whoever it is, even if it is old man Cutch. He would have scored easily.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Cards bats were banging

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I don't want to just hand wave away some bad stuff (Hayes' bat, Davis still being a major liability), but that was the quintessential game that you lose. Can't cash in early to maybe set a more pressuring tone on St. Louis, and then Falter is not too sharp even as he still limits damage.

It's the perfect game to have when you have already taken game 1 of the series. Now you have to bear down and win a Keller vs Lynn matchup. Lynn feels like the kind of mediocre slop that can frustrate this offense. I almost can't believe I'm saying this, but Tellez probably should have garnered the start today to see if he can stay in decent form.

With Davis, the HR was nice, and he also nearly had one earlier in the game. I just don't get what we are doing with him. He gets the start in the 9 hole against the best pitcher we'll see on the road trip. We can say that he's not doing much to earn the starts, but that's kind of the root of the issue. Why isn't he still in AAA getting consistent ABs and seeing if he can get the Ks down?

 

[ImporterExporter]

Going to see Skenes live for the first time on the 22nd.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Well, i contributed to the Cherington disaster with money too... I had to buy one of the BP hats. They're just too awesome. Sorry yall.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

The lineup is absolutely brutal today. I am willing to defend Shelton a lot more than most everyone else (and in this case it's feasible to wonder how much of this is an organizational thing about some players getting an off day), but this is a pretty tough look in a game that we could really use.

IMO there's a little bit too much urgency about the Pirates on a night in, night out basis, which I think comes from having a small bit of hope based on what could be if the pitching somehow gets to October. There are no must win games in June, and if there are, it's because the team is overly mediocre.

That describes the Pirates, and might even be generous, though I'd only say that basically most of the teams in MLB right now fall into the same kind of boat, with the exception of maybe the Phillies, Dodgers, Yankees, Orioles, and one or two others on a good day.

 

[Empoleon8771]

Yeah I really don't like sitting all of McCutchen, Joe and Gonzales in this game. They need to stagger out when these guys get rest, and sitting 3 of their most productive players in 1 game is absolutely not how you do that.

I don't know why Suwinski is playing as much as he has been playing.

 

[metalan2]

Well that's game again. Need our pitchers to give up 2 runs or less.

 

[metalan2]

Cruz is borderline useless. Triolo has also been bad for about 6 weeks or so.

 

[metalan2]

Worst defensive team in baseball. Two basic ground balls turn into a run lol.

 

[metalan2]

Station to station lol. Only team in the majors that doesn't advance an extra base regardless of how easy it is.

 

[WickedWrister]

Well I hope Stratton didn't just blow out his arm

 

[metalan2]

Well, this team, is just never gonna cross over. They're not capable of it.

You have Grandal lead off an inning where you need a run followed by Taylor for some reason.

Terrible clutch hitting, bad base running, bad defense, all contribute to these easily winnable games.

Cardinals did everything fundamentally right and got the series win. Did not do anything special at all.

The Cardinals are already a better baseball team in their short rebuild than the Pirates and they have nowhere near the caliber of starting pitching.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Major injury to Stratton is probably the highlight news there.

That was a lineup built to lose. Suwinski isn't an MLB player right now and despite the HR yesterday, there's not much reason to think Davis is either. They need actual time in AAA to address their issues.

Real letdown after a promising start on Tuesday, and it's not great seeing almost all the bats go ice cold after the offense was humming along pretty decently. Maybe the thin air will get them going.

 

[ImporterExporter]

"The lineup card is mine Ben"
-Derek Shelton

I mean don't attempt to pinch hit anyone late when you have better bats sitting inexplicably on the bench.

Shelton and Haines are the biggest problem.

 

[BusinessGoose]

Every 3 game series we seem to throw the third game, like clockwork, with dumb lineups or bad pitching decisions. It has to be on purpose. First game or two we might try, but that third? Nope.

 

[WickedWrister]

Every 3 game series we seem to throw the third game, like clockwork.

Yeah I think they said on the broadcast we've lost 5 such instances in a row or something.

 

[Factorial]

Why wasn't Nick G playing today? I don't get giving players in their mid 20's days off outside of nagging injuries, etc. He's their best offensive player now and needs to play. MLB has become soff.