Be Like Tike

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My rant yesterday prevented me from posting an update about the game, so I’m just going to lump that in with my recap of today’s dud. Alas, we will start with a non-walkout-related review of yesterday’s game:

The Pirates came out victorious 7-2 thanks to a six-run second inning. Tom Gorzelanny posted another very good start and Masumi Kuwata showed that he can be a consistent pitcher out of the bullpen. Adam LaRoche also showed signs of turning around with a homerun in the fifth.

-The Pirates did not, apparently, miss Jason Bay, as the loafing leftfielder was left out of the lineup and the team had a big inning for one of the first times this season. Bay’s slacking recently is a serious problem, as his reputation as a “lead by example guy” can not justifiably be upheld if he is hitting .146 as he has over his last 80-something at-bats. Instead, he is just grumpy deadweight, something that this team certainly has enough of.

-Gorzelanny has been awesomely consistent so far, as he turns in pretty much the same solid start every time out, going seven or so innings and striking out six or so batters while giving up two or three runs. He has also, however, thrown way too many pitches in more than a few of these starts, as 115 pitches has becoming the seeming norm for him. Last night, he “only” threw 107, which is not too high at all.

-Masumi Kuwata has a very good glove as is shown by his very well-turned double play in the top of the eighth. The import has become a vital part of the Pirate bullpen by becoming one of two pitchers (along with Damaso Marte) who can get hitters out routinely. The Pirates should be very pleased that he signed with them.

-Nate McLouth is so much fun to root for.

-After last night, Ryan Doumit had 15 doubles. He had 16 rbis. Wonder how many guys are on base when he comes up.

On to today, where the Pirates looked more like the hometown team that we are all used to, leaving 10 runners on base and compiling six hits over nine innings of baseball, wasting a solid start by Paul Maholm, who has now had good starts back-to-back. Are we sure someone didn’t switch the brains of Maholm and Duke?

-Also today, Adam LaRoche continued his hot streak by going 3 for 5, including a single that kept the game alive in the ninth. After that at-bat, I couldn’t help but notice that he was staring into the dugout, seemingly begging for a pinch-runner. I don’t understand this logic at all, as the team needed a run and with its slowest runner at first, that run was obviously not going to happen. Typical Tracy managing.

-On that “homerun,” Tracy stated that Bay said that a fan interfered with the ball. Bay obviously does not care about the team and arguing would not be insulting Bay, it would be supporting the pitcher and the team. Tracy’s responsibility is not to his lackadaisical leftfielder; it is to his team. By not even leading the dugout, Tracy let his team down.

-The Pirates were beaten by a motivational Katie Couric quote, according to CBS Sportsline, as Mike Bacsik stated after the game that, “There’s a Katie Couric book I read to my daughter that she loves. One of the lines is something to the effect that if you never felt bad, you wouldn’t know what it’s like to feel good.” So we lost not only to the worst team in baseball but also a pitcher inspired by one of the most annoying people in America? Wow.

-The Pirates were seriously only able to get five hits in six innings off of Bacsik and his 5.08 ERA? That is truly awful.

-The murmurings are beginning that Bay may have a problem with his knee. In the wake of the Zach Duke announcement, one must wonder whether the Pirates’ rash of injuries is simply a new type of lame excuse or whether they are not doing their due diligence by the players, team, and fan and forcing/allowing the players to play through pain.

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