Pittsburgh Pirates 2013 thread -- Onward Sweet Futility, AWAY!!!!

• Heretic

  

  Well, Andrew McCutchen has a commercial for being the cover dude for a video game. Where the point of it is to make fun of their suckiness by pretending winning the World Series in the game is equal to doing it in real life while he sits there with a confused look on his face.
  
  The team signed some people and let others go. Retreads like Jeanmar Gomez are trying to make the team (although getting shelled every time out in spring training hopefully will put an end to that).
  
  Jeff Karstens is pleased because Pitt basketball is 2-0 with a Karstens fathead being waved around in the stands.
  
  I'm ready for a third straight season of looking like a contender until August and then going 12-50 down the stretch. While I'd prefer those last couple months to be better, I am a realist.
  
  GO TEAM!
• Gblock

  well i guess its better than going 12-50 to start the year. AM campaigned hard on twitter to win the cover so i hope it doesnt jinx him. that being said i am excited as ever for this season. my gf has a hookup on tickets and i plan to attend 5-6 games at least this year.
  
  and this guy is off to a good start!
  Starling Marte has gotten off to a very good start to Spring Training, which is exactly what Pirate fans wanted to see from a player who can be a staple in Pittsburgh for a long time.
  The #MartePartay started before the Pirates' first game, as Marte hit home run in an intrasquad game and hasn't looked back since. He has five hits in 12 at-bats and his approach has generally looked sound.
  It is certainly to early to suggest that he has made the leap, but Marte is already an elite defensive player and it is a very good sign if his offensive game is beginning to mature.
• Heretic

  

  I've read that Tabata's looked pretty good, too. That would be really nice if it carries over, since the team did sign him to a fairly long-term contract last year or so.
• Ironman92

  

  I like AM and that commercial. I hope the Pirates are 2nd in the central....win the WC and move on to the NLCS.
• Heretic

  

  Dejan's tweets about Jonathan Sanchez in today's game are bringing the lulz. Dude apparently completely lost any ability to pitch since two years ago.
• hasbeen

  

  I intend on watching the May 8th game between them and the Seattle Mariners.
  
  Went on a tour of PNC Park while I was at a Legion tournament down there. It's a great facility.
• killer_ewok

  

  Looking forward to the season to see if they can finally have a winning season. Or just finish .500. Anything more than a losing season is progress.
• Gblock

  well pitching won us most of our games last year since we really didnt score many runs. so hopefully we get it figured out because no way are we going to be able to overpower people offensively.
• Heretic

  

  On the bright side...
  
  NO ONE has been arrested for driving drunk at over 100 mph from our organization this year!
• Heretic

  

  ...so far.
• Heretic

  

  And we're 20 minutes or so from the start of the season.Feel the excitement that can only be felt when you're cheering for a team with Jonathan Sanchez and Jeanmar Gomez on the active roster while waiting for Brandon Inge to come off the DL!
• Heretic

  

  We are off to a great start.
  
  Being two-hit through seven innings and trailing 3-0 despite Burnett striking out 10.
  
  17-145. Which will be a bit of a letdown after at least flirting with .500 the last two years.
• Heretic

  

  Lost 3-1 in the opener.
  
  There was a bit of hope in the ninth inning, but apparently the Cubs have finally learned an important lesson that when Marmol is struggling, NEVER let him try to work through it. That was the game-winning move by the manager, taking him out with guys on 1st and 2nd and a run in. Two relievers each got one guy out after that for the end.
• Heretic

  

  One game win streak!
  
  Wandy looked good in his first start. Struggled in the seventh inning, but Watson got out of a jam and the team won 3-0.
  
  Rubber match vs. the Chubs starts in 13 minutes. Depending on how bored I get this afternoon at the office, it may be a Darbyish day of constant updates in a fail attempt to break his streak. Or it might be three posts of me basically just cursing the team.
• Heretic

  

  McDonald's been solid for four innings. One run on two hits. 61 pitches. He'll be good for six or seven at this pace.
  
  Unfortunately, the offense still hasn't gotten out of "suck mode". One double in the third inning has been their only offense through three against Travis Wood. And I think Wood is one of those pitchers in the disturbingly large "mediocre, but does great against the Pirates" category.
• ohiobucks1

  

  I applaud your fandom Heretic. I know how it feels. I always secretly root for the pirates to be decent because I feel their fanbases pain.
  
  Best of luck this year!
• Heretic

  

  Poor Andrew McCutchen. He reached first base on an error and stole both second and third. But didn't score thanks to two strike outs and a pop-up to first base.
  
  Still one hit through seven innings. Still down 1-0. The only consolation is that the Cubs probably will give Marmol at least one more chance to close a game, so it's not over!
• Heretic

  

  On the good side, the team got a run off Marmol in the 9th and have runners on first and second with no one out.
  
  On the bad side, Hughes gave up a two-run homer in the top of the inning, so that makes the score 3-1 instead of tying it. So they need to keep action going.
  
  Which they are, as Gaby Sanchez made it 3-2 with a hit.
  
  Keep Marmol in, Cubbies!!!!
• Heretic

  

  Well...that was decisive and quick.
  
  Pedro Ks and Walker DPs to end the game.
  
  Can't even open with a home series win over the Cubs...blah...
• Heretic

  

  Zach Greinke vs. Jonathan Sanchez tonight.
  
  I don't think words can express how big of a mismatch that is on paper. Especially adding in how the Pirates hit no homers in their first series and seemed to average about 4 hits a game.
• killer_ewok

  

  It's early but I think it's gonna be another long year. Don't think they'll collapse again because they won't be in a good enough position to collapse.
• Heretic

  

  killer_ewok;1420534 wrote:It's early but I think it's gonna be another long year. Don't think they'll collapse again because they won't be in a good enough position to collapse.

  The only bright points right now:
  
  1. Starting pitching has been pretty good. Not Sanchez's fault that Hurdle didn't get the picture that because he struggled to get through the fifth inning, that he maybe should have been pinch hit for and replaced. Instead, he got brought out for the sixth and things got worse.
  
  2. The team hit horribly like this last April. I don't know what's wrong with their spring training approach, but they seem to suck offensively for the first month or so all the fucking time.
  
  Oh, we got Kershaw tonight. Another two-hit offensive masterpiece in the works!
• Heretic

  

  Heretic;1420590 wrote:Oh, we got Kershaw tonight. Another two-hit offensive masterpiece in the works!

  I hate being right sometimes...
• Heretic

  

  Two straight wins and the bats were actually productive last night. They could have scored a few more, but couldn't come through in clutch situations with consistency...but did so enough to score 6 in a one-run win.
  
  Up to 3-5 with two straight wins on the road against a team that was 5-1 entering the series. No complaints there!
• Heretic

  

  Jonathan Sanchez is so the opposite of good.
  
  That is all from today's game.