Pleasantly surprised; getting some good pitching.

posted by Heretic

What if you're in sell-mode by that point because, no matter how good the pitching is, averaging 1.2 runs per game isn't gonna win that many?

Or the Pirates are in first place, dam

posted by Heretic

Best record in the NL and tied for best overall in the "it's only about 10% of the way through the season" update.

And after I post this, two straight losses and one relief pitcher's arm might have imploded. Why do I never learn...

Sweet fucking jebus, they might never win again...

Fade to black …

I'm not sure what makes me happier: Getting a series win over Oakland after getting destroyed in the first game, or getting rid of Shuck and his really, really, really, really, REALLY low talent ceiling.

Starting to develop a legit disliking of Clint Hurdle.

Leading Texas 6-2 in the eighth inning, he brings in Feliz. He goes: out, walk, out and then walks two straight to load the bases. Hurdle does nothing. He gives up a grand slam and still doesn't get taken out until walking another batter. Team winds up giving up 3 more in the ninth to lose.

I mean, I know Reds fans get annoyed by the quick-fire subbing Bell does, but this is the opposite. Keep in the struggling guy until he fucks shit up beyond recall. Find a happy medium, assholes!

I read that ^^^^^^ and decide to quit bitching about the Indians for a little while.

Geez.

Due to having injury issues with the starting pitching and no fucking depth (Keller is one of the team's top prospects, but has only started to get success at AAA; Brubaker is probably the current best AAA pitcher, but I think has been out injured for a bit; the rest at that level are more or less organizational depth or not ready for the bigs), the team has been going with bullpen games.

The first one worked out well. The opener went two shutout innings and the rest of the pen followed suit for a good win. Since then, they did two bullpen games over the past week and the openers combined for 8 runs in 1 inning, including shitty Feliz' shitty 1/3 inning/5 run outing yesterday. Uhhhhh...back to the drawing board?

Life as a Pirates fan:

1. The team got a rare national TV game yesterday on Fox against the Dodgers. I was happy.

2. The game was rain-delayed for two hours, so Fox moved to another game — with the fucking "always on TV" Cardinals against the Braves.

3. When the delay ended, Fox just stayed with that game until it ended and then quickly went to their 10 p.m. news.

4. Meanwhile, the team actually made Ryu look human, but couldn't really capitalize since they were leaving guys on base like crazy in the early innings. And then their starting pitcher imploded in the fifth and a 2-2 tie wound up a 7-2 loss.

In short, a let-down in every way possible. And there I was, after a long week of work, actually happy to be at home on Saturday to watch the damn game, lol.

Keller does get his first start today. Hopefully, it's a better start than those provided by virtually everyone else (low bar to clear!) over the past week or so.

Man, they might get back to .500 if they can keep scoring like the last two days, putting 24 up on Houston (including 6 in 2/3 inning against a light-hitting back-up infielder, lol!) after getting held to 1 in the first game of the series. Showing power, getting good pitching and other stuff they haven't done a lot of this year (other than Bell with the power).

Last night was fun. Put 18 up on the bitch-ass Cubs, Bell hits three homers, Frazier ties a major league record with four doubles and Moran has five hits. I mean, it would have been nicer if they'd used a little of that offense against the Brewers over the weekend, but anytime you can humiliate the Cubs, it's a good day.

posted by Heretic

Last night was fun. Put 18 up on the bitch-ass Cubs, Bell hits three homers, Frazier ties a major league record with four doubles and Moran has five hits. I mean, it would have been nicer if they'd used a little of that offense against the Brewers over the weekend, but anytime you can humiliate the Cubs, it's a good day.

not a Pirates fan by any stretch, but THIS!!!

posted by QuakerOats

 

Fade to black …

Ok; I’ll take it back.

Josh Bell on a higher plane right now; wow.

A complete collapse after the All-Star Break punctuated by them simply handing Dickerson to the Phillies. Yeah, he's only a two-month rental, but you'd think they'd at least try to get more than "international bonus allotments and a player to be named later" for a .300+ hitter who won a Gold Glove last year. But no, not having to pay the final $2.9M they'd owe him for this year is apparently enough.

Fuck Bob Nutting and every fucking shitbag in the front office. If someone blasted the tops of their heads off at close range with a shotgun, I would celebrate the way most fans celebrate a World Series. Because with them in charge, that'd be the only fucking way I'll ever get that celebration because they're happy being shitty 90% of the time, playing for a future that peaks with having brief runs at the postseason before fading back to sucking and doing everything humanly possible to avoid actually trying to be financially competitive, while Nutting pockets every last bit of competitive balance money to make sure his personal bank account is competitive with other super-rich assholes.

Here's to an off-season of making a big splash by signing a 33-year old pitcher coming off a 5.68 ERA year where he was demoted to the bullpen because he was the absolute drizzling shits as a starter because they are "sure" they'll be able to fix him and getting a .215 hitting middle infielder or catcher because they like his moxie WHILE every single good young player on the team counts the days until they get close to free agency, so they can get traded to a franchise that actually gives a shit, or at least pretends to.

Yeah, but that was THE BEST brawl in MLB in 5 decades ………going back to when the Bucs/Reds went at it in the early ‘70’s and Pedro Borbon was in the pile biting people. 

posted by QuakerOats

 

Yeah, but that was THE BEST brawl in MLB in 5 decades ………going back to when the Bucs/Reds went at it in the early ‘70’s and Pedro Borbon was in the pile biting people. 

Yeah, that fight will go down as the high point of their season. For one night and one night only, the Pirates got a starring role on SportsCenter!!!!

Ah, they DFA'd Kang today, both because he absolutely sucked and because he was a few ABs away from a $650K boost to his contract.

He was such a revelation, hitting for good average and crushing dingers initially, then he had the alcohol issues and the "not allowed a work visa because of the alcohol issues" issues and then he finally got back and wound up with a terminal case of the "Mendoza line is so far up there I can't even see it, let alone reach it" issues. Without the power production that kept guys like Rob Deer and Joey Gallo in the line-up despite their .170 seasons.

Fuck him. You can go back to drinking full-time now, bitch.

posted by Heretic

 

Fuck him. You can go back to drinking full-time now, bitch.

One of the greatest send offs I’ve ever read. 

Highlights of the second half of the season:

1. They got to meet the Little League World Series players to see what actual winners look like. Unfortunately, they haven't learned anything, but they did get to watch them in person.

2. Got nothing so far, but hopefully some people in the front office get fired or Bob Nutting is murdered (since he'll never be forced to sell the team to a non-cheapass).

posted by BRF

One of the greatest send offs I’ve ever read. 

He could have called him an oriental or slant-eye, but surprisingly held off.

posted by QuakerOats

 

He could have called him an oriental or slant-eye, but surprisingly held off.

🤦‍♀️

posted by QuakerOats

 

He could have called him an oriental or slant-eye, but surprisingly held off.

I'm not a Trumper, so my mind doesn't immediately go towards slurs like yours apparently does, dude.

posted by Heretic

I'm not a Trumper, so my mind doesn't immediately go towards slurs like yours apparently does, dude.

You’re obviously not a Trumper; hoping for people to be murdered is Anitfa-like.