Pirates Game 118 Thoughts: 6-5 win over the Giants

[Crimson's Ghost]

The Pirates completed a sweep of the San Francisco Giants this afternoon. It also wrapped up a highly successful 5-1 road trip to two playoff caliber teams, some of the best baseball this team has played all year to be quite honest. They have now won 4 straight and are 63-56 on the year.  The bats from some of their slumping guys are starting to wake up, the bullpen has been really good, and the starting rotation has made it through 2 cycles with the same 5 pitchers for the first time in a while.  Maybe not outstanding pitching, but consistent. 

--  Ivan Nova was both good and bad today. He allowed 4 runs in 4 innings, but struck out 5 and walked none.  He's a pitch to contact guy, and the type of guy that's just going to eat some innings for this team.  He's started three games for the Pirates, the first 2 weren't bad, but today was not a quality start. He probably could have pitched longer, but Hurdle saw a chance for runs and it worked when the pinch hit for Nova. 

-- Jeff Locke gave them a scoreless inning in just his third appearance in the month of August. Nicasio chipped in two scoreless innings while fanning 2, and walking 2 more.  He's been pretty good as a reliever. He picked up a win for his efforts, his 9th of the year. 

-- Felipe Rivero posted a scoreless inning, and has not allowed an earned run in 8.1 innings as a Pirate. He's also struck out 16 batters in that stretch. 

-- Tony Watson had another eventful save attempt, but got it done somehow. He allowed a run after loading the bases with nobody out. Not the conventional way, but hey -  it worked.  He'll get a much needed day off tomorrow. 


-- Josh Harrison had a 1-4 day and had a sac fly for his 47th RBI on the year.  He's not an ideal lead-off hitter, but Harrison has seemed to pick up his play the past week or so.  His defense has been pretty good, made some nice plays this series. 

-- Starling Marte was 0-5, pretty rare for him this season.  

-- Boy oh boy, Andrew McCutchen.  Is he back?  I mean, is he reallllllly back? Because this road trip has been fun seeing him play good baseball again. Cutch had the go-ahead 2 run bomb in the 5th. He had a triple last night, and was making big plays on the field, stealing bases.  He looked like the guy that's been in the MVP race for the past 4 years. It would be something if he goes on a run down the stretch here. 

-- Gregory Polanco was a quiet 0-4, but he had quite a series with 6 RBI's in the first 2 games. 

-- David Freese was 1-3 and reached base on a HBP as well. 

-- Heck, even John Jaso looked good today.  He went 1-2 with a big gap shot double and drew a pair of walks.

-- Mercer was 0-3 with a walk and a run scored. 

-- Eric Fryer had an RBI on a bases loaded walk. He also scored a run on a sac fly. 

-- The game changing moment was pulling Nova after 4 and bringing in Matt Joyce and he came up with a big 2 run single to pull the Bucs within a run. He's the best pinch hitter in the league, and did his job today. 



The Pirates are hot, and return home to a massive series with the Marlins. Should be exciting baseball on the North Shore this weekend. 

[abpk2903]

6-5*

The rest of your article is good stuff though.

[12HankQB]

It makes me want to cry every time Happ gets a win, as he now leads the league

[Crimson's Ghost]

6-5*

The rest of your article is good stuff though.

That's what happens when you start before the bottom of the ninth. 

[Crimson's Ghost]

It makes me want to cry every time Happ gets a win, as he now leads the league

Yeah, Happ is having a good year, an even better year than I expected him to have.  I still don't think signing him for 3 years would've been a good idea.  I think that's when the Pirates backed away. 

[12HankQB]

It makes me want to cry every time Happ gets a win, as he now leads the league

Yeah, Happ is having a good year, an even better year than I expected him to have.  I still don't think signing him for 3 years would've been a good idea.  I think that's when the Pirates backed away. 

I'm 25, the Pirates have always backed away in my life....as I roll back over on to my tear soaked pillow only to see what's left of a faded Josh Fogg poster, with dreams of Adam Hyzdu fulfilling Pirate prophesy...

[voncap]

I know there is a set of rules for when a game closing situation qualifies as a save, but have the Pirates added that the closer must let the lead off guy on before he qualifies for a save?  

Melancon seemed to make a habit of  doing that, and now Watson seems to have developed a penchant for doing it also.

[Crimson's Ghost]

It seems like any closer the Pirates have had in recent memory makes things interesting. And the funny thing is, the Pirates always tend to have a good closer, just never one that is lights out. Just goes to show you how rare guys like Chapman or Kimbrel are.

[Crimson's Ghost]

The Marlins lose again tonight, they were up on the Pirates going into this week, and are now a game and a half behind them heading into the weekend.

How quickly things can change.

[dougkeklak]

Who would have thunk a weekend series with Miami in mid-August would be so huge?!