Cards lose again. Bucs have gained 3 games in 3 days.*******
- Thread starter fairgambit
- Start date
They have to move back toward the pack at some point. Their record is crazy. The Bucs get a shot at them next week...and they have to take 3.
Also interesting to note that this Pirates' lineup that some seem not to be enamored with now leads the division in runs scored.
I have come to love this team in a way that I haven't cared about a Pirate team for over 2 decades. I am expecting a lot, perhaps too much, but I guess that's what fans do.
Admittedly, surprised at this. However, still wonder if it's not unlike a guy that hits most of his home runs in blowout games. In other words is this run total a result of a few games where the Bucs scored a bunch of runs such as the 11-0 game vs. CWS. Don't know, but it sure seems that way. Still think that if this offense had been clicking the way it should have been, the record would be even better than it is. And on the other hand, what would the record have been had it not been for absolutely over the top starting pitching for an extended period? Plenty of very low scoring wins during that period.
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It certainly seems to be that way. Right now, I think that's on the hitting coach. Certainly it seems that the Pirates were not ready for the season to begin and it seems like the interaction between the Pirate hitters and the hitting coach is wanting, whether the hitting coach is periodically impeding performance or periodically helping? This poster believes that there is lots of film on each of the Pirate hitters when they are hitting well to review and correct swings when they are not hitting well.
I don't understand this reasoning. It is still major league hitting against major league pitching. Are you implying that opposition managers are giving up on some games vs. the Pirates and allowing some games to deliberately "get out of hand"? Why wouldn't they do this against other clubs?
Notice that the clubs in NL West have all out-scored all the Clubs in the in the NL Central. Pitching/defense?
You misunderstood, I think. I'm saying that the season run total for the Pirates may be skewed by just a few high scoring games (although there are cases where opposing managers give up on games. Taking starting position players out late, bringing in position players to pitch in extreme cases, etc.). In other words, until very recently they didn't seem like a team that consistently scored a lot of runs, or hit with runners in scoring position in tight games. I'd like to know what the Bucs' median runs per game is as opposed to total or even average runs per game, and further, how that compares to the league. This all may just be faulty perception on my part as a fan, don't know for sure. I'll defer to our go to analytic guy (Cincy) on this.
I don't get the knock on the Pirates' record by a lot of Bucs fans. They have the second best record in the NL and the fourth best in MLB. I get that they have to start beating the better teams (especially the Cards) more frequently, but they're doing a pretty dang good job so far.
It's also not just a couple guys doing all the heavy lifting. It seems like the heroics get spread around fairly well, with just about everyone taking a turn at picking up the team.
That's my concern and the concern that the starting pitching can't maintain the torrid pace it was on. Those close wins could soon turn into losses. Time will tell.
True, but if the hitting becomes more consistent, the close losses could turn into close wins.
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