.
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (9-11) vs. Atlanta Braves (13-8)
Time: 1:35 p.m.
Site: Turner Field, Atlanta
TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan
Here is the live box score. Rob Biertempfel is still transcribing Erik Bedard quotes.
And here is the Pirates’ lineup …
- Alex Presley, LF
- Jose Tabata, RF
- Andrew McCutchen, CF
- Garrett Jones, 1B
- Neil Walker, 2B
- Pedro Alvarez, 3B
- Clint Barmes, SS
- Michael McKenry, C
- Kevin Correia, RHP
Wanted: Pirate runs
Now that the 5 and 5 streak is over hearing about the Pirates being the first team since the 1972 Brewers to play the first 20 games without scoring more than 5 runs.
http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/04/29/angels-trying-to-trade-for-a-new-closer/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=twitter
I’d still like Trumbo for 1B.
@JMB
Thanks for the link. I think I would do that deal. It would certainly be a gamble in that The Hammer has been exceptional. But it would provide the organization with a long term fit at first base. That position is going to be an ongoing issue until addressed. Plus you would be moving Hanrahan to the other league. See how you do with Grilli and Cruz closing out games.
As much as I like Hanrahan, as a person and a closer, Free Mark Trumbo!
PIT 1st:
Presley grounds out to second. Tabata singles to left. McCutchen hit by pitch on left hip, Tabata to second base. Jones strikes out swinging at a couple of pitches that just about hit him on his knees. Walker grounds out to second. Three outs.
Bases loaded, 2 outs, Tabata up–single Pedro, single Fort, bunt Correia, walk Presley
Tabata singles and 2 runs score.
Tabata coming thru big with TWO 2-out RBI’s, as well as being 2 for 2 today.
Seems like he is heating up as well as Alvarez and others.
Lets get at least 4 more runs today. What the heck, lets get 10 today.
Dear Pedro,
TAG HIM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!1
dreadful defense that inning
Braves announcers inexplicably being fed into the stadium sound system… “Twilight Zone!”
Pastornicky laces a double to tie the game at 2 after 4 innings.
Another lead off walk scores
Listening to the Pedro at-bat and the way it sounded Hudson got a couple of calls. The Pirates never complain or argue and they get walked over. Hopefully one day the Pirates will have ruthless competitors that won’t be afraid to show it on the field.
Bucs strand 8 runners in 5 innings.
How much longer will the Pirates keep playing shorthanded. Automatic outs in the 7 and 8 slots is getting old. Come on front office do your job and get the pitchers some help.
These umps blow. None of them call the actual strike zone from the rule book. Why have it if they aren’t going to call it.
And Clint Hurdle gave up. He let a platoon player bat against the sided pitcher he doesn’t play against.
This game today is enraging me. It’s like amateurs vs. professionals. Our best player gets hit in the first inning and then shows himself to be soft by going through the motions the rest of the game. Atlanta batter after batter calls time and steps out late against Correia and Correia doesn’t drill or knock a guy down after the fourth or fifth time it happens. First and second and Alvarez gets screwed on balls and strikes. First and second and McCann gets the benefit of the strike calls. No complaint from the Pirates they are just here for the paycheck and ‘almost win’. A rattled Correia gives Atlanta the lead. A pitcher with an 8.53 ERA goes 1-2-3 on 9 pitches. I hate this team. 20 years of this bs. SHOW SOME BALLS
I’d take Trumbo for Hanny in a second. It’s infuriating watching Pirates hitters not take any pitches, game in, game out.
The Pirates have shown in the past that when they make pitchers work, have a game plan, and are patient at the plate, that they seem to do well. Games like this where they are undisciplined and help out the pitchers, they look really bad. I know you have to give the other pitcher credit in those cases, but scouting reports should show that this is how the guy tries to get people out. These walks for opposing teams are killing this team. Hopefully the top of the lineup can start something and tie it up, but not looking good at this point.
Ball hit the dirt right before it hit Jones in the left foot.
Lousy! Let’s get the split tomorrow.
If Pete Rose got called out on strikes to end the game he wouldn’t walk back to the dugout next to the home plate umpire.
That wouldn’t have been a strike to Pete Rose.
I defend Garrett Jones. But you can’t take a borderline strike with 2 strikes already.
I looked at the pitch f/x data and Atlanta DID get a lot of key calls late in at-bats. Prob 2-1 ratio. It is frustrating to have such inconsistency calls. But defense and walks lost this game.
DK: Strong points all around.
No-Hitter in Indy on Sunday!!!
From Pirates.com:
“Congratulations to Indianapolis’ Justin Wilson (7.1ip), Jose Diaz (0.2ip) and Doug Slaten (1.0ip) on a combined no hitter tonight at Durham. Wilson struck out nine batters in his 7.1 innings. It was also the first no-no for Indy since May 15, 2005.”
Guess I can give some baseball links here
JAL’s Hard Days Night Morning Links
GENERAL DAILY UPDATED BASEBALL SITES
1- MLB Transactions
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/transactions
2-MLB Trade Rumors-Pirates
http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/pittsburgh_pirates/
3 Go Buccos- Pirate News (from external sources)
http://gobuccos.com/pittsburgh-pirate-news/
PIRATE BLOGS
4—Pirates Prospects
Poor Day From Pirates Defense Leads to 4-3 Loss
http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/04/poor-day-from-pirates-defense-leads-to-4-3-loss.html
Robbie Grossman Learning to Adjust at Double-A
http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/04/robbie-grossman-learning-to-adjust-at-double-a.html
Prospect Notebook: Allie Demoted, Sanchez Working on Throws
http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/04/prospect-notebook-allie-demoted-sanchez-working-on-throws.html
Justin Wilson Leads Combined No Hitter For Indianapolis
http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/04/justin-wilson-leads-combined-no-hitter-for-indianapolis.html
Prospect Watch: Indianapolis No Hitter, Six Shutout Innings For Taillon
http://www.piratesprospects.com/2012/04/prospect-watch-indianapolis-no-hitter-six-shutout-innings-for-taillon.html
5 Bucs Dugout
Braves Beat Pirates 4-3, But Jose Tabata And Pedro Alvarez Combine For Five Hits
http://www.bucsdugout.com/2012/4/29/2987349/braves-beat-pirates-4-3-but-jose-tabata-and-pedro-alvarez-combine-for
Minor League Roundup: The Rest of the System; Jameson Taillon Dominates Again
http://www.bucsdugout.com/2012/4/29/2987398/minor-league-roundup-the-rest-of-the-system-jameson-taillon-dominates
6 Rumbunter
Pedro Alvarez Comes Alive
http://rumbunter.com/2012/04/29/pedro-alvarez-comes-alive/
7 McEffect
Recap 4/29 | Braves 4 Pirates 3
http://www.mceffect.com/2012/04/recap-429-braves-4-pirates-3.html
8 WHYGAVS
Game 21: Braves 4 Pirates 3
http://whygavs.com/pittsburgh-pirates/april-2012/game-21-braves-4-pirates-3.html
9 The Green Weenie
Bucs Lose Ugly 4-3
http://oldbucs.blogspot.com/2012/04/bucs-lose-ugly-4-3.html
10 Raise the Jolly Roger
Bucs can’t cash in
http://raisethejollyroger.com/2012/04/bucs-cant-cash-in/
NEWSPAPERS and MAGAZINES
11 CBS Sports
Colorado vs Pittsburgh Game Preview
http://www.cbssports.com/mlb/gametracker/preview/MLB_20120430_PIT@ATL/piratesbraves-preview
12 Atlanta Journal Constitution
Hudson wins in return; Braves in 1st-place tie
http://blogs.ajc.com/atlanta-braves-blog/2012/04/29/braves-beat-pirates-4-3-hudson-wins-in-return/
13 Chicago Tribune
Pirates Team Report
http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/sns-rt-bbo-pirates-playerwatchmtze84t7p81f2-20120429,0,3829723.story
14 WTAE
Alvarez Starting To Provide Power For Pirates
http://www.wtae.com/sports/30963373/detail.html
15 Fox Sports
Cardinals, Brewers face cloudy futures
http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/St-Louis-Cardinals-Milwaukee-Brewers-face-cloudy-future-in-NL-central-042812
16 Nashua Telegraph
Amherst’s Huntington still working to revive Pirates
http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/sportslocalsports/958991-222/amhersts-huntington-still-working-to-revive-pirates.html
SPORTS WEBSITES
17 PBC Site
Correia unravels to seal Pirates’ loss to Braves
http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/mlb/gameday/index.jsp?gid=2012_04_29_pitmlb_atlmlb_1&mode=recap&c_id=pit
Notebook: Burnett, Bedard add expected punch to rotation
http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120429&content_id=29951880¬ebook_id=29955312&vkey=notebook_pit&c_id=pit
18 Fangraphs
Chad Billingsley’s Perfect Called Strikes
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/chad-billingsleys-perfect-called-strikes/
19 Sweetspot
Trouble in Motown: Tigers no sure thing
http://espn.go.com/blog/sweetspot/post/_/id/23660/trouble-in-motown-tigers-no-sure-thing
Title song as we move into the 1960s Hard Days Night—The Beatles 1964. From 1964 to 1969 the Beatles dominated music. They had an amazing 5 number 1 songs in 1964. They followed that with 2 in 1965, 2 in 1966, 3 in 1967, and 2 in 1969. That is 14 number 1 hits in 6 years. Hard Days Night was the 4th of their 5 number one hits in 1964. It took the top spot on August 1 from the Four Seasons’ Rag Doll and was replaced on August 15 by Dean martin’s Everybody Loves Somebody.
Despite the loss, I love Pedro’s at bats. Love the double the other way off the lefty. Shocking that the coaches and front office knows more than the average fan.
BTW, that is sarcasm. My guess is that you don’t get paid for your professional appraisal of baseball skills unless you display some expertise at it. Let’s trust the Pirate coaches until they prove to us otherwise. Change of culture doesn’t happen overnight. i do agree with some on this blog who comment on the lack of fire from some of the players. I’d like too see some arguing and fight.
Again, apologies to our news guys if I’ve missed something that was reported, but it’s been a WEEK since Jeff Clement has so much as pinch hit for Indianapolis. I’ve written to just about every conceivable person – from Indy’s media person to sports writers covering them, to sports guys from both Pittsburgh papers … and I’ve GOOGLED! No one has gotten back with me on whether it’s merely manager’s decision, and he’s riding pine; an injury that hasn’t been reported through minorleaguebaseball.com, if he’s bailed with the increased playing time of Hague, Evans and Fox or WHAT!
I get that he’s not big in the Pirates plans anymore, and thus not TREMENDOUSLY newsworthy, but I would think that – given his hot start, combined with his being out of the lineup for a week and him being JEFF CLEMENT – it becomes some kind of story.
Honestly, all I’m looking for is some kind of word, for clarity.
@Baywatch
What, do you expect these guys to work 24/7 ?
But seriously, let me see what I can find.
Thanks, Milo … one of my most UNFAVORITE broadcasters, by the way. Gotta appreciate guys like him and Vin Scully, though, who do what they love until their dying day. I find them both very annoying. Scully just needs a color guy in the booth with him, to remind him not to tell the same stories over and over again, if for nothing else. I’m thinking both those guys are approaching 90 fast!
Have been looking and can’t find anything on Clement
Thank you, too, JAL. I just don’t get it with the beat writers. They could at least talk to the manager and say, “What’s going on?” so they could report something as simple as “manager’s decision” to bring us in the clear.
OK, Guys, Lo and Behold, I see Clement is DHing in the Indians afternoon game today!
@Baywatch
Yes, Clement is back in the lineup today. He’s been out the last week with left knee soreness.
Thanks a bunch, Milo! I exchanged e-mails with the sports editor of the Indianapolis Suns a bit ago. Other than the “occasional feature,” they don’t even cover the Indians!