Subscribe or log in to read the rest of this column and all that's offered on DK on Pittsburgh Sports. It's available for as little as $1.50/month.
Final: Pirates 10, Cubs 4 79
DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS Getting ready for the first pitch … Game: Pirates (73-68) vs. Chicago Cubs (64-78), 2:20 p.m., Wrigley Field, Chicago Pitchers: RHP Gerrit Cole (7-5, 3.86) vs. LHP Travis Wood (8-11, 4.81) TV, radio: Root Sports, 93.7 The Fan Online: Live box score / Multimedia / Official media notes
Half game out of second WC. Let’s sweep those Cubbies.
All is not lost. If 88 wins nails the last wild card, Bucs must go 15-6. But… ATL and MIL must go 14-6. Bucs have 4 left with Braves, 3 with Brewers. ATL also has 6 vs WAS and MIL 4 vs STL.
Let’s face it, the WC is going to come down to the final week of the regular season unless one team goes on a major win streak and the other a major losing streak.
Significant…Pirates on the road final 7 (4 at ATL, 3 at CIN). MIL 3 @ CIN, 3 home vs CHI.
Atlanta also finishes up at home with 3 vs. PHI.
The Pirates need to be in the lead for one of the WC by 2-3 games going in that stretch for me to realistically believe they’ll make the postseason. It’s too much to ask them to win 5 or 6 out of their final 7 on the road.
No predictions. GO BUCS!!
Football? What’s football?
Soccer?
Great day. Steelers on TV with Steelers radio broadcast, Bucs game on computer.
Lets get the sweep this weekend!
One game at a time, just take care of business.
.
No mismanaging, no TOOTBLANS (thanks, Milo), just win one at a time.
Pirates Lineup
1-Marte 7
2-Mercer 6
3-McCutchen 8
4-Walker 4
5-Martin 2
6-Tabata 9
7-G. Sanchez 3
8-Morel 5
9-Cole 1
Predict the final games all you want. With Morel in and Harrison out of the lineup, the team that managed to get where it is now is simply not on the field. Why isn’t Cole hitting 8th by the way.
Further to my comment above: Morel is the only Pirate without a BH and Cole just went DEEEEP.
Cannot blow this game off. Inconsistent offense is not going to do it. Go for the sweep!
Absolutely Brandecita.
BODACIOUS!!!!
Alright you 2 ……. keep it down.
The Cubs don’t need awoken.
Fine Plantonio Brown.
No other choice than Morel? Must be an important game, it’s Sunday and Martin is in.
All In!!!
No score Braves Marlins after four.
What is the injury report on Harrison?
Somehow, Cutch has to rise through the pain, as he just did. No other choice than to saddle him up.
Only his 2nd righty hr this year.
Nice timely HR by Walker. Cutch is 3 for his last 5. Maybe the slump is over.
OK, no more griping from me about Walker batting cleanup as a righty
Ditto. I am even thinking with his apparent range and back limitations, why not convert him to 1b, even if he throws right? The QB in him would make that a non-issue.
Marlins take 1-0 lead over Braves after five.
The starting corner infielders for the Pirates (who could hold the second wild card spot at the end of today) have batting averages of .232. and .115.
Braves had runners on first and third none out in sixth and do not score.
Love me those 2 out RBI’s
All 5 runs scored with two outs. That’s what was missing earlier in the week.
Now 6.
Wood aint fooling ‘em, is he?
Less strain on the ribs!
Bucs putting the WOOD to Travis. Great lead for Cole. Steelers look great.
Well spoke too soon on the steelers. Defense is a sieve again.
Wood has given up 20 this year.
Nice to knock out a starting pitcher in the 2nd inning
Marlins take 3-0 lead in sixth.
Marlins 4-0 still batting.
Cards lead Brewers 2-0 in fourth.
Amazing what can happen in a few days. BTW, you should all thank me for giving away my tickets yesterday and today. I may have jump started our offense.
Good job. No more games for you this year.
I was 1-0 in the playoffs last year & I’m undefeated in PNC and GABP last 2 yrs. Not so good in Wrigley and Miller Park. Just need to pick my spots.
Choose . . . wisely.
Cards lead crew 4-0.
This game is more fun than the football game.
Amen, Reverend.
I gave up on the JV football game and will concentrate on the Pirates.
Final Braves lose 4-0.
WOO HOO!
Did not mean to down vote that. Dumb fingers.
Cole is a pretty good pitcher with great stuff. If he can improve his change up and then actually throw it, he could become an ace quickly. I know it’s not easy to do, but a 10 mph separation and consistent location would make him devastating.
Agree, Jim. That would be a differentiator.
.
That and clubbing a HR now and then.
Why worry, Jim? He will just smack home runs to make up for runs allowed.
++++, Patrick.
How good is that! Cole hr.
Looks like a much needed sweep this weekend!
.
One game at a time.
OMG what at swing. Gerrit got those two runs back he gave up.
Cole is a BEAST!!
Cards lead crew 6-0.
No idea why he’s still pitching. We have eleventy-seven pitchers in the bullpen. He’s over 100 pitches.
I asked this before. Is he leaving starters in too long to save the pen?
He seems to leave Cole in too long every time he pitches. Why not save his arm in a 10-2 game? Now, there’s a bit of a mess & he’s pulling pitchers left and right. Opponents only hit .299 vs this guy in the minors this yr.
Raspberry in. This game is also getting a little too exciting for my EKG.
So if the Bucs win they’ll be in 2nd wild card spot right?
Looking that way.
Brewers are getting beat 9-0. The second wild card spot could come down to Pirates and Braves very quickly.
Brewers are not even playing many close games these days. They are looking like the late season Bucs of a few yrs back. Collapse City. But, they had such a great start that they are still in the thick of the WC race.
And we still have four in atl.
CardS win 9-1
So, we go to Philly for 4, home for 3 each vs BoSox, Cubs & Brewers, then to Atlanta for 4 & close with 3 at Cincy. I think 12-8 gets us in at 86-76. I see no reason why we won’t go 12-8 the rest of the way. A split at Atlanta is key. We’d likely go to SF to face Baumgartner.
Keep hope alive, Jim.
.
The road games are very crucial to the effort.
Pitching is the key. We’ve got guys having great years; Walker, Cutch, JHay, Martin, Mercer since April and even Tabby is near .300.
But, if we can keep getting the pitching, we should make it. Would be nice to host that WC game again.
Reverend, I don’t know if your heart could take it.
.
Hope you are doing well, my friend.
I haven’t given up on the division, either. A lot of people think St Lois has a lock on this division. I think they have been extraordinarily fortunate to be 15 over .500 while being outscored on the yr. I think a skid is possible for them down the stretch.
one game at a time, one series at a time, but despite all the ups and downs of 2014, it will come down to what the Bucs do in the next 21 days, not what they’ve done in the past 161. If they finish strong, they will do no worse than the 2nd wild card.
If we don’t catch the Cards for the division, my strong preference in a one game road WC scenario is to play SF rather than face Kershaw in LA. We’ve already beaten MadBum in SF this yr.
No Monday morning column on the Pirates regaining the 2WC spot? Looking ahead and injury update? I understand that everyone wants to yap about the Steelers crushing defeat of the Browns and their next run to the Super Bowl, but the Pirates are presently headed TO THE PLAYOFFS.