DEJAN KOVACEVIC, DK ON PITTSBURGH SPORTS
NEWS: The Pirates remain a game behind the Cardinals for first place in the Central Division after St. Louis falls, 5-2, to the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. A Pirates victory tomorrow coupled with a St. Louis loss would force a tiebreaker Monday at Busch Stadium.
VIEWS: Um, yay?
Be careful what you wish for, Pittsburgh. That tiebreaker game — which incidentally counts as game No. 163 — throws off the whole axis currently in play.
If Gerrit Cole pitches Sunday vs. the Reds to maybe make this happen, he won’t be available to pitch until Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday. That means, with Francisco Liriano lined up for Friday, you’d need Edinson Volquez in the tiebreaker Monday, then Liriano bumped up to pitch on short rest in the wild card, then Cole in the NLDS.
Oh, and if the Pirates win the tiebreaker, once they get done celebrating the division title, the prize waiting for them is a best-of-five with the Dodgers in which a well-rested Clayton Kershaw will get the ball for Games 1 and 5.
This sounds ideal to someone?
And not to knock the Giants and Nationals, but if you wouldn’t rather face either of those teams than the Cardinals and Dodgers, hey, welcome to Pirates baseball!
Sorry, but I wouldn’t be pitching Cole on Sunday. No way.
In fact, I wouldn’t even be hoping — not that hope is some controllable element — for a tiebreaker Monday. Not with all else that has to follow.
Remember what the goal is supposed to be here.
Let’s hear from you in the comments below.
September 27, 2014
News/views: Wait, is this good or bad for Pirates?
by Dejan Kovacevic • News/views • Pirates
NEWS: The Pirates remain a game behind the Cardinals for first place in the Central Division after St. Louis falls, 5-2, to the Diamondbacks in Phoenix. A Pirates victory tomorrow coupled with a St. Louis loss would force a tiebreaker Monday at Busch Stadium.
VIEWS: Um, yay?
Be careful what you wish for, Pittsburgh. That tiebreaker game — which incidentally counts as game No. 163 — throws off the whole axis currently in play.
If Gerrit Cole pitches Sunday vs. the Reds to maybe make this happen, he won’t be available to pitch until Game 1 of the National League Division Series on Friday. That means, with Francisco Liriano lined up for Friday, you’d need Edinson Volquez in the tiebreaker Monday, then Liriano bumped up to pitch on short rest in the wild card, then Cole in the NLDS.
Oh, and if the Pirates win the tiebreaker, once they get done celebrating the division title, the prize waiting for them is a best-of-five with the Dodgers in which a well-rested Clayton Kershaw will get the ball for Games 1 and 5.
This sounds ideal to someone?
And not to knock the Giants and Nationals, but if you wouldn’t rather face either of those teams than the Cardinals and Dodgers, hey, welcome to Pirates baseball!
Sorry, but I wouldn’t be pitching Cole on Sunday. No way.
In fact, I wouldn’t even be hoping — not that hope is some controllable element — for a tiebreaker Monday. Not with all else that has to follow.
Remember what the goal is supposed to be here.
Let’s hear from you in the comments below.