Tigers 1, Pirates 0

Tigers Lineup:
1. Rajai Davis (R) CF
2. Ian Kinsler (R) 2B
3. Miguel Cabrera (R) 1B
4. J.D. Martinez (R) RF
5. Yoenis Cespedes (R) LF
6. Nick Castellanos (R) 3B
7. James McCann (R) C
8. Jose Iglesias (R) SS
9. Alfredo Simon (R) P

That's pressure no one should endure.

No left fielder for Pirates;
No center fielder
No right fielder
No first baseman
No third baseman
No starting pitcher

Those individual players would not be on Pirates tonight without Jackie Robinson.
I can put up with all the hype and overkill for one night . . . .

Everything that's politically incorrect isn't correct on any basis.

Way to call it, Nostradamos Hamilton!

That wasn't even it Groat. I'm talking about the lefty pitcher picking the runner off and then Pedro can't execute the throw to 2nd.

Can Liriano even execute the throw to first?

Scary combo.

Nice job Pedro. I was worried when he double pumped.

Shouldn't be stealing on that bad knee

I question his judgement. Why do run on a 3-0 pitch with your clean up hitter at the plate ? If you go there it's early in the count. Not very smart. And that's not a sign there, he went on his own.

Agree Milo. No need to run there at all.

2 straight nights exhibiting poor baseball IQ. Even worse last night, playing that single into a double.

Dare we be having a Samson/Delilah redux?!

Maybe we can get McCutch a dreads weave!

Yes, but Liriano has a 0.47 ERA on Wednesdays when the temperature is between 50 and 60 degrees and the opposing pitcher has two first names.

Matters just as much.

Groat, I can't stop laughing. That was classic.

Looks like Jay and Katie Leyland are long lost buddies. Jim doesn't want bothered.

Bothering me, too.

Martin had that snap to first too.

Good stuff, Milo. New catcher, new 1b...think teams ran on AJ a lot too when he was here.

You are so right Milo...what an utterly pathetic offensive performance the last two nights.

Can I retract my opinion from last night, that I prefer games like this for TV viewing?

Couldn't be better.

Way to go Pedro. In the spring he was stepping toward the outfield and he was hitting the runners or throwing the ball into centerfield. This time he stepped into the infield grass as Walk pointed out.

Lol. This coming from "Mr. Still Early Calm Down"

.... Do you disagree?

I find it funny you've changed your tune so quick.

Marte hit .229 last April with almost 40 Ks. Heck, Mercer hit under .200 till May.

So why not move him down until he starts to hit... Like we did last year? He's obviously a capable hitter but you can't have him batting in RBI spots with his approach the way it is right now. Didn't change my tune - slumps come and go. Bucs will be fine, it's a long season.

Hard to move a guy down in the lineup when no one else is hitting.

I think this offense will be up and down all year. Bunch of swingers, that will feast or famine.

Even threw in a little Pirate-like base running, to rub it in.

Someone please tell me why we traded Snider and kept Lambo??

$$$.

I thought it was about the 25 best players on the roster??

I just don't think that's the right way to look at it. Sniders numbers in the 2nd half last year, primarily came at the expense of Polanco struggling and in AAA. He was not this elite PH people are making him out to be. The numbers support that.

Corey Hart and Sean Rodriguez factor in there too. Think it's also fair to say, Steel kings boy Decker would have got the job over Lambo had he not been injured.

ZERO Chance Jaff Decker would have made team over Lambo.

1/ Spring Training numbers are a mirage
2/ BMTIB had one more scholarship to offer —— Lambo was their guy
3/ Lambo looks like a power hitter; Decker looks like a midget

Well, if Decker hadn't gotten injured it's my opinion he would have made it over Lambo.

But your spot on with the Spring Training numbers. Marte is Example A of that theory.

Snider's gone. It was a mistake, a financial decision, and probably not worth mentioning again particularly since the deal did them no favors for 2015.

@ledtotheflood

9 games into the season, and the Snider trade is a mistake? Let me tell you something, the same guys on this blog bitching about the trade, were writing Sniders obituary a year ago before he started hitting in July.

It makes no sense to call that a financial move when they just committed 27 million to Josh Harrison, buying out arbitration years they didn't have to.

I still believe they looked at Sniders July - Sept from last year and felt they were the outlier for his career. At least let it play out for a couple hundred ABs.

Pirates have this system in 2015 of finding their bench guys more playing time than merely pinch-hitting. I think Hurdle calls it "bundling." So, perhaps a veteran left-handed power hitter, with Polanco and Marte (and Lambo) struggling, might have earned more at-bats in April and possibly contributed. When NH made a swap with Baltimore (in January rather than during the Spring----which was oddly-timed), he commented on the incentive for financial flexibility. I don't know nutting about writing no obituaries on this blog last year. Wasn't around. But thanks for the lesson. History teaches us history is no teacher.

It doesn't make any sense to trade Snider with a 2 million dollar price tag. Call it a financial move. And then commit 11 million to Kang and 27 million to Harrison.

He's our Crash Davis. He doesn't belong above AAA.

Team couldn't ditch Tabata or Lambo. Snider was attractive to Orioles and dumped for no 2015 help given his productivity last year and reasonable salary. Bucs spent a paltry amount on Kang, all things considered. And perhaps we're seeing why they "won" the bidding. What they committed to Harrison is contingent on them keeping him. They could shop him and find a buyer. It's not as if he's earning more in 2015 than what was initially agreed to. The rest is backloaded.

I think his input was "they can't hit."

Nice.

That and "Hit Cutch and they'll turtle."

Yeah. Whoever Tigers play next is gonna smoke the Tigers' staff.

Bucs will get a big thank you.

Are you referring to our announcers Milo???

Our manager has been tipping his quite a bit too. I know he has to say that so as not to disrespect the opponent. But let's face it, other than Cueto we haven't faced a real top of the line starter yet.

Totally agree with you Milo, and they get to face the great Jimmy Nelson on Friday night...uh-oh.

Right now they do Milo...at least they can score a run...lol.

Every time I go somewhere with Milo, people mistake me for him.
Maybe it's the rug.

Right, Mike?!

Sorry Groat....my bad....

Cervelli has failed to catch at least 3 pitches he should have caught tonight. Including the last...bizarre

Well, everything is going to be peachy keen now. Bob Davidson is going behind the plate.

Strikes and balls by braille! Without peer as worst home plate up in league.

Balkin' Bob Davidson strikes again...what an utterly ineptitude umpiring crew...

Nice start, Bob Davidson!

Well, he obviously was looking at the replay while he was getting dressed.

He dropped 4-5 balls in each of the three games.

No sir....not at all.

Or a Pens game!!

Just as long as DUKE wins!!!!

Haha...

Good to see progress. That is, the Buc batters are cutting down on their K's in favor of putting the ball in play for regular outs. However, the occasional base on balls would be welcome. Perhaps Andrew getting an HBP serves the same purpose.

+++++

I was hoping for too much....

The only magic was that CHAIR-velli made one of the umps disappear.

Auto correct AW.

Wilver Dornel,

I see that stutter is coming back!

bunt

I am slightly annoyed with Jhey swinging for the fences. Of all his off the wall numbers last year, the HRs were really an aberration IMO.

Yes they do Karen....flushing the month away...