Pregame notes: Pirates-Braves

correct

Televised nationally? he asked from Manchester, NH

Televised nationally, but split with White Sox/Tigers (which is showing here in the Indianapolis, of course. So, no Bucs on TV tonight. Guess I'll have to listen to the radio broadcast on MLB. Really hope Locke has a decent night. Guy has talent, but seems the slightest hiccup derails him more often than not. With the defense playing the way it has been, I'm afraid a hiccup is more than likely.

I'm in Chicago and they are playing the Sox and Tigers, so as Indy said its regional. Thank you Slingbox Bucs on my iPad and Hockey on the tv!

Classic fifth starter, but at some point they could probably have someone better. However, he does show good flashes.

Atlanta doesn't hit lefties well, but it's a small sample size. I'm optimistic about tonight, but wouldn't be surprised if he lays an egg.

Don't know if anybody has been listening to the David Todd podcasts, but he suggested Taillon would have the spot by end of summer. Hadn't heard such optimism about him before that.

Yeah, American Pharaoh!

I'm surprised to hear that too JR. Almost everywhere, I've heard 2016 for Taillon.

Same here, as far as 2016. In general, David Todd doesn't seem to be somebody who just spouts stuff, but who knows?

That would certainly make all of our angst about the 5th starter moot, though...

Innings are an issue with Taillon. He's never thrown more than 150.

Im thinking he's a year away still and they may have to handle him with care.

Braves

1. Cameron Maybin (R) CF
2. Andrelton Simmons (R) SS
3. Freddie Freeman (L) 1B
4. Nick Markakis (L) RF
5. Chris Johnson (R) 3B
6. Juan Uribe (R) 2B
7. Jonny Gomes (R) LF
8. Christian Bethancourt (R) C
9. Julio Teheran (R) P

You mean announcers who DON'T drone on about the same stuff game after game ... kissing the ass of their bosses instead of calling the game as it is and criticizing bad play?

Wehner and Neverett are SO BORING it's like drinking Nighttime Nyquil!

You can think that but i would not bet money on it.

They do need to have a better option for 5th starter!

Yes if Cards go .500 they win 90. Got to keep it going in June where Bucs are 71-40 going back last 5 years.

I agree! The Cardinals are like the hardest grading prof in your field at your university. If that person's not just a lunatic or charlatan, that's the teacher you want, to get the most bang for your tuition buck.

Speaking of Bucs, rock on, PBC.

Only 14...

Only counts for 1 run. I like today's strike zone over the length of the game...

Jeff "Let me walk some stiff batting. 208 with two outs to give you back the lead" Locke.

There you go Cutch!

Yep need more - might need 10 again

This is strong by Locke's standards...

I guess we should have known the gig was up when he put up a zero in the first.

With a pitcher on deck he serves up a meatball to 8 hitter. Smh.

If gamecast is in anyway accurate, Locke threw Gomes 5 pitches, all strikes. There should have been no one to hold on first.

Unfortunately game cast isn't behind the plate tonight

Locke keeps nibbling even if the ump isn't giving him the calls. Agree ump missed strike 3 on Uerebe but you can't have a game that has to pitch that finely every night.

He seems to struggle with the simplest of things

Both those steals were on Locke, not Cervelli.

Doesn't the pitcher have a hand in both of those too

Yep.....catchers hitting .331.....ALWAYS a weekspot.

You are right. Is a four man rotation impossible? Hurdle never lets them go above 95-100 pitches.

No one else has rotation of five aces, either.

But the drop off here is considerable

Cdeardo, internally there's not much better. If your thinking trade, I'm with you, it's just too early for that yet.

He hasn't been great, but not awful. Not really sure if anything at Indy is significantly better.

If the Braves don't want Teheran, I'll take him on the Pirates.

Best performance I've seen from Teheran this season. I get the Braves' games, and he doesn't usually show this much finesse.

Poor job by Hurdle there. Slave to the pitch count again. Probably cost them the game.

I thought he had him looking there, but it was borderline.

Can we quit blaming balls, strike calls by the umps for losing games. Borderline calls on ALL teams, not just the Pirates.

I thought their was the game he was supposed to be challenging hitters and worked on this week. Pitches with fear and nibbles with hope.

Another guy, that hasn't watched the last two nights. Smh.

Bpn. In reference to?

The balls and strikes last night and that final game in SF were awful. Locke has not got that outside corner called all game.

Quite frankly, tired of getting lectured by people who obviously haven't watched the games.

Would be nice to be only down one here Clint

Seems only to get worse in MLB the consistency of the umpires and the "strike zone". With all the video technology you would think there would be more feedback to umpires to hone their "craft".

I actually do umpire, and usually defend them. But lately it's just been inexcusable. Very inconsistent strike zones. To Locke and Morton makes some difference.

Agreed. I umpires previously. If you are consistent people will adjust or adapt. When it changes it makes it tough. That said we are into their bullpen and tie game

Bpn,
I did watch last night and on THREE occasions Pirate pitchers got called third strikes on calls way below the knees. Quit blaming umpires for Locke and Worley losses. Do you think there is a conspiracy against them?? Get real. And if you really have umpired, you have never missed a call?LOL. Quit being a Pirate homer.

Haha. That's a first for me. Pirate Homer!?! frankkuchno usually yells at me for being negative.

The Nats kept running Stephen Strasburg out there with an ERA of 6.55.
And I hear they are a pretty decent team?
How many games did they win last year?

Are you comparing Strassberg with Locke? Strassberg can turn around and win next 10. Locke won't win 10 the rest of his career

Well at least he moved the runners up

Been great to see Polanco turn it up last week or so.

He's had a nice run of late and that was pretty Clutch. I'm sure Locke is happy for the no decision

When you have the worst bullpen in the National League you avoid it at all costs

Fitting if Grilli gets the W as Pirates were way too aggressive - heart of the order wasted

Pirates 0-7 on road on games tied going into bottom of 9th ...

He mows them down with 6 pitches, ouch

J-Hay blown away by Grilli heat.

And then that happened bummer.

I am a casting agent, and have been watching all night. Congrats, you have earned the lead role in "Falling Down II."

Seriously. That game last night your head would have exploded.

There's an idiot among us, but his name ain't Hurdle.

No way Worley needed to be in the game that early ... designated the long reliever ... there are plenty of other arms to put out there with the game on the line! HURDLED!

16 road losses and half of them are walk off. That's unprecedented.

Who really cares? A loss is a loss, whether you call it a "walk off" or not. What that tells me is that they've had a lot of tough, tight road games and more than their share of bad luck (like tonight) in losing them. And Unprecedented? Give me a break. I doubt you have stats to back up that hyperbole.

Well here's a sample. Seattle had 50 walk-off losses from 2010 through April 2014 which was by far the most of any MLB team. That was an average of 12 losses a year which was about 12%.

Losing 10 walk-off games in a single season is an extremely high number. Cards went 20 years where the most walk-off losses was 11.

So to have 8 losses in just 31 road games (16 losses) is a statistical phenomena. I can't confirm it never happened before but it is certainly a rare occurrence.

You can't just shrug off being 1-8 in games that are tied going into the 9th inning.

More data

Orioles average 7 walk-off losses the last 5 years with a max of 12. Mets all time record for walk-off losses in a season is 14. Pirates on pace for 21!

One last stat - In 1959, the Pittsburgh Pirates walked off for 18 of their total of 47 home wins -- with Face earning the decision in nine of them, accounting for half of his historic 18-1 record. Incidentally, 13 of those walk-off endings were in extra innings, as those '59 Bucs had an overall extra-inning record of 19-2, phenomenal for a club that barely cleared .500 (78-76).
Credit Tom Singer of MLB.com

ESPN says it's the first homer...of his CAREER!!!

Spot on cdeardo. People around here don't like to hear about the Cards, but they do the little things that matter in these kind of games.

If the Cards win tonight the Pirates would have picked up a grand total of zero games on them during this stretch. It's nice to see them playing better lately but they're playing for another wild card thanks to their slow start.

I've enjoyed it. But I think the doubts about the defense, back of the rotation, and middle relief aren't going away.

Ah baloney. There are 105 games left and 13 of those with the Cards. They can still win this division. Also, if they had not been playing well these past two weeks, can you imagine how far out they'd be? It's a long season, so try to be positive.

Hope you eventually got some sleep, my man.