Pregame notes 4:20 p.m.: If you missed the news on A.J. Burnett‘s diagnosis, it’s here. Included is video of his session with the media this afternoon.
5:05: The Pirates optioned Jaff Decker to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the 25-man roster for the newly-acquired Michael Morse, who will start at first base tonight and bat seventh. He chatted with us media folks prior to batting practice:
5:50: Two months from now, could we be preparing for a winner-take-all game between these two National League Central opponents? Odds are good — 72 percent by Baseball Prospectus’ reckoning — the Pirates will be involved in the NL wild-card matchup for the third consecutive year, and the Cubs are tied with the Giants for the second position in that chase. This is the first of 12 straight games the Pirates will play against teams currently holding playoff spots, with the Dodgers, Cardinals and Mets coming up next. … Both teams are at their high points of the season in terms of games over .500. Winners of five in a row, the Cubs are 10 games over for the first time since the end of their 2008 division title season, while the Pirates have reached 18 over for the fourth occasion. … Clint Hurdle said since Decker had an option to use, that made him the logical choice to send to the minors when Morse was activated today. He added that Pedro Florimon‘s middle-infield versatility was a mark in his favor. “I thought he did a really nice job in the role he had, and I told Jaff that,” Hurdle said. “It wasn’t his play that sent him down.” That being said, Decker finished his stint on an 0-for-11 slide. … There could be quite a bit of breeze created in the vicinity of home plate tonight, with Lester and Liriano squaring off. Lester is coming off a 14-strikeout outing last Wednesday against the Rockies, the first such performance by a Cubs lefty since 1914. As for Liriano, he whiffed just four in his previous start at Minnesota, but his swing-and-miss rate is as high as it’s ever been, at 32.9 percent, even though he’s now in his 30s. “You’d think there’d be a time when it might trend back,” Hurdle said. “He’s finding a way to continue to get what he’s gotten. I don’t have an answer for it.” … Last word on the fiery finale in Cincinnati, which included at least two presumed beanballs and three ejections: “There are times when you have opportunities to back one another and take a stand,” Hurdle said. “That name on the front (of the jersey) means something to those guys. There were two teams out there yesterday that like to play ball and don’t really like each other a lot, but they respect each other a lot. It’s kind of a throwback back to the day. The Pirates and the Reds had some pretty animated series back then. We’re two teams who like to pitch inside, who like to play aggressive baseball. Nobody wants anybody to get hurt, but you want everybody to play hard.” For what it’s worth, MLB Network researcher Ross Insana tells me the Pirates lead baseball in proportion of pitches thrown on the inner third of the plate and closer to the hitter (36.3 percent). … Some scary-looking lightning bolts are sizzling through the air and the tarp is on the field, but the predicted scattered thunderstorms look rather sporadic on the radar. No word on a delay.
6:05: Jung Ho Kang, who bats fifth tonight, was named NL rookie of the month for July. The 28-year-old was simply spectacular last month, hitting .379/.414/.621 in 25 games for a 1.064 OPS. Kang slugged eight doubles, three triples and three home runs in July. He is the first Pirate to win the award since Gerrit Cole two Septembers ago; Pedro Alvarez was the previous position player to claim it in 2010.
6:55: The grounds crew is hustling to get the field ready for play. They’re going to have to hurry to make the 7:05 start time.
7:10: It’s officially a five-minute delay. First pitch from Liriano to Dexter Fowler. It’s raining lightly, but a solitary cloud appears to be the culprit.
7:24: Breezy first inning. Each starter strikes out a pair. Only hit was an Andrew McCutchen grounder up the middle, but he was erased on a caught stealing 2-4.
7:40: Aramis Ramirez strokes the first home hit of his second Pirates stint, a liner to left. Ball is taken out of play. No, seriously.
7:47: A rather sudden downpour has halted play in the bottom of the second inning. Windows closed in the press box. Fans scrambling for cover.
8:08: One benefit of the rain delay: I met Rick Szeflinski, the PNC Park vendor who patrols the sections behind home plate while wearing throwback Pirates uniforms. I’m not too proud to ask for a photo.
8:54: The grounds crew made a move to pull the tarp, but they retreated with more lightning in the area. No official word on the resumption of play.
9:34: OK, so the tarp is off. The field is lined. The remaining crowd must be slap-happy, because many of them are standing and clapping along to “YMCA.”
9:53: What if I told you before the game that Lester would be knocked out after 1 2/3 innings? Rafael Soriano in to pitch as we resume play. Just over a two-hour delay. Joe Blanton takes over for Liriano.
10:06: Three singles off Blanton yields the first run of the game. Anthony Rizzo rips an RBI hit through the shift to plate Addison Russell, 1-0 Cubs.
10:16: Joe Maddon goes lefty on lefty … in the third inning. Gregory Polanco cares not for this, lifting a double off the Clemente Wall. Morse, who doubled to lead off, scores for a 1-1 tie.
10:33: Lightning flashing around the ballpark again. McCutchen flinched as the final out of the top of the fourth settled into his glove.
10:41: A huge bolt just struck the BNY Mellon building! Woah … and we’re delayed again. You could see the lightning rod atop the roof glowing for a few seconds afterward. That’s a new one.
11:06: Pirates relievers and coaches in the bullpen are packing their bags and heading to the clubhouse. If you’re thinking postponement, the Cubs aren’t off Thursday, but they do return in mid-September for a three-game series.
11:47: Bizarre ritual going on in the upper deck. Got nothin’ for ya beyond that. Raining off and on.
11:59: Finally, we have a resolution. Game has been postponed. No make-up date has been announced, so we’ll get back together tomorrow for Game 2 of the series at 7:05.
Storm clouds roll over PNC Park just before rain cancelled outdoor batting practice. — MATT GAJTKA
Pirates Lineup:
1. Gregory Polanco (L) RF
2. Starling Marte (R) LF
3. Andrew McCutchen (R) CF
4. Aramis Ramirez (R) 3B
5. Jung Ho Kang (R) SS
6. Francisco Cervelli (R) C
7. Michael Morse (R) 1B
8. Sean Rodriguez (R) 2B
9. Francisco Liriano (L) P
1. Dexter Fowler (S) CF
2. Chris Denorfia (R) LF
3. Kris Bryant (R) 3B
4. Anthony Rizzo (L) 1B
5. Jorge Soler (R) RF
6. Starlin Castro (R) SS
7. David Ross (R) C
8. Jon Lester (L) P
9. Addison Russell (R) 2B
Srod over Walker...why? There's a decent chance we face Lester in WC playoff, why not get Walker some AB's against him? Unless Hurdle would actually consider doing the same thing in a WC playoff...
Rammy has hit clean up his entire career. Hurdle will keep him there for a while. Kang is the only other option at this point anyway. Pedro has historically hit well worse than his average in that spot. And I do believe in that kind of thing. Being pitched differently based on your sporlt in the order certainly alters your performance. NMR is sure to tell me it is coincidence and that the hot and cold would have happened anyway. If it was once fine. But its been 3 or 4 times now with the same outcomes.
Your only other option (Kang) to bat clean up is the correct one. ARam is just a rally killer until he start hitting consistently. With this assortment of players vs. a LHP, I'd move Cervelli to 5 and Ramirez drops to 6th.
Joshpelino: Won't have to worry about that in the playoffs, as Walker will be on the bench vs. LHP and Harrison and possibly Mercer will be in. Lots of options.
This is an interesting series. You can pretty much knocked the cubs out of the wildcard if you do well with them this week but that opens the door for a replay of last years giants game. So what would be the better thing to happen
Zero reason to protest that lineup. Pedro not to play vs tough lefties ever......and I like giving SRod a chance to channel his energies from yesterday. Intrigued to see Morse and if he's Corey Hart 2.0 or actually has something in the tank.
And as to wild card opponent: Cubs would be easiest matchup in my opinion. Mets second. Giants third and Dodgers and Nats are to be avoided at all costs.
Agree about the Cubs. Mets are looking much better with the trades they made to help their lineup. Facing de Grom or Syndergaard or Harvey in a winner take all Wild Card game wouldn't be optimal. Actually Nats and Giants scare me less than the Mets (at least at this point, though Scherzer and MadBum wouldn't be easy).
What if Ray Searage went to work on Pedro's throwing? Had him throw 20 pitches in the bullpen each day like a pitcher, think in terms of the strike zone? Just a thought.
If I counted correctly, the Pirates have 58 games left, 30 of them in the division (15 home, 15 away). Tonight is a good time to start improving the record within the division.
Frankie usually tough at PNC. But Cutch has been a KO machine this past week and he looks pretty poor at times. He looked really poor on a two strike pitch a foot out of the strike zone. At some point the top of the order has to put things together.
watching the replay of the Reds game yesterday, why are the umpires allowed to push the players but if a player so much as brushes them it's a fine and suspension?
Nothing personal, but this thought is a real nitpick in my opinion. Whatever we think of the umpires, they are charged with controlling the game. That's all this was with Cervelli!
I seem to recall a situation recently where an umpire got disciplined for pushing a player out of anger, but I think they probably are allowed to do it in the proper situation, like trying to stop or prevent a fight.
Excellent notes, Matt. Thanks for the coverage. I'd like to offer a bit of constructive criticism. It's much easier to read these notes when they're broken up into smaller paragraphs, vice one lengthy one broken up by ellipses. Have a great night!
August 3, 2015
Pirates-Cubs, postponed, rain
by Matt Gajtka • Game previews
Looking ahead to first pitch …
Game: Pirates (61-43) vs. Chicago Cubs (57-47), 7:05 p.m., PNC Park
Pitchers: LHP Francisco Liriano (7-6, 2.92) vs. LHP Jon Lester (6-8, 3.26)
TV, Radio: Root Sports (regional) / ESPN (national), 93.7 The Fan
Online: Gameday | Multimedia | Media notes
Pregame notes 4:20 p.m.: If you missed the news on A.J. Burnett‘s diagnosis, it’s here. Included is video of his session with the media this afternoon.
5:05: The Pirates optioned Jaff Decker to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the 25-man roster for the newly-acquired Michael Morse, who will start at first base tonight and bat seventh. He chatted with us media folks prior to batting practice:
5:50: Two months from now, could we be preparing for a winner-take-all game between these two National League Central opponents? Odds are good — 72 percent by Baseball Prospectus’ reckoning — the Pirates will be involved in the NL wild-card matchup for the third consecutive year, and the Cubs are tied with the Giants for the second position in that chase. This is the first of 12 straight games the Pirates will play against teams currently holding playoff spots, with the Dodgers, Cardinals and Mets coming up next. … Both teams are at their high points of the season in terms of games over .500. Winners of five in a row, the Cubs are 10 games over for the first time since the end of their 2008 division title season, while the Pirates have reached 18 over for the fourth occasion. … Clint Hurdle said since Decker had an option to use, that made him the logical choice to send to the minors when Morse was activated today. He added that Pedro Florimon‘s middle-infield versatility was a mark in his favor. “I thought he did a really nice job in the role he had, and I told Jaff that,” Hurdle said. “It wasn’t his play that sent him down.” That being said, Decker finished his stint on an 0-for-11 slide. … There could be quite a bit of breeze created in the vicinity of home plate tonight, with Lester and Liriano squaring off. Lester is coming off a 14-strikeout outing last Wednesday against the Rockies, the first such performance by a Cubs lefty since 1914. As for Liriano, he whiffed just four in his previous start at Minnesota, but his swing-and-miss rate is as high as it’s ever been, at 32.9 percent, even though he’s now in his 30s. “You’d think there’d be a time when it might trend back,” Hurdle said. “He’s finding a way to continue to get what he’s gotten. I don’t have an answer for it.” … Last word on the fiery finale in Cincinnati, which included at least two presumed beanballs and three ejections: “There are times when you have opportunities to back one another and take a stand,” Hurdle said. “That name on the front (of the jersey) means something to those guys. There were two teams out there yesterday that like to play ball and don’t really like each other a lot, but they respect each other a lot. It’s kind of a throwback back to the day. The Pirates and the Reds had some pretty animated series back then. We’re two teams who like to pitch inside, who like to play aggressive baseball. Nobody wants anybody to get hurt, but you want everybody to play hard.” For what it’s worth, MLB Network researcher Ross Insana tells me the Pirates lead baseball in proportion of pitches thrown on the inner third of the plate and closer to the hitter (36.3 percent). … Some scary-looking lightning bolts are sizzling through the air and the tarp is on the field, but the predicted scattered thunderstorms look rather sporadic on the radar. No word on a delay.
6:05: Jung Ho Kang, who bats fifth tonight, was named NL rookie of the month for July. The 28-year-old was simply spectacular last month, hitting .379/.414/.621 in 25 games for a 1.064 OPS. Kang slugged eight doubles, three triples and three home runs in July. He is the first Pirate to win the award since Gerrit Cole two Septembers ago; Pedro Alvarez was the previous position player to claim it in 2010.
6:55: The grounds crew is hustling to get the field ready for play. They’re going to have to hurry to make the 7:05 start time.
7:10: It’s officially a five-minute delay. First pitch from Liriano to Dexter Fowler. It’s raining lightly, but a solitary cloud appears to be the culprit.
7:24: Breezy first inning. Each starter strikes out a pair. Only hit was an Andrew McCutchen grounder up the middle, but he was erased on a caught stealing 2-4.
7:40: Aramis Ramirez strokes the first home hit of his second Pirates stint, a liner to left. Ball is taken out of play. No, seriously.
7:47: A rather sudden downpour has halted play in the bottom of the second inning. Windows closed in the press box. Fans scrambling for cover.
8:08: One benefit of the rain delay: I met Rick Szeflinski, the PNC Park vendor who patrols the sections behind home plate while wearing throwback Pirates uniforms. I’m not too proud to ask for a photo.
8:54: The grounds crew made a move to pull the tarp, but they retreated with more lightning in the area. No official word on the resumption of play.
9:34: OK, so the tarp is off. The field is lined. The remaining crowd must be slap-happy, because many of them are standing and clapping along to “YMCA.”
9:53: What if I told you before the game that Lester would be knocked out after 1 2/3 innings? Rafael Soriano in to pitch as we resume play. Just over a two-hour delay. Joe Blanton takes over for Liriano.
10:06: Three singles off Blanton yields the first run of the game. Anthony Rizzo rips an RBI hit through the shift to plate Addison Russell, 1-0 Cubs.
10:16: Joe Maddon goes lefty on lefty … in the third inning. Gregory Polanco cares not for this, lifting a double off the Clemente Wall. Morse, who doubled to lead off, scores for a 1-1 tie.
10:33: Lightning flashing around the ballpark again. McCutchen flinched as the final out of the top of the fourth settled into his glove.
10:41: A huge bolt just struck the BNY Mellon building! Woah … and we’re delayed again. You could see the lightning rod atop the roof glowing for a few seconds afterward. That’s a new one.
11:06: Pirates relievers and coaches in the bullpen are packing their bags and heading to the clubhouse. If you’re thinking postponement, the Cubs aren’t off Thursday, but they do return in mid-September for a three-game series.
11:47: Bizarre ritual going on in the upper deck. Got nothin’ for ya beyond that. Raining off and on.
11:59: Finally, we have a resolution. Game has been postponed. No make-up date has been announced, so we’ll get back together tomorrow for Game 2 of the series at 7:05.
Storm clouds roll over PNC Park just before rain cancelled outdoor batting practice. — MATT GAJTKA