SOG for Tuesday, September 4th, 2012 WOOOO
Our Buccos take down the the AAAstros by a score of 6-2 in PNC Park. They avenge their unseemly and unefforted loss to Houston in the opener of this series.
The Bucs improved their record to 71-64 and are now 10 victories away from ensuring a non-losing record for the first time in 19 seasons. They're 11 victories away from a winning record.
This win clinched a Pirates winning record at PNC this season with a 41-27 record.
Pirates RS/RA is now 561/548, a difference of +13.
Attendance on a rainy, Tuesday after Labor Day game - 12,785
The PMB hath spoken.
WOOOO
Wandy 'Taking Out Frustration On His Old Team For Getting Him So Many Losses' Rodriguez - 12 votes
Brock 'I Like To Play Well When My Girlfriend is in Attendance' Holt - 3.5 votes
Andrew 'I'm Still an MVP Candidate, Seriously' McCutchen - 1.5 votes
It's a Wandyful Life earns his first star as a Pittsburgh Pirate.
Thanks to all who voted.
Things were looking bleak after getting humiliated at the hands of the Astros on Monday night. A 5-1 loss to a veritable AAA team and by far the worst in the majors while we're trying to chase a playoff spot. Cutch had been slumping. People were getting injured. Our pitching was garbage. We got no food. We got no jobs. Our pets' heads are falling off! It was bad, I could barely stand to watch. But, what better way to end a slump than against a slump buster like the Astros...even though they were part of our slump. WOO
Wandy 'Wasn't That A Wandyful Trade?' Rodriguez took the mound last night and immediately went to work shutting down his former team with whom he spent a healthy amount of time (his entire career). He walked the first batter, but didn't allow him to get around. For all of his 7 innings of work, Wandy was wandyful. He didn't give up another BB after the first, only allowed 4 hits and K'd 7. That, ladies and gentlemen, is dealing. He did his job and could only hope that the offense did theirs - which they did. Well, when I say 'they', I mean the rookie Brock Holt and the MVP.
Brock 'If You Smell What The Brock Is Cookin' Holt set the table early form the lead off spot. He managed a lead off single to start the pirates half of the first. He was removed from the base paths after Snider hit into a fielder's choice, but Snider beat out the DP and came home on a 1 out double from Cutch. WOO The Bucs took the lead and never looked back. Holt ended his night with a 4-5 line, scoring 2 runs.
Andrew 'This is what they're underpaying me to do' McCutchen had himself a much needed night. He didn't crush the ball, but he had his seeing eye on and was able to single and double the Astros to death. He went 4-4, upping his BA to .347 (league leader) and notching his 6th 4-4 game of the season (league leading). He accounted for 3 of the first 4 RBI's of the game.
In an incredibly Astro-y moment, Alvarez popped a ball up sky high with runners on second and third. The Astros SS and third baseman not wanting to call each other off had a tiny bump, the SS dropped the ball, and both runners scored, extending the lead to 6-0. WOOO
WOOO
The Astros scored 2 runs off of Chris Resop in the 8th, but that's all they would manage, the Bucs going on to earn the 6-2 victory.
The Pirates are currently 10.5 games behind the Reds (who lost today) for the NL Central lead. More importantly they are 2.5 games behind the cardinals for the second WC spot and 1 game behind the Dodgers. WOOO
The Pirates are still in the thick of this playoff chase and despite slumping hard...HARD...in August, have the chance to capitalize in September and make a playoff push. They need to get the series win against Houston tonight, and do some damage to the Cubs who come to town tomorrow.
The season isn't over yet, in fact, it's just begun. This is a season we will all remember, for one reason or another. Let's hope that reason is a positive one. WOO!
Let's go, Bucs!
"You never have to wait long, or look far, to be reminded of how thin the line is between being a hero or a goat."--Mickey Mantle
Zoltan! WOOO!
Star of the Year Standings:
Andrew "McClutch" McCutchen 7
A.J. "Right player at the right time for the right team" Burnett 7
James "Lights Out" McDonald 7
Pedro "The Chosen One" Alvarez 6.5
Erik "Winning!!" Bedard 5
Michael "The Fort" McKenry 4.5
Garrett "The Legend" Jones 4
Jeff "The Force is strong with this one" Karstens 3.5
Brad "Hot Rod" Lincoln 3
Kevin "K.C. and the Sunshine Band" Correia 3
Rod "Jelly Roll" Barajas 3
Neil "PRNW aka the Real Deal" Walker 3
Clint "Better then Ronnie" Barmes 3
Casey "let them play!" McGehee 2
Charlie "Ground Chuck" Morton 1
Josh "Say Hey" Harrison 1
Matt "Hit Collector..well in AAA right now" Hague 1...Better Tiz?
Jared "The Tongue" Hughes 1
Drew "get out ball!!!" Sutton 1
Starling "Back to the Future....is so bright i have to wear shades" Marte 1
The Entire "We eat Innings" Bullpen 1
Wandy 'I'll be here for a couple years WOOO' Rodriguez 1
Alex "The King" Presley .5