The Nationals and Astros Series
May 8th - 13th, 2012
May 15, 2012
All is going well in the world of #BUCN (the twitter hash tag started by Andrew McCutchen). How about those last 6 games! We took two from the first place Washington Nationals and then went on to take two more from the Houston Astros. Our team is really starting to heat up and that momentum is showing at the plate as we're seeing more production from guys in the line up. Our pitching is absolutely incredible and I don't give them enough credit in this column.
Starting off with game 1 against the Nationals where Rod Barajas really had his "The Natural" moment hitting a walk off home run to win the game in the bottom of the ninth inning with two outs. Andrew McCutchen continued the reign of fire in game two with a huge 4 for 4 game with a home run, taking game two from the Nationals 4-2. We continued great play against Houston. We started off slow, but picked up the pace in game two. Charlie Morton pitched a great game and Tabata and McCutchen delivered two big home runs giving Charlie a comfortable 5-2 victory. And on Mothers Day... A.J. Burnett continued to deliver and James Harrison came up big in the 12th driving in the game winning run to win 3-2.
I also wanted to mention James McDonald who's had some incredible starts this season. He's pitched some fantastic games and he's really giving me a lot of confidence that we'll walk off with a victory when he's taking the mound. Watson, Resop and Grilli have been crucial in keeping us in the games while Cruz and Hanrahan have been excellent in closing.
My MVP for both series would be Andrew McCutchen - the guy is on fire!
The Cardinals and Red Series
May 1-3, 2012 and May 4-6, 2012
May 10, 2012
For this article, I'll be covering games against the Cardinals and Reds. Both series were tough for the bucs taking 1 out 3 against St. Louis and doing the same against the Reds. The bright spot against St. Louis was that the Bucs had two high scoring games, taking game 3 from the Cards 6-3. We really struggled against the Reds and managed to squeak by with a 3-2 win in game 2.
The highlight of both series is that the Pirates are starting to hit the long ball. Tabata hit one and Alvarez had 2 in the series against the Cards bringing his total for the season to 7, putting him in the top 10 in the National League. Against the Reds, Walker and Presley each parked one, contributing to the win in game 2.
The key for our team is to find ways to put more than 2 to 3 runs on the board as Sean Casey pointed out. It is nice to see more production coming from the line up and I do hope that Pedro can cement himself in the number 4 slot.
MVP for the Cards would be Pedro and against the Reds I'd give it to Walker.
The Atlanta Braves Series
April 27-30, 2012
May 06, 2012
The Pirates split the series with the Braves. The bucs aren't breaking out just yet, but we're hanging in there with good teams and putting more runs on the board. It's good to see more production coming from the line up as well as some higher scoring games.
Pedro Alvarez has been pretty impressive lately. He's working the count and hitting the long ball. I've noticed that he's also tightened his swing and those adjustments have put him in the top 5 for home runs in the national league. If Alvarez can continue being a threat at the plate he'll solve a major gap in the bucs line up.
We're also seeing more production from Jones, Tabata and Walker. As the line up comes alive we should see the Bucs get closer to that .500 mark. The MVP for this series has to go to Pedro in my opinion. I'm really hoping that he steps up and becomes that key number 4/5 hitter in our line up.
The Colorado Rockies Series
April 23-25, 2012
April 29, 2012
The Bucs finished a successful series against the Rockies taking 2 out of 3 from the mile high club. The first two games were very close with the Bucs taking game one 5-4 and the Rockies taking game two 2-1. The Pirates finished game three stomping out the Rockies winning 5-1.
It was good to see the bats come out in this series. Clint Barmes was a key bat for the bucs and my MVP of this series being pivotal in game 1 as well as having a solid game 3. It seems that Pedro is also finding rhythm at the plate hitting the long ball in games 2 and 3. Jones also had a great game three going 3 for 4 with a home run.
It's important that guys like Jones, McGehee and Alvarez step up at the plate and contribute with power. If the Pirates are going to be a 500 or more ball club this year they're going to have to give their pitchers a 2 to 3 run buffer.
The DiamondBacks and Cardinal Series
April 16-18 & 20-22, 2012
April 24, 2012
I'm covering two series this week and we'll start with the D-Backs. The Pirates needed to take a series since they didn't get much California love from the Dodgers or Giants. We took two very close games from the D-Backs winning by one run in each game. Most of the team produced and some guys who've been struggling stepped up when we needed them to which pushed us over the edge.
The problem that our team faces is consistency at the plate with runners in scoring position. We seem to have a very difficult time moving runners over to second and third. For example, we got guys like McCutchen or Presley who lead off the inning with a single and then take second. With no outs we need to move this guy over to third by either bunting, a long fly out or preferably the hit that drives him in. We have guys striking out or hitting infield elevator shaft home runs and that kills the possibility of putting another run on the board. If we get the guy to third with one out we can squeeze him in. And unfortunately, until the team become more consistent, Hurdle's going to have be creative in how he takes advantage of these missed opportunities.
Obviously the series against the Red Birds didn't go well. But what can you do, they're a world series championship team with big bats on the card. Although they lost Albert, they still have a very tough line up. Going into that series I was very skeptical that we'd walk away with a win, but we managed to take one of the games and for this team right now, that's fantastic. I only say that because we're hitting the ball, but we're not taking advantage of opportunities to drive more runs home. Now that some guys are starting to heat up, it will be interesting to see how we fair against the Rockies.
I'd give the MVP to Alvarez - a big home run against the D-Backs and he drove to runs in against the Cards to win game 2. I also want to dedicate an MVP slot for Pitchers as I seem to be neglecting them in this column. Burnett stole the show shutting out the cards through 7 with 7 punch outs to take game two.
The SF Giants Series - April 13th, 14th, 15th, 2012
April 16, 2012
I want to spend time talking about game 3 of the series vs. the Giants. I think we're all aware that the first two games were pretty brutal coming off an L.A. sweep. Today I seen some moves by Clint Hurdle, which in my opinion, needed to happen...
It's obvious that we're a team that's struggling at the plate right now. Pitching is keeping us in these games, we have one of the best ERA's as a team, but their not getting the run support they need. It's great to see some players starting to turn around and find rhythm in the box. McGehee, Walker and Harrison are starting to produce in the line up and that's going to be crucial going forward. Having both Tabata and Alvarez struggling at the plate is not helping the team progress forward.
As a team we need to focus on who's producing and at least in my opinion we need to start playing them a little more often. I'd like to see Harrison at third, McGehee at first and Jones in the outfield. I'm not writing Tabata or Alvarez off, but in order for us to have a chance to beat solid teams, we're going to need people on the card who can produce runs. Tabata and Alvarez are key hitters in our line up and when you have a chance to go up in a game or move runners over and they're not executing on either one, it's time to test a few new directions. I also think it was a poor decision to send Matt Hague down to the minors. The guy was making solid contact at the plate and really didn't have a chance to show what he could do. There's a lot of baseball left and plenty of time for Alvarez and Tabata to prove themselves as solid hitters at the plate, but the focus really needs to be on winning.
There was skepticism over Clint's decision to bunt Harrison, but what choice did he have? For 7 innings he watched runners stranded and in a close game with a tough team like the Giants being down two games you gotta do what ever it takes to win -- even more importantly for the teams morale. Although Harrison had some good outings at the plate, why take the chance of a strike out, fly out or foul out? Plus the guys got speed and the ability to beat out a throw. And we caught a major break with Walker's bunt and with only 1 out, strategically it was the right move. When it comes down to it, we didn't need the insurance, but it sure put me at ease with Hanrahan's shaky performance tonight.
As far as a series MVP goes, I'd have to give it to Neil Walker. He went 2 for 4 today and drove in two runs in game 2.
The LA Dodger Series - April 10th, 11th, 12th, 2012
April 13th, 2012
It was a very tough series against the Dodgers. Our pitching kept us in the game, but we need our bats to come alive when it counts. Our players need to come through in circumstances that produce runs. We seem to be stranding guys on 2nd and 3rd blowing opportunities to put runs on the board.
McCutchen and Presley are consistent hitters and get on base, but we'll need our core line up to really start taking advantage of runners in scoring position. It seems McGehee could step up and be a solid number 4 hitting as he's making great contact with the ball. It was also great seeing two big home runs by both Barmes (Game 2) and McKenry (Game 3).
It's still the beginning of the year and as our players settle in we should start to see more runs produced. Our pitching is normally pretty solid and if we can take advantage of low scoring games by putting a few more runs on the board we'll start taking more games in a series.
The MVP for the series has to go to Andrew for a solid performance in all 3 games.
The Philly Series - April 5th, 7th, 8th, 2012
April 08, 2012
What a way to start the season, Bucco fans. Nothing like taking two games from a tough team like the Phillies. Although we started slow, I knew we weren't going to see the bats coming out during the opener Thursday with Halladay taking the mound. He's a tough pitcher to start the season against.
I was also pretty skeptical during game two because Lee's a great pitcher, but you can never count out the Buc's! Alex Presley is doing exactly what I predicted, providing consistent hitting in the line up. It was great seeing Harrison step up and hit a double and of course seeing Andrew's bat come to life! I was elated when Barajas hit a huge clutch double in the 10th that set the game up for Presley. Alex is deadly at the plate because of his speed and proved just that with a game-winning infield single.
And what an explosive finale! Alvarez started things off for the Bucs taking one deep out of the ballpark with a solo homerun, but the Phillies answered quickly. If you're like me, you probably thought the 7th inning three run lead was the nail in the coffin for the Pirates. The Buc’s caught a break when the first baseman fumbled the ball while Alvarez jogged down to first on a dropped third strike. McGehee stepped up and hit a big double coupled with Presley’s single that brought the game within a run. Hauge came through with his first big league hit that tied the game in the eighth. The hammer does what he does best and that set Andrew up to steal the game in the ninth by smoking one out to deep centerfield to win the game.
In order for the Pirates to grow as a club they’re going to need the bats to heat up. McGehee seems to have found his rhythm with two doubles today. Hauge’s single was absolutely crucial in this game and with the contact he was making in game two, he’s proving that he can play in show. Alvarez has a lot to prove this year and he has to find consistency at the plate if he’s going to be a franchise player for this ball club. We know that our pitching keeps these games close but the Pirates will be a very tough team to beat if they can find their bats!
With each series being covered, I will pick an MVP in my column. I'd have to say it’s tied between Presley and McCutchen because both came up big when we needed them. Hopefully we’ll see a repeat of game three with our upcoming series against the Dodgers – Let’s go Bucs!!
2011 in Perspective
February 07, 2012
The 2011 Pirates season illuminated the city with a glimmering hope that this team could compete with the franchise teams that dominate the league through huge payroll and depth of roster. It was spectacular watching a team plagued by injuries and pieced together with extremely green players step up and compete on the level with the likes of the Boston Redsox, Brewers and Cardinals. Obviously 2012 will be another building year for the Buccos, yet I’m excited to see that the team is taking positive steps forward in building depth to potentially become a contender. Nothing would give me more joy than to relive the spectacular ’91’ and ‘92’ seasons that captured the heart and soul of our city.
One way we’re going to do this is by building depth around the fantastic talent that we already have. It’s no doubt that Andrew McCutchen had a fantastic season and proved that he is an All Star caliber player. He’s a solid number three batter, but needs protection at the plate. Without a solid number 4 anchored into the line up, Cutch will see more junk and his potential to drive in runs will diminish. It’s important that we strike first and early and having a player like Alex Presley leading off almost ensures this!
Presley was an amazing surprise and addition to the ball club last season. This kid stepped up and produced fantastic numbers. He can put the bat to the ball and he gets on base, which makes him a tremendous threat because of his speed. It’s also great having that speed in the outfield. He’s a really young player and it’s going to be a exciting watching him develop in 2012.
Neil Walker also had a great season. He struggled at the plate towards the middle of the season but really heated up after the All Star break. With 12 home runs, 36 doubles and 83 RBI’s he proved that he could put the bat to the ball. Again, he’s a young player who could easily fill the number 2 or possibly number 5 spot in the line up. I would like to see Neil at number 2 and reserve the 5 spot for someone that could hit for power. It’s Presley’s job to get on base and it’s up to the number 2 to get him over and you need a guy who can make consistent contact with the ball or lay a solid bunt down,. Neil could easily be that guy.
This season is really going to rest on the backs of a solid 4 and 5 hitter. A solid hitter like Braun who has a power hitter like Fielder behind him in a line up makes it virtually impossible to pitch around him. It’s no doubt that the Buccos can win games on speed alone, we witnessed this time and time again last season, but it’s going to come down to Cutch getting pitches by having a solid threat behind him. That power is going to need to come from the corners. We need a solid first baseman and third baseman that can hit for power in order to be a contender this season. We finished fourth overall, it would be great to be a playoff contender this year although I would settle for a strong 2 or 3rd place finish.
You can email William Gozzard at: William.Gozzard@thebuccozone.com
