In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost their second game of their inter-league series against the Boston Red Sox last night in walk-off fashion. If fans are looking for a positive, there is an easy one to point to in Jameson Taillon‘s performance.
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In just his 19th start in Major League Baseball, Taillon stood toe-to-toe with perennial Cy Young candidate Chris Sale, who was making his much ballyhooed Boston debut. Taillon powered through seven innings, mixing his pitch mix beautifully while keeping a calm demeanor in some sticky situations, most notable in the fifth. After walking Chris Young and allowing a single to Pablo Sandoval before getting an out, Taillon buckled down to get out of the inning unscathed.
BUt it was not just that Taillon got out of the jam, but the way that he extricated himself from harm’s way. While most would have been happy to allow a run and get out, Taillon struck out two consecutive batters, leaving nothing to chance.
It all added up to Taillon winning round one in what will surely be a season filled with mini-battles and mini-checkpoints such as yesterday’s outing.
Where are the runs?
The other story-line that loomed large over yesterday’s game was the fact that the Pittsburgh Pirates went the vast majority of the contest without advancing a runner to second base.
Going into the season, many felt that the team’s everyday lineup – full of stars such as Andrew McCutchen, Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco – would serve as a strength for the club to overcome any perceived bullpen or rotation shortcomings. It has only been two games, and April baseball in general can be challenging for hitters, but the ineptitude shown in yesterday’s game was alarming.
To beat the drum even further: this team is talented, but not talented enough to limp through the season’s opening month. They cannot waste excellent starts like the one they got yesterday.
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Baseball Talk on the Web
Today, we’re going to continue highlighting selected sites for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ National League brethren. Keep an eye on the competition with these daily destinations:
- Washington Nationals: District On Deck
- New York Mets: SNY Metsblog (soon to feature esteemed Mets beat writer Adam Rubin)
- San Francisco Giants: McCovey Chronicles
- Los Angeles Dodgers: Dodgers Nation
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