In our Daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
No one in Pittsburgh seemed to notice
Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates lost 7-1 to the Miami Marlins. However, I am pretty confident that no one in Pittsburgh even knows the Pirates played last night. Obviously, a bulk of the sports fandom was dedicated to the Penguins and their Stanley Cup Game Five against the Nashville Predators.
Gerrit Cole‘s funk continued as he allowed seven runs on 11 hits in 4.2 innings of work. At no point did Cole really seem locked in. Gerrit Cole had a great streak following his poor Opening Day start but that seems like a distant memory. The loss dropped Cole to 3-5 with a 4.27ERA. Cole is far from the only Pirate struggling right now. However, he’s supposed to be the ace and play the role of stopper. He never gave the Pirates a chance last night.
What Cole did almost didn’t matter as Edinson Volquez followed his no-hitter with seven scoreless innings. He isn’t Johnny Vander Meer but he still had a very strong start. The Ex-Bucco pretty much had his way with the 2017 Pirates. The Pirates were only able to muster one run on four hits in the game. A paltry showing coming off maybe the two most disappointing games of the season so far.
More Old Friends
The Miami Marlins are trotting out three members of the 2014 Pirates starting rotation in this series. Vance Worley goes tonight for the Fish before Jeff Locke makes his return to PNC Park on Sunday. It’s always interesting when you see a former player, much less three in the same series. I don’t expect you’ll see a great reaction for Locke’s return. He was always a polarizing pitcher during his tenure with the Pirates. He peaked in 2013 when he was named an All-Star. Following that appearance, his numbers depreciated before he was Non-Tendered during this past offseason.
I don’t expect many people are missing Jeff Locke right now but he was a contributor to three straight playoff teams. I know he was rarely a great pitcher but he was never asked to be one. He was always a back of the rotation starter and his job was to keep the team in games. By that metric, he was a somewhat decent pitcher for the Pirates. In six years with the Pirates, he pitched to a 4.40ERA with a 4.32FIP. Those obviously aren’t dominant numbers but he certainly kept the team in games. Hard to ask for much more. From 2013-2015, he took the ball every five days and helped the Pirates win some ballgames. Many fans may hate him but it’s hard to deny he did his best for the team.
Sponsored By
Baseball Talk on the Web
MLB Metrics 101: The Biggest Trade Needs for Each MLB Contender
Cubs’ Addison Russell denies domestic violence accusation
Former Norfolk Tides slugger swings his way into MLB history book
Subscribe To Pirates Breakdown Radio
Our podcast feed has been reborn as Pirates Breakdown Radio. On one singular feed, you will find a variety of shows, interviews, quick hits and much more. All designed to keep Pittsburgh Pirates fans informed and entertained no matter where they are.
We are on all the major podcast platforms, including iTunes and Google Play. So whether or not you have an Android or an iPhone/iPad, click on the corresponding button below to get subscribed!
Download Our Mobile Apps
The introduction of our new FREE Mobile Apps gets fans closer to their favorite Pittsburgh Pirates coverage than ever before. Click here to learn about some of the features of our new app – or, if you just can’t wait, click the corresponding app store for your device and grab your copy now.
Thanks for checking us out here at Pirates Breakdown. Please make sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram and like us on Facebook for the best Pirates coverage all year long!
Add The Sports Daily to your Google News Feed!
