Remember when the Bucs blew a 7-0 lead against the Mets and it seemed like the season was about to fall apart? And remember how it seemed like everything was moving in the right direction when the team won four of five against the Phillies and Diamondbacks? And how ugly things seemed again a few days later after getting shut out twice in four games against Josh Collmenter and Chris Capuano? And how psyched everyone was after four straight wins against the Mets and Astros?
Yeah, the Pirates look awful right now. They’re hard to watch, the pitching seems to be coming apart at the seams, they can’t hit, and they’re losing. But really, it only takes one game to get things going in the right direction. The Pirates are a young team; they do some things well, they do some other things less well, and they’ve been hit or miss all year. Jumping ship and heading into “Same Old Pirates” mode after four losses is an over-reaction, no matter how bad those four losses seem.
Tonight, James McDonald tries to get everything back on track against Jeremy Guthrie. McDonald hasn’t been great his last few times out, but with his control issues he can be the kind of pitcher that teeters between dominating and struggling on a pretty fine point. Let’s hope we find the Good James McDonald tonight. First pitch is at 7:05. Cool 1971 throwback uniforms are in effect. I’m blacked out because MLB has a dumb blackout policy.
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