Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call: Refreshed for the Road

In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates

Refreshed and Rejuvenated

It’s hard to think of a team that needed a day off more than the Pittsburgh Pirates.

After having their lunch handed to them by the Chicago Cubs, the Pirates fell to 15-13 on the back of a four-game losing streak. Their performance, specifically their starting pitching, did not inspire confidence in their ability to hang with the Cubs for the rest of the season.

Yesterday’s off-day allowed the club a chance to wash away the sins of the series and focus on the road ahead. The “road” ahead does not get any easier, as the team will leave the comforts of Pittsburgh and face the last nine games of their 15-game NL Central slate.

They will lead off with the Cardinals, who are beginning to right their own ship after a recent losing streak. Followed by the Reds and then a rematch against the Cubs, this nine game stretch may tell us more about the team’s ability to contend for the division more than the initial series with the Cubs did.

How Will the Pirates Fare on the Road Trip?

The Cubs series shook the confidence of even the most ardent and assured Pittsburgh Pirates fans. How do our twitter followers feel the team will do on the road?

How will the #Pirates fare on their upcoming 9-game road trip?

— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) May 5, 2016

Baseball talk on the web

• For a much-needed reminder that the Pittsburgh Pirates – and all professional athletes for that matter – are human beings, please take a look at Adam Berry’s excellent read on Jeff Locke and the challenges he and his family are facing.
• With the Milwaukee Brewers in a clear-cut rebuild, FanGraphs speculates on potential landing spots for OF Ryan Braun.
• The Pirates-Marlins series in Puerto Rico is in serious jeopardy due to concerns over the Zika virus. Hardball Talk covers the reaction from the Puerto Rican point of view.

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!