The first two games of this series were typical Pirates-Cardinals as they were close, tense and probably took away years from our lives, game three wasn’t much better despite the big lead. The Pirates’ bullpen was not shutdown and it always felt like the Cardinals were one big hit away from getting right back into the game. Thankfully that didn’t happen and the Pirates were able to walk away with a much needed series victory.
The Pirates did not play well against the Cubs and really needed something positive to happen for not only the team, but for the fans. Despite the fantastic offense, the pitching has lead to some much deserved negativity and criticism. This game isn’t going to change the mind of anyone over the bullpen, but three straight quality starts from the starters could help alleviate some of the concerns people have over the starting rotation.
The bullpen is definitely still a weakness for the 2016 Pirates and making games way more interesting than they probably need to be, but there is time to right the ship and hopefully improve the team’s relief pitching.
The Pirates will continue their road trip by going from one hated red team to another as they travel to Cincinnati to take on the Reds for a three game series. Jon Niese will be on the mound for game one, looking to bounce back from a couple really rough starts. First pitch is at 7:10pm.
Series Result: Pirates win 2-1
2016 win/loss record: 17-14
2016 series record: 6-4
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