In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates
They Played Two…and Won Both
While all Pittsburgh Pirates fans will have their attention turned firmly towards tonight’s debut of Jameson Taillon, the club handled its business in sweeping away Neil Walker and the New York Mets in yesterday’s doubleheader. In winning each game by a score of 3-1, the sweep also gave the team their first series win since the Diamondbacks series.
Jon Niese and Juan Nicasio both pitched very well, and Niese in particular has now fully rounded into the pitcher the Pittsburgh Pirates thought they would be getting. Over his last six starts, Niese carries an impressive 2.15 ERA. The left-hander kept it on the carpet, with 16 ground balls versus just five line drives.
Nicasio wasn’t as dominant as Niese – he lasted just five innings – but showed flashes of the strikeout ability that earned him a spot in the rotation to begin with. 15 of his 57 strikes were of the looking variety, suggesting an ability to keep hitters guessing. It’s entirely possible that Nicasio may have felt the pressure to stay in the rotation with Taillon’s arrival looming. Competition is never a bad thing, and if the results of Taillon’s presence is a re-focused Nicasio, that result could be a big boon for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The Main Event
Many eyes in the baseball world will be turned to PNC Park tonight as Taillon will make his debut. Though general manager Neal Huntington has already hedged his bets by indicating that today’s outing may amount to a spot start, the young right hander can make the decision very hard on the front office with a capable showing tonight.
Keep your eyes on Pirates Breakdown and our twitter feed tonight. We will have thorough analysis on Taillon’s debut as well as live tweeting during the game.
Yesterday’s Player Of the Game(s)
After each game – win or lose – we put out a Twitter Poll to find out who you feel should take home ‘Player of the Game’ honors. Here now is yesterday’s results, for each game.
Game 1
Who is your #Pirates player of the game after 3-1 win?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) June 7, 2016
Game 2
Who is your Pirates player of the game following their 3-1 victory to sweep the doubleheader vs. The Mets?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) June 8, 2016
Baseball Talk on the Web
- After James Shields was dealt to the Chicago White Sox, MLB Trade Rumors updates its Top 10 Trade Candidates
- Paul Zeise of the Post Gazette underlines just how much the Pirates needed Taillon
- Mitch Keller, Tito Polo and Ke’Bryan Hayes were named to the SAL All-Star Team
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