In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the baseball day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Frustrating Series
Yesterday the Miami Marlins beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-2 to complete their sweep. The Pirates had leads in every game but weren’t able to finish the job. This series was one of the biggest disappointments of the season. The Pirates came off a 5-1 road trip and lost three very frustrating baseball games. The Pirates had a chance to really bury the Marlins in the wildcard standings but now find themselves 1.5 games behind the Fish.
Despite the loss, Ryan Vogelsong pitched well. He went six innings, gave up three runs (one earned) on three hits and struck out five. He was also the winner of our player of the game poll:
#Pirates lose to the Marlins 3-2. Who is your Player of the Game?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) August 21, 2016
What now?
The Pirates can’t dwell on their wasted opportunity against the Marlins for too long as they have to turn their attention to the Houston Astros. The former NL Central club comes to town for a three-game series.
The Pirates need to forget about the terrible Marlins series and hit the reset button. I know that will be difficult for the fans, who are understandably frustrated with the club right now. The season is NOT over. It wouldn’t have been over had the Pirates swept the Marlins and it isn’t over because of the team getting swept by the Marlins. Just have to focus purely on the next game and not overlook any opponent. We’re at the point in the season where you need to win every game possible. You cannot let three games get away from you when you have the lead in each game. The Pirates are still in the race but another series like this most recent one and they will officially be playing for next year sooner rather than later.
Baseball Talk on the Web
Over at Fangraphs, David Cameron thinks Kris Bryant may be the best all-around player in the NL
George Von Benko for MLB.com has quotes from Gerrit Cole on his struggles
MLB Trade Rumors has notes on Giancarlo Stanton’s possible return this season.
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