In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates
Short-Term Loss; Long-Term Win?
The Pittsburgh Pirates’s attempts at a much-needed series win were swept away by Neil Walker and the New York Mets after losing 6-4 last night at Citi Field. Once again, the starting pitching was ineffective. Juan Nicosia lasted just 4.1 innings, allowing six earned runs on the back of three home runs, one of which coming off of Walker’s stick.
If there is anything positive to take away from the game, it is that Andrew McCutchen had a potential breakout day at the plate. The perennial MVP candidate went 3-for-4 on the night, wit ha double and a solo home run.
Coincidentally, this was also the second consecutive game in which McCutchen hit third in the lineup. When manager Clint Hurdle first made the change back in spring to hit him second in the lineup, McCutchen seemed to be on board with the change. While there has been nothing said that would indicate he was unhappy with the switch, baseball players are creatures of extreme habit. It may be fair to wonder if his old haunt may breed more comfort in the slugger.
And Now, The Cubs.
The Pittsburgh Pirates now travel to Chicago for a 2:20 EST start against Jake Arrieta. This could be considered the second schedule anomaly to affect the team over the last ten days. Previously, the club seemed listless when forced to fly to Colorado for a one-game makeup. While the scenario they are currently faced with is not that extreme, it will be interesting to see how the quick turn around will affect the club.
Yesterday’s Player Of The Game
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.
Who was your Player of the Game as the #Pirates fall to the #Mets 6-4 tonight?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) June 17, 2016
(This is one of the first ties in our POTG history)
Keep an eye out for our POTG polls after each game on our twitter feed after each game, win or lose.
Baseball Talk on the Web
- Dave Cameron at Fangraphs cautions against buying low on aging stars.
- Jon Heyman underscores the struggles of the Los Angeles Dodgers.
- Must-read: The Ringer looks at Steven Wright‘s amazing knuckleball. Worth the click for the GIF alone.
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