In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the baseball day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
Do the Pittsburgh Pirates have a pulse?
Last night’s 4-3 win over the St. Louis Cardinals wasn’t dominant. It was not overly impressive. One could make the argument that the Pirates lineup should have gotten to 21-year old rookie Alex Reyes, impressive though his season to date may be.
But, there were several happenings in the game that could – could – show that this Pirates team might still have some fight left in it.
First, Gregory Polanco and David Freese each had two hit nights. Both have been scuffling lately, and will be sorely relied upon should this team make any noise over the last 25 games of the 2016 season.
Jung Ho Kang continues to swing a hot bat since returning from the DL. The South Korean product now has 17 home runs on the year, having already surpassed his 2015 total of 15. With on-and-off the field obstacles in his path, Kang’s 2016 season has been a bumpy one, but playing good baseball late may propel him into 2017.
Tony Watson notched an 11-pitch, three out save just one day after giving up four runs in 0.2 innings. You have to tip your cap to Watson and his mental toughness, which has never been in question. It is this author’s opinion that Watson’s issues are purely physical, much akin to Mark Melancon‘s early season “struggles” in 2015.
After all, it was back in March that we explained that Watson’s usage was off the charts over the past three years. Is it any wonder his velocity is down and his fastball lacks bite? This issue will correct itself in time. Yet, despite last night’s result, the jury is still out on if the Pittsburgh Pirates can give Watson the time and patience needed as the season dwindles to a close.
Trevor Williams Gets the Win
Newly called up pitcher Trevor Williams got the win last night after pitching three innings of relief. They weren’t perfect, but this moment after the game was.
[mlbvideo id=”1148379583″ width=”400″ height=”224″ /]The Pittsburgh Pirates Against Tonight’s Starter
Tonight, the Pirates welcome the Cincinnati Reds for a four-gamer. The club is just 6-5 against the River City squad, and will need to win at least three games in this series to keep the flicker of Wild Card hope alive. They start that endeavor against Dan Straily. Here’s how the current Pirates hitters fare against him.
| Name | PA | AB | H | 2B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starling Marte | 15 | 15 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | .400 | .400 | .467 | .867 |
| Andrew McCutchen | 15 | 14 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 3 | .214 | .267 | .214 | .481 |
| John Jaso | 11 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | .182 | .000 | .182 |
| Jordy Mercer | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .250 | .455 | .375 | .830 |
| Josh Harrison | 10 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | .300 | .300 | .900 | 1.200 |
| Gregory Polanco | 9 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | .222 | .000 | .222 |
| Francisco Cervelli | 6 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 |
| David Freese | 6 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | .333 | .333 | .333 | .667 |
| Jung Ho Kang | 5 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | .200 | .200 | .200 | .400 |
| Chris Stewart | 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Pedro Florimon | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | .000 | .500 | .000 | .500 |
| Eric Fryer | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Matthew Joyce | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | 2.000 | 2.500 |
| Adam Frazier | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
Yesterday’s Player of the Game
After each game – win or lose – We put out a poll on Twitter asking for your choice for Player of the Game honors. Here is the poll from yesterday.
The #Pirates end their losing streak with a 4-3 win over the #Cardinals. Who was your Player of the Game?
— Jason Rollison (@jrollisonpgh) September 8, 2016
Baseball Talk On The Web
- Uh-oh. Stephen Stasburg will undergo an MRI after feeling pain in his elbow.
- Perhaps you’ve heard that Tim Tebow has signed a minor league deal with the New York Mets.
- The Minnesota Twins may be looking to raid the Chicago Cubs’ front office.
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