In our daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.
“It ain’t over till it’s over.” – Yogi Berra
Yesterday the Pittsburgh Pirates looked down and out for nearly eight innings against the Chicago White Sox. The beauty of baseball is you need all 27 outs to earn a win and until then, a comeback is always technically possible. The Pirates were down 5-2 entering the ninth inning and then the team went to work. An Elias Diaz double scored two runs to make it 5-4. Then Colin Moran came to the plate:
Nates Jones has some nasty stuff but the Pirates were not fooled by any of it yesterday. The comeback happened so fast, it almost didn’t seem real. The White Sox are obviously in the middle of a massive rebuild, so they will lose their fair share of ballgames but I don’t think many fans expected a loss yesterday.
Games like yesterday don’t happen often, so when they do, it’s really important to enjoy them. They are also important because they really prove how this team fights and genuinely seems to never quit. A team’s Win Probability down three in the ninth inning is fairly low but the Pirates have the attitude of Han Solo; “never tell me the odds.”
The Pirates could have easily been swept in this brief two-game series as they were down four runs in both but each game featured great comebacks. The Pirates shouldn’t make a habit of falling behind four runs early in games but give the team credit, they know how to finish strong.
The hero of yesterday’s game is fairly obvious as “Red Beard” Colin Moran hit the game-winning home run. There has been a lot of talk about Gerrit Cole’s success in Houston but people should start paying attention to the season Moran is putting together. The third baseman is currently slashing .283/.369/.434/.803 with three home runs, 19 RBIs and 15 runs scored. He has also been an adequate defender at third base. He may never win a Gold Glove but he makes the simple plays and occasionally the brilliant ones.
Moran was always a key centerpiece in the Cole trade and his success is absolutely vital in how that trade will be viewed long term. If he turns into an above-average Major League player, the trade could eventually be viewed as win-win for both teams. Gerrit Cole is certainly winning the trade for the Astros at the moment but Moran is quietly putting together a very outstanding rookie campaign for the Battling Buccos. Maybe one day, we’ll actually get to see the man smile about it.
#BUCSin280
After each Pittsburgh Pirates game, we take to our Twitter to recap the game in 280 characters. Think of it as a snapshot need-to-know from the game. Here now is the #Bucsin280 from last night. Follow us on Twitter to see these in real time!
#RAISEIT as your #Pirates steal one from the #WhiteSox 6-5. Williams gave up a pair of 2-run homers over 5 innings. Mercer and Polanco smacked a solo home run each. Pirates rallied for 4 in the 9th capped off by a Colin Moran go-ahead 2-run shot. Felipe shuts it down. #BUCSin280
— Pirates Breakdown (@piratebreakdown) May 9, 2018
Up Next:
The Pirates will get to enjoy this series sweep for at least one day as they are off today. The team will then return home to take on Andrew McCutchen and the San Francisco Giants.
This is a series that all fans had circled on their calendar. The former face of the franchise making his return to the ballpark he called home since 2009. The atmosphere should be something special. However, there are games to be played.
The pitching matchups for the series are as follows:
Game One: Jameson Taillon (2-3, 4.42ERA) vs. Andrew Suarez (1-1, 3.06ERA)
Game Two: Chad Kuhl (4-2, 4.12ERA) vs. Jeff Samardzija (1-2, 6.62ERA)
Game Three: Ivan Nova (2-2, 4.84ERA) vs. Derek Holland (1-4, 5.66ERA)
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