Pittsburgh Pirates Wake Up Call – Great Start, Frustrating Finish

In our Daily Wake-Up Call, we get you ready for the day with a complete look at all things Pittsburgh Pirates.

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Best Start of Season

Last night the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Milwaukee Brewers 4-3. The game started out great for the Pirates and starting pitcher, Trevor Williams.

Williams had perhaps his best start of the season as he allowed three runs in six innings of work. He also struck out seven Brewers and really seemed to find his groove as the game progressed. His final line doesn’t really reflect how well he pitched as the final two runs scored after he left the game. Baseball is a team game and all your components need to be working together to consistently win and once again, it didn’t happen for the Pirates. The offense and starting pitching did their jobs but the bullpen failed again.

It isn’t entirely the bullpen’s fault as they were forced to face a second and third with nobody out situation in the seventh inning. Tony Watson and Daniel Hudson did what they could but the game turned on a two-run home run by the Brewers, Domingo Santana.

Personally, this was a perfect chance to forgo traditional bullpen roles and use your best reliever in the highest leverage spot. However, almost no manager in baseball would have used Felipe Rivero in the seventh inning. I would have because the game is on the line there. It wasn’t on the line in the eighth or ninth innings. The game turned because of a seventh inning home run hit off Daniel Hudson.

For Whom the Bell Tolls

The other hero of the night for the Pirates was the rookie sensation, Josh Bell. Bell hit his 13th home run of the season and added another hit and a walk. Critics will attempt to point out his .235 batting average and to that, I say, who cares?  Josh Bell may never have a high batting average but if he continues to slug home runs and maintains a decent OPS, he’ll be a very productive power-hitting first baseman. Something the Pirates have been missing for quite some time. We thought Pedro Alvarez could turn into that guy in 2015 but he never really got a feel for the position. Bell seems to actually be growing defensively. He obviously isn’t elite but he can certainly hold his own with the glove.

We thought Pedro Alvarez could turn into that guy in 2015 but he never really got a feel for the position. Bell seems to actually be growing defensively. He obviously isn’t elite but he can certainly hold his own with the glove. Josh Bell has become solid enough that Clint Hurdle has stopped removing him late for defense. That benefits the Pirates as it gives them more flexibility with the bench. Kudos to Hurdle for reading the situation and not sticking to the defensive replacement strategy he was implementing for a chunk of the season. Josh Bell deserves every chance to grow as a hitter and defender. Letting him play out entire games benefits him and the Pirates long term.

Thank You, Flower

I am aware that this is a baseball website but Wake-Up Calls are used often for rants and I feel compelled to wish now former-Penguins goalie, Marc-Andre Fleury well in Las Vegas. For those unaware, Fleury was selected by the Golden Knights in the NHL Expansion Draft and will play for a different team for the first time in his 14-year NHL career. Fleury has remained a popular figure in all Pittsburgh sports. He’s been seen rocking a Pirates’ cap for a long, long time. The man loves this city and he rooted for its sports teams.

Fleury has remained a popular figure in Pittsburgh. He’s been seen rocking a Pirates’ cap for a long, long time. The man loves this city and he rooted for its sports teams. The writing was on the wall for the Penguins and Fleury as Matt Murray emerged as the new number-one goalie.

However, before we move on, let’s look back and remember how important Fleury was to Pittsburgh. I will never forget where I was on June 12, 2009, when Fleury made the biggest save of his life in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Finals. He dove and went all out to stop the puck as the final seconds ticked away and all of Pittsburgh rejoiced as the Penguins delivered on all their youthful promise and won their first Stanley Cup since 1992. A lot changed from then and now but here’s to you, Marc-Andre. You are everything a great athlete should be and all of Pittsburgh wishes you nothing but the best.

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