Pirates lost last night 5-2 and are now 0-7 against the Astros this season. I’m not sure if the players forgot how to play baseball over the All-Star Break or what. The game last night was just plain ugly. Mistake after mistake. It was like I was watching the movie Major league, but the live version.

Bourgeois stole second base and then third off Doumit in the first inning which resulted in a run with a ground out to short from Keppinger. Doumit also had 3 passed balls, and went 0-4 with a K.

Carrasco came into the game and the first pitch he threw resulted in a solo HR (Keppinger).

Andy LaRoche came into PH and got a walk. With Tabata on and Walker at the plate down 4-1, LaRoche got picked off second.

I don’t even want to discuss the run down that was probally the worst play I have ever seen in my life.

Gallagher had a balk called.

It was just ugly. Plain Ugly. 

The Pirates didn’t bring the bats out last night either. Going into the 7th inning the Pirates had only 2 hits.

The only good part of the evening was Evan Meek. Fresh off his All-Star weekend he came in and struck out the sides in the 8th.

Zack Duke actually pitched pretty well. He went 5IP, 5H, 2R, 5K, 0BB. Threw 78 pitches. (He was on a 75 pitch count) Duke gave us the chance to win, the Pirates unfortunately lost this one with poor defense.

“I felt good,” he said. “I felt like I was commanding the ball pretty well. I felt like the stuff was crisp. The curveball was good. The changeup was good. The fastball was down.” -Zack Duke

“Not the game you’re looking for anytime of the year,” manager John Russell said. “A few too many mistakes. Some mental lapses. Again, we’ve got to take some heat off those mistakes by scoring some runs.”

Pirates.com 

• Ronny Cedeno has postive outlook for second half.

After starting 57 of the team’s first 64 games, Cedeno saw shortstop Bobby Crosby take the majority of the playing time beginning on June 16. Manager John Russell hoped that benching Cedeno would force the 27-year-old infielder to understand the need for better consistency and focus. It also gave Cedeno time to adjust his batting stance — the goal being that Cedeno would drive more balls — with hitting coach Don Long.

“I think this has really helped me,” Cedeno said, speaking to the events of the past month. “It was a help for me because they’re trying to make me a better player. That’s what I want. I’m going to try the best I can in the second half to finish strong, hit balls hard, take good at-bats, play with emotion. I want to show them that I’m here for one reason.”

“He’s been doing a much better job,” Russell said. “He’s attentive on defense. He’s having pretty good at-bats. He’s not letting things bother him. That’s what we’ve been striving for with him. Hopefully he’s turned the corner.

“I’m trying to be consistent because that’s what they want me to do,” Cedeno said. “Sometimes I’m trying to do too much. That’s what happens. We have a lot of games left, and I’m going to stay positive. I’m going to trust myself.”

Pirates.com

• Erik Kratz was called up a few days a few days ago. Last night at the ball park he was walking around with a constant smile on his face. I took a few pictures of him. I’m hoping he gets the start on sunday, I’m excited for him to get his first start.

•  
  
• With Stan Savran for an interview for Pirates Post Game

• 
  

Chatting with Pirates bench coach Gary Varsho. I apologize, my camera on my phone isnt very good. When he gets his first start ill be sure to use my real camera for better pictures.

A mini bio on Kratz:

• He was drafted by TOR in 2002, 29th round.
• He has played 9 minor league seasons with 8 different teams
• .254 AVG, 77HR, 295 RBI in 611 Career games
• This season with AAA Indy he was batting .296, 9HR, 37RBI

Other Pirates News:

• Jeff Locke in his AA Debut: 5 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 5 K
• Pirates officially moved RHP Chris Jakubauskas to 60-day DL. 
• Eastern League All Star Game: 

Chase D’Arnaud 1-2, Grand Slam, Named MVP

Josh Harrison 2-2, triple, 2RBI

Derek Hankins 1IP, 0H, 0er, 2K

• Most consecutive team AB without HR with runners on:

1984 ASTROS – 1,252

1979 ASTROS – 1,159

1976 ANGELS -1,157

1983 INDIANS – 1,089

1976 PADRES – 1,076

1974 RED SOX – 1,008

2010 PIRATES – 1,003

 If you have ever been to PNC Park before, you know how beautiful the view is. Well, last night the sky was looking pretty cool so I took a few pictures of it to share with you guys.

 After the game was over, I headed up to the HOF Club to meet up with a few friends and to watch Rocco Demaro’s post game show live.

Rocco interviewing Neal Huntington.

The highlight of my night by far was meeting Dave Parker. We sandwiched him. That’s stacy (left) and me on the right.=)

Today’s Pitching Matchup:

Bud Norris (2-6) 5.97 ERA. 

VS

Ross Ohlendorf (1-7) 4.22 ERA.

I won’t be at the game tonight, I gave my ticket away, I have a Bridal shower to go to. So no live updates via twitter or pictures. I’ll be back on Sunday though ready to fight the heat. =)

Around the Ballparks:

• The Yankees beat the Twins last night with a walk off Single by Nick Swisher. Emotions were running high (they had a pre game ceremony for Steinbrenner). If you missed the ending, watch the video here
• Worst bullpen in last 50 years was Tampa Bay’s 6.16 ERA in 2007. The Dbacks went into last nights game with a 6.59 ERA.
• Ryan Tatusko, who plays for AA Frisco RoughRiders (TEX) went 9IP, 0ER, 6H, 1BB, 5K last night winning 9-1. He has only Allowed 2ER in 28IP over last 4 starts
• Russell Martin excited last nights game with swollen left thumb. Here is what he had to say after the game:

@dylanohernandez: Martin: “They’re going to have to knock me out before they put me on the DL.”

@dylanohernadnez: Martin: “I don’t mind playing banged up. It’s part of the job.”

@dylanohernandez: Martin said his thumb started to bother him when the Dodgers were in Arizona. Tonight was the first time he felt it swinging the bat.

• Bengie Molina, yes you read that correctly, hit for the Cycle last night. The first cycle hit at Fenway since 6/6/96 (John Valentin), 1st by Ranger since 4/15/09 (Ian Kinsler).
• Kevin Wood was placed on the DL for a blister on his right finger. Jensen Lewis was called up from AAA Columbus.

I used to love Ren & Stimpy when I was a kid. Honestly, who didn’t? 

When I woke up this morning, that song was playing in my head. Not only is the All-Star break over, but the Pirates are at home for a 10 game home stand.

There’s no place quite like a ballpark, is there? =)

Today’s Pitching Matchup:

Brett Myers

6-6, 3.41 ERA

Myers has pitched atleast 6 innings in all of his 18 starts this season. Milledge hitting .357 (14 AB) against him.

VS

Zack Duke

3-8, 5.49 ERA

Duke is making his first start since June 16 (He was on the DL for left elbow stiffness) Duke will be on a 75 pitch count.

Berkman vs Duke: .250 AVG (24 AB) Lee vs Duke .269 AVG (26 AB)

Other Pirates News:

• Pirates signed third round pick Rojas Jr. The Outfielder will begin with the Class A State College Spikes.
• The Bucs are looking to start the second half off right.

“Everybody seems re-engergized,” Russell said at the Pirates workout at PNC Park. “It’s not just the break.”

“Being home is going to be good for us,” Russell said. “We’re excited.”

Pirates.com

• Ten possible positives for Pirates second half -PittsburghPostGazette
• No more platoon for Milledge -PittsburghPostGazette

Around the Ballparks:

• Tim Lincecum beat the Mets, 2-0. It was his 50th career win as well as his 4th career shutout. 9IP, 6H, 1BB, 5K, 110 Pitches, 77 for K.
• The White Sox won 9th straight yesterday after beating the Twins 8-7. Beckham went 2 for 3 with a HR (4) and 2 RBI. He is expecting a big second half after a slow start to the season.
• Jason Heyward returned to the lineup yesterday since coming off the DL. He went 0-4 with a K. But he did make this Amazing catch.
• The Orioles Matt Wieter was placed on the DL with a hamstring strain. The move is retroactive to Sat. Weieters came out of Friday’s game after a stumble at second base. Juan Samuel hoped the four day All-Star break would be enough to suppress the injury. Craig Tatum will be the likely choice to play behind the plate.

Before the game even started today I was nervous for the Pirates.

Oswalts career stats vs PIT: 27 starts, 16-7, 2.50 ERA, 153 K. Not to mention, Roy is just an extremely good pitcher.

He pitched a complete game 1 hit shutout (his 2nd career shutout to the Pirates) 8K, 2BB

The only hit of the game was from Neil Walker in the 1st inning.

Oswalt is the second starter to toss a 1 hit complete game against Pittsburgh this season (CIN Johnny Cueto was the 1st)

“He had everything working,” Manager John Russell said. “He was tough. Everything he did, he did what he wanted to do.”

“His fasball was exploding out of his hand,” added first baseman Garrett Jones. “It was just getting on guys. He kept us off balance, hit his spots. He just attacked the zone. It seemed like he was a lot better than the last time we faced him.”

Pirates.com

Let’s not forget about Ohlendorf though. Despite giving up 2ER (both solo HR by Berkman) he pitched a very good game. 7IP, 7H, 2ER, 5K, 1BB.

Not only has Ohlendorf allowed only 2 ER in his past 20 inings but he’s done so with his best fastball command with increased velocity.

“I think he’s found his niche again, ” Russell said. “He’s much more compact. He’s using his lower half much better, driving the ball down. I think he’s on track now.”

“I feel really good about how I’m throwing,” Ohlendorf said. “I just need to keep it going.”

Pirates.com

Walker 1-4

McCutchen 0-3, BB

Lee 2-4

Berkman 3-4, 2 Solo HR(12)

Lance Berkman has been a Pirates killer this series. He hit 4 HR in 3 games (only 12 HR on the season) he has 26 Career Home Runs vs Pittsburgh.

• Brendan Donnelly’s home ERA is just 0.68. His road ERA? 10.95!
• The Astros are now 6-0 vs the Pirates this season.
• Today was the 9th shutout of the season for the Pirates.
• The Pirates have now lost 35 of their 46 road games this season.

The Pirates are the only ML team yet to score more than 300 runs this season. After today’s game they have scored only 272. (The Astros today scored 300 and 301.) That’s just an average of 3.24 runs per game. The Average team is right around 372 runs so far this season.

Other news:

• Marlins Josh Johnson (last 10 starts)

6-2, 0.75 ERA, opp AVG .200, 69K/ 12BB. Just 6ER in 72 IP.

• Congrats to Joey Votto and Nick Swisher. They are the winners of the final vote contest for the All-Star game.
• The White Sox defeated the Angels 1-0 in 1 hour, 50 minutes today, the second fastest game of the year. (6/2 Cle vs Det, 1 hour, 44 mins.)
• Pirates Jeff Clement (AAA Indy) hit a HR in tonights game, his 6th HR in his last 26 games.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qLECMCargd8

Oh, Yes. I went there. I still love that commerical even though we all know “it wasn’t the shoes” it was the juice. But still.

The Pirates Pitchers gave up 4 Homeruns D. McCutchen with 3 (Keppinger, Lee, Berkman) and Carrasco gave up a solo HR in the 6th (Pence). The Astros aren’t known for hitting a lot of HR. In fact, the 4 HR’s they hit last night passed the Pirates for the least amount hit this season (at 50).

Pitchers:

• D. McCutchen LP (1-4) 5IP 4H 4ER 3K 3BB
• Carrasco 1 IP, 1H, 1ER, 1K, 1BB
• Meek 1 IP, 1H, 2K, 2BB (1 intentional)
• Hanrahan 1 IP, 1H, 1K, 1BB

Andrew McCutchen batted lead off for the 1st time since June 11th. I actually loved the lineup last night (except for Church being in the lineup. I’d rather have Milledge) A. McCutchen, Tabata, Walker, Jones, Alvarez, Doumit, Church, Cedeno, D. McCutchen.

D. McCutchen has now given up 11 HR in 28 1/3 innings this season.

The Pirates actually hit well last night. They had 5 doubles (GFJ #18 of the season, Cedeno #10, Church #10, Walker #10, Doumit #15) However, they went 3 for 14 with RISP and 11 LOB.

Andrew McCutchen (last 15 games) is only 9-51. Batting just .176, 0HR, only 2 RBI and 15 K’s.

Don’t hit the panic button on guys like Brad Lincoln/D. McCutchen just yet. (At the start of major league career):

Roy Halladay- 35 Starts, 13-20 5.92 ERA

Tom Glavine- 43 Starts, 9-21 4.81 ERA

Greg Maddux- 36 Starts, 8-18, 5.80 ERA

There is no place like home for the Pirates (2010 Home/road stats)

                                        Home                             Road

Record:                             19-20                              11-33

AVG:                                 .236                                .236

Runs                                 136                                  133

HR                                     22                                    31

ERA                                   4.42                                 5.79

BAA                                   .265                                .300

“It’s just inbelieveable. It really is. Ryan Church said of the accumulating road defeats. “I guess we’ve got to pretend everywhere’s PNC (Park).”

“They could have been better pitches.” McCutchen said of the three that landed over the wall. “I threw some good curveballs, some good sliders. My arm felt strong. My fastball command wasn’t as good as I’d like it to be.”

Pirates.com 

Daniel McCutchen was optioned to AAA Indy after the game.

The Pirates accuired Righty pitcher Sean Gallagher from the Padres for cash.(He will take D. McCutchens spot on the 25 man roster) Here is some info on Gallagher:

• He was DFA by SD on July 1st.
• He made 15 apperances witht he Padres and allowed 14 ER on 24 H in 23 1/3 innings. He struk out 21 and walked 19. Opp Avg: .276
• In 60 career appearences (Cubs, A’s, Padres) 23 Starts, 8-9 with a 5.57 ERA. 101 BB, 143 K in 173 Innings.
• He was the 2005 minor league pitcher of the year.

“I’d like to be a starter, but I’m ready for whatever role (the Pirates) have for me”. -Gallagher

• JR said that Gallagher will start off in middle relief role with the club.

“I think it’s more just being able to get some consistent work and being able to get back to the basics of just throwing.” When asked what has led to his command problems this season. “I’ve been a little erratic at times this year. I think I can definitely get that problem solved and be a big help.” – Gallagher

“I think the biggest thing is getting him in the pen and getting him right. It is just a matter of getting him on track.” – John Russell  Pirates.com

Minor League Updates:

• Hayden Penn 5IP, 6R, 12H
• Jeff Clement 3-5, HR, 2RBI
• Gorkys Hernanadez 1-4, RBI
• Aaron Pribanic WP (5-4) 5IP, 2H, 0ER, 5K
• Starling Marte 1-2, Run
• Bryan Morris was added to the MLB futures game roster. He will join Pirates Gorkys Hernandez.
• The Pirates promoted RHP Brett Lorin to Low A West Virgina. He spent the final weeks with WV, began this season with GCL Pirates.
• Rudy Owens 4.1 IP, 13H, 5ER, 0BB, 6K
• Aaron Baker 1-4, 2 Run HR (12)
• Phillip Irwin 7IP, 5H, 1ER, 4K (WP 4-1)

Other Pirates Notes:

• The Pen in 280 innings have 248 K’s (Pretty Great!!) The starting Pitching? in 452 innings have only 258 K’s. (only 10 more then the bullpen! Horrible.)
• The Pirates are now 0-8 vs the state of Texas this season. (Astros & Rangers)
• The run differencial is now -189.
•  Pirates pitchers have served up 94 HR, which is tied with the Phillies for the 2nd most in the NL.
• The Pirates are winless in the 5 games played at Minute Maid Park this season. It is the 20th loss in the last 22 road games.

• Offense this season (shortstop): NL Ranks

  AVG- .226 (T-14th), OBP .266 (Last), HR- 4 (T-10th), RBI- 21 (last), Runs- 14 (last)

Today’s Pitching matchup:

Ross Ohlendorf

1-6, 4.39 ERA

Ohly got his 1st win of the season his last outing, shutting down the Phillies for 7 innings. He struck out 8 and showed command of his fastball (which he hasn’t done all season). Ross has 2 career starts at Houston, both loses.

vs.

Roy Oswalt

5-10, 3.32 ERA

In 182 Innings pitched vs the Pirates he is 14-7 with a 2.62 ERA, 145 K’s.

•  Yesterday Frank Coonelly Chatted with Pirates fans. Here is the transcript:

Coonelly: Welcome, everyone, and thank you for joining me again this month. Let’s get started.

cypro: Mr. Coonelly what do you feel are the biggest challenges facing the Pirates going forward, and how are you planning on addressing these issues in a timely manner?

Coonelly: cypro, we have many challenges facing the organization, but, the biggest challenge by far remains completing the building of a championship team in Pittsburgh. We have made tremendous progress on that front in the last 2 1/2 years but work certainly remains to be done. We are attacking that challenge on a number of different fronts, including our efforts to sign many of the highly talented players who we selected in the 2010 Draft, continuing to develop the young talent working its way to Pittsburgh currently in the system, continuing to identify and sign talented players in the international market and continuing to explore the trade market for opportunities to improve the club. Following this season, we will also explore the Major League free agent market.

3pirates3: What about John Perrotto’s assertion that “if the Pirates worried half as much about winning as public perception then they wouldn’t have to worry about public perception?”

Coonelly: 3pirates3, I didn’t see that line from John but it surprises me if he, in fact, made that statement. John knows that all we worry about here is building a winning organization and every decision that we make is made to that end. In fact, we were criticized by others in the media for calling Pedro Alvarez up when we thought he was ready as a baseball player and did not announce four days before he was being called up that we had decided Pedro was ready to play in Pittsburgh, but we would not call him up for another four days because we wanted an opportunity to sell more tickets to his first game. The press does not always agree with our decisions, and they become particularly disagreeable during a 12- game losing streak, but the fans of the Pirates should know that our decisions are made for baseball reasons and not in an effort to sway public perception.

Bashers: Hi, Mr. Coonelly I am wondering when we are going to get serious about keeping are players in long term? It seems like they turn free agent and we say forget it, trade them and get young players that are not even ready to play.

Coonelly: Bashers, we are serious today about keeping winning players that can help us win championships for the long term. At the appropriate time, we will approach those players currently on the roster that fit that description regarding an opportunity to sign long-term agreements with the club. The part of our plan for success includes such a strategy but we must be selective. Many organizations, in various market categories, have hindered their ability to compete by burdening themselves with poor long-term contracts.

jm_bucsfan: Morton, Hernandez, Locke, Diaz, Strickland, Clement, Pribanic, Lorin, Adcock, Alderson, Harrison… All ‘prospects’ acquired last year, but do you really see anything there? So far, not so much.

Coonelly: jm_bucsfan, I could not disagree with you more that “so far, not much” promise has been shown by the players who you identified. Specifically, Jeff Locke, Josh Harrison, Nate Adcock are having outstanding seasons. Pribanic pitched five shutout innings last night and is starting to show why we were so high on him. Bret Lorin is just returning from a hip injury and remains an exciting player. Gorkys Hernandez has heated up over the last month and was recently named to the World Team in the Futures game. Tim Alderson has had his ups and downs at Altoona but has shown flashes of returning to a top prospect status. Charlie Morton is working his way back in Triple-A and continues to be a pitcher who we believe can be a productive member of our rotation in Pittsburgh. Jeff Clement struggled with the bat at the Major League level but we are not ready to give up on him yet either. If you look at the other side of those trades, you can quickly conclude that serious questions may be asked of our trading partners.

dogsjacob1: Mr. Coonelly, with Octavio Dotel potentially on the trading block, is Evan Meek being groomed to become closer, or will that opportunity be given to Danny Moskos?

Coonelly: Octavio Dotel is not on the trading block. We are fortunate, however, that both Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan have shown the stuff and fortitude to close games. Having options in that area certainly puts us in a position to entertain offers if another club is willing to overpay for one of our players. Danny Moskos has performed extremely well at the back end of the bullpen in Altoona and now at Indianapolis and is again showing the type of stuff to make you believe that he could be a closer one day as well. The talent that we have in this area could help us address needs in other areas.

gjs867: With our core offensive group coming together nicely, do you think we should pursue another power-hitter?

Coonelly: The young players who we have brought up this year are adding athleticism and energy to the club. Pedro Alvarez has added that “power hitter” that we have lacked. We foresee Pedro developing into that dangerous middle of the order bat that all clubs desire. Does that mean that we would not add another power hitter in this offseason, no. In reality, however, power hitters in their prime come at a very steep price either in the trade market or free agent market. Unlike American League teams, we are not in the position to add a pure DH like Vladimir Guerrero who was signed at a reasonable price by Texas during the last offseason.

cyredmond: How are the negotiations coming along with Taillon, Allie, Kingham, Kubitza and some of the other high school draftees and do you anticipate getting the majority of them signed?

Coonelly: cyredmond, we selected many high school players in this year’s Draft. Typically, high school players do not sign as quickly as college players who may have fewer options. We are working hard to sign each of the high school players who you mention as well as the other players we selected in this year’s Draft. We believe that we can sign a large number of these players and did not select any one of them simply as backup plans. Our intention is to add significant talent to the system from this year’s Draft class, a class that favored right-handed high school pitching.

Coonelly: Last question for today…

gjs867: With Justin Wilson, Rudy Owens, and Bryan Morris tearing up AA, is there more of a reason to deal Maholm or Duke?

Coonelly: We are extremely excited about the entire starting rotation in Altoona but you are right that Bryan Morris, Justin Wilson and Rudy Owens, in particular, have been among the most productive starters in Double-A this year. Our optimism that these pitchers as well as other like Michael Crotta at Indy, Charlie Morton (Indy), Kevin Hart (rehabbing), and Tim Alderson and Jared Hughes at Altoona have a chance to be productive Major League pitchers in Pittsburgh does not make it more likely that we will attempt to trade Paul Maholm or Zach Duke. They do, however, give us many legitimate options for the rotation in Pittsburgh in 2011 and beyond.

Coonelly: Thanks again, everyone for joining me. I look forward to talking with you all again next month.

Pirates.com 

Around the Ballparks:

• Jake Peavy has a detached muscle in his shoulder. He was placed on the 15 day DL.
• Heath Bell replaces Yovani Gallardo (DL) on the NL All-Star Roster.
• Rafael Soriano replaces Mariano Rivera on the AL All-Star Roster.
• The Rockies placed Todd Helton on the 15 day DL with back stiffness.
• The Rays David Price became the 1st 12 game winner last night after sweeping the Red Sox.
• The Braves are the first NL team to 50 Wins.
• Buster Posey last night: 4-4, 6RBI’s, 2HR, 1 grand Slam. Giants beat the Brewers 15-2.
• @FollowthePadres: “Matt Stais, who told me, “Swing like you live–hard” just tied Cliff Johnson for the most PH HR’s in MLB history. (20)
• Adam Dunn hit 3 HR last night. He is the 1st National to do so since Alfonso Soriano on 04/21/2006.
• The Cubs placed RHP Brian Schlitter on the DL with right shoulder impingement and recalled RHP Mitch Atkins from Iowa.
• The Dodgers placed RHP Ronald Belisario on the restricted list due to personal reasons and reinstated RHP Carlos Monasterios.

I was watching MLBNetwork before the game and that’s what they refered the Pirates/Astros series as. The race for the basement. (Which is pretty funny, as well as pretty sad)

Some Brad Lincoln Stats: (before last nights game)

(4th overall pick, 2006 draft)

Career with the University of Houston:

19-11 3.30 ERA, 293 K’s (3rd all time)

2006: 12-2 1.69 ERA, 3CG, 2 Shutouts

C-USA Pitcher of the year

3 Starts at Minute Maid Park:

2/12/06 vs Texas Tech: 7IP, 5H, 0ER, 1BB, 9K

Wed vs Cubs: (1st ML Win) 7IP, 4H, 0ER, 1BB, 6K- 93 Pitches

Last 3 Starts: 1-1, 2.84 ERA, 19 IP

Last night for Brad was not a very good one. In the 1st inning he gave up 2 ER, including a solo HR. In the 3rd inning he gave up 4 hits, Berkman hit a 2 run HR, 3ER. In the 4th inning he came up with the bases loaded, 2 outs (Lincoln is a very good hitter for a pitcher. He was 3 for 8 coming into yesterday’s game) and stuck out.

He went 5IP, 7H, 5R, 5ER, 0K, 1BB -88 Pitches

The most alarming part is the fact that he didn’t strike out a single person. Yikes.

He had over 150 friends and family at the game cheering him on. That’s got to feel pretty crummy.

Here is what Lincoln had to say after the game:

“You always want to do well in front of family and friends. I wouldn’t say I was trying too hard out there. I was just kind of upset that that’s the way it ended up. I couldn’t ever get in a groove.”

“I wasn’t really that emotional. I had some butterfilies in the first inning, but it was just a case where I couldn’t get comfortable out there.”

John Russell:

“He just couldn’t hit his spots. He wanted to do really well. Sometimes it’s another piece to the growing pains and development. He’s got to be able to understand the situation, maintain his composure and throw the ball the way he’s capable of.”

Pirates.com 

• The Pirates lost 2-6 and are now 0-4 against Houston this season.
• They fall to 11-33 on the road (NL Worst)
• The Astros have won 14 of last 19 meetings 

Walker 1-3, BB, Run

Jones, 1-4, RBI

Berkman (98 Career RBI against the Pirates) 1-4, HR (9), 3RBI

Lee 2-4, HR (11), 2 Runs

Rodriguez 7IP, 4H, 1ER, 10K (season high), 2BB

WP: Rodriguez (6-10)

LP: Lincoln (1-3)

Other Pirates Notes:

• Steve Pearce will be out until at least Aug. He had a platlet rich plasma injection yesterday. GM said surgery still possible, but not likely. Won’t know for another 4-6 weeks.  -Pirates.com
• Series vs Phillies:

Jose Tabata                Pedro Alvarez

4 for 16                      6 for 16

double, 2RBI              Double

3 Runs                      2 HR

1SB                          4RBI

.350 with RISP

• Garrett Jones last HR was 13th of June
• Bullpen ERA (Since June 26):

Cleveland Indians 1.26

Toronto Blue Jays 1.78

Pittsburgh Pirates 1.90

San Francisco Giants 2.50

Kansas City Royals 2.52

• Matt Hague (AA Altoona)

This season: 80 games:

.309 AVG, 17 doubles, 50 RBI

Last 10 games:

.410 AVG, 6 Doubles, 12 RBI, .478 OBP

• AAA Indy:

Brandon Moss 2-5, HR (11), 3RBI, 2 Runs

Clement 3-5, HR (5), 2RBI, 3 Runs

Powell 6IP, 7H, 3ER, 5K, 0BB

Indianapolis beat Louisville, 9-7

• Nathan Baker (Class A West Virgina Power) Threw 8 hitless innings and recorded a career high 8 K’s. He got his 6th W on the season and threw just 95 pitches. -Pirates.com 
• Pedro Alvarez bat starting to come alive? So far in July he is hitting .375 with 2 HR.
• Consecutive Games with a HR: (Pirates rookies since 2005):

2009 G. Jones- 4

2006 P. Paulino- 3

2010 P. Alvarez- 2

2009 G. Jones- 2

2009 A. McCutchen- 2

2007 C. Maldonado- 2

2006 N. Mclouth- 2

• The new Brad Lincoln Song (it’s actually pretty funny) -937thefan

During the game last night, I started thinking. It seemed like the Pirates never play very well after having the previous day off. So I looked at the scoreboard to see what the record was after an off day. Here is what I got:

April 7, W 4-3

April 16, W 4-3

April 20, L 1-8

May 4, W 3-2

May 14, W 10-6

June 4, L 4-6

June 8, L 2-5

June 15, L 4-6

June 22, L 3-6

Yesterday, July 6, L 2-6

The record: (4-6) being outscored 37-51.

That’s 5 straight loses after having a day off. 1 game under .500. Maybe I’m just overthinking things but shouldn’t having a day off be good? Maybe its just coincidental because the Pirates haven’t been playing that well during that stretch anyway. It was just a weird observation.

Around the Ballparks:

• Rafael Furcal was named the NL Player of the week.
• Tigers Brennan Boesch is the June AL Rookie of the month.
• Jim Thome was the AL Player of the week. (.400 with 4HR’s)
• Marlins Gaby Sanchez is the NL Rookie of the month for June.
• Marlins Josh Johnson is the NL Pitcher of the month for June.
• A-Rod is now tied with Manny Ramirez for the 2nd most Grand Slams in MLB History with 21. Lou Gehrig has the record with 23.
• Johnny Damon has 2 hits last night. His 1st was his 2500th hit. The second was a walkoff HR in the 11th inning.
• Ryan Zimmerman hit 2HR yesterday, including a walkoff solo HR in the 9th. His 4th multi HR game of the season and 8th career walkoff hit.
• Johan Santana threw a 3 hit shutout last night and hit his 1st career Home Run to defeat the Reds.
• Jered Weaver has been named to the American League all Star team replacing CC Sabathia.
• Fan falls from the upper deck at Texas Rangers game -mlb.com

Today’s Pitching Matchup:

Daniel McCutchen:

1-3, 8.87 ERA

McCutchen gave up just 1ER in his last outing against the Phillies. He got ahead of 12 of the 23 batters he faced, earning his 1st win of the season.

vs

Brian Moehler

1-4, 5.20 ERA

Here is how the Pirates stack up against him:

• Cedeno .364 AVG, 1RBI (11AB)
• Church .333 AVG, 1HR, 1RBI (15 AB)
• Doumit .250 AVG, 5RBI (12 AB)
• GFJ .400 AVG (5 AB)
• A. McCutchen .167 AVG (6 AB)
• Milledge .333 AVG (3 AB)
• Crosby .500 AVG (2AB)

I hate when the Pirates have an off day. (I’m sure the players enjoy it, they deserve a break.) I feel strange when I’m not at the ballpark or watching the Pirates on TV. Don’t judge me. It’s like I’m cheating on the Bucco’s when I watch other games. I kid, I kid. I do enjoy watching other teams. (Speaking of that, the Phillies/Braves game was great last night! Did you guys watch it?) As a baseball Junkie in general I love watching all different matchups and going to all different ballparks. The Pirates are just my favorite.

Today’s Pitching Matchup:

The Hometown kid, Brad Lincoln will take the mound vs Wandy Rodriguez.

Lincoln is 1-2, 4.65 ERA. His last outing was his very first ML win. They key for Brad is not to be hesitant to attack the strike zone and to pitch with that nasty curve of his. He only lives 15 minutes from the Downtown Houston area and will have close to 150 friends and family members in attendance for his 1st career start in his hometown. (That’s pretty cool!)

Rodriguez is 5-10 with a 5.30 ERA. He lost six of his previous seven decisions before winning his last 2 straight. 7IP only 1ER-last outing

• Zack Duke threw 29 pitches in his rehab start at AA Altoona yesterday. 3IP, 1ER, 3H, 0BB, 1K.
• Jeff Clement catched in his 1st game since April 2009 (Yesterday in AAA Indy) -I don’t want to look too much into this, but I just can’t help myself. Perhaps the Pirates will ship off Doumit and Bring up Clement as the new catcher? Tony Sanchez will take longer than expected thanks to a broken jaw. (He is currently in High A Brandenton) I’m all for it. Clement has been doing pretty well in AAA. (In his past 24 games he has 25 hits, 11 doubles, 4HR, 17RBI, .301 OBP, .532 SLG, .266AVG) Although, not as much power than Doumit, there is no doubt in my mind that he would be an upgrade deffensively.
• The Pirates sign 6 international prospects: RHP Yunior Montero, LHP Cristian Hernandez, OF Miguel DeAza, SS Rodney Polonia, OF Yunior Valdez, and LHP Melvin Rosario -Read more at Buccofans.com

Other Baseball News:

• Doc Halladay pitched his 7th Complete game of the season last night. It only took him 93 pitches, gave up only 5 hits to get his 10th W of the season. (It was his 2nd straight CG) The Phillies beat the Braves 3-1. His 93 Pitches were the 3rd fewest in a CG in his career. 84 pitches (10/5/06 vs Cleveland) and 88 pitches (5/13/06 vs Tampa Bay)

Consecutive Seasons with 10 + Win’s (at All-Star Break)

Juan Marichal-8 (1962-69)

Catfish Hunter-7 (1970-76)

Roy Halladay-6 (2005-2010)

Bob Gibson-6 (1965-70)

Sandy Koufax-6 (1961-66)

• Andy Pettitte will replace Clay Buchholz (DL) for the All-Star Game.
• Nate McClouth is finally showing progress from his concussion (When he collided with Jason Heyward back on June 9th) He took BP over the weekend for the 1st time. He will be re-evaluated today and could be cleared to begin a minor league rehab later this week.
• White Hot: Carlos Quentin (last 18 games) .345 AVG, 7HR, 20 RBI – The CWS are 14-4 During that span
• Rafael Furcal scored his 11th straight run yesterday, the longest streak in History since the Dodgers moved to the West Coast back in 1958. The Dodgers lost to the Marlins 6-5.
• Biggest All-Star Snubs this year? Padres pitchers (Whose bullpen leads ERA in the majors) and Joey Votto (.313/.414/.574, 19 HRs, 57 RBIs). Read more here
• Joey Votto (last 14 games) .353 AVG, 7HR, 16RBI. The reds are 11-3 during that span.
• Kevin Millwood has a 10.20 ERA in his last 7 starts. His ERA was only 3.38 in his first 5 starts this season.
• Corey Hart extended his hitting streak to 20 games yesterday- the longest active streak in baseball.
• The Tigers scored 12 runs without hitting a HR yesterday, their most since also scoring 12 runs without a HR on July 22, 2005.