43 Comments

QP showing up in relief tonight 5ip 1h 1r 1bb 9k's to get the win in Indy. Looked like some good starts throughout full season affiliates.

Expand full comment

Massey, solo, and dotel all with good ones too! Kinda odd to see priester as the third pitcher of the game lol

Expand full comment

Yeah he got a blown save and the win. Nice seeing him get 9 k's in 5 innings.

Expand full comment

Rich Hill now a mop up guy out of the bullpen.

Getting rid of him was either BC's best sales job, or one of Preller's many horrible signs.

Expand full comment

Choi has been hurt too, getting anything for them was big

Expand full comment

I like the return we got for Hill and Choi. Wolf is at worst a depth starter or long lefty reliever once through kinda guy, a lottery ticket and Rivas who hit a couple hr's and triples with solid defense.

Hopefully Wolf and the lottery ticket pan out. As long as Rivas plays solid defense it's a win.

Expand full comment

Rivas isnt good, but at least hes a legit major leagueish 1B, which is probably better than what we would have done without him

Expand full comment

On a side note Schanuel is having his worst game as a pro hitting wise. He's only 1 for 4 with a run, rbi, hit by pitch, but 2 k's.

I think his power will start showing up in the next week or 2.

Expand full comment

Yep, anything we get with the bat is gravy. Watch him breakout the last month just to disappoint us next year because BC thinks he got a hole in the lineup filled.

Expand full comment

Go bucs! Go mitch! Go Ke!

Expand full comment

austin meadows' brother just hit a walk off home run against the astros. first career home run too. that's fun

Expand full comment

Rob King might ask dumber questions than Robbie.

Expand full comment

Finally one Vs the Cubs!!!

Expand full comment

Is it me or is Bednar is now getting a lot fouls and a hard time getting swing and misses.

Expand full comment

not just you.

Expand full comment

As the Gunner would say, “Got him by a gnat’s eyelas!”

Expand full comment

Mitchie the Kid is Back!!!!

Expand full comment

Let this be Hayes from now on!

Expand full comment

elroy face is sharp as a tick

all time favorite pirate

Expand full comment

Solo is dealing today

Expand full comment

Little disappointing to hear 89-91 with the FB. I was under the impression that he had added a couple clicks (92-95mph) earlier in the season?

Expand full comment

89-91 mph fastball, low 80’s slider, control seems to spot on.

Expand full comment

And just like that, an 8 pitch walk followed by a bomb.

Expand full comment

We combine cursed him

Expand full comment

It was a perfect game thru 4+, so maybe 🤔

Expand full comment

You bass terds lol

Expand full comment

Roman Maroni! Is that you, you ice hole? 😁

Expand full comment

Jeff did it first!,!

Expand full comment

Im not sure if im more frustrated that palacios is hitting fourth or that peggy is on the bench once gain

Expand full comment

Could Peggy be hurt, some sort of nagging injury?

Expand full comment

That is a good question, even though it's awful that it's a legit question. There is zero reason to bat Palacios in the clean-up spot. You wouldn't even do that if he was playing for Indianapolis right now. As for the other one, I'm guessing he just really likes the defense from Williams, but there's no good reason he should be getting time over Peguero. If you're worried about Peguero on defense, sub in Williams late. Peguero isn't going to develop on the bench. I have no idea why you would decide to not play him every single day

Expand full comment

It really seems like Dumbo is determined to make a point of not trying to improve.

Expand full comment

I'm sure Dumbo's answer would be quite the word salad if any beat writers were to ask him why he's not playing Peguero. Shelton has a little bit of Hurdle in him when he's asked questions he has no answers for.

Expand full comment

Do you honestly believe they (Shelton and Cherington) care about improving the rest of this year? Which begs the real question of, what are they doing? What if anything are the goals for the remainder of the year other than just playing out the string?

Expand full comment

I see no evidence that they care about improving ever. They just go with the guys they like on a personal level.

Expand full comment

I know I mentioned it somewhere, not sure if the exact thread, but that was in the Kyle Boddy thread I QT'd on Twitter. That there is a lot of personal interest driving decisions in MLB front offices. Pushing "their guys" instead of a organizational wide emphasis on development. Does feel Ben falls under this, especially considering a lot of his acquisitions of players from his former clubs.

Expand full comment

You'll find that same impulse in almost any workplace. People think baseball is somehow different from working in an office or something, but it's not. I saw plenty of it myself, especially as a management lawyer who had to deal with personnel disputes. It's a classic sign of mediocre and sub-mediocre managers. Gravitating toward the familiar and comfortable, instead of aiming for quality.

Expand full comment

The Peguero thing is insane. I can’t be bothered with Palacios and where he bats. He sucks, but the Pirate outfield options suck. Whatever. But Peguero is the future, at least theoretically. You put him in the lineup every day for the rest of the season, either at short or at second.

It feels like Shelton is so shocked to actually have someone who is a good defensive player that he has to play with his toy every day because it’s so much fun after all the crap defenses the Pirates have thrown out there during his tenure. But this is the problem with the Pirates: they’ve been down for so long they don’t know what excellence actually looks like any more. Williams is a good defender. Is he Ozzie Smith or Andrelton Simmons good? Um, no.

Expand full comment

When they truly believe A. Williams is Ozzie Smith, Jr. with less bat, Shelton will put him in RF to fix our outfield defense and bat him 3rd or 4th because that is where you bat the RF.

Expand full comment

Which returns me directly to my question. What are they doing? Peguero should be at second and Bae in center. Essentially they’re choosing to play Suwinski instead of Peguero. What are they looking for?

Do they expect a guy who is hitting .070 for the month of August and hasn’t hit a home run in over a month to suddenly break out and hit 10 home runs in September so they can justify keeping him? None of this makes any sense.

Expand full comment

I agree that Bae should be getting more time in center and Liover at 2nd with at least a game or 2 at short a week.

Suwinski needs to go over some game film of his at bats in Seattle and try to get the mechanics he was using then.

Expand full comment