100 Comments

Shelton somehow finds a way to keep this team breathing after some obvious struggles, tip of the cap for out managering the beloved Rockies manager who received such adulations during this series, way to go Shelton👏👏👍👍🤣🤣

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Really? This is a team mired in the worst stretch of offensive baseball in years, historically bad, and instead of actually trying, you had your 3bman stop running at 2B on a flyball that hit 10 feet up the wall in right, failing to score on the play and almost thrown out if not for the catcher bobbling the ball. Then you had both your SS and 1B (who have both been awful for weeks) standing at home plate admiring their flyballs to RF instead of running the bases.

I'm sure they will all get a good laugh out of it afterwards and then explain after their next loss that they are all struggling and "working through it." A serious manager of a serious team would have walked out onto the field and pulled both of them for a pinch runner and then benched them the next game. They are not working and not trying despite being the worst team in baseball for a month.

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I'm actually ok with Cruz if he admires a home run as he seemed to not be happy or having fun for the last month. Maybe having fun will have him be the CRUZ we want/expect. ..

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No, im not really super serious about this, I just like having some fun with this gang with my weekly positive Shelton comment. I do, though, probably lean in the 'Shelton isnt the issue' column with our continued losing the past years, it is the weak roster(s).

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Any idea what’s going on with Lauer? They need to add him by the 15th or he can opt out.

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Cherington on why the hitting is so bad:

"Some bad luck, better defense on the other side, weather."

Are you a Pirate fan? Do you have the IQ of a pair of tweezers? Ben Cherington thinks you do.

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Cherington knows most Pirate fans aren’t stupid. He’s doing his job as a shill for Nutting and simply doesn’t care what anyone thinks.

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Bad luck for a few games? Sure, but not for weeks. Better defense? Absolutely not 5+ series in a row. Weather? Good thing the other team gets to play in different weather when they are at bat!

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Again, it's not days, it's not weeks. It's 4+ years. This is Ben's offense. It's been his offense since the day he arrived.

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Love to know how long a player has to be buns before the algorithm is disregarded

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Looks like Skenes' velo was "down" (obviously not slow, but some of his slowest fastballs this season) and he gave up a few knocks and 2 runs, including his first homer. Definitely not a bad performance by any means, but considering he was hit at all thats probably some support for how his load has been managed so far getting accustomed to a new schedule

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"Down" for an average of 99.3 mph for his entire start and 97.9 mph on the home run on a 3-2 pitch. Sometimes you just are 'off' 1%. I'm completely ok with making Paul used to pitching more like majors and less like college, but this is spin alley type reporting to justify the service time manipulation. We are trying to pace Skenes to 'tick some boxes' each start for either late may or early June call up to avoid super 2 and control through 2030 year.

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Certainly someone in the studio has to notice Brault's jacket collar is flipped up in the back.

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I am sure his wife let him know and you can be rest assured that it will never happen again 🤣🤣🤣

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Really? Shelty is letting Rowdy do the on-field interview? C'mon.

At least Hannah is giving him some shit.

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Whoop whoop!! Raise it!! 16 down and 127 to go!!

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Good win. I'd be happier, but Neil Walker is still talking.

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He mentioned during the rally that he was standing up in the booth -- I assume that's because he talked the legs off his chair.

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Pretty impressive top 3 in the order in Indy. BA and OPS.

Bae .382 1.034

Gonzales, N .363 1.027

Lamb .403 1.095

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Bae = 19K in 65 PAs. 29%

For a contact guy, I'd really love to see that much closer (or below) 20. Even Nick's K rate has dipped below 20%

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Two more k's today. BABIP over .600 right now. He'd be in big trouble at the MLB level right now, IMO.

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If he gets hits 38% of the time, I am ok if he strikes out 62% of time. I get what you are saying though about there being some red flags out there before we bring him up.

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Peguero gets an honorable mention hitting over .300 and 22 rbis.

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Curious why Bubba Chandler was used in relief today in Altoona.

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Load management in an attempt to prevent TJ surgery down the road.

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Maybe to get a few innings in. Didn't he only go a third of an inning earlier in the week (pitch count)? Might have been his day for a bullpen session.

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He threw 70 pitches in four and a third innings Tuesday against the Senators in the series opener.

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Yep, the third of an inning was the week before.

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I was at the game so I was shocked when they brought him in and shocked when he went three innings but at the same time it was great watching him pitch. I told my nephew the same thing WTM said, they figured it was the best chance they had at ending the streak, lol. He's the real deal. He was hitting 97-98 consistently and 99 at least once and they only hit two balls hard off of him, a single to left and the last out which was a drive to center that Tres Gonzalez got a great jump on and ran down to catch it at the wall. Watching Solometo and Chandler pitch was worth sitting two hours and a half in a chilly mist with some gusting winds, lol.

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double bonus

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A guess: They were desperate to stop the losing streak, their bullpen has been a s***show and they needed 3 innings.

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And yet they keep over-drafting numerous college pitchers who have largely demonstrated a lack of control and command, after pitching with high level college pitching coaches for 3 years. Because BC thinks they suddenly will for some reason improve, and the disastrous annual minor league bullpen issues will resolve. They never do, of course.

So we should prepare, again, in this year's draft, starting in round 4 or 5 another series of college pitchers with college ERAs of >5. While the Brewers are drafting players like Cooper Pratt in the 6th round that actually have potential.

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Reynolds showing Tellez and Cruz how to hustle out of the box instead of admiring a fly ball.

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Cruz knew his was gone. 429 feet no doubter. I don't hold that against any player when they crush one.

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I agree on that one -- but in the fourth he stood and watched one that wasn't a no doubter that bounced off the wall.

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That's fair. I didn't turn game on until bottom 5th

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Reynolds shows how you hustle out of the box!

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Hitting and base running are both horrible most days. Today’s gaffes were pretty much business as usual.

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Really nice to see a good cluster of hits in the sixth....some good swings (see what happens when you swing?) and good contact.

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Just wondering. The times we set our line-up right, left, right, left...., does that decrease the chances of seeing a good cluster of hits all in a row.

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I'm sure someone has sabred that up.

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Gotta give tellez some props on that catch!

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Same with Williams. Some fancy stuff.

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Williams’ catch was especially nice but I’ve come to expect that from him.

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Ben Heller has fanned 5 of 5 so far today. May be some useful depth there.

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Said to my daughter at the start of the inning that 3rd time through they should … :)

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Amazing what happens when you don't give the pitcher an automatic strike 1 in every AB.

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