Yesterday I forgot. So...let's talk about the weekend games now. I'd prefer not to talk about last night's game, except to say that I'm now endorsing a quick hook on Dave Bush. 100 pitches, six innings, whatever: if it goes well, yank him. Especially when the bullpen is fresh, which it looks like it may often be for Bush's starts.
Here are the matchups for the rest of the series:
- Friday, 7:05 CT: Paul Maholm vs. Claudio Vargas
- Saturday, 6:05 CT: Zach Duke vs. Jeff Suppan
- Sunday, 1:05 CT: Tony Armas vs. Ben Sheets
Even after last night's game, Pittsburgh is still under .500, though they are second in the division. (Kinda funny that the Brewers, Pirates, and Reds are the top three right now, huh?) As it was when we last met the Rats, their offense is still putrid. Team OBP: .293. In other words, it's like Counsellino from one through nine. What's keeping them afloat are impressive pitching performances from Tom Gorzellany and Ian Snell, neither of which we'll have to face again until some future series.
Some reading from the Rat-o-sphere for the more well-balanced among you:
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Bucs Dugout thinks about Adam LaRoche's icy coldness.
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Where Have You Gone, Andy Van Slyke does the same with Salomon Torres.
- Bucco Wire notes the hot start of Pittsburgh prospect Bryan Bullington. He's no Gallardo, but he could be yet another solid (and cheap) young arm to add to Duke, Snell, Maholm, and Gorzellany. Amazing that a team with so much decent pitching (that is basically free, by baseball standards!) can't have more success than the Pirates have had.