Reason to Believe

Let's review. When we last checked in our heroes, they had lost one game to the Kansas City Royals, and had blown a 4-0 lead in the second game of the series. The outcome? The Pirates went on to lose that game, were humiliated by the Chiefs in the series finale, 15-7 and have moved on to Los Angeles where, blinded by the Hollywood lights, they fell once again on Friday, 10-4. They have lost nine in a row, bringing their record to 26-49.

Want variety? Well, the team used to specialize in losing one-run games. No more. Over the nine games of the current losing streak, they have been outscored 69-37 and have lost just two of the nine games by one run. A season needs variety, after all.

The Post Gazette pointed out, correctly in my opinion, that the three-game sweep in Kansas City officially makes the Pirates the worst team in baseball, overall record notwithstanding. Against a terrible Royals team, the Pirates held four-run leads in each of the first two games of the series.

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Truth be told, following the aborted posting above from one week ago, the Buccin' Ear has been at a loss to comment on the play of the Pirates, who last night (June 29) finally brought an end to the historic losing streak that reached an unlucky 13 before Freddie Sanchez, that brave light shining in the darkness, sent a pitch over the fence in the ninth for a 7-6 win over Baseball Super Power the Chicago White Sox. The scene of Sanchez being mobbed at the plate was, sadly, pathetic. It felt like what we would see if a high school team won a game from a Triple A club. Every once in a while a pig flies, the Buccin' Ear supposes.

Of course, the once-in-a-fortnight win couldn't have been completed without the usual heroic efforts by the Pirates to lose the game. They scored six runs off undefeated Jose Contreras, but still led only 6-4 in the eighth, thanks to another subpar performance by slow-starting Zach Duke, who might want to get a new alarm clock. The former Wonder Boy once again snoozed through the early innings, giving up four runs in the first two before settling down and throwing four shutout innings to post what passes for a "decent" start by a Pirates starter these days.

Roberto Hernandez, who has been a bullpen standout, was handed the ball. Facing Jim "Paul Bunyan" Thome with one on, Hernandez was left in by Resident Genius (RG) Jim Tracy, despite the fact that four lefthanders lounged in the bullpen. Before one could say "blown lead," Thome had plunked the ball into the Allegheny River. As usual, Tracy refused to second-guess himself, leaving it to Hernandez to berate himself for throwing a bad pitch. Whatever happened to the idea that a manager's job is to put his players in the position in which they have the best chance to succeed? Don't look for that from RG, who always makes the right decisions, but sadly doesn't have the players who can bring out his brilliance.

And please, RG, spare us the chocolate brown snow you blew after Sanchez (a guy you resisted putting in the lineup) bailed you out. On and on RG blathered about how close the Pirates are. To what? one might reasonably inquire. Moving to Siberia to play in the Gulag League?

So the team lists to the midway point, belatedly cleaning house by sending Oliver Perez to the minors and jettisoning dead wood Ryan Vogelsong. Saturday they get a start from Tom Gorzelanny, who has shown great promise at Triple A. Welcome to Pittsburgh, Tom. The Buccin' Ear wishes you well, but you might want to catch that next plane to Siberia. You might prefer the conditions.