Not in Our House!

As of this writing, the New York Mets have finally clinched their NL East division championship, spraying champagne tonight all over Shea Stadium. The place could use a cleaning.

The smart money, of course, had said that the celebration would occur this past weekend in Pittsburgh, and a number of Mets fans played that bet, making the trip west and helping to swell the crowds at PNC.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the coronation. The Bucs derailed the Mets three times in a row, behind solid pitching from Paul Maholm, Tom Gorzelanny (albeit an abbreviated, four-inning effort) and most impressively, Zach Duke, who finished the sweep with eight innings of shutout ball. Thanks to the Phillies sweep of the Astros the same weekend, the New Yorkers didn't even back into the championship at PNC.

There may be reasons for a pessimist like the Buccin' Ear to downplay the sweep, but frankly, he can't think of any. The Mets had plenty to play for, they weren't resting their starters, and there is no way that they wanted to be swept by the likes of the humble Buccos. They also were anxious to prove that they aren't vulnerable to lefthanded pitching, but the series showed anything but. Maholm, Gorzelanny and Duke gave them a total of three runs in 19 innings. Have no doubt that potential opponents of the Mets in the playoffs are thinking of ways to get southpaw pitching to the mound.

The 5-1 homestand left the Bucs at 63-87, meaning that a 100-loss season, which had seemed likely at the All-Star break, has been avoided. They are 33-27 since the break and 41-34 at home. Respectability, anyone?

Well, we'll talk about that after the upcoming road trip, a potential horror show, not simply because it's a road trip (remember that 22-53 record away from PNC), but because it runs through Los Angeles and San Diego, where the Dodgers and the Padres are fighting it out for an NL West division crown. The Padres grabbed the upper hand by winning three of four from the Dodgers in their just-completed series. Both teams have undoubtedly mentally penciled in a Buc brooming. If the Pirates can make a respectable showing against teams desperate for victories (much more desperate than the Mets), there will be additional grounds for cautious optimism.

Still, additional optimism comes from the recent resurgence of Duke, who has shaved a full run off his ERA since starting slowly at the beginning of the second half. He appears to have regained the form of last year, when he demonstrated great control that made his sinker extremely effective. Just as important, in the Buccin' Ear's view, is the continued growth of Chris Duffy, who seems to be laying claim to the centerfield spot for next year. He had another strong series against the Mets, hitting well, driving in and scoring runs, and stealing bases. Then there's Salomon Torres, whose yeoman work in place of Mike Gonzales has earned him the Buccin' Ear's vote as most valuable Buc this year.

All that said, the Pirates offense remains suspect. More on that in an upcoming post. For now, let's just let the Bucs enjoy the champagne the Mets didn't get to drink this weekend.