Official Game Thread - 4/1 - Bucs @ Reds

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:33 pm

Very surprised that David Bell let Lodolo throw 109 pitches in his first start of season. I don't think a Pirate threw that many pitches in a game all of last year.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:40 pm

Hill is benefitting from a bad HP ump.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:47 pm

Hill is done. Shelton (and or BC?) seems to be a firm believer in having the BP pitch about half of every game regardless of how the starter is pitching. Last year it took 4 games before their starter went past the 4th inning and it took 11 games before it happened a second time.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 9:54 pm

Good thing Hill was taken out. Bucs were Sheltoned. The plan is the plan. Performance is irrelevant.

GreenWeenie · Post by **GreenWeenie** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 10:11 pm

FWIW, Hill's the expected starter for the home opener.

WildwoodDave2 · Post by **WildwoodDave2** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 10:31 pm

500

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:04 pm

625740404B7240404B4C40250 wrote: FWIW, Hill's the expected starter for the home opener.
That's not until next Friday. He was pulled at 84 pitches after retiring 13 of 15 and the game got out of hand before 3 more outs were recorded. The Pirates have never outlined a strategy but if last year is any indication, they seem to go into each game with a plan to use the starter as a "5-inning opener" before the BP takes over the rest of the game. In the 2nd half of 2022 with the BP overworked, they started letting Keller go 6.

But these are the average length of starts last year:

Keller 5.1

Brubaker 5.1

Wilson 4.2

Thompson 4.2

Contreras 4.2

Quintana 4.2 (5.2 as a Cardinals starter)

Sometimes, it was simply poor pitching or high pitch counts. But other times (such as today), it did not seem due to pitch count or performance. It just seems to be a predetermined move decided upon before the game's first pitch. No one shoots the Pirates in the foot as well as the Pirates.

GreenWeenie · Post by **GreenWeenie** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:15 pm

I agree with you, Ster. My post was just the fact that he's the H.O. starter; no underlying comment.

I've agreed with nearly every comment you've made so far. I share your concerns. I would love to know HOW decisions are made, then the Why.

I like to learn. I just hope that there would be something TO learn. I wonder sometimes.

Love the last line. True as true can be. In so many ways. Sigh.

GreenWeenie · Post by **GreenWeenie** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:22 pm

I'm too ill, even so- far too lazy....but, I wonder how those Pirates compare to the Astros and against the Reds(?)- a similar team?

I know that few two pitching staffs are alike, but there has to be a reason why we do things.

Could be bc it's Hill's first start of 2023? 84 isn't high.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sat Apr 01, 2023 11:28 pm

172235353E0735353E3935500 wrote: I agree with you, Ster. My post was just the fact that he's the H.O. starter; no underlying comment.

I've agreed with nearly every comment you've made so far. I share your concerns. I would love to know HOW decisions are made, then the Why.

I like to learn. I just hope that there would be something TO learn. I wonder sometimes.

Love the last line. True as true can be. In so many ways. Sigh.

Last year you were convinced Shelton was following orders from BC. I have since come around to your way of thinking. There is no way a manager could make decisions like Shelton and keep his job unless he was following orders. But I hold Shelton accountable too. I guess it's easy for me to say since it's not my job, but I could not be an MLB manager if the job required me to be a figurehead while implementing the decisions of the GM as to lineups and pitching moves. Shelton comes across as a clueless stooge and if he's content being made to look that way, then he deserves all criticism he gets.