4/27 Game Thread - Bucs vs BrewCrew

[Ecbucs]

082528393E2F38787B4A0 wrote: So after 4 5 batters, Sam "I never met a batter I didn't want to walk" Howard has 2 3 walks and a HBP. I've never understood what the Pirates see in this guy. Other than 2020 when he only pitched 21 innings, he's always been a walk machine who gives up a lot of runs. Howard is a disaster waiting to happen every time he enters a game.
I blame Sheiton for hanging him out to dry. With the bases loaded, he had to bring in Bednar to leave it a 1 run game. Howard had no control tonight- a common problem.  Shelton didn't manage to win the game. This was my biggest complaint about him last year.
Totally agree. It was obvious Howard couldn't throw strikes. Which is no surprise because rarely is he able to throw strikes. Last year he had 32 BBs and 3 HBPs in 45 innings. His walk rate was 6.4 per 9 innings but if you include the 3 HBPs, it was a nice, tidy 7 BB/HBP per 9 innings. Howard has no business pitching in MLB much less the 9th inning of a 2-1 game. So naturally it became 3-1 without the benefit of a hit when he loaded the bases on walks and a HBP and then walked 1 more to force in a run. And that was after having the benefit of entering the game with 1 out already and no one on base. He only needed to get 2 outs! And all the while Shelton calmly watched. Shelton was merely letting Howard get some work regardless of the game situation.



We can argue that it didn't matter because the Pirates only had 1 hit and didn't even get the needed 2nd run, much less a 3rd. But that's not the point. The point is that the manager is either indifferent to winning the game--which is very concerning for a manager-- or is actually clueless to the extent that he actually thought a pitcher as problematic as Howard was not going to let the 1 run deficit be expanded. It's hard to tell with Shelton because sometimes he seems clueless and sometimes he seems indifferent to winning. 


i see no reason for Howard to be on team once rosters are reduced. The Pirates got him for nothing because Colordao (which isn't exactly over flowing with good pitchers) let him go. He has had his chance to show Bucs that he belongs but he has failed. The only things going for him are he is cheap and left handed.