OnlyBucs

Hopefully the Pirates can put this terrible week behind them and get back to playing winning baseball at home against the Tigers and Cards. The weather is supposed to warm up a bunch for these games this week so hopefully that can get the bats going as well. You gotta win at least 2 of 3 from the Tigers with Taillon and Nova pitching in this series. Going 4-2 this week against the Tigers and Cards would put the Bucs at 16-12 with a game in DC next Monday against the Nats to close out April where the Bucs would have a chance to finish the month 17-12 which is one win short of my 18-11 prediction that I said they would do a few weeks ago. So still a good opportunity for the Pirates I feel to get back on track and finish this month strong and with a pretty decent record. Let’s see if they can right the ship and turn this thing around this week at home.

040F070B0E0F145157201901080F0F4E030F600 wrote: The Pirates lead the NL in wild pitches with 21. The Giants have only 1. The league average is 8 but already 11 different Pirate pitchers have thrown 1 or more with Brault leading the NL with 4 and Glasnow (despite his limited appearances) with 3.


I brought this up when they were winning.  I don't know why this is happening.  I don't recall too many third strike and runner safe last year, but seems this year there have been a handful.  Crossing up the catcher doesn't help either.  I thought the bad strike zones were the issue, but others teams aren't having that problem.


I've also noticed, and this might be related, that when a Pirate pitcher gets ahead 0-2 or 1-2, they usually throw the next couple pitches away and in the dirt. It's normal to try to get the batter to chase when you're ahead in the count like that but these pitches are routinely not even tempting to the batters. This usually leads to a full count and needlessly increases the pitch count. It might be causing some of the wild pitches too.

Both catchers are allowing them at similarily crazy high rates, so yes the small sample evidence points to the issue being the pitchers.   



in 71 relief innings, we've allowed 10 WP

in 127.1 starting innings, 11 WP.



Brault 4

Glasnow 3

Smoker 2 in 4 innings pitched

Vasquez 2 in 8 innings pitched



It does seem like they're being told to spike the curve to get chases and they're out of control short on it.    Such a small sample, hard to say it's anything but I agree it's interesting. May turn into something more clear...

It's the pitchers for sure. There have been some lapses by Cervelli, but overall he is a very good catcher at blocking pitches. Plus, it's only a wild pitch with a runner advances. How many don't even get recorded?

I think it’s time the Pirates drop Polanco down in the order as well. He is hitting .119 in his last 10 games which is pathetic. You gotta make some kind of move there, and also the Pirates have to get more out of their lead off spot. Since JHay got hurt their on base percentage with Rodriguez and Frazier has been awful. So I don’t know what they do there but sitting around doing nothing is not the answer either.

070C04080D0C175254231A020B0C0C4D000C630 wrote: It's the pitchers for sure.  There have been some lapses by Cervelli, but overall he is a very good catcher at blocking pitches.  Plus, it's only a wild pitch with a runner advances.  How many don't even get recorded?


I would be tempted to argue the opposite. The catchers (primarily Cervelli) are the common denominator. If pitchers are going to throw breaking balls in the dirt, catchers have to stop it. Especially if we are getting swinging strikes on them.



I'm not sure how to get the stat, but I'd be interested in knowing how many of those 21 WP were strikes. A handful of those WP's were third strikes that catchers couldn't block.

331405010419261205040419600 wrote: I think it’s time the Pirates drop Polanco down in the order as well. He is hitting .119 in his last 10 games which is pathetic. You gotta make some kind of move there, and also the Pirates have to get more out of their lead off spot. Since JHay got hurt their on base percentage with Rodriguez and Frazier has been awful. So I don’t know what they do there but sitting around doing nothing is not the answer either.
I would get Moroff some starts. He has shown in the minors that he is capable of getting on base. It hasn't translated to MLB just yet but he hasn't had many opportunities either.

637E5A5856330 wrote: It's the pitchers for sure.  There have been some lapses by Cervelli, but overall he is a very good catcher at blocking pitches.  Plus, it's only a wild pitch with a runner advances.  How many don't even get recorded?


I would be tempted to argue the opposite.  The catchers (primarily Cervelli) are the common denominator.  If pitchers are going to throw breaking balls in the dirt, catchers have to stop it.  Especially if we are getting swinging strikes on them.



I'm not sure how to get the stat, but I'd be interested in knowing how many of those 21 WP were strikes.  A handful of those WP's were third strikes that catchers couldn't block.


Then they would be passed balls.

58535B575253480D0B7C455D545353125F533C0 wrote: It's the pitchers for sure.  There have been some lapses by Cervelli, but overall he is a very good catcher at blocking pitches.  Plus, it's only a wild pitch with a runner advances.  How many don't even get recorded?


I would be tempted to argue the opposite.  The catchers (primarily Cervelli) are the common denominator.  If pitchers are going to throw breaking balls in the dirt, catchers have to stop it.  Especially if we are getting swinging strikes on them.



I'm not sure how to get the stat, but I'd be interested in knowing how many of those 21 WP were strikes.  A handful of those WP's were third strikes that catchers couldn't block.


Then they would be passed balls.


I've seen some batters whiff on a ball outside and in the dirt on 3rd strike and it's called a WP when the catcher can't hold it. It's up to the official scorer as to whether a WP or PB.

143934252233246467560 wrote: It's the pitchers for sure.  There have been some lapses by Cervelli, but overall he is a very good catcher at blocking pitches.  Plus, it's only a wild pitch with a runner advances.  How many don't even get recorded?


I would be tempted to argue the opposite.  The catchers (primarily Cervelli) are the common denominator.  If pitchers are going to throw breaking balls in the dirt, catchers have to stop it.  Especially if we are getting swinging strikes on them.



I'm not sure how to get the stat, but I'd be interested in knowing how many of those 21 WP were strikes.  A handful of those WP's were third strikes that catchers couldn't block.


Then they would be passed balls.


I've seen some batters whiff on a ball outside and in the dirt on 3rd strike and it's called a WP when the catcher can't hold it. It's up to the official scorer as to whether a WP or PB.




Pitchers shouldn't be throwing breaking balls in the dirt, especially before the plate. Not sure how many times a ball bounces that is it called a Passed Ball. Cervelli blocks a bunch of pitches (overall), especially so far this season.