7/16 game thread. Cole returns.

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:36 am

5-0 in the 4th.

Everybody getting into the fun.

JollyRoger · Post by **JollyRoger** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:40 am

Cole=simply not a #1

This was a must win sandwiched between Strausburg and Scherzer

Cole let us down!

LumberCo · Post by **LumberCo** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:52 am

games like this makes me think we are better off shedding older players that don't have future contracts with us and try to load up for future years and play the kids we have and see what happens.

fjk090852-7 · Post by **fjk090852-7** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:59 am

I think the Bucs will know by the end of next weekend as to whether they are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

rucker59@gmail.com · Post by **rucker59@gmail.com** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:39 am

272B2A7178717974736C76410 wrote: I think the Bucs will know by the end of next weekend as to whether they are buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

This was an important game to set the course for the rest of the season. A sweep tomorrow is pretty likely. 10+ games back - one game they needed to win and they didn't show.

Cole simply doesn't win the big games.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 2:41 am

three game losing streak, good chance it will be four after tomorrow. Not the way to get into the playoffs.

Quail · Post by **Quail** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 11:38 am

Pirates have come out of the AS break playing poorly. Their defense that last two games has been a problem and their hitting has been completely stifled (albeit against a couple of good pitchers). With the exception of Liriano's start (minus Hurdle's late hook) there hasn't been much to cheer about. Need to get things on track ASAP if they want to have any shot at a playoff spot.

Bobster21 · Post by **Bobster21** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 12:41 pm

Even before the season began, we worried about the starting rotation. With Liriano awful this year, Cole either hurt or ordinary, and the other 3 not even expected to be good, this rotation is one of the worst I can ever recall on the Pirates. Then there was the argument that they just needed to tread water until Glasnow and/or Taillon arrived. But it's always a mistake to expect AAA prospects to hit the ground running in MLB. And they haven't. You don't win with consistently bad pitching. Combine that with NH's comment on the Niese trade: "Given the thinness of the starting pitching market, given the dollars that we had available, we thought that that was our best return," it's a sad state of affairs for the team that had the 2nd best record in MLB last year.

Ecbucs · Post by **Ecbucs** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:14 pm

except for a couple short stretches the Bucs have looked more like pretenders than contenders this year.

Of course if they go on a hot streak and win 8 out of ten I will be excited about contending again.

SteadyFreddy · Post by **SteadyFreddy** » Sun Jul 17, 2016 1:52 pm

0E2C3F222124232C0F382E2E224D0 wrote: I don't really understand what the Pirates are doing.

Glasnow ... He can help this team win. He's in Indy.

Bell ... He can help this team win. He's on his way to Indy.

Taillon ... He can help this team win. He says he feels great and refreshed. They haven't said what they're doing with him, but I think he can come off the DL tomorrow. He had better return to the rotation immediately, but who knows.

Brault ... All I know is he's better than Niese, but he's also back at Indy.

As it stands today, the Pirates are still very much in the WC race but the division race is starting to slip away again.

In my opinion they need to go with their best possible 25-man roster RIGHT NOW ... rather than fiddling around and doing whatever it is they are trying to do.

If they wait much longer, the division race will be over and the WC race will be a longshot.

The one decision they've made that I really liked was the demotion of Niese. That was a start. But this team needs its best pitchers inserted into the rotation, and its best players on the big league roster. That is not the case right now.

Yea I don't get what they are doing either sending Bell back down after he had 4 great at bats against some of the better pitchers in the league and didn't make an out. And I don't understand what they are doing with Glasnow and Taillon either as both should be in the rotation now and pitching every 5th day. It's moves like this that make people question the ownership and management of this team and if winning on the field and trying to win a championship is their main goal.

Because I'm sorry moves like this from where I sit being a pretty loyal and intelligent Pirates fan indicate to me that is isn't their number 1 priority. It's flat out inexcusable for Bell not to be on this roster now it's frustrating as hell.