OnlyBucs

12202C2C380A29202D282720410 wrote: if we went just .500 the rest of the year, we'd win 84 games and beat most peoples expectations.



if we kept winning at the current rate we'd win 120. but that doesn't seem very likely.


Agreed. But, I do think they can be a .500 team the rest of the way. That puts you right in the thick of the WC race.

This is exactly right!  Make hay now.  Don't let up.  Although yes they all count the same, I think these games are probably MORE important to this team than games later in the year.



Keep playing good ball, building confidence, getting prepared for the inevitable lull/slump.   Don't let that slump spiral downward.   Don't just believe that you can win, KNOW that you can win and that you will win again.   That dropping 2 or 3 doesn't mean squat. 



Not to mention it's important for a team like this to win early because your season is really now until July 31st.  You have until Mid-July to position yourself to make a run for the WC or Division.  If you aren't positioned... if you haven't sold the GM that you can earn a playoff birth this year... there are contributing guys on the team who may be traded off such as Mercer and JHay etc.. and theoretically make it harder for the team to get there this year.   

Polanco continuing to hit HR's is huge.



Feliz-Kontos-Felipe shutting the door was so relieving.



Williams getting through six is a huge difference maker for this team at the moment. Getting to the 7th with a lead sets up well, it's just getting through that 6th inning when the game is close jamming this team up.

The Bucs could easily be 10-2 11-1 right now if they had a better bullpen and could have gotten out of the 6th inning. They blew a 4-0 lead to the Reds and a 3-0 lead the other night to the Cubs. So if things can get figured out somewhat in the pen maybe getting guys likes Musgrove and Schugel back can be the start to that.

They were also beating the Twins in the 6th inning of that game they lost in that series.



So they've been ahead in every game thus far this season.

724F515C53595270584F5E58593D0 wrote: Polanco continuing to hit HR's is huge.



Feliz-Kontos-Felipe shutting the door was so relieving.



Williams getting through six is a huge difference maker for this team at the moment. Getting to the 7th with a lead sets up well, it's just getting through that 6th inning when the game is close jamming this team up.


Since April 1st, Feliz has had 5 outings:

5IP 0ER 3BB 2H 5 ks 1.0 WHIP 0.00 ERA



I'm not there yet, but he's starting to earn confidence as that 7th inning guy.

Feliz and Vazquez are a pretty solid 1-2 punch. I’d look to moving Feliz to the 8th inning and try to plug somebody else in that 7th inning role. I think Feliz and Vazquez coming into close the games out in the 8th and 9th inning is going to put this team in a great spot moving forward.

4E69787C79645B6F787979641D0 wrote: Feliz and Vazquez are a pretty solid 1-2 punch. I’d look to moving Feliz to the 8th inning and try to plug somebody else in that 7th inning role. I think Feliz and Vazquez coming into close the games out in the 8th and 9th inning is going to put this team in a great spot moving forward.


You don't like Kontos?

272C24282D2C377274033A222B2C2C6D202C430 wrote: Feliz and Vazquez are a pretty solid 1-2 punch. I’d look to moving Feliz to the 8th inning and try to plug somebody else in that 7th inning role. I think Feliz and Vazquez coming into close the games out in the 8th and 9th inning is going to put this team in a great spot moving forward.


You don't like Kontos? 

He is decent but I still wanna see more out of him before I feel comfortable making him the everyday 7th or 8th inning guy.

1C3B2A2E2B36093D2A2B2B364F0 wrote: Feliz and Vazquez are a pretty solid 1-2 punch. I’d look to moving Feliz to the 8th inning and try to plug somebody else in that 7th inning role. I think Feliz and Vazquez coming into close the games out in the 8th and 9th inning is going to put this team in a great spot moving forward.


You don't like Kontos? 

He is decent but I still wanna see more out of him before I feel comfortable making him the everyday 7th or 8th inning guy.




He is in his 8th year in the majors. He had his best SO/9 season of his career in 2017. He was really good last year for the Pirates. I don't know what more he has to prove or what he can improve to win anyone over.