OnlyBucs

When the Cards led off the 9th with a double, did anyone else immediately feel like the game was over and a loss was inevitable?

I sure did.

Most Pirates thing ever.

Most Cardinals thing ever.

I really feel like we'll look back and say the 2018 season ended on May 31 in STL.

Just a KILLER loss.

No, I did not. They just needed a ground ball to get a double play.

Scoring two runs and Dickerson throwing home instead of third was when I got worried. Vasquez was never ahead in the count. No swing and misses either.

I wasn't worried when down 4-0 either. There was plenty of time to chip away. Polanco showed up. Bell with a big HR. Cervelli with another RBI with two outs. The Bullpen, Vasquez blew the game.

747F777B7E7F642127506971787F7F3E737F100 wrote: Bad defense in the 9th. Rodriguez with a rare error. Dickerson throwing home instead of third.

Who else can close games? This isn't like last year with Watson or Rivero. If Vasquez fails, they are in trouble.
Not sure what the if he fails means, he's totally failed, no question who in their right mind would bring this guy in to close a game.  Ooooooooo wait CH. 

Lately, he has failed. Who are you using to Close games?
Crick, and we've got to start taking Glasnow serious. He's got the best stuff but he's not ready for the pressure but we need to start getting him more and more work. His psyche has almost been rehabbed but he needs a lot more chances to succeed.

795C5F5F4A615C545641330 wrote: Sick to my stomach over this loss.
Vazquez looked bad Sunday. Loss of velocity and control.
Rebounded yesterday throwing over 100 mph and nailing down the win. Tonight loss of velocity, control and he gets smoked.
We are in big trouble if Vazquez is not dominating.
Right now there is no one in the bullpen I trust to consistently get outs. We need our starters to throw 7 quality innings


What you have is incorrect. He pitched Sunday and left with a questionable injury. They gave him Monday off. Tuesday he pitched and was over 100MPH. Wednesday he pitches again and is throwing around 98. Hurdle brings him back for the 3rd night in a row and he's blown up. So you left out a night ? I only bring it up as I question Hurdle using him 3 games in a row coming off an injury ? Maybe he was faking ? Dunno... but some might say 3 in a row and 4 out of 5 nights but be a little excessive ?

Well, I've been one of the biggest Glasnow critics on here. I had seen a couple of his starts in person and just didn't think he was going to make it. I am coming around. I would really consider handing him the ball in the 9th and just see what happens? I think there has to be something wrong with Vasquez. The velocity being all over the place makes me believe he really is hurt.

An absolutely devastating loss no other way to say it. The question now is what do you do with Vazquez?? Going into this season he was one of the few sure things on this team that you could count on to come in and slam the door shut in the 9th inning. Not anymore though. Something is definitely wrong because you just don’t blow 4 saves like he has done in the last week or so and look really bad in doing so. So I don’t really know where the Pirates go from here. All I know is that game last night went from probably being one of the best wins of the season to probably the most devastating loss of the season. The Pirates have had a bunch of these the last few weeks and eventually one of these losses they just aren’t going to recover from. Let’s hope this one was not it and they can somehow bounce back.

4B535156564150574A4B5D380 wrote: The guy is a head case you don't just wake up one day and change your name.  How can anyone be allowed to blow 4 games with huge leads and go pick up their check.  I'll bet he'll have no problem doing that nor Hurdle nor Huntington.  This season is down the drain just can't watch this crap. I agree I think something might be wrong with Vazquez upstairs mentally and I didn’t like the name change thing when he did it a month ago. It was just bizarre and it tells me that something definitely might be off with the guy.

Vasquez is shot.  Too many innings on the arm and we just keep adding them.  When he changed his name because of his sister, it threw up all kinds of red-flags mentally as well.  Faking a hurt arm?  Now it's all coming clear.

Thank god our brilliant GM signed him long term.  It was always part of the plan to guarantee contracts on bullpen pieces instead of going through arb.  Good execution of the plan.

I'd move Brault to the closer in the interim.  I don't think he's a long-term closer but he's a very effective pen pitcher.  He keeps everyone else in their normal roles for now.

People were against signing him long term? The cheap Pirates locked up one of the best Closers and Relief Pitchers of 2017. I don't recall people being against that move when it happened?

I don't know what is wrong with Vasquez. His last two outings were pretty good after he blew three in a row. He was throwing 100 mph in those two innings.

Imagine if Vasquez wasn't used and the game was blown. You would hear the complaints on why he can't pitch three days in a row. Hurdle gets beat up for resting players, now a player is over worked. Hard to have it both ways.

Players blow saves. Vazquez has had a very bad week. Overall, if he (or any player) has blown four saves since the start of the season probably wouldn't be so many complaints or concerns. Blowing four of five is alarming. Vasquez's ERA has jumped from 2.41 to 4.84 in his last six outings. Maybe a DL stint is in the works (mental health)? I am just not sure of that strengthens the bullpen.

464D45494C4D561315625B434A4D4D0C414D220 wrote: People were against signing him long term?  The cheap Pirates locked up one of the best Closers and Relief Pitchers of 2017.  I don't recall people being against that move when it happened?

I don't know what is wrong with Vasquez.  His last two outings were pretty good after he blew three in a row.  He was throwing 100 mph in those two innings. 

Imagine if Vasquez wasn't used and the game was blown.  You would hear the complaints on why he can't pitch three days in a row.  Hurdle gets beat up for resting players, now a player is over worked.  Hard to have it both ways.

Players blow saves.  Vazquez has had a very bad week.  Overall, if he (or any player) has blown four saves since the start of the season probably wouldn't be so many complaints or concerns.  Blowing four of five is alarming.  Vasquez's ERA has jumped from 2.41 to 4.84 in his last six outings.  Maybe a DL stint is in the works (mental health)?  I am just not sure of that strengthens the bullpen.   

You care way, way too much about fan complaints Dog.   "People were against....?""imagine the complaints if ..."   "fans were complaining when...?"  "Nobody was complaining when..."   None of that means anything.  This isn't a PR firm, its a baseball team and you don't work for it (that I'm aware of). 

Vasquez has blown 4 of 14, you're right he's been a mess lately.  Even when he's been successful, there have been baserunners and luck.  His velocity has been all over the place this year, he came out of a game holding his elbow a week ago after getting banged up.    His velocity nosedives after about 15 pitches every outing.   It did last night too.

Do you think it's a fair guess to say that there's something wrong with this dude's arm?  Just going out on a limb here...