OnlyBucs

1. Josh Harrison (R) 2B

2. Josh Bell (S) 1B

3. Andrew McCutchen (R) CF

4. Gregory Polanco (L) RF

5. Starling Marte (R) LF

6. Francisco Cervelli (R) C

7. Sean Rodriguez (R) 3B

8. Jordy Mercer (R) SS

9. Ryan Vogelsong (R) P

Bucs get swept. :'(



We can't seem to maintain any momentum. This team is frustrating in the extreme.



Hey, at least the forum is back up!

3317030B0E620 wrote: Bucs get swept.  :'(



We can't seem to maintain any momentum. This team is frustrating in the extreme.



Hey, at least the forum is back up! 
Hurdle generally gets credit as a good motivator. But this team seems unmotivated and uninspired. After a 4-game sweep in Milwaukee you would think they would be anxious to do some damage to the Cubs. Instead, they play 3 uninspired games and get swept as they maintain their pattern of a loss for every win. I've seen teams excited to be in a pennant race and this doesn't seem to be one of them. There is no intensity, no emotion. Seems more like ho-hum, if we win we win and if we lose we lose. I realize that Cutch, Cole and Liriano really let the team down. But that doesn't mean the team in general can't play with emotion and intensity. If Hurdle is skilled as a motivator, what happened this year?

103D30212637206063520 wrote: Bucs get swept.  :'(



We can't seem to maintain any momentum. This team is frustrating in the extreme.



Hey, at least the forum is back up! 
Hurdle generally gets credit as a good motivator. But this team seems unmotivated and uninspired. After a 4-game sweep in Milwaukee you would think they would be anxious to do some damage to the Cubs. Instead, they play 3 uninspired games and get swept as they maintain their pattern of a loss for every win. I've seen teams excited to be in a pennant race and this doesn't seem to be one of them. There is no intensity, no emotion. Seems more like ho-hum, if we win we win and if we lose we lose. I realize that Cutch, Cole and Liriano really let the team down. But that doesn't mean the team in general can't play with emotion and intensity. If Hurdle is skilled as a motivator, what happened this year?




I disagree. MOnday's game was a up as I've seen them all season.

I think that loss just killed them. Not to mention that they've been on the road for seven days. add in that the Cubs aren't the Brewers and the recipe is there.

7A47405A47402E0 wrote: Bucs get swept.  :'(



We can't seem to maintain any momentum. This team is frustrating in the extreme.



Hey, at least the forum is back up! 
Hurdle generally gets credit as a good motivator. But this team seems unmotivated and uninspired. After a 4-game sweep in Milwaukee you would think they would be anxious to do some damage to the Cubs. Instead, they play 3 uninspired games and get swept as they maintain their pattern of a loss for every win. I've seen teams excited to be in a pennant race and this doesn't seem to be one of them. There is no intensity, no emotion. Seems more like ho-hum, if we win we win and if we lose we lose. I realize that Cutch, Cole and Liriano really let the team down. But that doesn't mean the team in general can't play with emotion and intensity. If Hurdle is skilled as a motivator, what happened this year?




I disagree.  MOnday's game was a up as I've seen them all season.

I think that loss just killed them.  Not to mention that they've been on the road for seven days.  add in that the Cubs aren't the Brewers and the recipe is there.
I would agree about the first game had it not been for the back of the bullpen giving up a 3-run lead in the late innings. Feliz and Watson have been generally good but prone to occasional troubles and in a game when they needed their best efforts, they fell flat. Many aspects of that game were good. But the team is certainly not clicking on all cylinders.

I think the Pirates were outstanding in game 1 on Monday night. That game needed to be won, and for the most part the team did what it had to do. That loss is on Feliz and Watson unfortunately. And that loss changed the entire complexion of the series. If the Pirates had won on Monday, the Tuesday and Wednesday losses would have felt a LOT different.

684548595E4F58181B2A0 wrote: Bucs get swept.  :'(



We can't seem to maintain any momentum. This team is frustrating in the extreme.



Hey, at least the forum is back up! 
Hurdle generally gets credit as a good motivator. But this team seems unmotivated and uninspired. After a 4-game sweep in Milwaukee you would think they would be anxious to do some damage to the Cubs. Instead, they play 3 uninspired games and get swept as they maintain their pattern of a loss for every win. I've seen teams excited to be in a pennant race and this doesn't seem to be one of them. There is no intensity, no emotion. Seems more like ho-hum, if we win we win and if we lose we lose. I realize that Cutch, Cole and Liriano really let the team down. But that doesn't mean the team in general can't play with emotion and intensity. If Hurdle is skilled as a motivator, what happened this year?


One player that this does not apply is Josh Harrison. He is consistently busting his tail and showing his enthusiasm, emotion, and intensity.

6D484B4B5E7548404255270 wrote: Bucs get swept.  :'(



We can't seem to maintain any momentum. This team is frustrating in the extreme.



Hey, at least the forum is back up! 
Hurdle generally gets credit as a good motivator. But this team seems unmotivated and uninspired. After a 4-game sweep in Milwaukee you would think they would be anxious to do some damage to the Cubs. Instead, they play 3 uninspired games and get swept as they maintain their pattern of a loss for every win. I've seen teams excited to be in a pennant race and this doesn't seem to be one of them. There is no intensity, no emotion. Seems more like ho-hum, if we win we win and if we lose we lose. I realize that Cutch, Cole and Liriano really let the team down. But that doesn't mean the team in general can't play with emotion and intensity. If Hurdle is skilled as a motivator, what happened this year?


One player that this does not apply is Josh Harrison. He is consistently busting his tail and showing his enthusiasm, emotion, and intensity.


I love watching JHay play. His enthusiasm is obvious. Unfortunately his example isn't always followed.



Last night Polanco hit a ball into the right field corner which Heyward misplayed. Polanco made it into third base standing up, but the replay clearly showed him jogging down the first base line (perhaps assuming the ball was going foul?). He never even started actually running until after he rounded first base. As the subsequent relay throw eluded the infielders it was clear he would have had a good chance to score if he'd been busting his tail from the swing of the bat. No excuse for not hustling on every play. It's not the first time I've seen this from Polanco, and I put part of the blame on Hurdle.

We went 4-3 on the trip. This is as good as I could have been. If we'd lost the first thre and won the last four, we'd be talking about how awesome we are.

4765766B686D6A65467167676B040 wrote: I think the Pirates were outstanding in game 1 on Monday night. That game needed to be won, and for the most part the team did what it had to do. That loss is on Feliz and Watson unfortunately. And that loss changed the entire complexion of the series SEASON. If the Pirates had won on Monday, the Tuesday and Wednesday losses would have felt a LOT different.


Fixed it for you.  That loss was as damaging as I've ever seen.  The team played one if its best games I've seen, and the backend guys choked it away.  Devastating is not strong enough of a word.  They looked defeated the last two games.