I dont think its been announced yet, but although i think most of us would want to see Cole pitch, i cant see Hurdle skipping Burnett. He should, IMO. Burnett just seems to always have that one bad inning waiting for him. And he looks tired. I know hes been contemplating retirement, and this season wasnt his best. But i believe he had a 3.30 era in the regulat season, so he didnt pitch THAT badly, i guess. But he was 10-11, which isnt the record you’d expect from the number 1 in the rotation.
Although, the way Hurdle has set things up, it looks like Liriano is the number 1 pitcher now, and Burnett is 2, Cole 3, Morton 4. I think Liriano deserves to be number 1, but Cole should be number 2 now. He pitched very well down the stretch for the Pirates, and i think he was 5-0 pitching after a loss the last month and a half. That’s 6-0 after hecbeat the Cards.
Burnett will get a chance to atone for his beatsown. Lets just hope its in game 1 of the NLCS, and not game 5 against St. Louis against Wainwright. If the Pirates win Game 3 (and i think they will with Liriano on the mound at PNC), i wonder if the Cards won’t slide Wainwright up to game 4? Hes the only pitcher St. louis has that I worry about. I think the Pirates have proven over the season they can play with the Cards, but im not sure if they have beaten Wainwright at all. And he looked dominating in Game 1.
One step at a time, though. Game 3 is huge for the Pirates. They need it if they are going to win this series.
You know whats great? NO ONE is talking about the Steelers. I love it! Us Pirate fans have had a long wait for relevent baseball in October… Its too bad the Steelers stink this year, but its also a blessing, because people in Pittsburgh are going to rock PNC Sunday and Monday. I think almost every baseball fan in the country that doesnt have a team left in the playoffs is rooting for the Pirates, and its a great feeling. I hope it lasts.
It is always that way when a perennial loser and underdog finally gets their shot.
If a pitcher has fewer than 4 off days between starts, he’d be pitching on short rest. Then it’s a question of whether your #1 or 2 starter would be more effective on short rest than your #4 or 5 starter pitching on normal rest. It does happen, but it is a risk.
Case in point: in the 2011 postseason, Chris Carpenter was the Cardinals’ unquestioned ace and most reliable starter. (That was the year Adam Wainwright missed due to Tommy John surgery.) He pitched Game 2 of the NLDS on short rest (after pitching a complete game the last regular night of the season) and did not do well, but it set him up to pitch Game 5 on normal rest (in a memorable matchup against Roy Halladay). Then, in the World Series, Carpenter started Games 1 and 5 and, thanks to an extra off-day due to rain, was able to start Game 7, pitching again on short rest. This time he did just fine, having (he said) learned some things about how to pitch on short rest from his experience in the NLDS. But, for reasons that may or may not have anything to do with how hard he pushed himself in 2011, he was injured and unable to pitch in most of 2012 and all of 2013.
Other than that, I haven’t kept track of how often pitchers are asked to pitch more often than every 5 days during the postseason, nor how well it’s worked—anybody know?
As a Braves fan, when I saw they were walking Reed Johnson to get to Heyward, I had to to a little mental double-take. Wha? Uh, did I just see that? Well, alrighty then, lets see how that works out.
I have tickets for Game 5 back here in Atlanta. Hope I get to use them!!
I know Verlander’s too much of a pro to say it, so I will: What the fuck, guys? How many scoreless innings do I have to throw while you sit there with your bats shoved firmly up your asses? Is doing my job on the mound not enough for you assholes anymore? Do you expect me to grab a Superman cape and Louisville Slugger and do yours now too?
In 2009, the Yankees used a three-man rotation of Sabathia, Burnett, and Pettitte throughout the postseason, often pitching on short rest. Girardi was initially criticized for the plan but it worked out.
The funniest part of that play was Ortiz arriving at second base with an utterly baffled look on his face and immediately staring at the Jumbotron with the Rays SS trying to figure out what the hell happened and why he wasn’t out.
I also loved the sarcastic standing ovation Myers got from Red Sox fans last night for catching a routine fly ball.
It’s moot now, but why doesn’t McCutcheon score on that throw? He’s standing on 2nd when the throw leaves the shortstop’s hand and the throw goes into the stands. My rulebook says 2 bases. Why did he only get 3rd, and no argument from Hurdle?
If McCutchen was on first when the ball was pitched, this is why: When such wild throw is the first play by an infielder, the umpire, in awarding such bases, shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the ball was pitched;
[QUOTE=The Rule]
(g) Two bases when, with no spectators on the playing field, a thrown ball goes into the
stands, or into a bench (whether or not the ball rebounds into the field), or over or
under or through a field fence, or on a slanting part of the screen above the backstop, or remains in the meshes of a wire screen protecting spectators. The ball is
dead. When such wild throw is the first play by an infielder, the umpire, in awarding such bases, shall be governed by the position of the runners at the time the ball
was pitched; in all other cases the umpire shall be governed by the position of the
runners at the time the wild throw was made;
[/QUOTE]
Since it was the first throw by an infielder, it is judged by when the ball was pitched.
Well, you just had to deal with the less-than-stellar Cards bullpen, so blown save, shmown save. You’re still up 2 games to one, so you’ve got that going for ya.
Agreed. He was lights out for about two moths, and he’s now blown (4? Ok) saves at the end of the season.
Actually i think hes given up at least 1 run each time he’s taken the mound since his first blown save. He gave up the only run in the 7-1 game 2 win, which wasnt a blown save, but still not a good sign to see your set up man give up runs in the 8th. Dont know whats happened to him, but he is melting down at the exact wrong time. Hurdle needs to consider using someone else in the set-up role.
Yes… Yes we do:D
One more win, baby… And the dream season continues!
That may have been the most painful 3rd inning of baseball I have ever seen. I feel bad for Ryu. He’s fighting without his stuff and making weird mental mistakes.
