Pirates finally win!

The Pittsburgh Pirates finally snapped a long losing streak with a 7-3 win over the Rockies at Coors Field.
Ross Ohlendorf became the Pirates first ten game winner in picking the win and moving to 10-8 on the season.
The series continues tonight with Kevin Hart starting for Pittsburgh,while Colorado counters with Ubaldo Jimenez....

Pirate Hooks

1) Ross Ohlendorf said his fastball was the best that it had been all season,but yet he struck out just three over six innings and change.
Just goes to show that velocity can be effective in ways that don't show up in the strikeout column.

2) The Pirates faced Jholys Chacin in the win.
Chacin was making his first MLB start and lasted less than three innings.
Chacin allowed five runs,but only one hit and that leads to the standout stat-six walks.
Command issues were the knock on Chacin in the minors and I just missed seeing him at Asheville last season as he was promoted days before the Tourists visit to Hagerstown.

3) Big night for Andrew McCutchen as he swiped three bases.I can see how the stolen base can be somewhat overrated by the stathead gang,but what is not in the scorecard is the amount of rattling a top notch thief can do to a pitcher.
Many times that leads to better pitches for the batter to hit when a smart speedster is on first.
I have no numbers to back that up,just an opinion...

4) The play that set the tone was when Ryan Doumit scored the games first run on a ball that was no more than a few feet away.
Replays showed that Delwyn Young may have fouled it off and Colorado catcher Chris Ianetta just assumed it was foul.
Heads up to Doumit for using the old Little League axiom-"Take off,the ump can always send you back if its foul".

5) One more pivotal play was a terrific catch by Lastings Milledge that robbed Carlos Gonzalez of a two run homer that would put the Rockies back into the contest.
Milledge's rap has always been of an indifferent defender,but his catch and follow up excitement was a positive thing to see from Milledge....

Bullpen Notes

Looks like Kelly Pavlik vs Paul Williams in October for Pavlik's Middleweight title.
This is the best fight that Pavlik can make with Arthur Abraham giving his Middleweight title up to move up to 168 pounds and participate in Showtime's Super Middleweight round robin.
Atlantic City is the venue and HBO is the television outlet,so that means no PPV!!!!

Thoughts and prayers to Ashland University linebacker Cory Skoczen,who is in critical condition in a Cleveland hospital following an injury during Monday's practice with the Eagles.
The injury is undisclosed,but seems very serious.
Best wishes on a full recovery....

Photo Credit
Jump:AP Photo/David Zalubowski