Last night's 9-3 win by Kevin Correia lifted him to 3-1 on the season with a complete game outing.
On Sunday,Pittsburgh took a 4-0 first inning lead,blew the lead and then rallied in the eighth inning for a 7-6 win.Chris Resop was the winner (1-0) with Joel Hanrahan notching save number five.
Pirate longballs to Garrett Jones (3),Andrew McCutchen (3) and Jose Tabata (3).
Saturday afternoon was a different story as the Reds did the walloping with a 11-2 demolition of the Bucs.
James McDonald was the loser in the game,falling to 0-1 on the season.
I am going to offer some thoughts on the series in general,especially since I missed the Sat.loss on the series and then use the rest of the day (since it appears that rain will likely cancel the Hickory-Hagerstown game tonight) to catch up on the promised posts and have things back on track during our busiest few months of the season.
Pirate Hooks
1) Kevin Correia has far exceeded my expectations thus far this season..Correia did have personal issues with the Padres last season and I thought that was used as an excuse for a fading player.
Thus far,Correia has proven me very wrong...
2) Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata started Sunday's win with consecutive homers.
That is just the third time in Pirate history that the feat had been accomplished,I would have guessed that figure would have been a little higher than that.
3) I was screaming at the TV,Sunday with the lead run on third in the eighth inning,Ronny Cedeno dropped down a bunt that the Reds threw Garrett Jones out at the plate by a mile on.
I was upset on Clint Hurdle for such a boneheaded call,but it turns out Cedeno did it on his own!
The stupidity of that was unreal.
4) More Cedeno-Same game-Cedeno attempts to move from first to third on a sharply hit single by Andrew McCutchen.Thrown out by a mile inning over.
Whether that was a Cedeno decision or not,another outcome that didn't have to occur.
5) My feelings on Cedeno are strong and Rule 5 draftee Josh Rodriguez has looked overmatched at the plate,but I would not be opposed to a 3 game starting role for Rodriguez at short to allow the game to slow down a bit for him.
This also shows Mr.Cedeno that you cannot make dumb mistake after dumb mistake and not pay for them.
6) With just a few starts for each rotation member,the disappointment thus far has to be James McDonald.
McDonald has struggled with command and both starts has been failed by one bad inning.
I would not think his spot is threatened for now with Ross Ohlendorf on the DL,but McDonald's performance thus far is of mild concern.
7) The underachiever with the sticks has to be Pedro Alvarez with an average under .200.
I am disappointed as well,but keep in mind that the Vanderbilt product has struggled in his starts in each of his three season in pro baseball.
Give him some time...
8) The Pirate infield defense is still a huge work in progress as Steve Pearce showed yesterday with his overthrow on a routine play (an awful throw).
Putting Pearce aside,the regular four infielders (Overbay,Walker,Cedeno and Alvarez) have already committed eleven errors on the season between them.
A pretty high number for a supposedly improved defensive group.
9) The more that I watch Jose Tabata,the more I think he was given a bad break by being a Yankee prospect.
Yankee prospects are always overhyped at the lower levels and then knocked around as they move up in the system.
Tabata was 18 when he played in the SAL,and although Charleston did not play here that season,the rap was immaturity.
That may have been the case then,but I really like Tabata's development as a player and that might not hae happened as a Yankee.
In any case,I am glad to have him...
10) Reds pitcher Mike Leake (winning pitcher on Saturday) was arrested at Macy's for shoplifting shirts before Monday's game.
How dumb is that?
Leake may not be rich by MLB standards,but he makes tons more money than you or I and he risks ridicule for four shirts?
That he can clearly afford?!
Incredibly dumb!!!
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