Bowling Shirt Sunday Now Mandatory After Pirates 8-5 Comeback Victory Over Mets

*Enter

Rumbunter has it figured out.  We know 1BAdam LaRoche has started the Under Armour camo batting practice shirt trend.  However, to shake things up for the Pirates, Jack and Julie Wilson hosted the 5th Annual ‘Bowling with the Bucs’ last night at Noble Manor Lanes in Crafton.

An unnamed source has informed Rumbunter that this event is now mandatory for the remaining Sunday home games at PNC.  We have a great venue at Nemacolin called The Wildside and we are working on securing the lanes for the following dates:

June 28

July 18

August 2

September 6, 20 and 27.

See you on the lanes after these Bucco Sunday home games, because everyone knows rocking those bowling shirts on a Sunday night boosts everyone’s confidence.  The confidence the Pirates gained on the lanes meant even the best bullpen in the league didn’t have a chance against the PBC.  The Mets bullpen brought a 2.95ERA into the game.  It didn’t matter, as the Bucs put up a five spot in the eighth.

1B LaRoche, who officially has found his stroke, started the big inning as he crushed a double (thanks Gary).  Eric Hinske, who has has had a nice two game stretch, grounded out, but moved LaRoche to third.  3B LaRoche delivered an RBI single,  JHammer singled, and Jack Wilson tied the game at five with a rip up the middle.  Delwyn Young hit another single up the middle and made a smart baserunning move when he took second on the throw to third base.  Freddy Sanchez reached on an error by SS Wilson Valdez.  Nate McLouth had a sac fly before 1B LaRoche completed the inning by grounding out.

And then Matt Capps went to work.  He had some help from Nyjer (His gentlemen’s name is Tony Plush) Morgan’s fantastic catch in shallow left field.  Capps closed it out with four seam fastballs of 95, 95, 95, 96, 97, and 96.  [MLB] Capps threw 21 pitches, 15 for strikes.  20 of those pitches were….you guessed it four seamers.  The other one?  His slider–and it went for a single.

*Nate McLouth looks like he needs some work with Mr. Long.  WOW.  Some ugly at bats tonight.

*Steven Jackson took his truck to the ballpark today to make his major league debut.  No joke. 

Jackson has a lively arm.  A little too lively last night, but we will take it.  He got Gary Sheffield with four seamers–the count was 2-0 when Sheffield grounded out to Freddy.   You think Jackson had a few butterflies?

In the eighth, He gave up a leadoff walk to David Wright with four straight four seamers that went for balls.  Average speed was 91.  Jackson fielded  a sac bunt attempt and fired to second for the force out.  He then fell behind in the count at 3-1 before a hopper off the plate was fielded by JHammer who gunned it to first.

In all Jackson had a nice outing.

He threw one inning no hits, no runs, a walk.  It was a scary inning though.  He was all over the place, but the Mets hitters were eager to swing the bats.

Castaway Tom Gorzelanny came into to get the last out of the eighth inning on a grounder to LaRoche at first base.  He got Jackson off the hook and setup that clean inning for Jackson.

*Starter Ian Snell looked like a fighter on wobbly legs last night.  He hung on despite allowing eleven baserunners in six innings.  Keep it up Ian.  Smart move to spend time with Kerrigan late in the game.  It looked like he was reviewing some details with you.  Stay attached to his hip kid being in the top five of walks per nine innings is not where you want to be.  And it could land you in another spot you don’t want to be.  LOCATION.

* We had some opportunities to scratch out a run in the first inning.  Morgan on third and one out.  And again in the sixth when the bases were left loaded.  Come on Vazquez.  Come on Bucs.

*NY Times on the Pirates.  I always hate it when they use our own beat writer for the ”headed for the 17th consecutive…”   [NYTimesMetsBlog]