Pirates Lack Killer Instinct Fall to Mets 9-8

When Pirates manager John Russell was quoted as saying, “It would have been nice to win today, but there were a lot of positives that came out of this.”  Ugh.  Gasp.

Ahem, what exactly are those?

We need a win.  We want to become winners, not a team that takes positives out of games that are given away!  Come on.  A five run lead?  Seriously.  Win the damn game.

It has become a trend.  Pirates grab a lead.  Pirates put the bats away.  Pirates lose the lead.  Pirates bring out the bats again, but fall in the end. Frustrating.

Watching 1B LaRoche take KRod yard was impressive, but KRod went into the dugout and told his manager, if we get a run, I am going back out (to the mound).  He threw 30 pitches in the ninth inning blowing the save opportunity.  

He went back out in the tenth with that one run Mets lead.  The results were impressive.

KRod threw 16 pitches, mainly his four seamer, which averaged 93mph and hit as high as 96mph as he mowed down the Pirates.  He mixed in his slider and curve which were in the 81- 83mph range and took the win for the Mets.

Garrett Jones was impressive in spring training when the picture was taken.  He was also impressive yesterday going 3-for-5, just missing the cycle.  (Another record still held by Daryle Ward)

Paul Maholm doesn’t appear to be healthy.  He has a 6.41 ERA in his last eight starts.  His WHIP is 1.75 in that stretch. 

Maholm relied heavily on his four seamer yesterday.  How was the velocity you ask?  88.55.  He threw 23 pitches in the first and 21 in the fourth.  On the day, he threw 81 pitches (39 were the four seam fastball)….in 4.1 innings!

What an exciting week!  I spent a few days in DC and there is very little baseball interest in the town.  Even with Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett.

Watching Ray Knight on the Nationals post game show was painful.  Not as painful as Teke looks here however….

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