It’s Dagger Night for Pittsburgh Pirates

Sep 19, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Milwaukee Brewers center fielder Carlos Gomez (27) reacts to the fans after loosing his batting helmet on a swing and miss against the Pittsburgh Pirates during the eighth inning at PNC Park. The Pirates won 3-2. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

Tonight is dagger night for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  The Milwaukee Brewers are dying a slow death right in front of America. It’s been painful to watch, so painful to watch. The Brewers desperately need someone to put them out of their miserable 2014 season.

Last night Russell Martin the best free agent signing in Pirates history, pushed the Milwaukee Brewers to the edge of a Pirates ship that has it sights set on the Major League Baseball Postseason.  Martin is in the midst of a ten game hitting streak during which he has hit .359 with three bombs while driving in 14 teammates.

Sep 17, 2014; St. Louis, MO, USA; Milwaukee Brewers right fielder Ryan Braun (8) looks on during the first inning against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-USA TODAY Sports

Edinson Volquez will get the ball for the Pirates and looks to remain unbeaten for the 11th straight game against the vanishing Brew Crew.   Volquez has been unbeatable in his last ten starts with a 4-0 mark along with an ERA of 1.73 in his last eight starts.  Against the Crew this season, #VolquezFever has a 2.88 ERA in four starts.

Volquez looked flat his last time out against the Cubs when he allowed three runs and caused Twitter to melt down before his teammates threw seven runs on the board and the Bucs powerful offense put it on cruise control.  But remember, two of those runs were caused when Volquez tried to play Brooks Robinson, but instead threw the ball into short right field plating two Cubs.

The concern with Volquez was the five walks in that last start.  If Volquez does that against the Brewers they will make him walk the plank.

When the right hander last faced Milwaukee, he went 5 and two thirds giving up two runs on eleven hits.  The offense, once again, bailed him out in a 10-2 romp.

Sep 19, 2014; Pittsburgh, PA, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Russell Martin (55) reacts after being hit with a cream pie after defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 3-2 at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sports

The Pirates are 4 1/2 games up on the Brewers after Martin’s heroics.

A win tonight all but seals the deal and would give the Pirates another series win setting them up for the sweep tomorrow.

The Brewers of the present are a team that struggles to score runs and has received some shoddy pitching as they have jumped from the top of the ship to the middle of the pack in the last 28 games, 20 of them losses.  It’s hard to even remember the swag fueled Brewers who jumped out to a great start to the season and then had complete control of the NL Central Division.

The Pirates can make the Brewers slide even more remarkable tonight.

The Pirates can be the team that puts the dagger in the Brewers 2014 disaster.  That just sounds good to type.  Let’s trust the Bucs can make it a reality.