Pirates Dynasty 2006

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 19
The Pirates announced that they have come to an agreement on contract extensions with Jack Wilson for $880,000 for three years and with Humberto Cota for $900,000 for five years. This week the Pirates travel to Denver for a three game series against the Colorado Rockies who are 52-61 and whom the Pirates are 2-1 against this season. The Rockies pitching staff is dead last in runs allowed, despite having Danny Graves (9-6 3.42) as the top of their rotation. On the other hand, their offense is ranked third in the league with 1B Todd Helton (0.326 32 100) leading the way.

Game 113: Pirates 11 Rockies 6
This was definitely a Coors field game. VanBenSchoten was chased after just 2 2/3 innings, after giving up five runs all in the third innning and did not get a decision. The Rockies manager was a bit more patient, as Jason Jennings lasted 5 2/3 innings despite giving up seven runs, and picked up the loss. Scott Shields picked up the win for the Bucs, as he worked two scoreless innings of relief. Four Pirates hit homeruns in the game, including the first career homerun for Edwin Yan. Also, JJ Davis hit for the cycle in the game.

Game 114: Pirates 5 Rockies 2
Williams pitched a superb game and gave up just two runs off of two hits in eight innings of work for the win. Graves picked up the loss for the Rockies despite pitching well, giving up three runs in six innings. The Pirates picked up two insurance runs in the top of the ninth, but they weren't needed as Mann shut the Rockies down 1-2-3 in the ninth for his 31st save of the year.

Game 115: Pirates 6 Rockies 5
Another superb game by Bullington as he carried a shutout into the eighth inning before surrendering a two run homerun to Brad Hawpe. Bullington completed eight innings of work, giving up just those two runs off of five hits and picked up the win. With the Bucs up 6-2 heading into the ninth, it seemed as if the Bucs had this one in the bag. Williams came in to pitch and the first batter reached base on an error by the shortstop. Williams then picked up two quick outs, so there was a runner on second and two outs. He then walked strike out king Jose Hernandez (that takes some real skill) and then gave up a single to Gettis, scoring Amar and moving Hernandez to third base. Jim Mann then came into the game and quickly gave up another single to Gomez, scoring Hernandez and allowing Gettis to move to third base. He then walked Brad Hawpe to load the bases. With the bases loaded, he walked Carbaugh to bring home a run and bring the game to within one run 6-5. With Helton at the plate and the bases loaded, Rockies' fans and players, thought they might be able to pull this one back and a gasp came from the crowd when they heard the loud crack of Helton's bat hitting the ball. Unfortunately, the line shot was right at second baseman Bobby Hill, and he was able to make the catch to end the threat, and the game along with it. Mann made it close, but he managed to pick up his 32nd save of the season.

The Pirates now travel to Los Angeles to face the Dodgers who are 60-54 and whom the Pirates have not played yet this season. The Dodgers have a pretty decent pitching staff with Steve Smyth (12-5 3.96), Jeff Weaver (11-9 3.69), Adam Wainwright (3-9 4.15) and Reyes Soto (8-4 3.74) leading the way. Their lineup leaves a lot to be desired as Eric Munson (0.287 17 69) leads the team in all three offensive categories.

Game 116: Pirates 1 Dodgers 5
This game was a real pitchers duel, as the score was 1-1, thanks to solo homeruns by Drew Henson and Preston Wilson, until the bottom of the sixth inning. The Dodgers managed to score four runs off of Burnett in the inning, while the Pirates were not able to register another run on the scoreboard. Burnett got the loss, giving up five runs in 6 1/3 innings, while Weaver picked up the win for the Dodgers, giving up just the one run in eight innings of work.

Game 117: Pirates 5 Dodgers 4
Lopez continues to rack up the wins, as he pitched another decent game giving up three runs in six innings for the win. Brown struggled a bit for the Dodgers, giving up four runs off of nine hits and three walks in five innings of work for the loss. Every Pirate starting position player picked up at least one hit in the game. Mann was back to his shut down self, knocking the Dodgers down 1-2-3 in the ninth for his 33rd save of the season.

Game 118: Pirates 6 Dodgers 5 (12) Fireworks Night at Chavez Ravine
VanBenSchoten struggled again out on the mound giving up five runs off of 11 hits in 5 2/3 innings. Wainwright did decent for the Dodgers, giving up five runs off of nine hits in 8 1/3 innings. The Pirates trailed in this game 5-4 until the top of the eighth inning, when with one out, Brad fullmer skied a solo homerun off of Wainwright to tie the game. The Dodgers never threatened much, and the Pirates only did so once in extra innings until the 12th inning. Davis led the inning off with a single and after he stole second base, Howry intentionally walked Brad Fullmer. The Dodgers seemed to be out of the jam when Doumit grounded into a 3-6-3 double play. However with a runner on third and two outs, Edwin Yan came through with a single to give the Bucs the lead. Then in the bottom half of the inning, White picked up two quick outs before giving up a single to Paul LoDuca. Ken Harvey then followed with another single to center field. LoDuca decided to make a run for third base, but Butler threw a perfect strike that nailed LoDuca at third to end the rally and the game, as the Bucs won another close one.

Around the league, on Wednesday it was announced that Arizona's John Patterson will miss the next 7-8 weeks with a strained elbow ligament. On Thursday, Texas' Mark Teixeira slammed five hits while leading his team to a 17-1 rout of the Kansas City Royals. The next day, Texas' Alex Rodriguez picked up his 2,000 hit in Cleveland, a three run homerun off of Dennis Stark in the fourth inning. On Saturday, Milwaukee's Kelly Grams unloaded three homeruns in a game against the Rockies, all solo homers in the second inning, fourth inning, and yet another in the fifth inning.

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 20
The Pirates picked up a steal off of the waiver wires, as Cincinatti had released MR Felix Heredia and the Bucs signed him to a one year deal worth $656k for one year. They then very quickly came to an agreement on a contract extension for $2.5 million per year for 3 years. The Pirates released John Grabow to make room for Heredia on the 25-man roster. The Bucs begin the week with a four game series at home against their division rival St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards are currently in third place with a record of 62-55, just 3.5 games back of the Pirates in the wild card race. The Pirates lead the season series 5-4. The Cards have an excellent starting rotation consisting of Jason Simontacchi (8-8 (3.88), Jimmy Journell (9-11 3.75), Jeremy Lambert (9-2 2.22), and Blake Hawksworth (7-4 3.08). Their offense has been a bit of a dissapointment as they rank 23rd in runs scored despite having the likes of Albert Pujols (0.298 22 65), Jim Edmonds (0.273 18 54), and Scott Rolen (0.301 19 48) in the lineup. Their starting shortstop Miguel Tejada will likely miss this series with a broken hand.

Game 119: Pirates 10 Cardinals 3
Williams pitched a superb game for the Pirates and picked up his 10th win, working a complete game where he gave up just three hits, though all three hits happened to be solo homeruns to Bautista, Pujols, and Rolen. The Pirates offense destroyed Jimmy Journell, as he lasted just 3 2/3 innings and gave up six runs for the loss. Vic Butler had the hot bat today, as he went 3 for 4 with 4 RBIs, including a two run homerun. Also, Edwin Yan extended his hitting streak to a career high 10 games. With this win, the Pirates took a 1/2 game lead over the Cubs in the central division pennant race.

Game 120: Pirates 6 Cardinals 1 Glove Day at PNC Park
Bullington pitched very well in this game, scattering six hits through 6 1/3 innings and giving up just one run for the win. Lambert also gave up six hits in six innings of work, but he surrendered three runs and picked up the loss. The Pirates managed three more runs off of the Cardinals bullpen, but they were not needed as the Pirates bullpen didn't even put a runner on base in 2 2/3 innings of relief work. Yan extended his hitting streak to 11 games in this game.

Game 121: Pirates 5 Cardinals 6
Burnett really struggled in this outing giving up six runs off of ten hits in just 3 2/3 innings of work for the loss. Tyler Johnson pitched fairly well, giving up five runs in eight innings and he earned the win. The Pirates found themselves down 6-2 after four innings, but they worked their way back into the game, scoring a run in the fifth, sixth, and seventh inning to make it a one run ball game. However, Johnson and Crudale shut them down in the eighth and ninth innings as they were not even able to pick up a hit. Crudale picked up his 33rd save of the season. Yan's hitting streak stopped at 11 games, as he went 0-2 today with 2 walks. Also, the Cubs regained the division lead with a win today.

Game 122: Pirates 0 Cardinals 1
The two pitchers really dueled this game out. Lopez gave up just one run off of seven hits in eight innings of work, but still picked up the loss as Hawksworth worked 6 1/3 scoreless innings giving up six hits for the win. The lone run came in the first inning, when with two outs and Edmonds on first base, Rolen doubled down the left field line. The left fielder had a little trouble playing the ball off the wall and that allowed Edmonds to score all the way from first base. The Pirates had runners in scoring position six times throughout the game, but thanks to five double plays turned by the Cardinals defense, they were not able to score a single run. The Pirates best chance to score came in the bottom of the ninth, when after one out, Crudale walked Davis and Fullmer. Ravelo then came to the plate to pinch hit and hit a fly ball into shallow left-center field and Davis took off running for home, thinking that it would fall. However, the left fielder made a spectacular catch, just getting his glove between the ball and the ground, and he was able to easily double up Davis at second base to end the game. Crudale picked up his 34th save of the season.

The Dodgers come into Pittsburgh next to play the Bucs in a three game weekend series. The Dodgers are currently 63-58 and just 4.5 games back of the Pirates in the NL wild card race. The Pirates lead the season series 2-1 between the ball clubs. The Dodgers have a pretty decent pitching staff with Steve Smyth (12-5 3.87), Jeff Weaver (13-9 3.52), Adam Wainwright (3-9 4.22) and Reyes Soto (8-4 3.54) leading the way. Their lineup leaves a lot to be desired as Eric Munson (0.287 17 71) leads the team in all three offensive categories.

Game 123: Pirates 4 Dodgers 3
The Pirates squeaked by with a win in this game. VanBenSchoten had a decent game, giving up just three runs off of nine hits in seven innings, earning his 10th win of the season. Wainwright had a 3-2 lead heading into the sixth inning, but a two out solo homerun by Drew Henson tied it in the bottom of the sixth. Then in the bottom of the seventh, with Bobby Hill on second base and two outs, Nady came through with a single up the middle and into center field and Hill was able to score the go ahead run. Wainwright lasted a total of 7 1/3 innings, giving up four runs off of eight hits. White and Williams held for the Bucs in the eighth inning, giving up just a walk in the inning. Mann then came in and closed out the ninth, giving up just a single, to earn his 34th save of the season.

Game 124: Pirates 1 Dodgers 0
The beginning of the game seemed like the Dodgers were gonna walk away big in the game. Williams gave up a walk, got LoDuca to ground out, but then gave up a single and then another walk to load the bases with just one out. he got out of the jam by getting Ken Harvey to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. He settled down after that and pitched 7 1/3 scoreless innings for the win. The Pirates picked up their run in the bottom of the first inning. Hill led the inning off by reaching base on an error by the first baseman. He then stole second base and moved to third on a sac fly by Butler. He then scored on Xavier Nady's single to center field. Smyth got the loss for the Dodgers, despite giving up just two hits, and one unearned run in seven innings of work. Williams was pulled from the game in the eighth inning after he gave up a one out double to Dave Ross. White came in and got Santos to fly out to left center, and Mike Williams came in and got LoDuca to fly out to shallow left field to end that threat. Mann then pitched a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 35th save of the season.

Game 125: Pirates 4 Dodgers 3 Baeball Cap Day at PNC Park
Another real nail biter, as this time Bullington came out on top with the win. He worked eight innings, giving up just two runs off of five hits. Soto also pitched a good game, giving up three runs off of eight hits in six innings of work, but picked up the loss. The Dodgers led the game 2-0 until the bottom of the sixth inning. Soto began the inning by getting Fullmer to strike out, but then surrendered a double to Ravelo, but then followed that by getting DeCaster to fly out to left field. With two outs and a runner on second, Yan got the Pirates on the board with a double down the right field line, scoring Ravelo. Doumit then gave the Bucs the lead with a two run homerun to deep left center field. The Pirates added what turned out to be a needed insurance run in the seventh inning. Mann came into the game in the bottom of the ninth and got two quick outs, before surrendering a solo homerun to Jarrod Patterson to bring the game to within one run and breath new life into the Dodgers. Alustiza came in to pinch hit, and roped one into the gap in right center field, but Butler with his great range was able to track the ball down and make the catch and give the Pirates the win. Mann picked up his 35th save of the season. Unfortunately, even the Bucs swept the Dodgers, they remain 1/2 game back of the Cubs, as they were able to sweep the Astros.

Around the league, on Tuesday Minnesota's Colby Miller tore his tricep muscle and he will miss the next 6 weeks. On Wednesday, Boston's Manny Ramirez reached a personal milestone when he doubled in the sixth inning off of Texas' Runelvys Hernandez to pick up his 2000th career hit. On Thursday, Royals' shortstop Angel Berroa became the 6272nd player to hit for the cycle. On Saturday, White Sox starter Mark Buehrle turned in a great performance against the Yankees, pitching a two hit shutout and leading his team to a 2-0 victory. On Sunday, Texas' Alex Rodriguez smashed three homeruns in a game against the Orioles, a solo homerun in the first, a three run shot in the fourth inning, and another three run homerun in the fifth inning as he led his team to a 11-4 rout of the Orioles. Pirates starting pitcher Dave Williams won the player of the week award, finishing the week with a 2-0 record and a 1.65 ERA.

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 21
Another week and another trip into St. Louis to face the division rival Cardinals who are 65-59 and whom the Pirates are 7-6 agaisnst this season. The two teams split their last series 2-2 in Pittsburgh last week. The Cards have an excellent starting rotation consisting of Jason Simontacchi (9-8 3.78), Jimmy Journell (9-13 4.20), Jeremy Lambert (9-4 2.46), and Blake Hawksworth (8-4 2.90). Their offense has been a bit of a dissapointment as they rank 24th in runs scored despite having the likes of Albert Pujols (0.295 23 67), Jim Edmonds (0.271 18 54), and Scott Rolen (0.294 20 51) in the lineup. Their starting shortstop Miguel Tejada (0.246 15 53) has returned to their lineup after missing considerable time with a broken hand.

Game 126: Pirates 4 Cardinals 7
Burnett continues to pile up losses, as his losing streak continues to five straight decisions, as he struggled once again. Burnett gave up four runs off of seven hits in six innings for the loss. Tyler Johnson also gave up four runs but off of eight hits in seven innings for the win. The Pirates were trailing by just one run, 4-3, until the bottom of the seventh inning when Miguel Tejada made his presence known by smashing a three run homerun off of Jose Jimenez that traveled 461 feet. The Pirates managed to pick up one more run but it was too little too late. Crudale worked a 1-2-3 ninth inning for his 35th save of the season.

Game 127: Pirates 3 Cardinals 2 (12) Fireworks Night at Busch Stadium
Both starters pitched an amazing game, but neither came up with a decision. Lopez gave up just one run off of four hits in six innings and Hawksworth gave up two runs off of ten hits in 6 2/3 innings. The Pirates were leading the game 2-1 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning and they brought out their sure fire closer. Mann gave up a lead off single to Edmonds, but then got Scott Rolen to ground into a fielder's choice, with Edmonds being out at second base. Miguel Tejada made his presence known once again by tripling down the right field line, scoring Rolen and putting a runner at third base with just one out. Mann unintentionally, intentionally walked Angel Santos, so the Redbirds had runners at the corners with one out and it appeared they'd have a good chance at winning the game. Mann really stepped things up at this point, and got the pinch hitter Tim Salmon to strike out looking and then ended the threat by getting Wes Helms to fly out to left-center field, however the damage had been done and this game went to extra innings. Besides a two out double by Albert Pujols in the bottom of the tenth, neither team threatened until the top of the 12th inning. Ryan Doumit led the inning off with a double off of Reyes, chasing him from the game after facing just one batter. White was left in the game to bat and promptly got struck out by the new pitcher Batista. Doumit was able to advance to third base on a wild pitch, but was not able to score on a ground ball by Bobby Hill to the third baseman. It seemed the Redbirds might be able to get out of the jam, but Yurendell DeCaster came through with a single down the left field line to score Doumit. After walking Nady, Batista ended the inning by getting Nady to ground out. In the bottom of the 12th the Cardinals' Molina led off with a single, but on the next batter, the Pirates' defense turned a spectacular 6-4-3 double play. Heredia then came into the game and struck out Bautista to end the game and pick up the save.

Game 128: Pirates 2 Cardinals 12
Not much to say about this game, VanBenSchoten had a horrible game, giving up five runs in two innings and earning the loss. Simontacchi pitched a beautiful game, giving up just one run off of five hits in eight innings of work. Simontacchi also helped his own cause with his bat, going 2-3 with 4 RBIs.

Next up, the Pirates travel to San Diego to face the Padres who are 63-65 and whom the Pirates are 2-1 against this season. The Padres have one of the better starting rotations in the league with Mike Nicolas (5-7 4.29), Seung Song (9-8 3.24), Kris Benson (8-7 3.14), Jason Moates (7-11 3.79), and Randy Keisler (8-8 3.48). They also have a slightly above average lineup consisting of former Pirate Jason Kendall (0.288 11 47), Ryan Klesko (0.259 32 88), and Troy Glaus (0.226 30 80).

Game 129: Pirates 1 Padres 6
Williams got shelled for the first time in a long time, giving up five runs in just two innings and picking up the loss. Former Pirate Kris Benson pitched a superb game against his former teammates, giving up just one run off of four hits, pitching a complete game and picking up the win.

Game 130: Pirates 4 Padres 0
Song struggled just a bit out there, giving up four runs in the third inning, and lasting just five innings for the loss. Bullington picked up his sixth straight win, with a complete game shutout, while giving up just five hits and one walk and striking out nine batters.

Game 131: Pirates 4 Padres 3 (10)
Burnett pitched a pretty decent game, giving up just three runs off of seven hits in eight innings of work, though he did not get the win. Moates did not get the win either, as he gave up three runs in 6 2/3 innings. The Padres tied the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when Jason Kendall hit a two out single to center field scoring Caruso from third place. Niether team did much in the ninth inning and the game went to extra innings. Right off the bat in the top of the tenth, after one out JJ Davis and Brad Fullmer hit back-to-back singles to put runners on first and second with one out. Scot Shields tried to laid down a bunt, but struck out as he fouled off a bunt with two strikes. Yan came through again singling to left field and scoring JJ Davis. The inning ended when Jack Wilson struck out. Mann set the Padres hitters down 1-2-3 in the bottom of the tenth to pick up the save, his 37th of the year.

Around the league on Sunday, Montreal's Javier Vazquez blanked the Reds on just two hits as he led the Expos to an 8-0 win.

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 22
With just five weeks remaining to go in the season the Pirates find themselves with a 1/2 game lead over the Chicago Cubs in the NL Central division. This week the Pirates travel to Cincinatti for a three game series against the Reds who are 60-71 and whom the Pirates are 4-6 against this season. The Reds starting rotation has really suffered a lot this year with Bartolo Colon (10-7 5.42) having one of his worse years and neither Ty Howington (10-7 4.74) or Omar Daal (7-9 4.83) have fared much better. Their offense has been slightly above average with Bobby Kielty (0.306 20 74), Erubiel Durazo (0.277 31 83) and Brandon Larson (0.298 16 71) having superb years this year.

Game 132: Pirates 0 Reds 3
A dissapointing loss as Lopez had some real control problems. Despite giving up just three hits, he also gave up three runs because he walked six batters in seven innings for the loss. The Pirates were not able to pick up any runs, as Howington pitched a superb game, giving up just four hits in seven innings for the win. Valentine pitched a scoreless ninth inning for his 28th save of the season.

Game 133: Pirates 2 Reds 3 (12)
VanBenSchoten pitched a decent game, giving up just two runs in six innings. Kibler pitched even better for the Reds, giving up just one unearned run in seven innings. However, neither starter got a decision in this game. In the top of the ninth inning, Brad Fullmer led off with a triple off of Valentine. He ended up scoring one out later on a wild pitch to tie the game at 2-2. Neither team got a runner to second base until the bottom of the 12th inning. Gabe White picked up two quick outs in the inning, but Keith Ginter came through for the Reds with a solo homerun down the left field line that stayed just fair and gave the Reds the win.

Game 134: Pirates 12 Reds 2
Finally, the Pirates offense decided to show up, as they drilled starter Colon for six runs, five earned, in just 3 2/3 innings as he picked up the loss. Dave Williams had another great start, giving up just two runs off of four hits in seven innings for the win. Hill, Doumit, and Ravelo all homered for the Pirates in this game.

Next up the Pirates return home for a three game series against the ML worse team, the Houston Astros, who are 53-80 and whom the Pirates are 4-6 against this season. The Astros ranked 22nd in runs allowed with a starting rotation of Jeff Clark (8-9 4.17), Mitch Talbot (9-9 4.68) and Carlos Hernandez (4-15 5.23). Their offense isn't any better and is ranked 25th with Norman Theberge (0.303 14 71) the only real threat in their lineup.

Game 135: Pirates 5 Astros 0 Noddin Head Doll Day at PNC Park
Another great start by Bullington as he wins his seventh consecutive decision throwing eight shutout innings, and giving up just three hits and two walks. Redding lasted just 4 1/3 innings even though he gave up just one run and picked up the loss. The Pirates added two insurance runs in the sixth off of Gothreaux and two more in the seventh off of Chen, but they weren't needed as Williams was able to preserve the shutout by pitching a scoreless ninth inning.

Game 136: Pirates 5 Astros 2
Burnett snapped his five game losing streak with a great start today, giving up just one unearned run in seven innings of work for the win. Clark gave up four runs in six innings and picked up the loss for the Astros. JJ Davis hit two solo homeruns, and Yurendell DeCaster hit a homerun for the second game in a row. On a bad note, Bobby Hill strained his tricep muscle and is listed as day-to-day and will likely try to play through the injury for the next four weeks or so.

Game 137: Pirates 3 Astros 5
Lopez picked up his third straight loss, as he gave up five runs, three earned, while working 7 1/3 innings. After giving up three runs, from a two run homerun by JJ Davis and a solo homerun by Fullmer, Talbot settled down and worked a total of 5 2/3 innings without giving up any more runs and picking up the win.

Around the league on Tuesday, Philly's Chris Capuano pitched a one hit shutout against the Florida Marlins, helping his team to a 2-0 victory. On Wednesday, Texas' Abdiel Nieves pulled a tricep muscle and will likely miss the next 4-5 weeks. On Friday, Boston's Casey Fossum pitched a one hit shutout against the Devil Rays to help the Red Sox to a 8-0 win.

August Wrapup
Another superb month for the Pirates as they went 18-10 in the month of August and now lead the NL central by 1.5 games with a record of 77-60. Despite going just 2-3, Lopez had another good month with an ERA of just 2.76. Dave Williams (4-1 3.24) also had a very good month, but the best pitcher of the month without a doubt was Brian Bullington who went 6-0 with a 1.14 ERA. VanbenSchoten really struggled this month finishing 1-1 with a 7.71 ERA. Most of the Pirates had a pretty good month with the bat, with JJ Davis (0.324 5 19), Brad Fullmer (0.322 5 17), Drew Henson (0.388 3 11), Edwin Yan (0.309 1 10) doing the best and Bobby Hill being the only exception this month hitting just 0.186 with a 0.286 OBP.

I didn't really like the picture approach to the standings as it's just as much work as typing it all out. Anyway, Boston continues to have the best record in all of MLB with a record of 87-50 they lead the east by 6 games over the Devil Rays. The central division is shaping up to be the closest race, with the Indians leading the White Sox by three games with a record of 74-63. In the west, the Rangers are still holding on with a record of 76-61, though their lead has been cut to just five games over the Mariners. The Devil Rays easily lead the AL wild card with a record of 81-56, some 6.5 games better than the Toronto Blue Jays. In the NL, Philly is holding on to the best record with a record of 81-55 and lead the Marlins in the east by 7.5 games. In the central, the Pirates have taken over the lead with a record of 77 -60 and they lead the Cubs by just 1.5 games. In the west, the Diamondbacks have opened a huge lead over the Dodgers by 9.5 games with a record of 81-58. The Wild card is led right now by the Chicago Cubs with a record of 75-61, with the Marlins just 1.5 games back and with the Dodgers still in things, five games back.

AL BOM - Alex Rodriguez hit 0.333 with 13 HRs and 39 RBIs
NL BOM - Vernon Machuca hit 0.431 with 11 HRs and 24 RBIs
AL POM - Mark Buehrle went 5-0 with a 0.77 ERA
NL POM - Mark Prior went 3-0 with a 0.44 ERA somehow beat out Bullington

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 23
The Pirates made a few September call-ups this year. Carlos Zambrano will likely get some work out of the bullpen and maybe a spot start or two to give some of the pitchers some rest. Freddy Sanchez was also brought up and will get some pinch hit at-bats as well as a start or two at second and shortstop. Jose Bautista and Taber Lee were also called up and will likely just see some pinch hit opportunities. Some noteables that weren't called up include LF Nate McLouth, as I still haven't decided what I want to do with him yet, and also SP Adam Loewen, as I am quite confident that he'll be able to handle a starting rotation job next season and I'd rather him get some rest and maybe through some in winter ball this offseason.

This week the Bucs come back home and try to avenge their previous series in a four game series with the Reds who are 62-75 and whom the Pirates are 5-8 against this season. The Reds starting rotation has really suffered a lot this year with Bartolo Colon (10-8 5.58) having one of his worse years and neither Ty Howington (11-8 4.81) or Omar Daal (7-9 4.59) have fared much better. Their offense has been slightly above average with Bobby Kielty (0.303 22 76), Erubiel Durazo (0.282 32 86) and Brandon Larson (0.295 16 73) having superb years this year.

Game 138: Pirates 6 Reds 9
The three errors just killed the Pirates in this game, as the Pirate pitchers gave up nine runs, but only two of them were earned. VanBenSchoten gave up six runs, just one earned, in 6 2/3 innings and picked up the loss. Kibler didn't pitch much better, giving up five runs in six innings, but he was able to pick up the win. The Pirates had a 5-0 lead heading into the sixth inning, when VanBenSchoten gave up his one earned run, and thanks to a fielding error by the left fielder, the Reds were able to score a second run in the inning. Then in the seventh inning, the first batter reached on an error, then JVB gave up a single, and would have picked up the last outs of the inning by striking out the next two batters, but because of the error the Reds were still alive and were able to score four unearned runs in the inning. Then in the top of the eighth inning, the first batter again reached on a fielding error by the first baseman, and Jimenez was able to get the next two batters out, but the extra batter made them pay with a two run homerun to center field. The Reds picked up another insurance run from a solo homerun by Larson off of Heredia. The Pirates were able to get one run back in the bottom of the ninth when Nady singled home Hill with two outs, but Valentine closed out the threat when he got Davis and Fullmer to fly out with runners on first and second and end the game, earning Valentine his 29th save of the season.

Game 139: Pirates 8 Reds 7
Dave Wiliams had his first poor outing in a long time, giving up seven earned runs off of four hits and two walks in just 2 2/3 innings of work. Thankfully, Colon didn't fare much better, as he gave up five runs off of seven hits in four innings of work. The Pirates were trailing the game 7-5 until the bottom of the seventh inning, when Nady hit a three run homerun off of Ted Lilly with one out in the inning to give the Pirates the lead. The bullpen did a terrific job, working 6 1/3 scoreless innings for the Pirates. Heredia got the win, pitching two of those innings, and Mann picked up his 38th save of the season, throwing a 1-2-3 ninth inning.

Game 140: Pirates 9 Reds 5
Bullington had one of his worst outings of the year, giving up four runs right off the bat in the first inning, and finishing the day having given up five runs, four earned, in four innings of work, but did not get a decision. Thankfully, the bucs managed to score six runs in 6 1/3 innings off of Omar Daal, who picked up the loss. The Pirates trailed the game 5-3, before once again heading into the bottom of the seventh inning, when JJ Davis hit a one out three run homerun off of Daal to give the Pirates the lead. The Pirates added three more in the bottom of the eighth, including a solo shot from Yan, and the bullpen held on to the win once again pitching five scoreless innings of work. Heredia again picked up the win after throwing one scoreless inning.

Game 141: Pirates 4 Reds 6
The Pirates elected to give Carlos Zambrano a shot at starting a game and it completely backfired on them. Zambrano managed to get just one out, and gave up five runs, off of two hits and three walks, one of those hits a grandslam by Brandon Larson. The Pirates managed to scored four runs in 7 1/3 innings off of Basham, but it wasn't enough as he earned the win. The Reds picked up one insurance run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't needed as Valentine shut the Pirates down 1-2-3 in the bottom half of the inning to pick up his 30th save of the season.

Next up, the Pirates travel back to Houston for a three game series against the Astros who are last in the majors with a record of 54-85 and whom the Pirates are just 6-7 against this season. The Astros ranked 23rd in runs allowed with a starting rotation of Jeff Clark (8-10 4.23), Mitch Talbot (10-9 4.68) and Carlos Hernandez (4-16 5.35). Their offense isn't any better and is ranked 25th with Norman Theberge (0.298 14 72) the only real threat in their lineup.

Game 142: Pirates 3 Astros 2
A great pitchers duel as Lopez went 8 innings and gave up just two runs for the win and Clark went eight innings, giving up two runs, just one earned, but got a no-decision. The Pirates led the game 2-1 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but a one out solo homerun by Alex Ochoa tied the game for the Astros. Then in the top of the ninth, Vic Butler led the inning off with a triple down the right field line and then after intentionally walking Nady, Saarloos was pulled in favor of Jimenez. Jimenez promptly got JJ Davis to strike out, but Brad Fullmer came through with a sac fly to right-center field that was deep enough to score Butler and give the Pirates back the lead. Jim Mann was once again lights out in the bottom of the ninth, putting the Astros down in order for his 39th save of the season.

Game 143: Pirates 3 Astros 4
VanBenSchoten struggled again out there, giving up four runs in six innings and picking up the loss. Talbot pitched really well for the Astros, giving up just three runs in seven innings for the win. The Pirates had a chance in the top of the ninth, as Yan led the inning off with a double off of Jimenez. Doumit then tried to lay down a bunt to move Yan to withing ninety feet of homeplate, but the bunt did not go far enough in front of home plate, and the catcher was able to pick it up and through Yan out at third base. Jimenez then got Henson to strike out and Butler to fly out to end the game and earn his 18th save of the year.

Game 144: Pirates 10 Astros 5 (12)
Errors almost killed the Pirates once again in this game. The Pirates started out with four quick runs in the first inning off of starter Hernandez, who lasted just 4 2/3 innings while giving up just those four runs. The Astros answered right back with three unearned runs in the second inning off of starter Dave Williams, who went seven innings, giving up just those three runs. Both teams were fairly quiet until the bottom of the ninth inning. Logan led the inning off with a double and then Colangelo reached on an error by the second baseman to put runners at the corners and no outs. Mann then walked Ochoa to load the bases and got Alfaro to ground it back to the mound and they were able to pick up the out at home. With the bases loaded and one out, Mann walked home a run by walking Theberge and tying the game. The Astros seemed like they were in perfect position to win the game, but Jimenez came in and got Mateo to ground into a 5-4-3 double play. The run that was scored was unearned. Niether team threatened much until the top of the 12th inning, when the Pirates managed to score six runs, including a two run homerun by JJ Davis to take a commanding lead. The Astros managed one run off of Shields in the bottom of the inning, but the mountain was just too high to climb as the Pirates held on to win.

Around the league on Wednesday, Milwaukee's Alejandro Machado mashed six hits off of Houston Astros pitching, all six hits being singles. Now a quick look at the standings:

AL East
BOS 91-51 14
TBA 85-58 -6.5

AL Central
CLE 77-65 15
CHA 73-71 -5
MIN 71-71 -6

AL West
TEX 77-66 19
SEA 76-67 -1

AL WC
TBA 85-58
TOR 78-64 -6.5

NL East
PHI 85-58 14
FLO 79-64 -6

NL Central
PIT 81-63 15
CHN 75-67 -5

NL West
ARI 83-61 11
LAD 73-69 -9

NL Wild Card
FLA 79-64
CHN 75-67 -3.5
LAD 73-69 -5.5
STL 72-70 -6.5

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 24
Just three weeks left to go and the Pirates now hold a five game lead over the Cubs in the central division pennant race. The Pirates begin this week with a three game series in Atlanta against the Braves who are 66-78 and whom the Pirates are 3-0 against this season. The Braves have a real good young starting rotation with Matt Wright (9-9 3.58), Jung Bong (13-13 3.81), Horacio Ramirez (10-11 3.60), and Bubba Nelson (9-11 3.76). Their lineup has been their achilles heal this season as they rank 26th in the league in runs scored with Josh Phelps (0.284 24 83) their only real threat.

Game 145: Pirates 6 Braves 5
Despite not having the greatest of games, in which he gave up four runs in six innings of work, Bullington managed to extend his winning streak to eight consecutive decisions thanks to a lot of help from his offense. Bubba Nelson really struggled for the Braves, giving up all six of the Pirates' runs off of ten hits in 4 2/3 innings of work. The Braves, trailing by two runs, led off the bottom of the ninth with a solo homerun by Pellow, but Gabe White was able to pick up the next three outs in a row to earn the save.

Game 146: Pirates 3 Braves 1
Burnett pitched yet another fabulous game, giving up just one runs in seven innings, but he was not able to last long enough to pick up the win. With the scored tied 1-1 in the ninth inning, Braves starter Andy Van Hekken gave up a one out double to Drew Henson to get the Pirates going. He got DeCaster to fly out to the gap in right-center field, but Jack Wilson came through with a double to score the go-ahead run. Van Hekken was then pulled but his relief gave up a single to Doumit, that scored Wilson to give the Pirates another insurance run. Van Hekken gave up a total of three runs in 8 2/3 innings for the loss. Mann gave up a one out double in the bottom of the ninth, but after intentionally walking the potential tying run, he got Chris Woodward to ground into a 6-4-3 double play to end the game and he picked up his 40th save of the season.

Game 147: Pirates 1 Braves 10
A really rough outing for Rodrigo Lopez, as he gave up nine runs, six of them earned, in 4 innings for the loss. Matt Wright threw a superb game, giving up just one run off of two hits in 7 2/3 innings for the win. Andruw Jones and Marcus Giles each hit three run homeruns for the Braves. Also, despite giving up one run in just 2/3 of an inning, Zambrano actually managed to lower his ERA to 54.00, and he's demanding to be put into the rotation.

Next up, the Pirates return home for a three game series against the Milwaukee Brewers who are 66-80 and whom the Pirates are 7-4 against this season. The Brewers rotation consists of A.J. Burnett (6-12 5.04), Randy Wolf (12-8 4.64), and former Pirate Oliver Perez (8-11 4.32) and they rank 21st in runs allowed. Their lineup has fared much better this season with Kelly Grams (0.262 31 94), Andrea Lemmons (0.269 27 86), and Richie Sexson (0.227 21 66) leading the way.

Game 148: Pirates 1 Brewers 14 Noddin Head Doll Day at PNC Park
VanBenSchoten may have just worked himself off of the starting rotation for the playoffs with his fourth straight loss, when he gave up five runs in just 2 2/3 innings of work. Mike Williams didn't make matters any better for the Bucs, giving up seven runs in 1 1/3 innings, including a grand slam to Kelly Grams. Besides Grams' homer, Guerrero, Sullivan, and Petrick also homered for the Brewers. Neugebauer pitched a fabulous game for the Brewers, giving up just one run in eight innings for the win.

Game 149: Pirates 10 Brewers 7
A come from behind win for the Bucs as neither starter had their best game. Williams gave up five runs in 4 2/3 innings and Quevedo gave up four runs in five innings as neither got a decision. The Pirates trailed 7-5 heading into the bottom of the eighth inning, but came out of it with the scored tied 7-7 thanks to a run scoring pinch hit double by DeCaster followed by a run scoring single by Doumit. Mann pitched a 1-2-3 top of the ninth inning, and Jared Hughes came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth for the Brewers. He picked up one quick out before giving up a single to Butler and a double to Nady to put runners at second and third one out. JJ Davis then skied a ball to deep left field, smashing a three run homerun and winning the game for the Bucs.

Game 150: Pirates 3 Brewers 13
Bullington's eight game winning streak was finally snapped, as he got absolutely shelled, giving up seven runs in two innings, all of which came in the second inning. A.J. Burnett pitched a good game for the Brew Crew, giving up just three runs, one of them earned, in eight innings of work for the win. Grams picked up two homeruns Lemmons hit another for the Brewers.

Around the league on Tuesday, San Francisco's Tomokazu Ohka quieted Rockies' bats with a two hit shutout. On Wednesday, Yankees' rightfielder Juan Rivera hit three homeruns in a game against the Orioles. On Sunday, Reds' fans got bad news as first baseman Erubiel Durazo was diagnosed with a broken knee and will miss the remainder of the season.

AL East
BOS 96-52 5
TBA 87-62 -9.5

AL Central
CLE 80-69 9
MIN 75-74 -5
CHA 75-75 -5.5

AL West
TEX 81-69 12
SEA 80-70 -1

AL WC
TBA 87-62
TOR 80-68 -6.5

NL East
PHI 89-60 7
FLO 83-67 -6.5

NL Central
PIT 84-66 8
CHN 78-71 -5.5

NL West
ARI 89-61 3
LAD 78-71 -10.5

NL Wild Card
FLA 83-67
CHN 78-71 -5.5
LAD 78-71 -5.5
STL 76-73 -7.5

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 25
Just two weeks left to go in the regular season and the Pirates are holding on to a comfortable 5.5 game lead in the central division. They begin this week at home against the NL East leading Philadelphia Phillies who are 89-60 and whom the Pirates are 2-1 against this season. The Phillies are a real well rounded team, ranked ninth in runs allowed with Ryan Madson (17-8 2.83), Brett Myers (9-8 3.62), and Chris Capuano (16-7 3.27) leading a very young, good starting rotation. Their offense is even better, ranked third in the majors in runs scored with Travis Chapman (0.316 25 84), Pat Burrell (0.261 44 111) and Vernon Machuca (0.284 26 74) leading the way.

Game 151: Pirates 3 Phillies 1
An absolutely superb performance by Burnett, as he gave up just one run off of four hits in seven innings of work for the win, his 8th of the year. Myers also pitched well for the Phillies, giving up just three runs in seven innings, but it wasn't good enough as he picked up the loss. White and Mann pitched 1-2-3 innings, with Mann picking up his 41st save of the season.

Game 152: Pirates 3 Phillies 7
Lopez just can't seem to pick up that elusive 15th win, as he gave another poor performance out on the mound, giving up six runs in five innings for the loss. Capuano on the other hand extended his winning streak to a career high 12 consecutive decisions, giving up just three runs, two of them earned, in seven innings of work. Travis Chapman and Jim Thome each homered for the Phillies.

Game 153: Pirates 4 Phillies 3 Baseball Cap Day at PNC Park
VanBenSchoten may have just worked his way back on to the playoff starting rotation with this outing, giving up just three runs off of five hits in eight innings of work but he did not get a decision. Madson also pitched well, giving up just two runs, but he was taken out after throwing just six innings. The Pirates were trailing the game 3-2 heading into the bottom of the ninth inning, and Ryan Doumit led off with a walk. Martinez then came back and got Butler to strike out swinging, but then threw one mistake pitch to Nady, and Nady made him pay with a 453 foot shot down the left field line that just stayed fair for a two run game winning homerun.

Arizona was the first team to clinch their division, as Los Angeles lost to San Diego today 4-3. During the Pirates off-day, Boston clinched the AL East with an 8-6 victory over the Yankees.

Next up, the Pirates travel to Chicago to face their division rival Cubs who are 79-74 and whom the Pirates are 6-6 against this season. If the Pirates win two out of three of these games, they will clinch the central division title. The Cubs have an excellent starting rotation consisting of Mark Prior (15-7 1.85), Joe Kennedy (12-14 3.78), Ben Hendrickson (12-9 3.40), and rookie Luke Hagerty (6-10 4.02). Their lineup is fairly average with Hee Seop Choi (0.260 17 67), Dave Kelton (0.245 39 116) and Mark Bellhorn (0.249 26 73) as the big hitters in the lineup. RF Sammy Sosa (0.239 19 62) will miss this series with an inflamed thigh muscle.

Game 154: Pirates 3 Cubs 6 Fireworks Night at Wrigley Field
Williams struggled in this outing, giving up five runs, despite giving up just four hits and three walks in 4 2/3 innings of work and picked up the loss. Hagerty gave up nine hits in five innings of work, but managed to give up just three runs, two earned, to earn himself and the Cubbies a win.

Game 155: Pirates 5 Cubs 1 Noddin Head Doll Day at Wrigley Field
The Pirates figured out a way to beat Mark Prior, hit him with a line drive and break his nose in the first inning. The ball came off the bat of RF Manuel Ravelo and hit Prior right in the face, breaking his nose. Doctors diagnose that Prior will likely want to sit out for the next week to allow the swelling around his eyes to go down, but Prior insisted that he is still eager to get back out on to the mound sooner if at all possible. Back to the game, Bullington came through big for the Pirates, pitching a complete game and giving up just one run off of five hits. Despite getting out of a bases loaded jam in the first inning, Prior's replacement Juan Cruz picked up the loss, giving up a total of four runs in two innings of work.

Game 156: Pirates 3 Cubs 5
Both starters pitched a decent game but neither got a decision, as Burnett gave up three runs in six innings of work and Garland gave up three runs in 6 1/3 innings. The game winning runs came in the bottom of the eighth inning for the Cubs. Jimenez gave up a one out single to Choi and that was followed by a two run homerun down the left field by Hernandez to give the Cubs the lead. Marte then came in to the ninth inning and struck out Nady and DeCaster before getting Fullmer to ground out to end the game and pick up his second save of the season.

Philadelphia clinched the NL East with a 5-0 win over the Atlanta Braves.

Around the league on Friday, Orioles' Mike Rouse blasted three homeruns agaisnt the Blue jays to help his team to an 8-3 victory. On Sunday, it took all the way until just over a week left in the regular season for the first no hit shutout to be thrown in the major leagues. San Francisco's Jesse Foppert performed the task, not giving up a single hit to Dodgers' hitters as the Giants won the game 3-0.

AL East - Boston clinched

AL Central
CLE 84-71 1
CHA 79-78 -6

AL West
SEA 86-70 3
TEX 82-74 -4

AL Wild Card
TBA 90-66
TOR 84-71 -5.5

NL East - Philadelphia clinched

NL Central
PIT 87-69 1
CHC 81-75 -6

NL West - Arizona clinched

NL Wild Card
FLA 86-70
CHC 81-75 -5
LAD 80-75 -5.5

[Operation Shutdown]

Week 26
Finally, it's the final week of the regular season and the Pirates just need a win or a Cubs loss to clinch the central division title for the first time since 1992. This week the Pirates begin with a three game road trip to Milwaukee to face the Brewers who are 73-83 and whom the Pirates are 8-6 against this season. The Brewers rotation consists of A.J. Burnett (8-12 4.84), Randy Wolf (12-8 4.57), and former Pirate Oliver Perez (9-12 4.15) and they rank 21st in runs allowed. Their lineup has fared much better this season with Kelly Grams (0.266 35 110), Andrea Lemmons (0.269 31 94), and Richie Sexson (0.245 22 74) leading the way.

Game 157: Pirates 6 Brewers 4
Lopez finally picked up his 15th win of the season, though it wasn't extremely pretty in doing so. He gave up four runs off of eight hits and five walks in eight innings of work. Neugebauer had some serious control problems for the Brewers, giving up eight hits and seven walks, though he managed to give up just five runs in four innings of work, but still got the loss. Mann was once again money, as he gave up just one hit in the ninth inning to close out the game and pick up his 42nd save of the season. yan extended his hitting streak to a career high 14 games with a single in the first inning.

With this win, the Pirates have clinched the NL Central division pennant. The Devil Rays also clinched the AL Wild Card with a 7-4 win over the Indians. Also, Florida clinched the NL Wild Card with a 4-1 win over Atlanta and the Cubs losing 12-4 to the Phillies. This leaves just the AL West as the only remaining race, with Seattle leading Texas by four games, with just four games left in the season for both teams.

Game 158: Pirates 6 Brewers 5
VanBenSchoten had another pretty good game, giving up just two runs after six innings of work and he picked up the win. Quevedo struggled a bit for the Brewers, giving up all six of the Pirates runs in 6 2/3 innings for the loss. The Pirates survived a three run seventh inning by the Brewers, with all three runs given up by Shields, with Jimenez picking up the last out, White pitching a 1-2-3 eighth inning, and Mann closing out the ninth 1-2-3 for his 43rd save of the season. Yan extended his hitting streak to 15 games.

Game 159: Pirates 19 Brewers 12
Yikes is all I've got to say. The Pirates scored their 19 runs off of 22 hits and nine walks and the Brewers scored their 12 runs off of 14 hits and three walks. Williams gave up six runs in four innings but did not get a decision, and Burnett picked up the loss for the Brewers, giving up eight runs in 3 2/3 innings. The Pirates scored 11 runs in the fourth inning. Zambrano got the win for the Pirates despite giving up three runs in three innings of work. Butler, Davis and Ravelo each homered for the Bucs, while Ludwick, Grams and Sullivan homered twice for the Brewers. Yan extended his hitting streak to 16 games.

Seattle leads Texas by three games in the only race that still matters, with Seattle facing Oakland and Texas facing Anaheim in three game series. The series that could have meant everything, now doesn't mean a whole lot as the Pirates return home for a three game series against the Cubs who are 82-77 and whom the Pirates are 7-8 against this season. The Cubs have an excellent starting rotation consisting of Mark Prior (15-7 1.85), Joe Kennedy (12-15 3.81), Ben Hendrickson (13-9 3.33), and rookie Luke Hagerty (7-11 4.15). Their lineup is fairly average with Hee Seop Choi (0.261 18 70), Dave Kelton (0.240 39 118) and Mark Bellhorn (0.253 26 73) as the big hitters in the lineup.

Game 160: Pirates 3 Cubs 11
Bullington got hurt by the long ball, as he gave up a solo shot to Kelton and a three run homerun to Sosa. He lost the game, giving up six runs, five earned, in five innings of work. Prior, in his first game back since his injury, got the win, throwing eight innings of shutout ball. Kelton picked up another homerun in the game, a three run shot off of Jimenez in the eighth inning. Yan's hitting streak ended at 16 games as he went 0-2 with two walks.

Seattle clinched the AL West with a 10-0 win over the A's.

Game 161: Pirates 6 Cubs 1 Fireworks Night at PNC Park
Burnett pitched a gem in his last outing of the season, giving up just one run, a solo homerun to Ben Davis, through 7 2/3 innings. Garland struggled a bit for the Cubs, giving up three runs in 4 1/3 innings for the loss. Nady and Henson each had solo homeruns for the Pirates.

Game 162: Pirates 7 Cubs 6
The Pirates decided to let Lopez rest up for the playoffs, so they sent Carlos Zambrano to the mound in this game. He did a halfway decent job out there, giving up four runs in six innings, but did not get a decision. Kennedy also gave up four runs, but worked in 6 2/3 innings and also did not get a decision. The Pirates took the lead in the seventh after Kennedy left the game, scoring two runs against Cruz, who was not able to record an out, as he was charged with the loss. Jimenez picked up the win as he threw a scorless top of the seventh inning. Scott Shields picked up the save, recording the last out of the regular season for the Pirates.

Around the league, there were three major injuries but none to any of the playoff bound teams as Colorado's Franklin has bone chips in his shoulder, Detroit's Lou Collier pulled a groin muscle and San Diego's Jones fractured his hip. In the only other news, Los Angeles' Shawn Green slammed three homeruns to help propel his team to a 10-5 lead over the Rockies.

[Operation Shutdown]

September Wrapup
The Pirates finished the season off fairly strong with a 15-10 record in the month of September to finish the season at 92-70. Sean Burnett was the only starter that had a good month, going 2-0 with a 1.95 ERA. Lopez (2-2 6.48), John VanBenSchoten (1-3 4.60), Dave Williams (0-1 9.00), and Brian Bullington (2-2 7.27) all really struggled this month. The Pirates lineup on the other hand really came through, with Drew Henson (0.255 2 7) the only hitter who did not hit above 0.275. Bobby Hill (0.429 0 4), Esteban Yan (0.413 1 16) and Ryan Doumit (0.380 1 7) all had really strong months.

AL BOM - Yankees' Reggie Taylor hit 0.481 with 3 HRs and 18 RBIs
NL BOM - Dodgers' Shawn Green hit 0.375 with 12 HRs and 27 RBIs
AL POM - Mariner's Gil Meche went 4-0 with a 2.13 ERA
NL POM - Phillies' Chris Capuano went 5-0 with a 0.68 ERA

The Pirates sent all of their September call-ups back to AAA for the playoffs.

Division Series
The first AL Division Series sees the team with the best record in MLB for the second year in a row, the Boston Red Sox (107-55) go up against the AL West pennant winners the Seattle Mariners (88-74). The Red Sox are an extremely well rounded team with a really good offense ranked 3rd in batting average, 16th in homeruns, and eighth in homeruns, and a superb pitching staff ranked 1st in ERA, 5th in OAVG, and first in runs allowed. The Red Sox playoff rotation will consist of Barry Zito (7-5 3.25), Odalis Perez (19-7 2.54), and rookie Kyle Sleeth (12-4 4.11) as their top three and they also have either Casey Fossum (12-12 3.31) or Eric Milton (18-5 4.19) to go to if need be. They have a well balanced offense but their biggest threats come from Eric Chavez (0.309 27 91), rookie Chris Duncan (0.262 24 73) and Manny Ramirez (0.280 20 96). The Mariners were the best of a mediocre western division. They have an excellent pitching staff that ranks 4th in ERA, 1st in OAVG, and 4th in runs allowed, but their problem will come with trying to generate runs as their offense ranked 26th in AVG, 30th in HRs and 26th in runs scored. Their rotation will consist of Gil Meche (20-5 2.65), Ryan Ketchner (11-15 3.46), Cha Seung Baek (12-15 3.54) and they also have either Ryan Rupe (11-10 3.73) and Clint Nageotte (10-11 4.17) to go to if need be. As mentioned before, their lineup lacks any real threat, as not even a single player reached 90 RBIs this season, but their biggest threat if you can call it that would come from Austin Kearns (0.257 23 86). Prediction: Red Sox in three.

The next AL series sees the wild card winner Tampa Bay Devil Rays (94-68) go up against the Cleveland Indians (89-73). The Devil Rays also have a well balanced attack (just not quite as good as Boston's) with an offense that ranks 9th in AVG, 9th in HRs, and 10th in runs scored along with a pitching staff ranked 3rd in ERA, 10th in OAVG, and 3rd in runs allowed. Their rotation consists of probable Cy Young Award winner Dewon Brazelton (23-9 2.71), Kevin Millwood (17-11 3.60) and Chris Flinn (11-16 4.51) and they can go with either Brian Stokes (5-3 3.82) or Ryan Anderson (13-10 3.72) if need be. The biggest threats in their lineup come from Ben Grieve (0.293 21 90), Michael Cuddyer (0.245 35 105), and Erick Almonte (0.300 22 94). The Indians on the other hand have a very good lineup that ranked 6th in AVG, 3rd in HRs and 3rd in runs scored, but a rather average pitching staff that ranked 17th in ERA, 18th in OAVG, and 18th in runs allowed. Their rotation will consist of Jose Contreras (15-9 4.39), Jake Guthrie (12-9 4.24) and Dennis Stark (13-12 4.37) with Derrick Van Dusen (11-15 5.33) in reserve if they need him. Prediction: DRays in four.

The first series in the NL features the NL east champion Philadelphia Phillies (98-64) matching up against the wild card winning Florida Marlins (90-72). The Phillies will come out with another well rounded team that ranked 16th in AVG, 2nd in HRs and 2nd in runs scored as well as a pitching staff that ranked 6th in ERA, 9th in OAVG, and 7th in runs allowed. Their rotation will consist of Ryan Madson (19-8 2.81), Brett Myers (10-9 3.81), and Chris Capuano (19-7 3.02), along with Vicente Padilla (11-7 4.34) and Gavin Floyd (10-7 4.36) as backups. Their offensive threats come from Travis Chapman (0.314 27 92), Bobby Abreu (0.269 21 81), and NL MVP candidate Pat Burrell (0.268 51 133). The Marlins on the other hand have an extremely strong pitching staff ranked 2nd in ERA, 2nd in OAVG, and 2nd in runs allowed, but a very weak offense ranked 20th in AVG, 27th in HRs and 22nd in runs scored. Their rotation will consist of Josh Beckett (17-6 2.84), Nate Bump (16-14 3.33), and Mark Mulder (18-9 2.79) along with Jake Joseph (19-8 2.72) if they need him. Their offensive "threats" come from team HR leader Abraham Nunez (0.239 16 54), batting average leader Will Smith (0.338 10 77), and RBI leader Craig Wilson (0.244 13 82). Prediction: Phils in five.

The other NL series will see the Arizona Diamondbacks (96-66) go up against your Pittsburgh Pirates (92-70). The Dbacks have a pretty good offense ranked 5th in AVG, 14th in HRs and 6th in runs scored and an average pitching staff ranked 16th in ERA, 15th in OAVG, and 15th in runs allowed. Their starting rotation wil consist of Kenny Baugh (16-8 5.34), Miguel Asencio (12-8 3.52), and Andrew Good (11-6 4.54) along with Kurt Ainsworth (4-4 6.52) if need be. Their lineup is a plethora of big names and bigger bats consisting of Jose Vidro (0.336 9 75), former Pirate Brian Giles (0.304 39 119), Magglio Ordonez (0.271 31 118) and Brad Wilkerson (0.293 21 102). The Pirates on the other hand have a strong pitching staff ranked 9th in ERA, 6th in OAVG, and 9th in runs allowed and an average offense ranked 10th in AVG, 22nd in HRs and 15th in runs scored. Their rotation is kind of up in the air but will likely consist of Rodrigo Lopez (15-12 3.62), John VanBenSchoten (11-10 4.63) and Brian Bullington (15-8 3.89) with the lefties Dave Williams (12-7 4.23) and rookie Sean Burnett (9-10 3.11) in reserve. The Pirates have a pretty young lineup with the biggest threats coming from rookie Vic Butler (0.271 20 62), Xavier Nady (0.284 12 92), JJ Davis (0.280 33 108), and Brad Fullmer (0.313 25 92). Prediction: Bucs in four.

Game 1: Pirates 6 DBacks 21
A huge shelacking by the DBacks against the Pirates. Lopez and the rest of the pitching staff were just absolutely horrendus. Lopez lasted just 1 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs and got the loss while Asencio lasted six innings and gave up just two runs for the win. The DBacks had long balls from Escalona, who hit two of them, Vidro and Cresse, as well as triples from Giles, Ordonez and Harris.

Other Games
SEA 10 BOS 7 WP - Meche LP - Zito SV - Rhodes
TBA 5 CLE 2 P - Millwood LP - Contreras SV - Stewart
FLA 4 PHI 2 WP - Bump LP - Myers SV - Spooneybarger

Game 2: Pirates 7 DBacks 6 (10)
This game was a real nail biter as it came down to the wire in extra innings. Bullington pitched very well in his first career postseason game, giving up just three unearned runs in six innings of work. Baugh did OK giving up four runs in 6 1/3 innings. The Pirates led in the sixth inning 4-0, thanks to two run homeruns by JJ Davis and Brad Fullmer, but the DBacks managed to score 3 runs in the bottom of the sixth to bring the game to within one run. They added one more run in the bottom of the seventh to tie things up at 4-4. The game then went into extra innings, where the Pirates added three runs in the top of the tenth, from another two run homerun by Davis, and a solo homer by Fullmer. The Diamondbacks did not give up however, as Hidalgo led the inning off with a walk, followed by a double by Ordonez off of Mann to put runners at second and third and no outs. Mann then got Wilkerson to fly out to shallow right on a fine sliding catch by Davis and then got Cresse to strike out. Just when it seemed like he'd get out of the jam, he gave up a two run single to Brendan Harris. He did finally end the threat however when he got Lubanski to fly out to right field to end the game.

Other games:
BOS 4 SEA 2 WP - Perez LP - Ketchner SV - Wagner
TBA 7 CLE 6 WP - Brazelton LP - Guthrie SV - Stewart
PHI 4 FLA 3 WP - Paronto LP - Gracesqui SV - Martinez

[jmshipman]

Do you play out the games or sim?

[Operation Shutdown]

I simmed the regular season but I'm playing out the games in the playoffs. It'd just take way too long to play out every game.

Game 3: Pirates 4 Diamondbacks 12
I got myself ejected after one out in the second inning and it went all downhill from there. VanBenSchoten gave up six runs in just two innings for the loss. Good worked a decent game for the Dbacks giving up four runs in 8 1/3 innings for the win. Wilkerson hit two homers and Martinez hit one homerun for the Diamondbacks in the game.

Other games:
SEA 4 BOS 3 (12) WP - Rhodes LP - Weathers
TBA 5 CLE 4 WP - Flinn LP - Stark SV - Stewart - TB wins the series
PHI 3 FLA 1 WP - Franklin LP - Neal SV - Martinez

Game 4: Pirates 3 Diamondbacks 2
The Pirates took a quick 3-0 lead, scoring three runs in the first inning off of starter Miguel Asencio. Slowly, the Diamondbacks began to wittle away at the lead scoring one run in the top of the fourth and another in the top of the sixth from a solo homerun by Ordonez. The Pirates, however, were able to hold on, as Lopez turned in a brilliant performance, lasting 8 1/3 innings and giving up just those two runs for the win. White came in and retired Wilkerson and then Mann came in and after giving up a single to Cresse, he got Harris to ground out to end the game and pick up the save.

Other games:
SEA 4 BOS 2 WP - Meche LP - Zito SV - Rhodes SEA wins the series
FLA 2 PHI 1 (11) WP - Olsen LP - Weber

Game 5: Pirates 2 Diamondbacks 4 (10)
This game is teh sukc. The Pirates had a 2-0 lead heading into the bottom of the ninth, thanks to a strong performance by Bullington who gave up just four hits and no walks in eight innings of work. However, Jim Mann screwed that all up for the Pirates. In the bottom of the ninth, he gave up a one out double to Martinez, followed by a run scoring triple by Ordonez. Heredia then came into the game and with the infield drawn in, he gave up an infield single to Wilkerson, allowing Ordonez to score and tie the game. He got the next two batters out to send the game into extra innings. The Pirates went down 1-2-3 in the top of the tenth. In the bottom half of the inning, Heredia got Lubanski to ground out but then gave up a pinch hit infield single to Angel Martinez. The decision was then made to bring in the right hander Vogelsong to face the righty Escalona. Escalona made them pay by coming through with a two run homerun to win the game for the Diamondbacks.

FLA 7 PHI 6 WP - Olsen LP - Paronto SV - Spooneybarger

League Championship Series
The top two teams from each league are now out of the playoff picture as Florida knocked off Philadelphia in five games, and Seattle surprised everyone by knocking off Boston in four games. In the American League, it will be the Tampa Bay Devil Rays going up against the Seattle Mariners. In the regular season, Tampa Bay led the season series 5-4 and there seems to be no reason why the won't win this series either. My prediction will be Tampa Bay in five. In the NL, it will be the Florida Marlins going up against the Arizona Diamondbacks. These two teams tied their season series at 3 games a piece and this series will likely be just as close. My prediction will be Arizona in seven games.

Game 1
SEA 6 TBA 4 WP - Bott LP - Seddon SV - Rhodes
FLA 5 ARI 3 WP - Bump LP - Asencio SV - Phelps

Game 2
SEA 16 TBA 1 WP - Ketchner LP - Millwood
ARI 5 FLA 3 WP - Good LP - Mulder SV - Isringhausen

Game 3
SEA 6 TBA 3 WP - Baek LP - Flinn
FLA 8 ARI 7 WP - Middlebrook LP - Patterson SV - Spooneybarger

Game 4
SEA 3 TBA 0 WP - Meche LP - Brazelton Seattle sweeps the series
FLA 10 ARI 2 WP - Bump LP - Ainsworth
In the AL game, Meche had a two hit shutout through 8 1/3 innings before being pulled from the game.

Game 5
FLA 6 ARI 5 (11) WP - Gracesqui LP - Fluker Florida wins the series in five games

World Series
Okay, remind me if I ever have a desire to go to Vegas, that I am not good at picking winners of baseball games. So far, Seattle has schocked everyone in that they were thought to be the worst team entering into the playoffs but they have instead actually made it to the World Series. Florida isn't as big of a surprise as the NL was a pretty tightly contested race throughout the season, but they were also the team with the worst record in the regular season that made it to the playoffs in the NL. These two teams did not meet each other in interleague play, however both teams were 8-4 in interleague play this season. If I were a betting man, my money would be on Florida.

Game 1: Mariners 0 Marlins 4
Beckett threw a superb game, but lasted just five innings, giving up just one hit and two walks. The bullpen held things together as Neal and Middlebrook each pitched scoreless innings and Phelps threw two scoreless innings of relief. Ketchner gave up three runs in six innings in the loss for the Mariners. Nunez and Johnson each homered for the Marlins.

Game 2: Mariners 3 Marlins 2
A superb game for Meche as he worked seven scoreless innings and gave up just two hits and one walk for the win. Bump pitched well, just not well enough for the Marlins, giving up three runs in eight innings. The Marlins brought the game to within one run in the bottom of the eighth from a two run homerun by Jason Stokes, but were set down in order in the bottom of the ninth by Rhodes who picked up the save.

Game 3: Mariners 5 Marlins 4
The Marlins held a 3-2 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but an error by shortstop Kelly Johnson led to three unearned runs in the inning to give the Mariners the lead. Mulder was charged with the loss, giving up five runs, two of them earned, in 6 2/3 innings and Baek picked up the win, giving up four runs in 7 2/3 innings. The Marlins brought to the game to within one run by scoring a run in the top of the eighth, but Rhodes again shut them down 1-2-3 in the ninth to pick up the save.

Game 4: Mariners 4 Marlins 1
A brilliant start by Ketchner for the Mariners as he gave up just one hit through eight innings, and walked just one batter in the ninth, that ended up leading to the lone Marlins run. He was charged with the one run, while giving up just one hit and walking one through 8 1/3 innings for the win. Beckett struggled a bit on short rest in this outing, giving up four runs in 6 1/3 innings for the loss.

Game 5: Mariners 3 Marlins 0
What a way to win the world series for your team, as Gil Meche threw a no-hit shutout. Meche gave up just one walk and just one other runner reached base on an error, as the Mariners win the World Series. Bump gave up three runs in seven innings for the loss for the Marlins.

Cy Young Award Winners
In the AL, there was no doubt that Tampa Bay's Dewon Brazelton was the clear cut winner of the Cy Young Award. He finished with a record of 23-9 and a 2.71 ERA. He finished first in wins, and third in the league in ERA. In the NL, there was a bit of controversy, as three starters, Jake Joseph, Ryan Madson, and Chris Capuano, all finished with 19 wins. However, the Cy Young Award went to Chicago's Mark Prior who finished 16-7 with a 1.77 ERA. He finished 7th in the league in wins, but 1st in ERA, a full 0.74 better than Foppert who was second.

MVP Award
Once again, in the AL, the clear cut winner was Texas' Alex Rodriguez who finished the season hitting 0.309 with 56 HRs and 144 RBIs. He was 4th in the league in batting average, first in HRs and first in RBIs. In the NL, a little more controversy as Colorado's Todd Helton won the award after hitting 0.311 with 43 HRs and 137 RBIs. He finished 7th in batting average, 2nd in HRs and 1st in RBIs. Many thought that Philadelphia's Pat Burrell should have won the award instead as he hit 0.268 with 51 HRs and 133 RBIs.

Rookie of the Year
In the AL, the award went to Yankees' Dallas McPherson who hit 0.305 with 23 HRs and 72 RBIs. In the NL, for the third straight year in a row, a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates won the award, as Vic Butler won it this year after hitting 0.271 with 20 RHs and 62 RBIs and scoring 100 runs in his rookie campaign.

Gold Glove Winners
2006 American League Winners
Pitcher: Tim Hudson, MIN
Catcher: Jorge Soto, TBA
First Base: Jose Leon, BAL
Second Base: Luis Castillo, CHA
Third Base: Adrian Beltre, KCA
Shortstop: Alfredo Amezaga, ANA
Leftfield: Wily mo Pena, TEX
Centerfield: Johnny Damon, BOS
Rightfield: Austin Kearns, SEA

2006 National League Winners
Pitcher: Danny Graves, COL
Catcher: Dave Ross, LAN
First Base: Craig Wilson, FLO
Second Base: Angel Santos, SLN
Third Base: Brendan Harris, ARI
Shortstop: Jose Hernandez, COL
Leftfield: Kennard Jones, SDN
Centerfield: Andruw Jones, ATL
Rightfield: Bobby Kielty, CIN

[Operation Shutdown]

Pirates Season in Review
The Pirates were able to make it to the postseason for the second year in a row, this time as NL central champions, but once again they made an early exit as they lost in the first round to the Arizona Diamondbacks. They finished with a record of 92-70, were 47-34 at home and 45-36 in away games. As a team they hit for an average of 0.261 (10th), with 142 homeruns (22nd), 510 walks (17th), 125 stolen bases (7th), and 750 runs scored (15th). As a pitching staff they finished with an ERA of 4.00 (9th), Opponent's average of 0.243 (6th), allowed 184 homeruns (23rd), walked 473 batters (7th), and allowed 712 runs (9th). Here's a breakdown of how each player fared this year.

C Ryan Doumit
Doumit did a pretty good job this season at the plate, not quite as well as rookie season, however. He hit 0.280 with an OBP of 0.328 and a SLG of 0.370. He hit 6 HRs and drove in 44 runs and scored 43 runs hitting mostly from the #8 spot this season. Defensively he was remarkable once again, committing just 6 errors, 4 passed balls, and compiling 58 assists in 1148.1 innings of work for a fielding percentage of 0.994. He also did a pretty good job throwing out base runners, throwing out 30 of 79 (38%).

C Humberto Cota
Cota was once again relegated to backup duties behind the plate this season. He did very well with the bat, in 145 at-bats he hit 0.283 with an OBP of 0.314 and a SLG of 0.428. He hit 4 HRs and drove in 29 runs and scored 17. He committed just one error but also committed a staggering six passed balls but still kept a fielding percentage of 0.996 in 304 innings of defensive work.

1B Brad Fullmer
Fullmer was a deadline deal pickup for the Pirates and is probably the single player most responsible for sparking the Pirates to their pennant. Overall this season he hit 0.313 with an OBP of 0.391 and a SLG of 0.564. He hit 25 HRs while driving in 92 runs and scoring 84 of them. He's one of the few players in MLB who actually walked more times (43) than he struck out (27). Defensively, he was superb committing just 9 errors and compiling 117 assists in 1099.2 innings of defensive work for a fielding percentage of 0.993.

1B Ray Navarette
Navarette was once again relegated to backup duties at first base. In 166 at bats he hit 0.259 with 1 HR and 18 RBIs. Defensively, he started in 16 games and played a total of 144.1 defensive innings and committed just one error and 18 assists for a fielding percentage of 0.995.

2B Bobby Hill
Halfway through the season Bobby Hill was placed into the leadoff spot and he most certainly did not dissapoint anyone. He hit for an average of 0.294 and had an OBP of 0.385 and a SLG of 0.418. He hit only 6 HRs and drove in only 50 runs but scored 83 runs. He did very well on the basepath as well, stealing 53 bases and getting caught just 12 times, for a success rate of 81.5%. Defensively he did superb once again, making 120 starts at 2B and in 1021.2 innings of work, he committed just 11 errors and picked up 349 assists and was a part of 83 double plays for a fielding percentage of 0.981.

3B Drew Henson
Drew Henson was again proved that he is deserving of a little more playing time in a platoon role with DeCaster. This season in 398 at-bats he hit 0.271 with a 0.323 OBP and a SLG of 0.450. He hit 16 HRs and drove in 60 runs while scoring 49 of them. He made 115 starts at 3B and in 913.1 defensive innings he committed 22 errors while compiling 247 assists and taking part in 24 double plays for a fielding percentage of 0.931.

3B Yurendell DeCaster
DeCaster was again delegated to less playing time behind Drew Henson, but got considerable more time this year than last year. In 275 at bats he hit 0.225 with an OBP of 0.276 and a SLF of 0.436. He smashed 14 HRs and drove in 62 runs while scoring 44 runs. He made 44 starts at 3B and in 521 defensive innings, he committed 13 errors while compiling 152 assists and taking part in 11 double plays for a fielding percentage of 0.932.

SS Edwin Yan
After the trade of McDougall, rookie Edwin Yan assumed the starting shortstop duties for the Pirates and did an amazing job. In 201 at bats, he hit 0.338 with an OBP of 0.415 and a SLG of 0.423. He hit 2 homeruns and drove in 30 runs while scoring 22 runs while hitting mainly from the #7 spot in the lineup. He made 58 starts at SS and in 509.2 defensive innings he committed just 4 errors and picked up 192 assists and was a part of 37 double plays for a fielding percentage of 0.985.

2B/SS Jack Wilson
Wilson was again the back up 2B/SS for the team. In 253 at bats he hit 0.206 with 2 HRs and 15 RBIs. Defensively he made 34 starts at second base and committed just 3 errors in 345.2 innings for a 0.985 fielding percentage. He also made 18 starts at shortstop and committed just 3 errors in 190.1 innings for a fielding percentage of 0.970.

LF Xavier Nady
This season, Nady dropped off a bit in his offensive power numbers, hitting 0.284 with a 0.374 OBP and a 0.410 SLG. He hit just 12 HRs, compared to last years 24, but still managed to drive in 92 runs and score 84 runs. He's another player that had more walks (84) than strikeouts (82). He made 145 starts in left field and in 1308.1 innings he committed just 9 errors and had 7 assists for a fielding percentage of 0.966.

CF Vic Butler
Butler seemed to struggle a bit in the leadoff spot at the beginning of the season, but as soon as he was placed in the 2 hole he performed much better and went on to win ROY. This season he hit 0.271 with an OBP of 0.349 and a SLG of 0.458. He smashed 20 HRs and drove in 62 runs while scoring 100 runs. He made 146 starts in centerfield and in 1312.1 innings he committed just 2 errors and compiled 10 assists for a fielding percentage of 0.994.

RF JJ Davis
With the struggles and eventual trade of Craig Wilson, Davis was finally given a shot to perform in the cleanup role and he sure didn't disappoint. He hit 0.280 with a 0.341 OBP and a 0.518 SLG. He led the team in homeruns with 33 longballs and drove in 108 runs while scoring 100 runs. He made 139 starts in RF and in 1264.1 innings he committed 9 errors but picked up just 3 assists for a fielding percentage of 0.961.

OF Manuel Ravelo
In his first full season, Ravelo did a great job in backup role and coming off the bench. In 267 at-bats he hit 0.270 with 5 HRs and 26 RBIs. He made 17 starts in LF, 16 starts in CF and 23 starts in RF, and did not commit a single error and picked up one assist while playing in CF.

I have to run now, but the pitcher's review will probably be up sometime either late tonight or tomorrow.

[Operation Shutdown]

Well, I thought I had to go somewhere, but it ends up that I don't have to now, so I may as well wrap this up.

SP Rodrigo Lopez
Lopez came over to the Pirates in the off-season and assumed the #1 role after Ponson got injured. He put together four really solid months, but had a poor month in June and September. He finished the season with a record of 15-12 and an ERA of 3.62 and a WHIP of 1.17 in 32 starts. He struck out 138 batters and walked 68 batters in 226 1/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, he and the Pirates were unable to agree to a contract extension and he will become a free agent next season.

SP John VanBenSchoten
JVB had a real disappointing sophmore season, with a record of just 11-10 and his ERA increasing a full point to 4.63 and a WHIP of 1.33 in 32 starts. He struck out 179 batters and walked 65 in 184 2/3 innings. With a price tag of more than $3 million, the Pirates will likely look to pick up a big name starter and trade him this offseason.

SP Dave Williams
Williams didn't do nearly as well as last season, but still performed very well and went 12-7 with an ERA of 4.23 and a WHIP of 1.21 in 32 starts. He struck out 129 batters and walked a staggering 77 batters in 198 innings of work. He will likely remain a Pirate next year because of his low contract coming in under $1 million.

SP Brian Bullington
In his first full season, Bullington exceeded all expectations going 15-8 with a 3.89 ERA and a WHIP of 1.13 in 32 starts for the Bucs. He struck out 182 hitters and walked just 40 batters in 210 1/3 innings. He will hopefully be a staple of this pitching rotation for years to come.

SP Sean Burnett
Burnett saw his first action this season after Ponson went down with a season ending injury and performed brilliantly. He had a record of just 9-10 but had an extremely low ERA of 3.11 and a WHIP of just 1.11 in 26 starts. He struck out 174 hitters and walked just 27 in 173 2/3 innings.

Bullpen
Jimenez once again performed brilliantly working as the top middle reliever coming out of the bullpen. He appeared in 82 games and threw 90 1/3 innings and had a record of 6-2 with 1 save and an ERA of 3.59. White was again used in the setup role and did a very good job there as well. He made 70 appearances and worked 63 1/3 innings finishing with a record of 6-2 with an ERA of 3.13. Heredia was a nice late season acquisition and finished with a combined record of 6-1 and an ERA of 3.30 in 58 appearances and 76 1/3 innings of work. Mann once again anchored this bullpen and finished the season with a record of 3-7 with 43 saves and an ERA of 2.97. He did blow 8 saves this season, however, for a save percentage of 84.3%, down just a bit from the 88% he had last year.