2005 Pirates Regular Season Thread

[joncarlos]

Check my sig for links to the threads from 2003 and 2004. Eventually I will be putting all of the posts up on my website to better track the history of the Bucs, but I haven't had a chance yet.

The Pirates enter the 2005 season on top of the baseball world as the defending World Champions. It was a tumultous off-season as the Pirates replaced 2/5 of their starting rotation, got a new closer and a new centerfielder, all the while trimming about $7 million from their payroll.

The NL Central has gotten a bit tougher this year as all teams but Houston have made some improvements. The NL West looks to be a bloodbath this season with a hugely talented Giants team looking like the favorites. Not much happened in the NL East this season, but the Phillies lost Alfonso Soriano to free agency.

I'll be posting game results in this thread. Starting soon.

[joncarlos]

Games 1 through 3: Pirates vs. Cincinatti

Ahhhh, the thrill of opening day. It's especially good when you win, but it's fun regardless. This season the Pirates got to open the year at home and hand out the World Series rings to all of the players who were with the team last year. I felt pretty bad for the guys that had to sit on the sidelines and watch, but hopefully we'll be able to get them a ring this season. Unfortunately, the ring ceremony was definitely the highlight of the first 2 days.

Game 1: Ainsworth vs. Kenny Baugh (8-7, 4.12 in 19 GS last season)

The first 2 innings of this game went pretty well, and the game was tied 0-0 going into the 3rd. The Reds got a single and a steal from Juan Encarnacion and with 2 out, Adam Kennedy reached on a bobbled grounder by Hank Blalock. Dave Hansen followed with an RBI single and Edgar Renteria hit a 2-run single to give Cincinatti a 3-0 lead. The Reds made it 6-0 in the 6th on a 3-run HR by Encarnacion and the game was 6-1 going into the 9th. The Pirates finally gave their fans something to cheer for in the bottom of the 9th as Mike O'Keefe and JC Franco hit RBI singles and Justin Morneau hit an RBI groundout to make it 6-4, but Tony Torcato grounded out to end the game. Ainsworth (0-1) took the loss, allowing 6 runs (3 earned) in 5.2 innings. Kenny Baugh got the win, allowing 3 runs in 8.1 innings on 118 pitches. Reds 6, Pirates 4.

The Pirates had 2 of their new relievers make their debuts in this game, as John Bale pitched 2/3 of an inning and TJ Tucker pitched 1.1 innings, both of them debuting without allowing a run.

Game 2: Foppert vs. Eric Milton (20-12, 4.10 last year)

The Pirates took an early lead in this game, getting a run in the 1st when JC Franco doubled, stole 3rd and scored on a sac fly and making it 2-0 in the 2nd on a solo HR by O'Keefe (1). The Reds tied it up in the 4th on a 2-run HR by Craig Monroe and then took the lead in the 5th on a 2-run single by Renteria. The Reds made it 7-2 in the 7th on a 2-out, 2-run HR by Glaus followed by a solo HR by Renteria. The Pirates fought back in the bottom of the 7th, tying the game on an RBI single by Franco, a 2-run single by Jack Wilson, an RBI double by Sweeney and a PH RBI single by Morneau. The game was 7-7 until the top of the 13th inning when Renteria led off the inning with a solo shot off TJ Tucker (0-1). Starter Jesse Foppert allowed 7 runs in 6.2 innings and got a no-decision, and the Bucs got 2 innings of scoreless relief from Dotel and 3 scoreless innings from Gagne. Reds 8, Pirates 7 (13 innings).

Game 3: Fossum vs. Carlos Zambrano (12-14, 5.48 last year, 1.80 WHIP, 6/8/3 ratings

Casey Fossum was impressive in his Pirates debut, giving up just 1 run in 6.1 innings despite allowing 7 hits and 3 walks. Fossum (1-0) struck out 6 and used 115 pitches. The Pirates took an early lead on an RBI double by Sweeney in the first, but the Reds tied it in the 2nd on a solo HR by Randall Simon. Pittsburgh took the lead again in the bottom of the 6th on an RBI single by Dunn and made it 3-1 in the 8th on an RBI single by Mauer. Eric Gagne worked a 1-2-3 9th for his first save of the season. Pirates 3, Reds 1.

Around the League

Joe Kennedy (SF) will miss the next 8 weeks with a herniated disc in his back. Luckily the Giants have enough depth to handle the loss of one of their aces.

[joncarlos]

Games 4 and 5: Pirates (1-2) at San Diego (1-2)

We travelled to lovely San Diego for a short series against the Padres. This is their second season in Petco Park, and it really is a beautiful stadium. And I must say, San Diego is a nice place to be in early April. Unfortunately, a 5-hour cross country flight is not always what a struggling team needs.

Game 4: Arnold (ratings of 10/8/6) vs. Carlos Hernandez (8-8, 4.22 in 2004, ratings of 5/6/4)

The Pirates once again took an early lead in this game, getting back-to-back HRs from Boone and Blalock in the 3rd inning. The game was a 2-0 pitchers' duel until the 8th when the Bucs added 2 more runs on a 2-run single by Mike Sweeney. San Diego scored a run in the 8th on an RBI double by Mark Kotsay, but Eric Gagne pitched a 1-2-3 9th for his 2nd save of the year. Jason Arnold (1-0) worked 7.1 innings, allowing 1 run on just 5 hits and a walk while fanning 6. Pirates 4, Padres 1.

Game 5: Maine (1st MLB start, ratings of 3/5/6) vs. Zach Day (0-1, 36.00, ratings of 7/8/6)

John Maine (1-0) was extremely impressive in his major league debut, getting his first major-league win after working 6 scoreless innings, allowing 3 hits and a walk while fanning 9 batters. Embree and Dotel each worked a perfect inning of relief and Eric Gagne worked a perfect 9th for his 3rd save. The Pirates got their offense on an RBI double by Torcato in the 4th, an RBI single by Torcato in the 5th and a solo HR by Boone (2) in the 6th. Pirates 3, Padres 0.

Around the League

Former Pirate Karim Garcia (CHW) pounded out 5 hits in a 17-8 win over the Indians. Garcia had 2 singles, 2 doubles and a HR, good for 5 runs and 7 RBI. Karim hit .322-20-73 for Chicago in 2004 after being dealt by the Pirates before the season.

Power Rankings: #1. NYY (5-0); #2: StL (4-1), #3: CIN (4-1). The Pirates check in at #12 with a 3-2 record.

[joncarlos]

Games 6 through 8: Pirates (3-2) at Cubs (2-3)

After 2 games in lovely San Diego, our long, strange trip takes us to chilly Chicago for an early season showdown with our toughest NL Central rivals. At least the flight is more pleasant after a pair of wins against the Padres.

Game 6: Ainsworth (0-1, 4.77) vs. Mark Prior (0-0, 8.53, 24yo with ratings of 9/8/6)

The Bucs continued their streak of getting the lead early in the opener against the Cubs, getting an RBI single from O'Keefe in the first after Todd Walker's bobbled grounder had prolonged the inning. There was a 51-minute rain delay in the top of the 2nd and then Chicago tied it up in the 2nd when Kurt Ainsworth loaded the bases with none out, then struck out Ricky Ledee and gave up an RBI fielder's choice to Dan Wilson before getting Prior to ground out to end the threat. Chicago took the lead in the 4th on a passed ball and a 2-run HR by Ledee, then made it 5-1 in the 5th on an RBI fielder's choice by Lance Berkman. Prior left after 5.1 innings with that 5-1 lead and the Pirates scored 2 in the 7th (2-run double by Dunn) and a solo HR by O'Keefe (#2, in the 8th) to make it 5-4. The Pirates tied the game in the top of the 9th on a 437-foot solo HR by Torcato (1) and took the lead on back-to-back doubles by Sweeney and O'Keefe. Eric Gagne pitched a perfect 9th for his 4th save and TJ Tucker (1-0) got the win in relief of Ainsworth (5 IP, 5 runs, 7 Ks) and John Bale (2 scoreless innings). Pirates 6, Cubs 5.

Eric Gagne has now pitched 7 innings and has not allowed a baserunner. Mike O'Keefe was 4-for-5 in this game with a double and a HR, one run scored and 3 RBI.

Game 7: Foppert (0-0, 9.45) vs. Aaron Rakers (1-0, 1.35, 6/6/7 ratings)

The Bucs didn't get an early lead in this game, as the Cubs took a 4-0 lead after just 2 innings. Pittsburgh cut the lead to 4-2 in the 3rd on an RBI single by Dunn and RBI double by Torcato, but the Cubbies made it 6-2 in the 5th with a 2-out, 2-run HR by Berkman. Chicago made it 8-2 in the 8th with a pair of runs off Jesse Crain and Alan Embree, and the Bucs made the score closer than it looked with 2 in the 9th on an RBI single by Boone and sac fly by Torcato. Jesse Fpppert (0-1) was tagged for 6 runs (5 earned) in 5 innings, his second ugly start in a row. Cubs 8, Pirates 4.

Game 8: Fossum (1-0, 1.42) vs. Ryan Vogelsong (1st start, 9-9, 4.38 in 2004, 6/6/8 ratings)

The Cubs got a great performance from Vogelsong, who pitched 7 scoreless innings and struck out 7. Casey Fossum (1-1) kept it close through 6 innings, giving up only a solo HR to Jared Sandberg in the 2nd. In the 7th, though, the Cubs scored 2 more runs off Fossum when Berkman hit an RBI triple and scored when Mike Sweeney muffed Carlos Rivera's ground ball. Fossum worked 7 innings, allowing those 3 runs on 4 hits and 3 walks while fanning 8. Cubs 3, Pirates 0.

Around the League

Ross Peeples (PIT) will miss the next 5 weeks with a rotator cuff strain. Ross was pitching at AAA Nashville this year.

Through 8 games, the Yankees have a record of 8-0 and the Astros are their opposite at 0-8.

[potatoman]

how are the mets doin?

[joncarlos]

Games 9 through 11: Pirates (4-4) at Arizona (4-4)

Our early-season schedule is just brutal! Not just in terms of travel (San Diego -> Chicago -> Phoenix) but in terms of competition. This series pits the Bucs against the team they defeated in the NLCS in a grudge match of epic proportions.

Game 9: Arnold (1-0, 1.23) vs. Brian Meadows (0-1, 15.43, rated 4/5/7)

The Bucs returned to last season's modus operandi, taking an early lead and then clinging to it for dear life. Pittsburgh took a 3-0 lead in the first on a 2-run double by Mike Piazza and an RBI single by Morneau, then made it 4-0 in the 2nd on an RBI double by Franco. Arizona got on the board in the 5th when pitcher Brian Meadows singled and scored on a double by Gary Matthews. The D-Backs made it 4-3 in the 7th when Matthews doubled in a run and scored on a single by Albert Pujols. Pittsburgh got an insurance run in the 9th on an RBI single by Torcato and Eric Gagne pitched a scoreless 9th for his 5th save. Jason Arnold (2-0) got the win, allowing 3 runs in 7 innings and fanning 4. Pirates 5, D-Backs 3.

Eric Gagne allowed a 2-out single to Gary Matthews, breaking his streak of 7.2 perfect innings. The Yankees won to move to 9-0 and the Astros lost to move to 0-9.

Game 10: Maine (1-0, 0.00) vs. Josh Beckett (1-0, 3.09, ratings of 9/9/5)

This one was a pretty exciting game. The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the first and led 3-0 after 4 innings. Arizona got on the board in the 4th, making it 3-1 on an RBI single by Ranier Olmedo and Adam Dunn nailed Ron Wright at the plate with a great throw to hold Arizona to 1. The Bucs got an insurance run in the 5th on a groundout by Sweeney but Arzona stormed back in the bottom of the 6th, getting an RBI double from Wright, an RBI single from Matthews and tied it on an RBI single from Garrett Anderson. Anderson stole third and scored on a bobbled grounder by Blalock to give Arizona the lead. The Bucs trailed 5-4 until the 9th when Dominic Rich walked, Mike O'Keefe hit a PH single and Dave Roberts hit a sac fly to tie the game at 5. The game was scoreless until the top of the 12th when Blalock walked and stole 2nd, Dunn was intentionally walked, Sweeney hit an RBI single, Piazza was intentionally walked, Torcato hit a 2-run single, Morneau walked and Rich hit a 3-run triple to make it 11-5. TJ Tucker (2-1) pitched the 11th for the win and the 12th to close the game out. John Maine struggled in his second start, giving up 5 runs (4 earned) in 5.2 innings. Pirates 11, Arizona 5 (12 innings).

Arizona reliever Chad Bradford got his first major league hit when he singled off Jesse Crain in the 10th. The 30-year old Bradford spent most of his time in the AL and never really had many at-bats.

Game 11: Ainsworth (0-1, 6.75) vs. Jason Schmidt (1-1, 7.59, ratings of 6/6/6)

After scoring 6 runs in the 11th inning of last night's game, the Pirates offense returned to help them complete their sweep of the D-Backs. Arizona struck first, scoring 3 runs in the first on a 2-run HR by Posada (a 451-foot bomb) which was followed by a solo shot from Placido Polanco. The Pirates tied the game in the 3rd as Tony Torcato hit an RBI single and O'Keefe and Piazza drew bases-loaded walks. Pittsburgh took a 7-3 lead in the 5th on 2-run HRs from Piazza (1) and Blalock (2) and made it 12-4 in the 8th on a 2-run HR by Dunn (1) and a solo shot by Piazza (2). Mike Sweeney hit a 2-run HR (3) to cap the scoring. Kurt Ainsworth (1-1) allowed 3 runs (none earned) in 6 innings while striking out 6. Pirates 14, D-Backs 6.

IF Ranier Olmedo hit his first big-league home run for the D-Backs in the bottom of the 7th.

Around the League

The Yankees won 2 more games to move to 11-0 and Houston lost 2 more games to fall to 0-11.

Derek Jeter (SEA) hit for the cycle against Minnesota. Jeter had 5 hits including a pair of singles, driving in 5 and scoring 3 times. Last year Jeter hit .275-8-68 for the Ms.

[joncarlos]

General Manager's Diary - April 12, 2005

Losing 2 out of 3 to the Cubs does not make me a happy GM, but a sweep in Arizona pretty much evens things up. After 11 games we're 7-4 and just one game back of the Brewers. It's too early to really say who's "having a good season" or who's not, but Adam Dunn and Mike O'Keefe have been scorching hot and Dave Roberts and Joe Mauer have been ice cold.

There were several transactions over the last few days so I thought I'd go over a few of them.

League Trades:

To WAS: LF Kevin Mench (27yo 2.5* rated 5/8/4)
To CHW: SP Wes Littleton (22yo 4* rated 6/6/6) and 3-star RP Josh Parker

This looks like a fairly even deal for both sides, with the Sox getting a promising young arm in exchange for a typical slugger.

To NYM: OF Randy Winn (30yo 2.5* rated 5/3/4 - hit .279-7-40 in 276ab in 2004)
To TEX: SP Orlando Hernandez (35yo 3* rated 6/6/6 - 12-9, 3.70 last season) and C Shawn Riggins (24yo 3.5* rated 2/3/2)

This also looks like a fairly even swap, and even though Texas already traded Raul Ibanez for Ted Lilly, they could probably use the pitching.

To MIN: SP Tyler Johnson (23yo 4* rated 5/6/5 - 5-7, 4.01 last season in 15 starts)
To WAS: C Robby Hammock (27yo 2* rated 3/4/2 - hit .279-14-38 last year)

I'm not sure how Hammock posted such good numbers last season with such lousy ratings. Unless he plays better than that, the Twins got a promising young arm at a very good price.

To FLA: OF Johnny Damon (31yo 2.5* rated 5/3/5 - hit .280 with 12 HR and 92 runs in 2004)
To SD: SP John Lackey (26yo 3* rated 6/6/7 - 14-14, 3.40 last year)

This deal looks like the Marlins overpaid for a mediocre outfielder. I wonder if Nomar wanted to play with his old teammate Damon and made his opinions known. Lackey looks like a solid young pitcher with room for improvement and Damon looks like he's starting the downhill slide.

To PHI: 2B Luis Castillo (29yo 2* rated 5/0/5 - hit .286-2-43 with 68 sb in 2004)
To ARI: 3B Edwin Encarnacion (22yo 4.5* rated 3/3/4), C Brad Walsh (22yo 2*) and 1B Bernie Burrill (19yo 2.5*)

Makes me wonder why the Phillies didn't just sign Castillo. This fills the hole at 2B created by Soriano's departure, but they gave up a good prospect in Encarnacion to do it. If Castillo hits .280 and steals another 60 bags this deal will be OK.

Players Released

Several players were released by their teams this week:

Tom Glavine (NYY) - age 39, rated at 2/4/5. He was 4-7 with a 4.41 ERA last year and has a career mark of 264-163 with a 3.46 ERA

Mariano Rivera (KC) age 35, rated 1/4/6. Mo was 0-3 with 1 save last year and has career numbers of 43-20 with 262 saves and a 2.83 ERA

Matt Morris (SEA) - age 30, ratings of 3/4/6. Morris signed a 3-year deal before the 2004 season for $5.33 mil/yr, meaning the M's will eat about 10 million on this deal.

Jose Guillen (ANA) - age 28, 3/4/1 ratings
Joe Mays (CIN) - age 29, 3/5/6 ratings
Damaso Marte (SF) - age 30, 5/6/4 ratings with a 12 in Ks

Pirate News and Notes

Two of our AAA players improved their ratings already this year:

2B Rickie Weeks 5/3/4 - had been rated 4/3/4
RF Michael Aubrey 5/3/5 - had been rated 4/2/5

We are considering opening negotiations with some of our players who will be free agents after the 2006 season. The complete list of post-06 free agents:

Casey Fossum
Kurt Ainsworth
TJ Tucker
John Bale
Jack Wilson

[joncarlos]

Games 12 and 13: Pirates (7-4) vs. Colorado (8-3)

After a sweep of the D-Backs, our tour of the tough NL West continues, but at least this time it's at home. Riding a 3-game winning streak, we're primed to show the Rockies that the road to the World Series will go through the Burgh. For some reason, the Rockies have Carlos Delgado riding the pine. He's rated 4/9/9 and making about $9.9 mil/yr but has just 7 ABs this season. Erubiel Durazo (7/10/10) is playing first base and Jason Hart (4/9/6) and Matt Cepicky (5/10/4) are manning the corner outfield spots.

Game 12: Foppert (0-1, 9.26) vs. Randy Wolf (1-0, 4.40)

Jesse Foppert finally returned to something resembling his dominant self in this game, pitching 6 shutout innings to improve his record to 1-1. Jesse allowed 4 hits and walked 2 while striking out 8 batters. The Bucs took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd on a solo HR by O'Keefe (2) and the game was 1-0 until the 5th when Pittsburgh got a 2-run double from Dunn and RBI single from Jack Wilson. The Pirates bullpen made it exciting when Matt Cepicky hit a 3-run HR off John Bale after Quentin McCracken reached on an error with 2 outs. Eric Gagne came in and pitched a 1-2-3 9th for his 6th save of the season. Pirates 4, Rockies 3.

Game 13: Fossum (1-1, 2.70) vs. Chris Capuano (0-0, 1.80, a 1-star 26yo rated 3/6/5)

Casey Fossum had his first bad start for the Bucs, giving up 5 runs in 6.1 innings, though just 4 of them were earned. The Rockies took a 2-0 lead in the 2nd on a solo HR by Shaun Boyd and an RBI single by Brian Schneider, then made it 3-0 in the 3rd on a solo HR by Jason Hart. In the 4th Tommy Whiteman hit an RBI triple and scored on a sac fly to make it 5-0. The Pirates fought back in the bottom of the 4th, getting an RBI double from Sweeney, an RBI FC from Boone, an RBI single from Franco and a sac fly from Mauer to make it 5-4. The game stayed 5-4 until the bottom of the 9th, when the Bucs tied the game on a 1-out HR by Aaron Boone (his 3rd). Justin Morneau hit a pinch-hit single, Joe Mauer singled, Blalock walked and Dave Roberts reached on a bobbled grounder by Erubiel Durazo, giving the Bucs the winning run. TJ Tucker earned his 3rd win of the season, the first Pirate to reach 3 wins, after pitching a scoreless 9th. He's turned into some kind of good luck charm! Pirates 6, Rockies 5.

Around the League

The Yankees finally lost a game after starting the year 11-0, but it took 13 innings to do it. The White Sox got a walk-off RBI double from Brad Hawpe for a 3-2 win.

The Astros also ended their 0-for-11 drought with a 2-1 win over the Phillies. Danny Graves scattered 9 hits over 7 innings while allowing just one run for the win.

As for the Mets, since potatoman was asking. The Mets have started out the season 12-1 (!) and lead Atlanta by 3 games in the NL East. They have a potent offense led by Austin Kearns (6/9/6), Barry Bonds (4/7/10), Nick Johnson (5/10/9) and Edgardo Alfonzo (6/5/6).

Alfonso Soriano (DET) was named AL Player of the Week for the 3rd time in his career. Soriano is impressing the Tiger fans early, and last week he hit .484 with 3 HRs and 14 RBIs.

Jorge Posada (ARI) was named NL Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Posada hit .464-3-12 last week.

[chambertrain]

You win too much.

[joncarlos]

Games 14 through 17: Pirates (9-4) vs. Los Angeles (5-8)

At least the Dodgers are playing their big-name free agent (Todd Helton) even though they're off to a slow start. Riding a 5-game winning streak, we get to stay home for a wonderfully long (and rare) 4-game series.

Game 14: Arnold (2-0, 2.51) vs. Buddy Hernandez (0-1, 5.02 with 6/5/8 ratings)

The Bucs took an early lead and built on it in this game, getting single runs in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th, highlighted by solo HRs by Boone (4) and Torcato (2) to make it 4-0. Los Angeles cut the lead to 4-2 in the 6th on a 2-run double by Cesar Crespo, then made it 4-3 in the 7th when David Sanders allowed a triple to Enrique Cruz and then gave up an RBI single to Helton and walked Brian Giles. Octavio Dotel came in and got Crespo to GIDP to end the threat and the Bucs got an insurance run in the bottom of the 7th on an RBI double by Dunn. Eric Gagne struck out the side in the 9th for his 7th save. Jason Arnold (3-0) allowed 2 runs in 6 innings, walking a career-high 6 but giving up just 3 hits and fanning 7. Pirates 5, Dodgers 3.

Game 15: Maine (1-0, 3.09) vs. Freddy Garcia (0-2, 5.40, 6/6/6 ratings, signed this off-season

This game was low scoring, at least for a while. LA got a double from pitcher Garcia and a pair of groundouts to score him, taking a 1-0 lead in the 3rd. The Bucs took the lead in the 4th on a 2-run HR by Justin Morneau and broke it open in the 5th with 7 runs, highlighted by Sweeney stealing 3rd on a double-steal and scoring on a bad throw, then later by a 2-run HR by Morneau (2) followed by solo HRs from Piazza (3) and Boone (5). Leading 9-1, the Bucs got 4 more runs in the 6th on a 3-run double by Torcato and RBI double by Mauer. Maine (2-0) allowed 1 run in 5 innings, giving up 3 hits anda walk while fanning 5. Pirates 13, Dodgers 3.

Game 16: Ainsworth (1-1, 4.32) vs. Brandon Claussen (1-1, 2.14, rated 6/5/7)

Brandon Claussen was scouted by the Bucs as a potential acquisition before they obtained Casey Fossum, but the Dodgers were unwilling to part with the young lefty. After this game it looked like Los Angeles made the right choice as Claussen held the Bucs to 3 runs in 7 innings and stopped their winning streak cold. LA took a 2-0 lead in the first on a 2-run triple by Crespo. The Bucs cut the lead to 2-1 on an RBI single by Piaza but the Dodgers got a solo HR from Damian Jackson to make it 3-1. The Bucs tied it in the 3rd on an RBI FC by Dunn and sac fly by Boone, but Kurt Ainsworth was smacked around with 2 outs in the 6th, giving up a 2-run double to Shin-Soo Choo and an RBI single to Rod Barajas to make it 6-3. The Pirates imploded in the 8th, giving up a PH RBI single to Rafael Furcal and then allowing Furcal to score when Jackson reached on an error and allowing Jackson to score on a wild pitch. Ainsworth (1-2) got the loss, giving up 6 runs in 6 innings, though he did manage 6 Ks. Dodgers 9, Pirates 3.

Game 17: Foppert (1-1, 6.11) vs. Matt Clement (1-1, 4.87, rated 5/6/3)

The good news in this game was that Jesse Foppert pitched pretty well again. The bad news was everything else but at least it wasn't permanent. LA took a 2-0 lead in the first when Enrique Cruz reached on an error, Sean Casey walked and Chris Murphy and Shin-Soo Choo hit RBI singles. LA made it 3-0 in the 3rd when Casey walked and scored and made it 4-0 in the 5th when Casey singled and Choo tripled it home. The Bucs cut the lead to 4-3 in the 5th on a solo HR by O'Keefe (4), an RBI groundout by Torcato and an RBI single by Dave Roberts. Foppert (1-2) left after 6, having allowed 4 runs (2 earned) with 8 strikeouts. Then John Bale gave up a grand slam to Ken Huckaby in the 7th to make it 8-3. Then Bale and Jesse Crain combined to give LA 7 more runs in the 8th inning for a 15-3 lead. Then David Sanders gave up RBI singles to Jackson and Jose Cruz in the 9th. Dodgers 17, Pirates 3.

In this game, Sean Casey reached base 6 times and set a new NL-record for runs scored in a game, going 2-for-2 with 2 singles, 3 walks and a HBP, scoring all 6 times and driving in one.

Around the League

The Tigers released OF Danny Bautista, who had just signed a 3-year deal for $3.2 million per season about 2 months earlier. Bautista was rated 7/5/3 by their scouts and I have no idea why they pulled the trigger so quickly, eating about $9 mil in the process.

Damaso Marte was signed to a 1-year, $300,000 contract by the Cubs.

Boston traded away last year's ace, Luke Hudson, a 27-year old 3* SP rated 6/8/5. Hudson was 4-0 with a 2.15 ERA this season after going 17-6, with a 3.41 ERA last year. In return they got LF Ray Cabrera, a 26-year old 2.5-star rated 6/3/1. Boston also had to part with 3-star 1B Rickey Etter, a 23-year old prospect. I have no idea why Boston made this deal.

After 17 games, the Pirates are 11-6 and one game up on St. Louis and Milwaukee, both 10-7. We are ranked 9th in ERA (70 earned runs allowed for a 3.99 ERA) but 16th in runs allowed (16 unearned runs in 17 games, meaning 86 runs overall.)

Cleveland offered RP Ryan Buckvich to the Pirates (he's a 4-star 26yo rated 6/5/4) in return for TJ Tucker but we declined.

[joncarlos]

Games 18 through 20: Pirates (11-6) at Giants (10-7)

On the road again... our early season schedule is very heavily biased in favor of the NL West as the Bucs travel to San Francisco after a 4-game split at home against LA. At least we'll get out of facing these tough teams down the road. We're getting our first taste of the new-look Giants, who have a great pitching staff even with Joe Kennedy on the DL.

Game 18: Fossum (1-1, 3.66) vs. Jon Switzer (1-1, 2.70, rated 7/7/8 and 11 in Ks)

This game was just as good a pitchers duel as expected, with the Bucs taking a 2-0 lead in the 3rd on solo HRs by Franco (1) and Dunn (2). Casey Fossum left after 7 scoreless innings, and Jon Switzer left after 7 having given up just those 2 runs. Eric Gagne came into the game to close it out in the 9th and gave up a game-tying HR to Aubrey Huff. The Bucs won the game in the 11th when Mike O'Keefe hit a 2-run HR (5) and TJ Tucker pitched a scoreless 11th for his first save. Gagne (1-0) got the win. Pirates 4, Giants 2 (11 innings)

Game 19: Arnold (3-0, 2.66) vs Odalis Perez (2-0, 1.76 with 8/7/7 ratings)

Newly signed Odalis Perez was off to a good start this year, but the Bucs ended that with a 7-run 3rd inning highlighted by a 3-run HR from Jack Wilson (1) and a 2-run double from JC Franco. The Bucs led 7-0 after the 3rd inning and added another run in the 6th when pitcher Jason Arnold pulled off a successful squeeze bunt for the 2nd time in the game, with Franco scoring on both of them. San Francisco talled a run in the 8th on an RBI single by AJ Pierzynski but Arnold settled back down for a complete game win. Arnold (4-0) used 118 pitches, striking out 6 and giving up 6 hits and 3 walks. Pirates 8, Giants 1

Game 20: Ainsworth (1-2, 5.56) vs. Brad Penny (1-0, 3.86, rated 6/5/7)

The Bucs jumped out to an early lead in this game, getting a 2-run HR from Adam Dunn (3) for a 2-0 lead after 1. Aaron Boone hit a solo HR (6) in the 4th before the Giants got a pair of runs in the bottom of the 4th to make it 3-2. The Bucs got a run in the 5th on an RBI single from Piazza and made it 5-2 in the 7th on a solo HR by Blalock (3). The Bucs made 5-2 in the 8th when Aaron Boone singled, went to 2nd on a walk by Sweeney, stole 3rd on a double steal and scored when the throw went into left field. Pittsburgh broke it open in the 9th with 4 more runs, including a 2-run PH double by Joe Mauer and cruised to an easy win. Ainsworth (2-2) allowed 2 runs in 7 innings, fanning 7 and giving up 6 hits without walking a batter. Pirates 11, Giants 2

Around the League:

Eric Chavez (BOS) won his 2nd career PoW, winning the AL Player of the Week Award by hitting .500 with 4 HRs and 11 RBI for the week.

Erubiel Durazo (COL) won his 3rd career PoW, winnings the NL Player of the Week Award by hitting 500 with 3 HR and 4 RBI.

Tim Hudson (CLE) pitched a 2-hit shutout against the Yankees, giving up 3 walks and fanning 5 in a 4-0 win.

Power Rankings: #1: NYM (15-3), #2: NYY (15-3), #3: PIT (12-6), #4: StL (11-7), #5: MIL (11-7)

In Pirate news, Sean Burnett improved his ratings from 5/4/9 with 9 in Ks to 5/5/10 with 10 in Ks. We might have to find a way to get him up to the big club this year - the only thing holding him back is a '4' rating in AVG vs righties.

[joncarlos]

Games 21 and 22: Pirates (14-6) vs. Florida (8-12)

After a slow start, the Bucs are 10-2 in their last 12 games and return home for some games against the NL East, starting with the Marlins - last year's NLDS opponent. The Fish have added CF Johnny Damon to their lineup but weakened their pitching staff by dealing young starter John Lackey to get him.

Game 21: Foppert (1-2, 5.32) vs. Jerome Williams (1-2, 4.82, 4/6/6 ratings)

Jesse Foppert continued his slow climb out of an early season hole and also came through with the bat for a change as the Bucs rallied from an early deficit. The Marlins took a 2-0 lead with some ugly baseball, getting a run in the first on a sac fly and a run in the 2nd on a double, an error and a balk. The Bucs tied the game in the 3rd on a 2-run HR by Foppert, his first career home run and then took the lead in the 7th on a 2-run HR by Blalock (4). Foppert (2-2) left after 7 innings, allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks while fanning 7. Eric Gagne got his 8th save despite giving up a PH solo HR to Ken Harvey. Pirates 4, Marlins 3

Game 22: Maine (2-0, 2.70) vs. Billy Traber (1-0, 3.75 - 25yo 3.5* prospect rated 3/3/8)

This game was another nail biter, as the Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the first when Adam Dunn walked and scored when Jack Wilson reached on a missed fly ball - Wilson would score when Sweeney hit an RBI single. Florida took the lead back in the 4th on a 3-run HR by Jason LaRue and the Bucs tied it in the 5th on an RBI single by Piazza. The game was 3-3 until the 8th when Sweeney doubled, went to 3rd on a groundout and scored on a sac fly by Franco after a walk to O'Keefe. Eric Gagne made it interesting again in the 9th, striking out 2, then walking the bases loaded before striking out PH Scott Hairston for his 9th save. Octavio Dotel (1-0) got the win in relief of Maine, who allowed 3 runs in 7 innings. Billy Traber gave up 3 runs (1 earned) while fanning 8 in 6 innings for the Marlins. Pirates 4, Marlins 3

Around the League:

Atlanta acquired power-hitting 3B prospect Dave Kelton, a 25-year old 4-star rated 4/10/5, from the Devil Rays in return for SP Dewon Brazelton (a 2.5-star SP rated 5/6/3) and RP prospect Jesus Montanez (2.5 stars).

Detroit acquired LF Joe Borchard from Los Angeles to fill the void left when they decided to eat Danny Bautista's contract. Borchard is a 2* 26 year old rated 4/7/5. In return, the Dodgers obtained 3-star prospect 3B Lee Mitchell, a 22-year old already rated 2/2/2.

[joncarlos]

Games 23 through 26: Pirates (16-6) vs. NY Mets (15-7)

The Mets are one of the best teams in the league right now, led by a red-hot offense sparked by Austin Kearns (.345-6-28), Jose Hernandez (.346-2-15), Nick Johnson (.309-8-17) and as always, Barry Bonds (.254-2-8 in 63AB). The red hot Bucs hope to keep up with the Mets in an early season showdown of potential playoff teams.

Game 23: Fossum (1-1, 2.70) vs. Nick Neugebauer (1-0, 2.33, rated 5/6/4)

Casey Fossum pitched a complete game for the Bucs, holding the Mets to just one run, a solo HR by Edgardo Alfonzo in the 8th. Fossum (2-1) needed just 102 pitches, giving up 4 hits and 2 walks while fanning 9. The Bucs took an early lead in the first on an RBI single by Sweeney, and the game was 1-0 until the 6th when Sweeney hit an RBI groundout and Mike O'Keefe hit a 2-run HR (6). Sweeney finished his outstanding game with a solo HR in the 8th, his 2nd of the season. Pirates 5, Mets 1.

Game 24: Arnold (4-0, 2.15) vs. Jason Jennings (0-1, 6.27, rated 6/6/6)

This was an ugly game, as the Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the first on a 2-run HR by Dunn (4) but gave it right back when the Mets scored 4 in the 3rd. New York extended their lead to 6-2 in the 4th before the Bucs got their offense back in gear. Mike O'Keefe hit a solo HR in the 4th (his 7th) and Dave Roberts walked, stole 2nd and scored on a double by Blalock in the 5th to make it 6-4. The Mets added another run in the 8th when David Sanders got the first 2 batters and surrendered a solo HR to Alfonzo. The Pirates roared back in the bottom of the 8th on a solo HR by JC Franco (2), a PH 2-run double by Justin Morneau, and a 2-run HR by Blalock (5) to make it 9-7. Eric Gagne pitched the 9th for his 10th save of the year and Jesse Crain (1-0) got the win in relief of Arnold, who allowed 6 runs (just 1 earned) in 6 innings of work, striking out 8 on 111 pitches while yielding 9 hits and 3 walks. Pirates 9, Mets 7

Game 25: Ainsworth (2-2, 4.85) vs. Ryan Ketchner (3-1, 3.88, a lefty rated 7/6/7)

This game did not start out well for the Bucs, as Ainsworth was rocked for 4 runs in the top of the first, giving up an RBI single to Nick Johnson, a 2-run single to Brent Butler and an RBI single to Doug Mirabelli. The Bucs got a run in the bottom of the first when JC Franco walked, went to 2nd when Adam Dunn walked, stole 3rd and scored on a bad throw. The Bucs made it 4-2 in the 5th on a sac fly by Sweeney, and then made it 4-3 in the 6th on an RBI double by Aaron Boone. The Mets got a 2-out HBP by Butler and a PH RBI double by Randy Winn to make it 5-3 and their bullpen shut down the Bucs and held on. Ainsworth (2-3) stuck around for 6 innings, allowing just those first 4 runs but taking the loss. Mets 5, Pirates 3

Game 26: Foppert (2-2, 4.70) vs. Gil Meche (3-1, 3.18, rated 6/6/6)

The only noteworthy occurence in the first 7 innings of this game was a 51-minute rain delay in the bottom of the 2nd. Meche left after 6.1 innings and Foppert left after 7 (with 11 K's!), and the game was still scoreless going into the 8th. In the 8th, Alan Embree gave up a triple to Henry Staley and then Octavio Dotel came in, getting Brent Abernathy to ground out before giving up a PH RBI single to Kearns and then a 2-run HR to Nick Johnson to make it 3-0. That was all the scoring for the game as the Bucs were shut out. Mets 3, Pirates 0

Around the League

Jimmy Journell (CHW) was named AL Player of the Week for the first time in his career. Journell was 2-0 with a 1.59 ERA in 17 innings, striking out 12 and notching a shutout. Journell is a 27-year old 2.5-star SP rated 5/5/8.

Hank Blalock (PIT) was named NL Player of the Week after hitting .429-3-6 with 12 hits in 28 ABs, tossing in 8 runs, 3 doubles, 3 walks and 2 steals. It is Hank's first PoW award.

Power Rankings: #1: NYY (19-6), #2: PIT (18-7), #3: NYM (16-9). The Bucs are 4 games up on Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cincinatti who are all 14-11 on the season.

[joncarlos]

General Manager's Diary: April 25 to 28, 2005

The Milwaukee Brewers released OF Jason Tyner on 4/21. Our scouts rate him 7/0/4 and he has A/B speed and plays all 3 outfield positions well. Since he was willing to sign a minor-league contract, I snapped him right up.

Baltimore offered us a heckuva deal: Cliff Politte (rated 7/7/6) and 20-year old 3-star 3B Arron Oldham (A/F/B talents) in return for TJ Tucker (6/6/6. I thought about it for a couple days and even though it was a sweet offer, I decided to pass. TJ is just 26 and making 1.14 million this year and then he's a free agent, whereas Politte is 31 and making 1.29 mil for the next 3 years. I'm hoping we'll have enough good young pitchers to fill out our bullpen next year for less money, and so I didn't want to commit to a 3-year deal on a 31-year old. I told the Orioles that I'd consider revisiting the deal down the road just in case.

John Maine's talent ratings increased in HR and BB - he's now a 5-star prospect and looking extremely promising. Right now he's holding off Sean Burnett but if we don't move a pitcher in the off-season, one of our starters will have to go to the bullpen.

In our latest scouting report, Dave Roberts' stealing ability was downgraded to a B. It's been a rough season for Dave, and I'm wondering if the pressure of signing a 1-year deal is getting to him or if he's losing his edge at just 32 years old. Unfortunately we've got several outfielders who are looking like they'll be ready next year and I'm not sure we want to sign him to an extension. So far he's hitting .127 with just 7 hits in 55 at-bats. I met with him and he's willing to go down to AAA for a few days and try to get his head on straight. We agreed that a trade might be the best thing for him, hopefully to someone who wants to sign an extension, but he understands that his value is pretty low right now. In the meantime, we'll call up Jason Tyner to handle the outfield duties in his absence.

[joncarlos]

Games 27 through 29: Pirates (18-8) at Atlanta (12-13)

Coming off a 4-game split with the Mets, the Pirates get to travel south and face the Braves. Atlanta still has the core of their offense in Bernie Williams (.370-1-8 in 92 AB) and Bobby Abreu (.270-4-20) and Felipe Lopez (.338-2-18) is off to a blazing start. The Braves just acquired 3B Dave Kelton (.241-2-4), age 25 and 4 blue stars and rated 5/12/4, to bolster their already strong offense.

Game 27: Maine (2-0, 3.04) vs. Chad Harville (2-2, 4.20, 6/7/5 ratings)

This game was pretty close most of the way. The Bucs took a 1-0 lead in the first on a bases-loaded walk by Piazza but Atlanta tied it right up in the bottom of the first when Timo Perez singled, stole 2nd and went to 3rd on a bad throw, then scored on a sac fly. Atlanta took the lead in the 4th on a solo HR by Bernie and made it 3-1 in the 6th on an RBI double by Kelton. The Braves added 2 more in the 8th when Brooks Conrad had a PH 2-run double off TJ Tucker after John Bale had walked 2 batters. The Bucs got a solo HR from Morneau in the 9th (#3) but that was all. John Maine (2-1) alllowed 3 runs (2 earned) in 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4. Braves 5, Pirates 2

Game 28: Fossum (2-1, 2.27) vs. Affeldt (2-3, 4.32, rated 5/6/6)

This game was a nail-biter throughout the whole 9 innings. The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the first on an RBI triple by Dunn and RBI single by Piazza, but Atlanta scored 3 in the 2nd to take a 3-2 lead. The Bucs tied it in the 3rd on a 448-foot solo HR by Mike Sweeney (#3) and took the lead in the 4th on an RBI double by Blalock. The Braves tied it in the 5th on a solo HR by Felipe Lopez and the game was 4-4 until the 9th. The Bucs got a bases-loaded walk from Dunn to make it 5-4, but Eric Gagne gave up a leadoff HR to Paul LoDuca to make it 5-5 then a double to Abreu with none out. Gagne got a K and a popup but gave up a 2-run walk-off HR to Timo Perez to end the game. Casey Fossum got a no-decision, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings. Gagne dropped to 1-1 on the season. Braves 7, Pirates 5

Game 29: Arnold (4-0, 2.04) vs. Brett Myers (4-1, 2.23, rated 8/7/10)

The final game of this series was just as tense as the first two. The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the first when Dave Roberts (recently called back up) walked, stole 2nd (7), went to 3rd on a groundout and scored on a passed ball. Mike Sweeney followed with a triple and scored on an error. The Braves tied it in the 3rd on a 2-run double by Abreu but the Bucs regained the lead in the 4th on a solo HR by Boone (7) and made it 5-2 in the 5th on a 2-run HR by Dunn (5). Jason Arnold took that lead into the 7th but gave up a pair of singles, a wild pitch and a 2-run single to Timo Perez to make it 5-4. David Sanders came on in relief and gave up a steal to Perez and RBI single to Abreu to tie the game. The game was 5-5 until the top of the 10th when Piazza hit a 2-run HR (4) for a 7-5. lead. Eric Gagne came in to save the game but left with an injury, so TJ Tucker finished the game for his 2nd save. Octavio Dotel (2-0) got the win with 2 scoreless innings. Pirates 7, Braves 5 (10 innings)

Around the League:

Alfonso Soriano (DET) made a big splash in his first month as a new free agent, winnings the AL Batter of the Month Award by hitting .322-11-31 in April. This was Soriano's second BOM award and he earned it by going 39-121 and scoring 29 runs while stealing 7 bases.

Erubiel Durazo (COL) also made a big splash in his first month, winning the NL Batter of the Month Award by hitting .383-8-18. This was Durazo's first award, and in April he went 36-for-94 with 21 walks and 30 runs scored.

Grant Balfour (NYY) won the AL Pitcher of the Month award after going 4-0 with a 1.91 ERA. Balfour earned his first award by working 33 innings, pitching one shutout and striking out 27.

Andy Petitte (LA) won the NL Pitcher of the Month Award, his first award and the first time a non-Pirate has won the April POM. Petitte was 2-0 with an ERA of 0.89, working 20.1 innings and striking out 21.

Eric Gagne (PIT) will miss 3-4 days with a blister on his finger. The Bucs had sent down RP John Bale to call up Dave Roberts, but with this injury, Bale was called back up and Jason Tyner sent down.

Adam Kennedy (CIN) will miss the next 7-8 weeks with a pulled ACL. Kennedy was hitting .276-2-4 with 11 runs in 105 ABs for the Reds.

[joncarlos]

Games 30 through 32: Pirates (19-10) at Philadelpha (11-17)

The Phillies are off to a rough start after losing Alfonso Soriano to free agency. They traded for Luis Castillo (.294, 13 runs, 10 steals) and he's done OK at 2B, but the Phils are lacking power. #2 hitter Ramon Vazquez is also doing well at .385-1-15, and Trot Nixon is off to a fine start at .308-2-15, but cleanup hitter Richie Sexson is hitting just .221-4-11 through 28 games.

Game 30: Ainsworth (2-3, 5.05) vs. Dontrelle Willis (1-4, 6.33, rated 7/5/8)

Lately the Pirates have been winning with pitching. In this game they built a huge lead with their offense and held on. In the top of the first, JC Franco singled and stole 2nd (5), Jack Wilson hit an RBI single and Mike Piazza hit an RBI double. Wilson hit an RBI single in the 2nd and Franco hit an RBI single in the 4th to make it 4-0. The Phils got on the board in the bottom of the 6th with an RBI single from Ramon Vazquez, but the Bucs answered with 5 in the 7th, highlighted by a 3-run HR from Aaron Boone (8). Jesse Crain gave the Phils 2 more in the 7th with a 2-run HR from Mitch Meluskey, but the Bucs answered again with 6 runs in the 8th, including RBI walks from Dunn and Rich, a sac fly from Boone and a 3-run HR from Justin Morneau (4). Crain and John Bale combined to give the Phils 4 more in the 8th but the Bucs held on for the win. Kurt Ainsworth (3-3) allowed 1 run in 6 innings, striking out 9 on 104 pitches. Pirates 15, Phillies 8

Game 31: Foppert (2-2, 3.79) vs. Claudio Vargas (0-2, 7.27, ratings of 5/6/7)

The Phillies scored a couple early runs in this game, getting solo HRs from Jason Lane and Sexson to lead 2-0 after 3. The Bucs tied it up in the 4th on some sloppy plays, as Dunn walked, O'Keefe reached on an error, Dunn scored on a double steal and bad throw and Torcato hit an RBI single. Jesse Foppert gave up a solo HR to Aramis Ramirez in the bottom of the 4th and was tagged for 3 more runs in the 6th on a 2-run HR by Ramirez and an RBI double from Yorvit Torrealba. Foppert (2-3) was the loser as the Bucs were shut down the rest of the way. Claudio Vargas (1-2) allowed just 1 hit and 2 unearned runs through 6 innings of work. Philles 6, Pirates 2

Game 32: Maine (2-1, 3.03) vs. Chris Waters (2-1, 4.26, a 24yo lefty with 5 blue stars, 5/6/7 ratings with 9 in Ks)

This game was a great pitchers duel between 2 promising young arms. The Bucs took a 1-0 lead on a solo HR by pitcher John Maine, a 436' bomb which was his first major league hit AND his first major league home run. Maine left for a pinch hitter after 5 innings with that 1-0 lead, giving up 2 hits and 2 walks while fanning 9. John Bale gave up a leadoff triple to Richie Sexson but Mike O'Keefe nailed him at the plate on an attempted sac fly to keep the score 1-0. The Bucs made it 3-0 in the top of the 9th on RBI singles by Torcato and Dave Roberts. David Sanders came in to close out the game and walked PH Eddie Rogers, threw a wild pitch, gave up an RBI single to Lane, walked Torrealba and gave up an RBI single to Abraham Nunez to make it 3-2. TJ Tucker came in and gave up an RBI single to Luis Castillo, then a GW RBI single to Will Smith. Sanders (0-1) got the loss. Phillies 4, Pirates 3

Around the League

OF JC Franco (PIT) suffered a hyperextended knee while making a catch and is out 1-2 weeks. The Bucs have sent him down to AAA to rehab and called up Jason Tyner.

Brian Giles (LA) is out 5-6 weks with a fractured ulna. The 34-year old Giles, a 4.5-star OF, is rated 7/10/12 and hitting .228-5-14 with 21 walks in 101 ABs this season.

Carl Crawford (KC) hit for the cycle against the White Sox. Crawford was 4-5 with 4 runs and 1 RBI. This year the 23-year old 2-star OF is hitting .322-3-13 with 13 SB in 115 AB.

Aubrey Huff (SF) won the NL Player of the Week Award by hitting .591-4-7 last week. Huff was 13-for-22 and also scored 6 runs.

Michael Cuddyer (CLE) won the AL Player of the Week Award - his 2nd career PoW award. Cuddyer hit .455-3-9 last week, going 10-for-22 and scoring 7 runs. Cuddyer is hitting .244-7-16 this season.

[joncarlos]

General Manager's Diary: April 28 to May 4, 2005

Having lost our last 2 series on the road against the supposedly weakened NL East, the Bucs are still off to a great start at 20-12 overall.

Boston offered us a trade: RP Jim Mann (a 30-year old 4-star rated 6/7/6) and 1-star RP Hugo Cepeda in return for TJ Tucker. It seems that TJ is the only one of several players we've got on the block that is drawing any interest, but most other teams just want to swap relievers.

Sean Burnett is looking great at AAA Nashville: his ERA rating is up to 6. His hits rating is still just '5' overall and 4 vs righties though, so we're keeping him down in hopes that he can improve a bit - maybe work on another pitch against righties. Also from Nashville, our scouts reported that 2B/CF Rickie Weeks has FINALLY learned to play SS and they give him a 'C' defensively. Rickie is in our plans for next year, but I don't really know where he'll be playing yet. We've got a pair of good corner OFers and JC Franco in CF and Blalock at 2B, but I'm hopeful we can work something out. Maybe Blalock could shift back to 3B and Tony Torcato could be moved - but Tony is hitting too well to make that decision right now.

I decided to talk to a few of our players about contract extensions. The results were definitely mixed: Kurt Ainsworth, Jack Wilson, and Casey Fossum, all free agents after 2006, told me it was too early to talk contracts.

JC Franco was willing to talk to me, but he wouldn't tell me how much he wants - I believe he's a free agent after 2007. He's a promising young OF, rated 7/3/8 with good speed and a good glove. I'd like to keep him around. Initially I offered 3.85 million per year for 3 years. He didn't like that. I offered 4.25 mil/yr, he wanted more. I offered 4.6 mil/yr, he wanted more. I offered 4.8 mil/yr, he wanted more. I offered 4.9 mil/yr - what I thought was a very generous offer - and he called off the negotiations, saying that it was not worth his time. Whatever - we've still got his rights for 2 more years. I just wanted some cost certainty for the next couple seasons.

I had much more luck with Mike O'Keefe. He's a superstar in the making, rated 7/9/7 with 2 more seasons of arbitration after this year. Last year he hit .273-26-85 in 418 ABs and he's off to a hot start this season. He was asking for 4.7 mil/yr for his last 2 years of arbitration. We talked about extending him into his free agent years and he was willing to sign away a year of free agency, signing a 3-year extension for 4.95 mil/yr. Considering that we are paying Adam Dunn 7.5 mil/yr for similar production, I'm thrilled with the deal we struck and I hope it makes him happy.

Power Rankings: #1: NYY (22-9), #2: KC (20-11), #3: BAL (18-13), #4: MIL (19-12), #5: OAK (18-13), #6: PIT (20-12). We're a half game up on the Brewers right now.

[joncarlos]

Games 33 through 35: Pirates (20-12) vs. St. Louis (18-13)

The Cards are one of the top teams in the NL Central that we've been battling for first place throughout the early season. They've got a pair of highly rated (but struggling) young players (former first round picks) in Carlos "Nightmare" Ortega (.217-4-12) and James "Rainmaker" Goguen (.242-2-10). The Cards also have free agent signee Jacque Jones (.206-3-13) along with Carlos Pena (.277-7-27) and Jermaine Dye (.259-5-25).

Game 33: Fossum (2-1, 2.88) vs. Bronson Arroyo (3-1, 5.59, 6/6/6 ratings)

This was a good pitchers duel, with the Cards taking a 1-0 lead in the 3rd on an RBI double by Keith Ginter and the Bucs making it 2-1 in the 4th on an RBI groundout by Blalock and RBI single by Rich. The game was 2-1 until the 8th when Octavio Dotel gave up a monster solo HR to Carlos Ortega, a 472-foot shot that tied the game. The Bucs lose the game in the 10th inning when TJ Tucker (3-2) gave up a PH RBI single to Joe Thurston and an RBI fielder's choice to Dye. Casey Fossum got a tough-luck no-decision, giving up just 1 run in 7 innings of work. Cardinals 4, Pirates 2 (10 innings)

Game 34: Arnold (4-0, 2.79) vs. Ricardo Rodriguez (2-4, 3.28, rated 6/5/7)

Still reeling from yesterday's 10-inning loss, the Bucs came out firing in this game. Adam Dunn hit an RBI groundout and Aaron Boone hit a 3-run HR (9) for a 4-0 lead after 1, and Dave Roberts added an RBI groundout in the 2nd to make it 5-0. The Bucs broke the game wide open in the 7th on a 2-run double by Torcato, RBI singles from Blalock, Sweeney and Dunn, a squeeze bunt by Arnold, and a 2-run single by Boone that made it 13-0. Jason Arnold (5-0) gave up 2 runs in the 8th and left after 8 with an easy win, finishing with 11 strikeouts. Pirates 13, Cardinals 2

Game 35: Ainsworth (3-3, 4.54) vs. Jose Contreras (4-3, 2.74, 5/5/8 ratings)

The Pirates offensive explosion continued in this game, fueled by another big inning early in the game. The Bucs got 4 in the bottom of the 2nd on solo HRs from O'Keefe (8) and Piazza (5) and RBI doubles from Roberts and Blalock. St. Louis got an RBI single from Thurston in the 3rd to make it 4-1, but the Bucs scored 4 more in the 5th on an RBI single by Blalock and RBI doubles from O'Keefe, Boone and Piazza. In the 8th, Angel Molina got his first major league hit AND his first major league HR in his first career at-bat, hitting a 2-run bomb to centerfield. Kurt Ainsworth (4-3) allowed 1 run in 6 innings for the win and has received 25 runs of support in his last 2 games. Pirates 10, Cardinals 1

Around the League

C Joe Mauer (PIT) was injured in a collision at home plate, and suffered a broken wrist. He will be out for 5-6 weeks. In the meantime, the Bucs have called up Angel Molina, a 23-year old 3-star catcher rated 5/6/4 and hitting .243-2-7 in 103 ABs at AAA Nashville.

Ryan Anderson (CLE) will miss 4-5 weeks with a pulled bicep. Anderson is 2-3 with a 3.08 ERA in 7 stars. Ryan is rated 6/6/6 and is a 25-year old 3 star pitcher.

[joncarlos]

Games 36 through 38: Pirates (22-13) vs. Washington (16-18)

The new-look Senators are off to a slow start this season. They've still got most of their offensive stars in Kent (.288-5-22), Lowell (.257-2-14), and Sammy Sosa (.267-11-23, rated 5/11/7 with 616 career HR). Their pitching is a little bit young and they're probably still adjusting to the cold weather in DC, which might account for their struggles.

Game 36: Foppert (2-3, 4.50) vs. Mike Esposito (2-1, 2.73, a 23-yo 3-star rated 3/5/5)

This game was over before it even started, as the Bucs scored 5 runs in the bottom of the first on an RBI double by Blalock, a 2-run single by Boone and a 2-run double by Piazza. Pittsburgh made it 8-0 in the 3rd on a sac fly by O'Keefe and back-to-back solo HRs by Boone (10) and Piazza (6) and made it 11-0 in the 3rd on RBI singles by O'Keefe, Boone and Piazza. Washington got on the board in the 5th when RP Jose Rodriguez got his first MLB hit and his first MLB HR when he hit a 3-run shot off Jesse Foppert. Jeff Kent's solo HR made it 11-4, but the Pirates got 5 more runs in the 6th and cruised to an easy win. Foppert (3-3) allowed 4 runs in 6 innings, giving up 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6. Pirates 16, Senators 5

Aaron Boone was 4-5 in this game, hitting a double and a HR, scoring 3 runs and driving in 5. Dave Roberts was 2-for-3 and is now hitting .195-0-6 with 16 hits in 82 ABs; Roberts also stole his 11th base of the season.

Game 37: Maine (2-1, 2.60) vs. Runelvys Hernandez (2-1, 2.67, rated 7/7/6)

The Pirates offense has really been firing on all cylinders, scoring 39 runs in the 3 games before this one. This game was no different. Things started slowly, as the Bucs got an RBI single from O'Keefe in the first and David Ortiz tied the game with a solo HR in the top of the 2nd. But the Bucs broke it open in the bottom of the 2nd, getting an RBI single from Roberts, an RBI double from Torcato, an RBI single from Sweeney, a 2-run triple from O'Keefe and a 2-run HR from Boone (11) that made it 8-1. Boone hit another 2-run HR in the 4th to make it 10-1 and the Bucs cruised to an easy win. John Maine (3-1) worked 6 innings and allowed just 1 hit (Ortiz' HR) while striking out 5. Pirates 11, Senators 2

Game 38: Fossum (2-1, 2.64) vs. Francisco Butto (0-1, 7.88, 24yo 5-star rated 1/5/6)

What kind of name is Butto? Seriously? How could this guy not be a star? Washington took the lead in the top of the first on an RBI double by Kevin Mench, but the Bucs scored 2 in the bottom of the 2nd on an RBI double by Torcato and an RBI single by Fossum - his first major league hit! The Bucs made it 6-1 in the 3rd on a 3-run HR by Boone (13) and an RBI single by Roberts. Washington cut the lead to 6-4 in the 5th on some very ugly baseball: Ramon Santiago doubled, and then with 2 outs, Fossum walked PH Mendy Lopez and Bobby Crosby, then Adam Dunn dropped a fly ball and 2 runs scored, then Fossum walked Sosa and walked Mench to force in a run. The Bucs got a solo HR from Torcato (3) to make it 7-4 in the 5th and the bullpen held from there, with Eric Gagne working a 1-2-3 9th for his 11th save. Fossum (3-1) got the win, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) in 6 innings of work, giving up 4 hits and 5 walks and striking out 3. Pirates 7, Senators 4

Around the League

Kansas City released SP Curt Schilling after he refused to report to the minors. The 38-year old Schilling was 1-1 with a 3.97 ERA this year and was rated 2/4/5. He has a career record of 180-129 with a 3.45 ERA and 2833 Ks in 2866 innings.

Anaheim acquired 1B Sean Casey from LA, a 30 year old 2-star rated 7/4/6. Casey is in the 2nd year of a 3-year deal at $2.34 mil/yr. In return, the Dodgers received C Julio Andreu, a 20-year old 3-star, and 3B David Muniz, another 20-year old 3-star. The Dodgers also did some housecleaning, releasing OF Jeffrey Hammonds and signing 1B Travis Lee to a 1-year deal at $324,000. Lee is a 29-year old 1B 1.5-star rated 5/4/5. Detroit also released OF Joe Borchard, a once promising prospect who never learned to make consistent contact.

Tampa Bay pulled off a blockbuster deal, acquiring 1B Carlos Delgado from Colorado. Delgado is a 32-year old 2.5-star with ratings of 4/10/10 and he's hitting .250-4-6 in 28 at-bats this year. Delgado is signed at $9.96 mil/yr through 2007 and was blocked from playing by the Rockies off-season acquisition of 1B/OF Erubiel Durazo. In return the Rockies received LF Ron Allen, a 23-year old 3.5-star prospect rated 2/2/3 and G/F/G right now, plus a pair of 1-star prospects.

As a result Tampa also did some housecleaning, releasing 1B Jeff Bagwell to make room for Delgado. Bagwell is 36 years old and rated by Tampa scouts as 4/6/6. He was hitting .255-3-18 in 110 AB this season. For his career, Bagwell is hitting .295 (with 2265 hits in 7681 AB) with 437 HR and 1537 RBI. Bagwell also has 215 steals, 1477 runs and a .401 OBP.

Cincinatti acquired C Wil Nieves, a 27-year old 2.5-star rated 4/8/2, from Atlanta. In return the Braves received 24-yo 2B Clarance Pagan, a 3-star prospect rated F/G/A.

Kansas City acquired 2B/3B Chase Utley from Houston. Utley is a solid infielder rated 5/6/4 and the 26-year old is rated 2.5 stars and is hitting .283-3-13 this season. In return Houston received 19-year old 1B prospect Jose Alonso, a 3-5 star prospect rated A/B/F, and 2 1-star prospects.

Finally, after about a day on the free agent list, the Pirates signed Jeff Bagwell. Our scouts rate him 5/7/6 and he should provide some veteran presence on the bench. We sent Justin Morneau down to AAA for now to work on his skills in the outfield, but he might be back soon once all the injuries are sorted out. Bagwell signed a 1-year deal worth $310,000 and we are going to do everything we can to get him on the post-season roster if he is playing well in September.

[joncarlos]

Games 39 and 40: Pirates (25-13) at Houston (13-24)

Having scored 57 runs in their last 5 games, the Bucs travel to the hitters' paradise known currently as Minute Maid Park. The Astros are still stuck in the cellar and working on their rebuilding process. They've got some good building blocks in Josh Phelps (.201-5-12), Joe Crede (.269-8-18) and Ryan Doumit (.289-2-20) as well as veteran help from David Delucci (.339-5-20) and Todd Hollandsworth (.269-5-26). They've got 2 good looking young pitchers in the minors as a result of picking high in the draft in 2003 and 2004 as well as some decent young hurlers in the majors now.

Game 39: Arnold (5-0, 2.70) vs. Brian Wolfe (1-5, 6.92, 24yo 5-star rated 4/6/7)

The Pirates offense was still firing in this game, but much more slowly. The Bucs built a 5-0 lead through 6 innings, scoring single runs in the 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 5th and 6th innings on 3 RBI singles, a sac fly and a steal/bad throw. The Astros made it 5-1 in the 6th on an RBI single by Dave Delucci and the Bucs made it 6-1 in the 8th on a sac fly by Tyner. Houston cut the lead to 6-2 with another RBI single from Delucci, but the Bucs got some insurance in the 9th on a 2-run double by Boone and a PH RBI single by Jeff Bagwell (triumphant return to Houston!). Jason Arnold moved to 6-0, allowing 1 run in 7 innings, striking out 9 and allowing just 5 baserunnners. Pirates 9, Astros 2

Game 40: Ainsworth (4-3, 4.15) vs. Josh Hall (3-3, 4.78, a 24-yo 3.5-star rated 3/4/5)

The Bucs took an early lead in this game on a 2-run HR by Adam Dunn (6) in the first inning. The game was 2-0 until the 4th when Houston tied the game on RBI singles by Crede and Doumit. The Bucs regained the lead in the 5th when Jack Wilson walked and scored on Dave Roberts' double, and held a 3-2 lead until the 8th inning. Alan Embree came in to work the 8th and gave up a single to Delucci and a walk to Edmonds, then Octavio Dotel surrendered a game-tying single to Crede. The Bucs regained the lead again on a solo HR by Mike O'Keefe (9) and Eric Gagne worked a scoreless 9th for his 12th save. Dotel (3-0) got the win in relief of Kurt Ainsworth, who allowed just 2 runs in 7 innings of work while striking out 7 batters. Pirates 4, Astros 3

Around the League

Aaron Boone was named NL Player of the Week after turning in an amazing performance over the previous week. Boone hit .444 (12-for-27) and crushed 5 home runs, driving in an astonishing 20 runs in one week. Boone had at least one hit, run and RBI in each game this week and is on an 11-game hitting streak. After this binge, he leads the NL in home runs. Boone also scored 10 runs and hit 3 doubles. This was Boone's 3rd PoW award since the award was implemented in 2003.

Wil Cordero was named AL Player of the Week, hitting .520-1-8. Cordero had 13 hits in 25 ABs, scoring 4 runs and hitting 4 doubles. Cordero was signed to a 4-year deal this off-season by Detroit for $608,000/yr - even though his signing was somewhat obscured by the signings of Alfonso Soriano and Jason Giambi.

Milwaukee released 1B Tino Martinez. Tino is rated 5/4/6 by their scouts, and the 37-year old was signed to a 1-year deal worth $743,000 before the season started. Tino has hit 303 career HRs and has a career AVG of .271 and totals of 1830 hits and 1174 RBI in his career. Martinez was hitting .235-1-5 in 34 AB this season.

Atlanta signed Kip Wells to a 1-year deal for $1.23 million. For some reason the best pitcher on the FA list sat unsigned for almost 2 months. Wells has not pitched this year but he was 6-6 with a 4.97 ERA last year and is rated 6/6/8.

Milwaukee acquired LF Carlos Valderrama from Florida. Carlos is a 27-year old 2.5 star rated 6/5/4 and is hitting .300-1-9 in 40 ABs this year. In return the Marlins obtained P Santiago Ramirez, a 26-year old 2.5 star rated 6/6/6 with a 10 in Ks. Ramirez is 3-3 with a 5.01 ERA and 45 Ks in 46.2 innings this year.

Pirates prospect Ross Peeples returned to AAA Nashville after a 6-week stint on the DL, Peeples is a 25-year old 3.5 star prospect rated 5/4/6 with A/G talents and was 1-0 with an ERA of 0.75 in 3 games before the injury.

Power Rankings: #1: OAK (25-13), #2: PIT (26-13), #3: NYY (25-13), #4: StL (22-16 and 3.5 games back of the Pirates).