$$$ Reversal of Fortune: A Pittsburgh Pirates Legacy $$$

[bucketsndimes]

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 10, 2009

Quick update on the team, we're back below .500 at 29-31. A winning season is definitely still in sight, although if we fall any farther behind, a playoff berth may not be.

While the big club has been having a little trouble recently, down in the minors things are going well. Virgil Vasquez, who we demoted to AAA Indianapolis after a terrible 0-2 start to the season with an ERA at 22.09 is now prospering in the minor league ranks. Vasquez no-hit the Lehigh Valley IronPigs in a 6-0 victory. He struck out 4 and walked 1. In addition, our Indianapolis 1B Larry Broadway just won the International League POTW Award. He went 14 for 29 with 6 homers and 10 RBI. On the season he is batting .319 with an astounding 19 bombs and 43 RBI. Maybe I should have brought him up during Adam LaRoche's suspension. By the way, LaRoche has struggled some since returning. His average dropped from .295 to .282 and he has only 1 homer.

In other baseball news, Chicago Cubs outfielder Milton Bradley (.319 BA, 9 HR, 36 RBI) dealt the last place Cubbies yet another blow. He'll miss 5 months with a ruptured foot tendon.

Thought I'd also mention the 39-19 San Diego Padres. They're surprising everyone with outstanding pitching (2.97 team ERA) led by ace Jake Peavy (6-3, 2.90 ERA, 89 K in 90 IP) and their perennial All-Star Adrian Gonzalez (.300 BA, 16 HR, 42 RBI). Peavy actually has an incredible 31 inning scoreless streak going.

[bucketsndimes]

MONDAY JUNE 15, 2009

Nats Make Fernandez #1
Washington Selects Pitcher With First Overall Pick

WASHINGTON, DC -- With the first overall selection in the 2009 MLB first-year player draft the Washington Nationals selected starting pitcher Carlos Fernandez. Fernandez is a high schooler out of Galt, California and hopes to have a promising career. He already has developed 4 pitches, a fastball, sinker, changeup and forkball.

"We were happy to upgrade our pitching," said Washington GM Pat Gillick. "It may sometimes be a risky move to draft a pitcher straight out of high school, but we think his talent speaks for itself."

The rest of the top 10 unfolded like this; LF Nick Penick (SEA), SP John Evarts (SDG), C Gilbert Lavoie (PIT), SS Tomas Guerrero (BAL), CF Todd Graham (SFO), C John Fall (COL), 1B Ricardo Martinez (DET), 2B Julio Valdez (CIN) and LF Keun-ho Kim (KAN).

With the last pick in the draft the Los Angeles Angels took middle reliever Felipe Martinez out of Cuba.

Pirates Notes
3rd in NL Central | (32-33) | 8 GB MIL
... PIT 1B Miles Durham won the EL POTW Award as a member of the Altoona Curve, he went 11 for 24 with 6 HR and 12 RBI on the week. ... Some notable picks in the draft by PIT included C Gilbert Lavoie (1st Rnd, #4), SP Akihito Kondo (2nd Rnd, #34), 1B Brian Hancock (3rd Rnd, #64) and RF Julio Chavez (4th Rnd, #94). ... PIT SS Jack Wilson will miss 2-3 weeks with a strained back. ...

[bucketsndimes]

THURSDAY, JUNE 25, 2009

Doumit Suffers Career-Ending Injury
Pittsburgh Catcher Ryan Doumit Will Never Play Again

PITTSBURGH, PA -- The Pittsburgh Pirates organization suffered a major blow today as it was announced that starting catcher Ryan Doumit will never play baseball again. Doumit suffered a severe concussion in the team's game against Cleveland today and had to be taken off the field in a stretcher.

Doumit was in tears as he took the podium during a press conference after he was released from the hospital, "I am retiring from the game of baseball. It's not my decision, but one made for me by the doctors I saw today. I suffered a severe concussion and if it was to happen again my life would be in jeopardy. I cannot risk it. So today I will retire from the game I love so much."

Doumit was a key catalyst in Pittsburgh's surprising season. The team is 37-37 and was looking to get into the NL playoff race. Without Doumit, that may not be possible. Doumit was having a career year, batting at a .340 clip with 12 HR and 44 RBI. He was on pace for 26 HR and 96 RBI.

In the Pirates game today the beat the Indians 3-0 thanks to a 6-hit shutout by Zach Duke. They also ended Cleveland third baseman Mark DeRosa's hitting streak at 20 consecutive games. For now, backup catcher Jason Jaramillo will take over the starting duties.

MLB Notes
... LAD trades minor league 3B Pedro Baez to FLO for SP Dan Meyer (0-2, 3.66 ERA). ...

Pirates Notes
3rd in NL Central | (37-37) | 7.5 GB MIL

[bucketsndimes]

FRIDAY, JUNE 26, 2009

Tragedy struck Pittsburgh yesterday when we learned that catcher Ryan Doumit's career was over at just 28 years old. Third in the NL with a .340 batting average, Doumit was well on his way to his first All-Star appearance. He will be sorely missed. Since mid-May he had been the hottest hitter in major league baseball with an average of .410, 9 HR and 24 RBI in his last 29 games.

To try to fill his spot in the lineup we claimed Baltimore catcher Gregg Zaun off waivers. 38 years old, Zaun is a poor defensive catcher but a decent hitter. He is a career .250 hitter with 79 HR. Hopefully the Orioles won't pull him back.

Our starter will be Jason Jaramillo. He has been having a pretty good season, batting .252 with 3 HR in limited action. Doumit's injury makes our first round draft selection Gilbert Lavoie out of Canada an even better choice. We hope the 22-year old native of Vancouver can develop quickly. He is currently playing rookie ball in the Gulf Coast League.

Even with Doumit's injury we are not yet out of contention. We are 37-37, 7.0 games behind Milwaukee for the division lead and 5 games behind the Dodgers for the Wildcard.

In other news, last year's AL MVP Dustin Pedroia (.314 BA, 4 HR, 35 RBI) will miss the rest of the season and more for Boston with a ruptured ulnar collateral ligament. Also, the Oakland A's have traded minor league SP Chad Reineke to KAN for minor league LF David Lough.

[bucketsndimes]

WEDNESDAY JULY 1, 2009

Pirates Win 6th Straight, Climb Standings
Pittsburgh Defeats The Cubs 5-4 To Continue Streak

PITTSBURGH, PA -- The Pittsburgh Pirates are rolling after defeating the Chicago Cubs 5-4 for their 6th straight victory. The team was dealt a huge blow a few days ago when they learned catcher Ryan Doumit would never play again. However, the news has not seemed to affected the team's play on the field.

Zach Duke threw for 7 innings, but allowed 4 runs and was pulled in favor of Tyler Yates, who recorded his 7th win. Matt Capps continued his dominance against opposing hitting, saving his 21st game of the season and not allowing a single run.

Nate McLouth had a great game for Pittsburgh, going for 3 with a double, 2 RBI and a walk. Eric Hinske homered in the win. Ted Lilly dropped to 3-8 for Chicago after being charged with the loss.

MLB Notes
... SEA 3B Adrian Beltre was named AL BOTM. ... STL 1B Albert Pujols was named NL BOTM. ... MIN SP Scott Baker and HOU SP Brandon Backe were named AL and NL POTM. ... MIN SS Matt Tolbert was named AL ROTM. ... CIN LF Chris Dickerson was named NL ROTM. ...

Pirates Notes
3rd in NL Central | (42-37) | 5 GB MIL

[bucketsndimes]

SUNDAY, JULY 12, 2009

There was some big news yesterday as Yankees closer Mariano Rivera picked up his 50oth career save against the Toronto Blue Jays. Rivera has 21 saves this season to go with an incredible 1.46 ERA, he is definitely Hall-of-Fame bound.

All-Star rosters were also announced and unfortunately we have no participants. Here are the roster rundowns...

American League
NYY SP C.C. Sabathia
CLE SP Scott Lewis
BOS SP Daisuke Matsuzaka
NYY SP Andy Pettitte
BOS SP Josh Beckett
SEA SP Felix Hernandez
NYY CL Mariano Rivera
BOS CL Jonathan Papelbon
KAN CL Joakim Soria
TOR CL Scott Downs
DET CL Joel Zumaya
OAK CL Russ Springer
SEA 3B Adrian Beltre
BAL LF Nick Markakis
MIN 1B Justin Morneau
OAK CF Ryan Sweeney
CLE 2B Asdrubal Cabrera
NYY RF Nick Swisher
CWS C A.J. Pierzynski
TOR SS Marco Scutaro
MIN C Joe Mauer
CLE 3B Jhonny Peralta
BOS CF Jacoby Ellsbury
CWS LF Carlos Quentin
BAL 2B Brian Roberts
CLE CF Grady Sizemore
TAM 2B Willy Aybar
TEX 1B Andruw Jones

National League
CHC SP Rich Harden
PHI SP Cole Hamels
ARI SP Brandon Webb
SDG SP Jake Peavy
ATL SP Javier Vasquez
LAD SP Chad Billingsley
SDG CL Cla Meredith
NYM CL Fransisco Rodriguez
ATL CL Rafael Soriano
FLO CL Matt Lindstrom
MIL CL Mitch Stetter
STL CL Jason Motte
STL 1B Albert Pujols
ATL 3B Chipper Jones
FLO SS Hanley Ramirez
LAD C Russell Martin
ARI C Miguel Montero
MIL LF Ryan Braun
PHI 2B Chase Utley
LAD CF Matt Kemp
LAD RF Andre Ethier
SDG 1B Adrian Gonzalez
NYM 3B David Wright
LAD LF Manny Ramirez
PHI 1B Ryan Howard
PHI SS Jimmy Rollins
SDG LF Brian Giles
PHI CF Shane Victorino

Another tidbit of news comes out of Los Angeles. Dodgers center fielder Juan Pierre (.320 BA, HR, 6 RBI in 50 AB) is asking to be traded. He is obviously disappointed by his playing time, but who can blame manager Joe Torre with the All-Star outfield of Manny Ramirez, Andre Ethier and Matt Kemp.

Here in Pittsburgh things are getting interesting. A lot of our young guys are clubbing the ball down in rookie ball. Recent draft pick Julio Chavez just swatted 3 homers in a Gulf Coast League game.

On the big club, utility infielder Ramon Vasquez is complaining about playing time and wants to be traded. Although he has struggled at the plate this year, I'd like to keep him around for his defense if it can be done without disrupting team chemistry which seems to be pretty good right now. At 46-42 we are 6.5 games behind the Brewers for first place in the Central, but only 2.5 behind the Mets for the Wildcard.

We are led by Adam LaRoche (.284 BA, .373 OBP, 23 HR, 57 RBI) who has homered in 6 of his last 8 games.

Today we go head-to-head with the Philadelphia Phillies as Zach Duke (7-6, 4.50 ERA takes the mound against the ageless Jamie Moyer (6-6, 4.85 ERA).

[bucketsndimes]

TUESDAY, JULY 14, 2009

Senior Circuit Prevails In All-Star Game
NL Defeats AL 4-2

TORONTO, CA -- The brightest stars from the American and National Leagues faced off today in the MLB All-Star Game. It was the NL that was victorious, defeating its AL counterparts 4-2.

This was a game highlighted by great defense and great base running. The fundamentals of the game were certainly there on a night usually reserved for flashy play. The NL started out well, with four consecutive singles to lead off the game, all off Yankees ace C.C. Sabathia. It was not until the top of the 7th that another run was scored. It was once again the NL as Chase Utley tripled and scored off a wild pitch, one of the few mistakes in the game. Jimmy Rollins later doubled and drive home Russell Martin for a 3-0 lead.

In the bottom of the 7th Carlos Quentin of the AL squad tripled and was driven home by Adrian Beltre, who is having a comeback year of sorts. Another NL run followed and Carlos Quentin' solo jack in the bottom of the 9th was not enough to send the AL home happy. Mitch Stetter got the win, Francisco Rodriguez the save and Sabathia the loss.

MLB Notes
... LAA traded LF Bobby Abreu (.277 BA, 4 HR, 43 RBI) to STL for 3B David Freese (.237 BA, 8 HR). ... MIN C Mike Redmond is asking to be traded. ... CWS have inked a huge 2-year, $26 million extension with Jim Thome (.268 BA, 14 HR, 55 RBI). ...

Pirates Notes
3rd in NL Central | (47-42) | 5.5 GB MIL
... SS Chase D'Arnaud (.360 BA, 3 HR, 21 RBI, 3 SB) of the Gulf Coast Pirates has been promoted to the short-season A State College Spikes. ...

[bucketsndimes]

SUNDAY, JULY 26, 2009

Pirates Looking To Make A Deal?
With Deadline Looming, Pittsburgh May Deal For Pitching

PITTSBURGH, PA -- The Pittsburgh Pirates were one of this season's surprise teams, but have struggled as of late, falling to 50-48, 7.5 games out of the division lead and 5 games back of the Wildcard. However, GM Jimmy Bacon is reportedly still looking to acquire some much needed starting pitching so the Pirates can make a final push for the playoffs.

Pittsburgh is 14th in the National League in starters' ERA at 4.77. Every starting pitcher on the club has an ERA of over 4.15. The relief pitching is carrying the team. It is rumored that the Pirates would part with one of their plethora of outfielders on the major league roster. Nate McLouth (.290 BA, 8 HR, 37 RBI, 17 SB) is set to return in 2 days from a fractured thumb. McLouth, Brandon Moss, Eric Hinske, Craig Monroe, Steven Pearce or Nyjer Morgan may be shopped.

Pittsburgh is currently in a series with the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tomorrow they face D-Backs pitcher Yusmeiro Petit. Petit has been great this year, going 5-6 with a 2.93 ERA.

MLB Notes
... NYY SP A.J. Burnett will take 8-9 months off because of a torn rotator cuff. ... FLO SS Hanley Ramirez strained his hamstring and will miss 4 weeks of play. ... OAK trades MR Brad Ziegler to MIN for a player to be named. ...

Pirates Notes
3rd in NL Central | (50-48) | 7.5 GB MIL
... SCF Craig Monroe is batting at a .476 clip with 3 HR in his last 8 games. ...

[bucketsndimes]

FRIDAY, JULY 31, 2009

Pittsburgh Deals Outfielders For Pitching
Pirates Trade Pearce, Moss For Weaver And Prospects

PITTSBURGH, PA -- On the cusp of playoff contention the Pittsburgh Pirates made a trade today that they hope will bolster their chances of reaching the playoffs while also setting them up for the future.

The Pirates traded outfielders Steven Pearce (.252 BA, 8 HR, 22 RBI) and Brandon Moss (.266 BA, 8 HR, 39 RBI) to the Los Angeles Angels for pitcher Jered Weaver (5-10, 3.65 ERA, 107 K in 145.2 IP) and minor league pitching prospects Trevor Reckling and Jordan Walden.

Pittsburgh GM Jimmy Bacon had this to say about the deal, "It was the perfect trade. I went into the trade deadline looking at all options, but thought we would stand pat. It was difficult to decide whether we should push for the post-season or look to the future. With this trade we add a good pitcher to our staff in Jered [Weaver] and we add two top prospects."

The departure of Moss and Pearce frees up playing time for other outfielders on the Pirates roster. It has also been confirmed that center fielder Andrew McCutchen will be called up from Triple-A. In 100 games this season with the Indianapolis Indians of the International League McCutchen has batted .275 with 15 HR, 61 RBI and 24 SB.

MLB Notes
... MIL C Jason Kendall collected his 2000th hit yesterday. ... MIN has traded MR Jesse Crain to MIL for 3B Bill Hall. ... OAK has dealt RF Jack Cust to PHI for MR Ryan Madson and minor league 2B Fidel Hernandez. ...

Pirates Notes
3rd in NL Central | (53-50) | 6.0 GB MIL

[bucketsndimes]

TUESDAY, AUGUST 4, 2009

Things are going great for us right now! We found a way out of the rut that we were in, winning every game since the trade for Jered Weaver. Although Weaver's first start was pretty awful. In 3 innings he gave up 5 hits and 6 runs, walking 2. We still ended up winning 13-11!

Andrew McCutchen's been solid with 4 hits in 14 at-bats. He's playing tremendous defense as well. He is definitely helping us win games in the outfield.

The latest news I have is about a third baseman named Connor Gillaspie. Gillaspie was waived by the San Francisco Giants despite great play in the minors (.278 BA, 4 HR, 20 RBI, 5 SB in AA). We tried to snag him and the league just executed the claim today. The 22-year old should be a big-leaguer someday.

For the first time all year we have crept up the standings into the second spot in the NL Central. We are now 3 games ahead of the St. Louis Cardinals thanks to their epic 9 game slide. We're still 5 back of Milwaukee but only 3.5 behind the Dodgers for the Wildcard lead. Things are looking up!

[bucketsndimes]

FRIDAY, AUGUST 7, 2009

Weaver's Second Outing A Gem
Pirates New Acquisition Leads To Win Over Cards

PITTSBURGH, PA -- The Pirates cannot be stopped! When was the last time you heard that sentence? 1979? Indeed, the Pittsburgh Pirates are playing some fantastic baseball and look to be a threat to make the playoffs or at the very least, finish above .500 for the first time in 16 seasons.

Today the Pirates defeated the St. Louis Cardinals easily 8-2. New Pirate Jered Weaver gave the team a great performance on the mound, going 8 strong innings, striking out 7 and allowing just 2 runs.

Pittsburgh's recent call-up Andrew McCutchen also proved himself today. The center fielder had a stellar game, going 4 for 5 with 2 doubles, 3 RBI and a stolen base, his first of the season. McCutchen has been hitting .355 from the leadoff spot since moving to the big club.

First baseman Adam LaRoche ended his second-longest homerless drought of the season, hitting his first bomb in 7 games, a 2-run jack in the 7th off Kyle McClellan.

MLB Notes
... CLE All-Star 2B Asdrubal Cabrera will miss 3-4 weeks with an intercostal strain suffered while colliding with a player at second base. ... DET SP Jeremy Bonderman struck out 10 on his way to a shutout victory over MIN. ... TEX 2B Ian Kinsler will miss 4 weeks of play with a fractured left foot. ...

Pirates Notes
2nd in NL Central | (59-51) | 5.5 GB MIL

[BigRed75]

Glad things are going well for you. It looks like you're having a lot of fun with this game and it shows. Keep it up, it's been a good read!

[bucketsndimes]

MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2009

Cooperstown Lifts Year Restrictions
Hall-Of-Fame Requirements Have Changed

COOPERSTOWN, NY -- Today the Baseball Hall-of-Fame in Cooperstown, NY announced it will lift the restriction that a player must be 5 years removed form his playing days in order to be eligible for the Hall-of-Fame.

This could have an immediate impact on players such as Tom Glavine, Greg Maddux and John Smoltz, who may all retire following the completion of the 2009 MLB season.

[bucketsndimes]

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 1, 2009

It's coming down to the wire. This is officially the stretch run. We have one month to make it to the playoffs. It's do or die for these Pittsburgh Pirates. Today was also the day for roster expansion. This means we brought a few players up to play for the big club for the remainder of the regular season. There's a few guys that could make an impact. If he gets the at-bats Larry Broadway could do some damage. He batted .312 with an incredible IL-leading 36 homers and 110 runs batted in.

Jordan Walden, one of the guys we got in the Jered Weaver trade may make a few spot starts. He has had a 5.15 ERA in 7 starts at the AAA level since we acquired him.

Looking at the standings, we are currently 70-61, 9.5 games behind Milwaukee. I am now starting to believe the division may be out of reach. However, we are just 2.5 games back in the Wildcard, so a playoff berth is still in our sights. One guy who is helping us get there is closer Matt Capps. Capps is having a career-year with 35 saves and a 2.29 ERA.

On offense, Jack Wilson is batting .309. Adam LaRoche is batting .271, but with 29 home runs. His brother Andy is batting at a .276 clip with 9 HR and 55 RBI. Nate McLouth has been the team leader. He has a batting average of .293 and OBP of .372 (tops on the team), 13 HR, 53 RBI and a team-leading 22 SB. Can't forget Andrew McCutchen. The rookie has been unstoppable since reaching the majors. He is batting .317 with 9 stolen bags. However, he has yet to hit his first big league HR.

Now I'm off to Cincy for a series against the 56-75 Reds.

[bucketsndimes]

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2009

Weaver Goes The Full 9, Shuts Down Cubbies
Jered Weaver Pitches CG SO In 5-0 Win

PITTSBURGH, PA -- Chicago Cubs bats were silenced today as they faced Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jered Weaver. After a terrible beginning to his saga in Pennsylvania, Weaver has since been deadly. Since his opening debacle, Weaver has gone 4-2 with a 3.23 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 50.1 innings. Weaver held the Cubs to 8 hits and zero runs, striking out 6 and walking 1 in his victory today.

"It feels good to get back on track," said Weaver after the contest. "I struggled at first, but now I think I'm fitting right in with Pittsburgh, a winning ballclub." Pirates GM Jimmy Bacon must certainly be proud of his acquisition, who also doubled in the 3rd.

Pittsburgh now sits 4 games back of the Mets for the wildcard lead. With 23 games left on their schedule, the Pirates certainly have hope, but they are going to have to play their hearts out.

MLB Notes
... SEA SP Felix Hernandez signed a 2-year extension worth a total of $17.7 million. ... OAK SS Orlando Cabrera signed a 3-year, $4.3 million extension. ... SFO inked 45-year old SP Randy Johnson to a 1-year extension worth $2.9 million. ...

Pirates Notes
2nd in NL Central | (75-64) | 11 GB MIL
... PIT CF Nate McLouth is batting .459 with 5 HR in his last 10. ...

[bucketsndimes]

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2009

Pirates Guarantee 1st Winning Season Since '92
Walk-Off Homer Pushes Pirates to 82-68

PITTSBURGH, PA -- The playoffs are looking less likely these days for the Pittsburgh Pirates. However, the team can take solace in the fact that with a dramatic win against the Cincinnati Reds today they have improved to 82-68. It ends their streak of 16 consecutive losing seasons.

There was certainly no better way to end the streak then how the Pirates did it today. Zach Duke took the mound against the Reds' Edinson Volquez. Both pitched 6 innings for no decisions. The game was tied at 3 runs apiece going into the bottom of the 9th. It was then that the current face of the Pirates franchise, Nate McLouth became a hero. McLouth was already 3 for 4 in the game. He made it 4 for 5 when he hit a towering 2-run bomb to send Pirates fans home happy.

The celebration was incredible and Pirates manager John Russell had some words for the fans, "I want to say thanks to all the fans for believing in us this year. Nobody thought we'd be this good. And we're going to keep the good times rolling, straight into the playoffs. We're not out of it yet, this could be the greatest season in Pirates baseball history!"

Bold words form the 48-year old Russell. But, maybe he is not wrong.

MLB Notes
... STL has signed MR Josh Kinney to a 3-year, $7.6 million extension. ...

Pirates Notes
2nd in NL Central | (82-68) | 9.5 GB MIL
... PIT CF Nyjer Morgan strained his hamstring in the team's game two days ago, it will take approximately 4-5 months to fully recover. ...

[bucketsndimes]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 2, 2009

Pittsburgh Enters Final Series Of Season 2 Games Back
Mets Hold Slight Edge Over Pirates For Wildcard

PITTSBURGH, PA -- "Pirates" and "playoffs" are two words that have seldom been used in the same sentence since 1992. Well that may change as the Pittsburgh Pirates enter their final series of the season against the Cincinnati Reds today.

Pittsburgh has already won a miraculous 88 games behind their great hitting, solid defense and extraordinary heart. Two of the Pirates biggest hitters have really put it into a higher gear in these last remaining games. In their past 6 games, Andy LaRoche and Nate McLouth are a combined 19 for 44 with 6 home runs and 13 runs batted in. Closer Matt Capps has held down the bullpen with an incredible 18 inning scoreless streak.

This two-team race has the Pirates playing a 3-game series in Cincinnati and the 90-69 New York Mets getting the luck of the draw with a 3-game home-stand versus the Houston Astros. These final few days should be epic as these storied franchises fight for their right to play in the post-season.

MLB Notes
... HOU CL Jose Valverde has inked a 3-year extension worth $1.9 million per annum. ...

Pirates Notes
2nd in NL Central | (88-71) | 9 GB MIL
... PIT GM Jimmy Bacon has reportedly been feuding with owner Robert Nutting about next year's budget. It is rumored that Bacon will be unable to retain any of the team's key free agents, including first baseman Adam LaRoche. ...

[Rondell Tate]

[dj_morton]

Hell of a season.

[bucketsndimes]

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 3, 2009

Mets Batter 'Stros, Clinch Wildcard
13-6 Win, Coupled With Pittsburgh Loss Results In Playoffs For Mets

NEW YORK, NY -- The Mets did what they had been doing all season long today in defeating the Houston Astros. The Mets forced the Astros to use 7 pitchers in a 13-6 clobbering. New York bats had been hot all year long, and they pulled through today for a win that will send them to the post-season.

John Maine pitched 6 innings for New York, winning his 17th game of the season. Carlos Beltran homered twice, his 22nd and 23rd of the season in the win as well.

The 44,908 in attendance at CitiField erupted in celebration after learning the Pirates had lost earlier in the day to the Reds. The score had been kept hidden per request of manager Charlie Manuel until after the Mets finished their game.

MLB Notes
... CWS 2B Chris Getz will miss 4 weeks with a strained hamstring. ...

Pirates Notes
2nd in NL Central | (88-72) | 10 GB MIL

Glad to see you guys are enjoying this!