RECAP - Pirates - 1 / Rangers - 0

Gerrit Cole Showed his Potential Last Night...Electric Stuff

Pittsburgh Pirates - 1
Texas Rangers - 0

WP - Gerrit Cole
LP - Darvish
S - Melancon (12)

FINALLY!  The Pittsburgh Pirates won their 82nd game solidifying their first winning season since 1992.  Don't worry, I will have plenty more on that a little later today.  However, this win was more than just #82 on the season, in my opinion.  This win was gigantic in many forms and fashions.  First, and most importantly, Gerrit Cole finally delivered the gem that we, as fans, all knew he had in him.  Cole was masterful on the mound, throwing 7 strong innings, surrendering only 3 hits, no runs, striking out 9 (career mark for him), and only walking 2 batters.  That is a strong stat line right there, and something the Pirates needed in a bad way.  After losing 4 straight (being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals being 3 of those losses), the Pirates were on the verge of losing 5 in a row for the first time this season, and facing strikeout artist Yu Darvish didn't look like the best matchup for the Pirates batting order. 

Darvish and Cole didn't disappoint, but around the 4th inning as I listened to the game I said to myself...one run might just win this thing...and it did.  The Pirates got their usual assortment of 6 hits for the game, and don't worry, Andrew McCutchen had 2 of those 6 hits (boosting his average to .324).  The other 4 hits were recorded by "Kissy Neck" Tabata, Barmes, Byrd, and no hit was bigger than Pedro Alvarez's 2 out double that scored Byrd.  Turns out that was all that Gerrit Cole needed to get the Pirates off the schneide and back into the win column.  This win didn't just end the losing skid, it didn't just guarantee a winning season, it got the Pirates back to within a game of the Cardinals, and thanks to a Chicago Cubs victory over the Reds...it put another game between the Reds and the Pirates.  This game was big, but then again, they all will be big games for the rest of the season.  This NL Central has not been decided yet, and possibly won't be until the last out of the 162nd game.  Tonight, Francisco Liriano takes the mound to try and make it 2 in a row for the Buccos as they keep pressing on towards the postseason.  Pirates fans...enjoy it...we ALL deserve this.