RECAP - Pirates - 4 / Brewers - 3

"Thanks for bailing me out Travis..." - Clint Hurdle

Pittsburgh Pirates - 4
Milwaukee Brewers - 3

WP - "My Cousin Vinny" Mazzaro
LP - Henderson
S - Melancon (11)

The Pittsburgh Pirates are predictably unpredictable.  Is that even possible?  It sure it...if you don't think so just watch this Pirates team this season.  Whether it is the abysmal hitting on some nights, the pitching that is darn near lights out, or those ever so popular contributions from people you wouldn't expect.  Whether its Felix Pie having a clutch hit, Garrett Jones breaking out of a slump in a big way, or the "Lunch Box Hero" Travis Snider hitting a go ahead Home Run in the top of the 9th last night after the Pirates surrendered the lead in the bottom of the 8th.  If you are on Twitter (follow me - @BnGBlitz) you could read tweet after tweet regarding Clint Hurdle's decision to keep Vin Mazzaro in the game for 2 innings.  I was one of them...it just didn't make sense.  Then when you think the Twitter-verse is ready to explode in Hurdle hatred, he decides to throw Travis Snider out there to pinch hit.  Yep, Travis Snider.  You would have thought he personally hit someone's mother, but right when you think you know what is going to happen with this team, the unpredictable happens.  Snider does his best Brian Giles impersonation and drives a Home Run to right center field to give the Pirates the go ahead run, and thats all they would need to win 3-2. 

Alot can be said about the fact that the Pirates cannot finish below .500, and alot has been said about the Pirates ending the streak, but for me, I am saving the "Streak Ending" article for when they win #82 (which hopefully comes tonight when "Frank the Tank" Liriano takes the mound.  All I know is this...the Pirates are now 81-57, have a 2 game lead in the NL Central, and look poised to make this race for the division really interesting down the stretch.  If they want to continue this trend of winning, they'll need their stars to step up, and there are no bigger stars that #22 Andrew McCutchen on the Pirates.  McCutchen provided offense last night by going 2-4 and scoring 3 runs and a RBI.  His batting average has now been bumped up to .320.  Yeah, I'd say he's pretty good at playing baseball.  Besides McCutchen, these acquisition players have really started to pay dividends for the Buccos.  Justin Morneau went went 3-3 last night, and Marlon Byrd went 2-3 with 2 RBIs.  I'm sorry, but Pirate fans are not used to acquisitions actually doing something good for the team.  Lets not forget that Gerrit Cole did his job on the mound...going 6 innings giving up 5 hits and 2 earned runs.  Cole struck out 5 while only walking 1 batter.  Gerrit Cole's early game struggles are something that I feel can be fixed easier than most think just by the way he approaches the batters at the beginning parts of the game.

Pirates fans have alot to celebrate, but I have to be honest, to me the celebration begins when the Pirates win game #82, not with win #81.  If the Pirates are capable of sweeping the Brewers, which they certainly are, how sweet would it be to end the streak in the very place that the Pirates struggled so much throughout the 20 years.  Very fitting indeed...get right on that Francisco!  Lets Go Bucs!