RECAP - Pirates - 4 / Cubs - 5

Jason Grilli Hasn't Returned to Peak Performance Just Yet

Pittsburgh Pirates - 4
Chicago Cubs - 5

WP - Villanueva
LP - Grilli
S - Kregg

You didn't think the Pirates were going to win every game for the rest of the season did you?  Well, if you did...you were highly disappointed last night.  For the realists out there, the Pirates dropped a heartbreaker to the Cubs at home last night that not only ended their 4 game winning streak, but it also evened the series with the Cubs at one game a piece.  The Pirates have 8 games against sub-par teams, and in an earlier recap I said that a best case scenario would be that the Pirates win 6 of those 8 games.  They would need to take the next 2 from the Cubs, and take 3 of 4 from the Padres to reach my lofty goal of winning 6 of 8 before the Cincinnati Reds come to town for some really meaningful games. 

Last night's game just never seemed to be, even when the Pirates were down 3-0, and had a 4th inning to remember where a Pedro Alvarez inside the park Home Run spawned a back, to back, to back HR inning where Russell Martin and Garrett Jones all hit solo HRs and tied the game at 3.  The Pirates took the lead on an error that let Andrew McCutchen score and take a 4-3 lead.  The stage was set.  Pirates take the lead in an unimaginable fashion, Jason Grilli goes out there in the 7th and it looked like the baseball gods were smiling down on PNC Park once again during this magical 2013 season.  Well, lets just say that didn't happen.  Grilli throws a "mistake" pitch and a 2 run HR gets belted out of PNC Park to give the Cubs the lead, and eventually the victory.  Disheartening loss it surely was. 

What also was disheartening was the fact of what the Pirates lost besides the game.  The Cincinnati Reds lost again, therefore the Pirates lost a chance to extend their game between the 2nd and 3rd place teams.  The Cardinals were given an absolute gift by the Mariners and regain their 1 game lead in the division.  With the division playing out as it is...with no one really stepping up and deciding to take the division by the throat, this whole song and dance is going to go until they shut the place down.  The final 6 games against the Reds will make things extremely interesting, but its the games the Pirates play against sub par teams that will ultimately decide the fortune of this team, in my opinion.  When I speak of the team's "fortune" I speak of a wild card or a division champion, and no one from any team wants a one game "play in" game...