The Pirates drop a close game to the AAA squad Giants Wednesday night by the score of 5-4. Despite numerous chances before extras to score, the Pirates managed to get the game to extras where they lost in 10. Bubba Chandler was average, the offense made you want to stop watching the sport forever, and Camilo Doval finally showed weakness in a Pirates jersey. The Pirates continue to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory and slip further and further out of the playoff race. Watch Jim and I break the game down in detail here:
Bubba Chandler Must Be Better
To ask dominant performances out of your rookie pitcher to pull the squad back into a playoff race is tough. However, the Pirates need exactly that from the former top 10 prospect. Chandler was pitching just fine through his first 4 innings of work. Giving up a home run to Rafael Devers is fairly normal, and he was doing a good job limiting the production from the rest of the Giants lineup. Then the 5th inning came around and Bubba somewhat unraveled. After loading up the bases he proceeded to allow 2 runs to cross the plate and giving the Giants a 3-1 lead at half time. Chandler needs to be doing better against bad lineups like what the Giants are currently trotting out. He is too talented to let these games get away from him and the Pirates need him if any playoff push is happening in September.
This Team Loves to Waste Chances
Despite Bubba’s struggles, this game really shouldn’t have been close. While it is admirable to see this team grind their way back into a game while down 2 runs, they should’ve finished this game off early instead of playing with their food. Before Oneil Cruz‘s infield single to tie the game at 3, the Pirates were 0-8 with RISP. They also wasted a golden chance to win the game in the 9th with a runner on 2nd and no one out. This team continues to make you want to pull your hair out with how they come through with runners on. It was awful to watch because they had every opportunity in the world to get this game done without stress and they were unable to do so. My bed time keeps getting ruined by this offense and its genetic inability to hit in the clutch.
Manfred Ball Sucks
Does anyone enjoy watching extra innings baseball anymore? What used to be a tense battle of the bullpens is now just a straight up crapshoot over who can move runners over slightly better. The viewing experience is miserable, boring, and stale because the games play out the exact same. You have the same strategies over and over and it never feels good even if you do win. When you lose, it feels like you got cheated and when you win it feels like you got handed something you didn’t deserve. Please get rid of this garbage ghost runner immediately it doesn’t belong in my beautiful sport.
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