Pittsburgh Pirates Vs. St. Louis Cardinals: September 27-29, 2010

Following an incredibly successful final homestand, the Pirates took the show on the road to St. Louis for a 3-game date with the Cardinals. Coming into this series, the Buccos were on the verge of clinching the league’s worst record, while the Cardinals were only a game away from being officially eliminated from playoff contention. With less than a week left in the season, the Cardinals had much more to play for than our Buccos.

Monday, September 27: The Cardinals pushed off elimination for at least one day, outlasting the Pirates at Busch Stadium by a score of 6-4. Matt Holliday went 2-3 with 1 HR and 3 RBI, proving to be the difference in the game. Fresh off the announcement of being named the N.L. Player of the Week, Pedro Alvarez went 3-3 with a homerun a 2 RBI of his own.

Charlie Morton pitched a decent ballgame, giving up 4 runs through 6 innings. While it was far from stellar, the Buccos’ starter still gave his team a chance to win. Despite the loss, the Pirates did have plenty of opportunities to tally more runs. Four different players accumulated multi-hit games, including Alvarez, Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Ronny Cedeno. This still wasn’t enough firepower to get the victory against the Cardinals.

Tuesday, September 28: Garrett Jones continued his recent hot streak, going 3-5 with 1 HR and 3 RBI, while Brian Burres pitched 5.2 innings of solid baseball, as the Pirates beat the Cardinals 7-2, officially eliminating their N.L. Central rivals from playoff contention.

Jones’ hero effort on Tuesday further hiked his average up to .251 for the season, as he was the only Pirate to have a multi-hit evening. While Neil Walker also added an RBI, the real knockout came off the bat of John Bowker in the 8th inning. The pinch hitter doubled to shallow center, scoring Ryan Doumit, Ronny Cedeno, and Alex Pressley, breaking the game wide open. With the victory, the Pirate evened the series at a game a piece, setting the stage for a rubber match on Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday, September 29: The Pirates continued their trend of poor offensive production in day games, as they were shut down 4-1 in the final game of the series at Busch Stadium.

Neil Walker had the lone RBI for the Bucs, hitting a sacrifice fly in the 9th inning to bring in Andrew McCutchen. Cutch had two of the team’s five hits, but there was never a serious threat to take the lead from the Red Birds.

James McDonald pitched a solid game for the Buccos, going 6 innings while only giving up 1 run on 5 hits, but the offense just couldn’t break through Cardinals’ pitching. Despite officially eliminating their division foes, the Pirates dropped yet another road series. With only one series remaining in the 2010 season, the Bucs travel to Florida for a 4 game set against the Marlins.

While it is impossible to erase the horrible road record for the season, it would be nice for the Pirates to end the year on a somewhat positive note by at least splitting the 4-game set, something that has proven to be nearly impossible for Pittsburgh this season.

Current Record: 56-102

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Houston Astros Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: September 24-26, 2010

After what has been a long and difficult season, the Pirates entered the weekend hosting the Houston Astros for the last home series at PNC Park of the 2010 season. Astonishingly enough, despite their horrific overall record, the Buccos had the chance, with a sweep of Houston, to finish the 2010 campaign with a winning season at PNC Park.

Friday, September 24: In an overly high-scoring contest that featured a total of 17 runs and 24 hits, the Astros outlasted the Pirates to win the first game of their 3 game set, 10-7. This was the Pirates’ 100th loss of the season.

Hunter Pence was the hitting star of the day for the Astros, going 3-5 with 3 RBI. In a losing effort, Garrett Jones hit a pair of hits and 4 RBI. Pedro Alvarez also chipped in with two RBI of his own, while Andy LaRoche crushed a pinch hit solo homerun. Unfortunately, the pitching wasn’t up to par on this night, as they needed to empty the bullpen, using 6 pitchers, none of which were effective.

Saturday, September 25: Pedro Alvarez hit a knockout 3-run homerun in the 3rd inning, and the Pirates got a spectacular performance from Zach Duke, on their way to evening the series at a game a piece, setting up the rubber match on Sunday afternoon.

Duke pitched 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits, but unlike his previous countless number of starts, gave his team a chance to win. In addition to Pedro’s round-tripper, Jose Tabata and Ryan Doumit also earned RBI singles for the Pirates, who defeated the Astros on Saturday night, 6-4.

Sunday, September 26: The Pirates’ hot-hitting continued on Sunday, as Pedro Alvarez went 3-5 with 2 RBI, leading the Buccos to a 9-3 win at PNC Park, closing out their final home stand of the season on a bright note.

Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker slated 2 hits each, raising their season batting averages to .284 and .301 respectively. Starter Paul Maholm pitched a gem, giving up only 1 run on 6 hits through 7 innings. Everyone seemed to get in on the act for Pittsburgh, as seven different Buccos tallied a hit.

So the Pirates finished their final home stand of 2010 with a record of 7-2, concluding their season mark at 40-41. Despite losing their 100th game of the season, there is no better way to describe this home stand than as a success. They now turn their attention to their last 2 series of the season, a road trip which finds them at the St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins. Congratulations on a fantastic final home stand at PNC Park.

Current Record: 55-100

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

St. Louis Cardinals Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: September 21-23, 2010

Fresh off a sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks to open up their final home stand of the 2010 season, the Pirates welcomed the St. Louis Cardinals into town for a 3 game set at PNC Park. While the Cardinals are in a much better position than our battlin’ Buccos, they are still on the outside of the playoffs looking in, and came to Pittsburgh in desperate need of a tremendously hot finish to the season.

Tuesday, September 21: Paul Maholm pitched the finest game of his 2010 campaign, going 7 innings while only giving up 2 runs on 7 hits, lowering his ERA to 5.25, and helping the Pirates defeat the Cardinals in the first game of the series, 5-2 at PNC Park.

Joel Hanrahan and Evan Meek pitched an inning of shutout baseball a piece, shutting down the St. Louis offense in the latter innings. The Buccos jumped on the board early in the first inning with three runs driven in by Pedro Alvarez, Ryan Doumit, and John Bowker respectively. Jose Tabata later tripled in the 4th inning, stretching the lead with his 2-RBI knock. The Pirates earned this victory on Tuesday, tallying their largest winning streak of the season at 4 straight games.

Wednesday, September 22: The offense exploded for the Pirates on Wednesday, obliterating Cardinals’ pitching on their way to an 11-6 victory, extending their winning streak to 5 games.

Pedro Alvarez went 2-5 with 1 HR and 4 RBI, while Garrett Jones and John Bowker each added 3 hits. In all, seven Pirates’ hitters tallied RBI’s, and Andrew McCutchen also added a multi-hit evening. Charlie Morton put on a nice performance for the Buccos, giving up 2 runs on 4 hits through 6 innings. The Pirates now set their sights on a series sweep of the Cardinals and a record 6 straight victories overall.

Thursday, September 23: The Cardinals’ offense finally came alive on the matinee at PNC Park on Thursday, and St. Louis snapped the Pirates’ five game winning streak, while ending a 3-game skid of their own, by a score of 9-2.

Albert Pujols played like the future hall-of-famer that he is, going 3-4 with 2 HR and 3 RBI. In all, the Red Birds tallied 15 hits off Pirates’ pitching. Brian Burres lasted only 2.1 innings, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits. Chan Ho Park, Sean Gallagher, and Will Ledezma didn’t fair much better, giving up 2 runs in 1 inning a piece.

The Pirates’ offense was certainly rare on Thursday. Pedro Alvarez doubled to deep right in the 4th to drive in Neil Walker, and Andrew McCutchen sac-flied Ryan Doumit home in the 7th, and these proved to be the only productive forms of offense.

So after a wonderful start to this series, the Pirates were completely out-matched on Thursday, which puts them within 1 loss of 100 for the season. This will be the first 100-loss season for the Pirates since 2001. The Bucs’ final home series of the season welcomes the Houston Astros to town for a 3-game set, followed by 2 road series which will close out the season against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Florida Marlins. As unbelievable as this may seem, the Pirates have an outside shot of finishing the season with a winning record at home. With a series sweep of the Astros, Pittsburgh could finish with a winning record at PNC Park, which is astounding considering their overall record.

Current Record: 53-99

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Arizona Diamondbacks Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: September 17-19, 2010

As horrible as the recent road trip was, the first series of the home stand at PNC Park was just as impressive. The Buccos completed a 3-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team that happens to have the second-worst record in the National League.

Friday, September 17: After a closely played ballgame throughout, Ronny Cedeno singled in Andrew McCutchen in the bottom of the 9th, clinching a 4-3 victory in walk-off fashion in the first game of the series.

Neil Walker continued his impressive season with a 2 hit performance, including hammering a solo-homerun in the 1st inning. Ryan Doumit also homered for the Buccos, tying the game in the 7th inning, setting the table for Cedeno’s game-winner 2 innings later.

Pirates’ starter Brian Burres pitched a solid game, giving up 3 runs on 7 hits through 7 innings, once again, giving the offense a chance to win. This time, though, unlike the previous series against the Mets, the offense came through.

Saturday, September 18: The Pirates won a wild one at PNC Park on Saturday, securing a series victory and giving them a chance to sweep the Diamondbacks. The Buccos outlasted Arizona and survived a late-game comeback, winning the contest 9-6.

John Bowker was the star of the day for the Pirates, who went 3-4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI. Andrew McCutchen also homered, while Chris Snyder tallied 3 hits, and Jose Tabata had a pair of hits as well. Overall, the Pirates played a strong offensive game, and they were rewarded with a victory.

Sunday, September 19: The Pirates needed a late game rally to beat the Diamondbacks on Sunday…but that’s exactly what they did, earning a 3-game sweep at PNC Park. Neil Walker’s 2 run homerun in the 8th gave the Pirates a 4-3 lead, and Evan Meek came in and shut down The D-Backs, earning his 3rd save of the season. Andrew McCutchen had another 2-hit performance on Sunday, hammering a homerun on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the 1st inning.

The beginning of the Pirates’ final home stand couldn’t have gone any better. While the Diamondbacks are one of the very worst teams in baseball, it is still a huge step in the right direction for the young Pirates’ players to be able to win a close ball games in the late innings. Andrew McCutchen is on fire lately, and John Bowker was a pleasant surprise in this series. Also, one can’t say enough about Neil Walker, his incredible season continues….way to go REAL DEAL NEIL! After a day off on Monday, they now turn their sights on the St. Louis Cardinals, who are currently on life support for their N.L. playoff lives. Nothing would be better than to play spoiler against a playoff contender.

Current Record: 51-98

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Pittsburgh Pirates Vs. New York Mets: September 13-16, 2010

After avoiding a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds, the Pirates traveled to New York for a four-game set against the Mets, one of the more disappointing teams in Major League Baseball. Unfortunately for the Pirates, the Mets played this 4-game series like one of the league’s best, and the end result was a 4-game sweep of our beloved Buccos.

Monday, September 13: The first game of the series was an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel, which ended with a pinch hit, game-winning single by the Mets’ Nick Evans in bottom of the 10th, sending both teams into their respective clubhouses in walk-off fashion.

The Pirates got a wonderful performance from James McDonald, who only gave up 5 hits through 8 innings, but after an inning to perfect pitching from Chris Resop, Chan Ho Park gave up 2 hits in the 10th, including the game-winner. Obviously, from a hitting standpoint, Garrett Jones tallied a pair of hits, leading the team. But as a collective effort, the Pirates couldn’t muster anything…and it cost them the ballgame.

Tuesday, September 14: The Pirates didn’t come out of their hitting slump in the second game of the series…and unfortunately, the Mets did. New York scored in the first 4 innings of the game, which was more than what they needed as they obliterated the Pirates, 9-1. Carlos Beltran led the charge for the Mets, going 2-4 with 1 HR and 3 RBI. Garrett Jones earned another pair of knocks for the Buccos. Zach Duke fell to 7-14 on the season, giving up 8 runs on 9 hits, further inflating his ERA to 5.78 for the season.

Wednesday, September 15: The Pirates’ offense finally exploded in the 3rd game of the series, but they couldn’t quite match the Mets punch for punch, as they lost for the 3rd straight time, this time 8-7 in a shootout.

Andrew McCutchen went 2-4 with 1HR and 3 RBI, Pedro Alvarez slated the first triple of his career. John Bowker and Ronny Cedeno chipped in 2 hits as well, but for the second straight night, the starter wasn’t effective. Paul Maholm fell to 7-15 after his 3.2 inning performance, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits. The Pirates now found themselves in the position, for the second straight series, trying to avoid a sweep on the road.

Thursday, September 16: The Buccos’ bats went back into hibernation in the final game of the series in New York, and the Mets solidly beat Pittsburgh, completing the sweep, 6-2.

Charlie Morton could’ve pitched better, but he certainly could’ve thrown worse. The Pirates’ right-hander gave up 2 runs on 5 hits through 5 innings, which gave the Pirates a chance to win the game. Unfortunately, the bats were nowhere in sight. No Pirate tallied more than 1 hit, as Ronny Cedeno and John Bowker each earned an RBI, but it was far too little of an attack to compete with the Mets’ offense.

So the Pirates complete the road trip at 1-6, which is pathetic. While the majority of the games on this road trip were close, the Bucs need to win some of these contests. This is a young team with a lot to learn, but September is the month of opportunity…an opportunity to grow up and take that next step forward…and hopefully garner some momentum going into the 2011 season. So far this month, this has not been the case. The Pirates return home to PNC Park for their final home stand of the season, one that hopefully will yield some slightly more positive results.

Current Record: 48-98

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Pittsburgh Pirates Vs. Cincinnati Reds: September 10-12, 2010

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered this weekend’s series in last place in the N.L. Central division. The Cincinnati Reds, on the other hand, approached the 3-game set sitting atop the division, with an opportunity to secure their first winning season since 2000. In one of the more unexpected series of the season for Pittsburgh, the Pirates and Reds played a highly competitive weekend set, all of which came down to the very end.

Friday, September 10: The Reds broke a season-long 5 game losing streak in game 1 of the series, withstanding a 9th-inning comeback, and outlasted the Pirates in 12 innings for a 4-3 victory at Great American Ballpark.

Buccos’ starter Paul Maholm kept his team in the game throughout, lasting 7 innings while only giving up 3 runs on 6 hits, but his mound opponent bested him on this night. Homer Bailey gave up only 1 run on 5 hits through his 7 innings of work, and the Reds appeared as though they would be heading for an easy victory..that is, until the 9th inning. Francisco Cordero gave up a pair of RBI singles to Jose Tabata and Pedro Alvarez, blowing the save and tying the game, 3-3.

The teams would exchange scoreless innings until the Reds were able to load the bases in the 12th inning with Jonny Gomes coming to the plate. Gomes slapped a measly chopper to Ronny Cedeno who cleanly picked up the ball, tossing a perfect ball to catcher Chris Snyder, which SHOULD have been an easy force-out. Let’s be honest Pirates fans…nothing is ever easy on a baseball field in Pittsburgh. That was the case on Friday, as Snyder just muffed the play, dropping the ball and allowing the game winning run to cross the plate.

Saturday, September 11: For the second straight night, the Reds led the Pirates for the majority of the ballgame, and once again, the Buccos made a late-game comeback to make things much more interesting.

Cincinnati took a 3-0 lead into the top of 8th inning, as starter Edinson Volquez pitched 7 innings of shutout baseball. John Bowker got things started with an RBI-double, scoring Ronny Cedeno and getting the Buccos on the board. Jose Tabata infield-singled Bowker home, cutting the lead to a single run. Neil Walker then followed it up with a game-leading single to center, scoring Tabata and Andrew McCutchen, putting the Pirates ahead, 4-3.

After the Reds tied the game up in the bottom of the 9th, Joey Votto ended the game in walk-off fashion in the 10th, smashing a solo shot to deep left, giving the Reds the win and a guaranteed series-victory against the Pirates.

Sunday, September 12: For the 3rd consecutive game, the Reds jumped out to a lead against the Pirates. Joey Votto doubled home Orlando Cabrera in the 4th inning, and up until the 9th frame, that was the only run of the game. That is, until Andrew McCutchen walked to the plate with 2 outs and the bases loaded. After falling behind 0-2 in the count and with the Reds’ fans on their feet, cheering and expecting a 3rd straight victory, Cutch hammered a pitch down the line past third base, scoring Lastings Milledge, Garrett Jones, and Jose Tabata, taking the lead, and the earning the eventual victory in Cincinnati, 3-1.

So the Pirates lost 2 straight games on Friday and Saturday in the series, but did earn a hard-fought win on Sunday, avoiding the sweep at the hands of the Reds. While this weekend does represent yet another series loss on the road, the Pirates played one of the best 3-game sets of the season, especially from a pitching standpoint. Pittsburgh gave up a total of 10 runs this weekend against a high-powered offense, and even though it was good enough to only earn 1 victory, this series still served as a step forward. As Pirates’ fans, we’ll take it.

Current Record: 48-94

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Atlanta Braves Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: September 6-8, 2010

The Pirates welcomed the Atlanta Braves into town for a 3-game series, which would wrap up the next-to-last homestand of the 2010 season at PNC Park. This series also marked the final trip to Pittsburgh by celebrated manager Bobby Cox. The Braves are surely playoff bound, battling with the Philadelphia Phillies for the N.L. East crown.

Monday, September 6: One of the major elements of the Pirates’ 2010 season has been the issue of unpredictability. Typically, this hasn’t worked in the Buccos’ favor, but Monday’s game against the Braves proved otherwise. Brian Burres pitched a gem of a ballgame, giving up only 1 run on 5 hits in his 6 innings of work, before giving the ball to three different pitchers from the bullpen, including Joel Hanrahan, who would earn his 4th save of the season, securing a Pirates 3-1 victory on Monday afternoon at PNC Park.

In a well-played game on Labor Day afternoon, Neil Walker’s 6th inning 2-run homerun proved to be the difference in the contest. The Pirates’ 2nd baseman continues to be a huge story, while Jose Tabata also chipped in with an RBI for Pittsburgh.

Tuesday, September 7: For the second straight game, the Pirates got a solid performance from their starter, and the Pirates’ bats did enough to secure a comfortable victory against the Atlanta Braves. James McDonald pitched 7 innings of shutout baseball, allowing only 5 hits and issuing 3 walks. Evan Meek and Joel Hanrahan pitched a hitless inning each, and Hanrahan struck out the side in the 9th inning, closing out the 5-0 victory for the Buccos.

The difference in the ballgame was the 7th inning. Pedro Alvarez got things started with an RBI-double, which was followed two batters later by Ronny Cedeno’s triple, scoring Alvarez and Ryan Doumit. Delwyn Young delivered the seemingly knockout blow, a 2-run blast to deep left. After shutting down the Pirates through 6 innings, Tim Hudson finally ran into trouble in the 7th, with 4 of the 5 runs being charged to him, stuttering his ERA at 2.41, and dropping his record to 15-7. The victory set up the possibility of a sweep at PNC Park for our battlin’ Buccos.

Wednesday, September 8: The Pirates never had a chance in this ballgame. By the time the Buccos even had an opportunity to bat in the bottom of the 1st inning, they were already trailing by 3 runs. Zach Duke lasted just 1 inning, giving up 4 runs on 6 hits and walking 2, once again inflating his ERA to 5.47. The Pirates were forced to use 8 pitchers, and the Braves’ bats, which were silent in the first two games of the series, exploded on Wednesday night, defeating the Pirates by a final score of 9-3.

On a bright note for Pittsburgh, Neil Walker extended his hitting streak to 15 games, while Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen added 2 and 3 hits respectively. Unfortunately for the Pirates, there weren’t any other positives to take away from this ballgame.

So the Pirates earned a victory in the series against the Atlanta Braves. They complete the homestand at .500, 3-3, and now hit the road for a very difficult trip to Cincinnati for a 3 game set against the N.L. Central leading Reds and then on to New York for a 4-game date against the Mets. With less than a month left in the season, it is all about the young guys and about next year for Pittsburgh, but it’s also about playing spoiler. In addition to the series against the Reds, they are also set to play a total of 6 more games against the St. Louis Cardinals, a team who is barely holding on to playoff hopes. The Pirates have a day off Thursday, which, after the final game against the Braves, is definitely needed to regain some pride, and try to put on a strong showing against the Reds at Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati. Good luck guys.

Current Record: 47-92

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Washington Nationals Vs. Pittsburgh Pirates: September 3-5, 2010

Following another pathetically awful road trip, the Pirates returned home to PNC Park for a 3-game set against the Washington Nationals. Both teams are out of the playoff hunt (there’s a shocker), but it was still an opportunity for the Buccos to win a series against a sub-par N.L. team.

Friday, September 3: Ryan Doumit went 3-4 with 1 HR and 2 RBI, leading the Pirates to a 8-5 victory over the Nationals in the first game of the series at PNC Park. Jose Tabata, Garrett Jones, and Ronny Cedeno also chipped in 2 hits a piece, and for the first time in way too long, the Pirates’ offense was actually effective.

Zach Duke put together a solid start for the most part, but after a rough 6th inning, ended up with a line that looked something like this: 5.0 IP, 4 runs on 5 hits, with 3 walks and 5 strikeouts. In all, the Pirates used 7 pitchers, which, despite giving up 5 runs as a staff, did just enough to hold off the Nationals. The Pirates were able to win the first game of the series, giving themselves a great chance to take the series.

Saturday, September 4: The Pirates played like a Double A club on Saturday, and the Nationals took full advantage of it, lighting up the Buccos at PNC Park with a blowout victory, 9-2.

Ivan Rodriquez had a huge night for Washington, going 3-5 with 1 HR and 4 RBI. Paul Maholm had another horrible start, lasting only 4.1 innings while giving up 7 runs on 9 hits, inflating his ERA to 5.43 and lowering his record to a terrible 7-14. From an offensive standpoint, the Pirates left too many men on base, and other than a solo homerun by Andrew McCutchen and Ronny Cedeno’s RBI double, the offense was just as ineffective as they were productive the night before. After the horrible outing, the stage was set for a series-deciding finale on Sunday afternoon.

Sunday, September 5: The Pirates and Nationals tallied 11 hits a piece on Sunday afternoon. The only difference was that Washington took advantage of their opportunities, and well, the Pirates didn’t. In other words, the Nationals won the 3rd game, and the series, from Pittsburgh by a final score of 8-1.

Ryan Zimmerman went 2-5 with 4 RBI. Pedro Alvarez provided the ONLY bit of offense for the Pirates, hammering a solo homerun in the 4th inning. Buccos’ starter Charlie Morton fell to 1-11 for the season, giving up 6 runs, 2 of them earned, on 8 hits through only 3.2 innings.

As to no surprise to any fan who actually follows the team, the Pirates lost another series to an underachieving team who just flat out played better from start to finish. Whether it’s the starting pitching, the defensive play, or the offense, the Pirates seem to find a different way to lose every night. They welcome the Atlanta Braves, more than likely a future playoff team, to PNC Park for a 3-game set. Hopefully Pittsburgh will be able to play spoiler, although the way they’ve been playing lately, it’s hard to believe they would be able to steal 2 games from the playoff-bound Braves. But that’s why they play the games…

Current Record: 45-91

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!

Pittsburgh Pirates Vs. Chicago Cubs: August 30-September 1, 2010

The Pirates’ 3-game series against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field featured 2 blowout games and a third game that featured blown opportunities, all resulting in a 2-1 series loss for the Buccos.

Monday, August 30: The first game of the series couldn’t have possibly gone any worse for the Pirates. Cubs’ starter Carlos Zambrano not only through 5.1 innings of 1 run ball against the Buccos, but he also blasted a 2-run homer in the 5th inning, helping Chicago cruise to a 14-2 annihilation of the Pirates in the first game at Wrigley.

The Cubs put the game away in the 4th and 5th innings, scoring 11 runs in the two frames combined, and the Pirates’ struggling bats couldn’t manage any more than 2 runs on 6 hits. Garrett Jones was the only Pirate to tally 2 hits, while starter Paul Maholm got torched, lasting only 3.1 innings and giving up 8 runs on 9 hits. Ouch.

Tuesday, August 31: Talk about revenge. One night after being held to only 2 runs, the Pirates’ offense exploded in game 2 of the series against the Cubs, scoring 14 runs on 15 hits, getting a little payback and padding that individual statistics, beating the hometown team 14-7.

Neil Walker was the star of the day for the Bucs, going 4-5 with a homerun and 4 RBI, while improving his season average to .305. Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata slated 3 hits a piece, and Garrett Jones added a 2-run homer in the 4th inning.

Jeff Karstens picked up the victory on Tuesday after giving up only 2 runs on 4 hits through 6 innings. Reliever Sean Gallagher got rocked, however, for 5 runs in only 1.2 innings. Luckily for Pittsburgh, the lead was substantial enough to withstand the minor comeback by the Cubs’ 5 runs in the 8th inning. Karstens’ mound opponent, Ryan Dempster, who came into the game as one of the hottest pitchers of the second half of the season, lasted only 3 innings, giving up 7 runs on 7 hits and walking 3 batters.

Wednesday, September 1: The Pirates began September with a terribly frustrating game against the Cubs. The close-knit game was decided by 2 runs, but the Pirates left a total of 12 men on base, including leaving the bases loaded in the 8th inning.

James McDonald had a decent outing, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits through 5 innings. While it wasn’t a standout performance, it was good enough to give the Pirates a chance to win. Unfortunately, the bats wouldn’t come through.

Neil Walker was once again the star, going 3-5 with 1 HR, bumping up his average to .310. Ronny Cedeno had 2 hits, but Garrett Jones, Ryan Doumit, and Pedro Alvarez all went hitless, and were responsible for a total of 8 runners on base. That was the difference in the ballgame. The Cubs took the game, 5-3, and the series, 2-1, from the Pirates at Wrigley Field.

So the Pirates round out the road trip at a dismal 1-5. They have dropped to an absolutely depressing 45 games under the .500 mark, and are pulling away from the Baltimore Orioles for the title of MLB’s worst record. They return home for a 6 game home stand against the Washington Nationals and the Atlanta Braves. We now have a month left in what is going down as one of the worst Pirates’ seasons in history, record-wise. With only 2 homestands left in the 2010 season, perhaps the Buccos can improve upon their record at PNC Park, which is the only part of the this season that hasn’t been a huge disappointment.

Current Record: 44-89

And…As Always…Let’s Go Bucs!