Lee's Two Home Runs Can't Lift Pirates Past Cubs

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

There was a lot of energy at PNC Park tonight as Derrek Lee and Ryan Ludwick would make their debuts in Pittsburgh Pirates uniforms tonight as they did battle with the Chicago Cubs.  Lee would have an amazing night at the plate going 2-4 with two home runs and three RBI.  Ludwick did not have as much luck as he would go 0-3 with a walk and two strikeouts.  Unfortunately for Pittsburgh Lee’s homers were not enough as they dropped their fourth straight game with a 5-3 loss to the Cubs.

Paul Maholm was on the mound tonight and thru the first five innings looked like the pitcher we have seen all season long, consistent with little to no run support.  Thru five innings he gave up one run on one hit.  It was the sixth inning that would haunt him.  Maholm was hit hard this inning allowing three runs on three hits.  Walks also hurt Paul tonight as he would give up three on the night.  When it was said and done, Maholm would go 6 innings allowing four runs on six hits  with three K’s and three walks.  The bullpen held it together as Jason Grilli pitched one inning of scoreless baseball striking out one batter.  Daniel McCutchen did give up an insurance run to the Cubs in the ninth.  He would pitch two innings striking out one and walking two. 

The offense did seem to gain a little bit of a spark tonight as seven of the eight position players to start the game did have at least one hit.  Unfortunately they did not come thru when it counted as eleven Buccos would be left on base.  Another chilling statistic was that out of the ten Pirates hits on the night only three were extra base hits, the two Lee home runs and an eighth inning double by Neal Walker.  Pedro Alvarez had two singles tonight but made a base running error when he was picked off second base by Chicago starter Carlos Zambrano.

This four game slide has the Pirates only a game over .500 now after they had been as many as seven over.  It also sees them drop to 5.5 games back of the division leading Milwaukee Brewers.  If this team is not feeling the pressure of a pennant race yet, I’m not sure they will.  With the loss tonight, these next three games against the Cubs become that much more important.  Kevin Correia will look to have a good outing at home tomorrow, while Randy Wells will look to give the Cubbies their third win in a row.

Record vs. Cubs:  6-4
Record vs. N.L. Central:  25-17
Record at Home:  26-26
Overall Record:  54-53

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Relievers Fall Apart In Eighth, Buccos Lose To Cubs

By Zane Heiple

Ronny Cedeno & Garrett Jones (Photo Credit: AP)

The Pirates were at it again today in game two of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.  Paul Maholm took the hill for the first time in 2011 and the Cubs countered with Carlos Zambrano.

It didn’t take long for the Buccos to get on the scoreboard.  With two runners on in the first inning, due to walks, Pedro Alvarez brought in his first run of the season on his first hit to make the score 1-0. 

The top of the order would once again prove effective in the third inning.  After Jose Tabata reached base, Neil Walker brought him home on a double to the right-centerfield gap to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 advantage.

Garrett Jones wasted no time in the seventh inning putting another run on the board for Pittsburgh, hitting his first homerun of the year to right field on the first pitch of the inning.  Zambrano left the game three pitches later with a cramp in his right hand.  His final line of the day would be six innings pitched, allowing three runs on five hits, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Maholm’s day also ended in the seventh inning, as he would go 6.2 innings, striking out three, walking two, and allowing five hits.  This was the second day in a row that the Pirates received a great pitching performance by their starting pitcher.  It will be performances like this that will help change the fortunes of the Buccos in 2011.  Replacing Paul was right-handed reliever Jose Veras, who would get the only batter he faced to pop out to shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

The bottom of the eighth inning had us Pittsburgh fans saying, “Here we go again.”  A three run lead was erased by the Cubs.  Evan Meek came in and laid an egg.  He walked the first batter and then gave up a run-scoring double to Starlin Castro.  Castro scored on the very next batter when Lyle Overbay committed an error on a groundball hit by Marlon Byrd.

Alfonso Soriano tied things up on a single to centerfield.  The Cubs then took a 5-3 lead when Blake DeWitt scored two runs on a bases loaded double off of reliever Chris Resop. 

Carlos Marmol came on to close the game for the Cubbies and he did exactly that, setting the Pirates down one-two-three to give Chicago a 5-3 victory.

Frustrating is the word that comes to mind on a day like this.  One bad inning was all it took to waste a great outing by Paul Maholm.  This cannot happen if the Buccos are going to remain competitive this season.  They will need a short memory since they have an opportunity tomorrow afternoon to take two out of three from the north-siders.  Ross Ohlendorf will make his first start of the season.

Record Vs. N.L. Central:  1-1

Record On The Road:  1-1

Overall Record:  1-1

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!