Damn...Josh Harrison has insane range at 3rd. If he finishes that play that would've been an incredible highlight.

Can't believe that went out...looked like jam job blooper at contact.

Looked safe

Good call blue.

Terrible game, Pirates fans look asleep

Awesome play by Panda...wow

Classyposter58;1659495 wrote:Terrible game, Pirates fans look asleep

Well they are shell-shocked

When we were there in July they were leading the Phillies by 1 or 2 all game and the atmosphere was meh until the 9th.

I am a Clint Hurdle fan but I think he mis-managed his pitching situation by throwing Cole Sunday and Volquez tonight. While both games were "win and you're in", only tonight's game was "lose and go home". I would have saved Cole for tonight and thrown Volquez Sunday.

lhslep134;1659524 wrote:I am a Clint Hurdle fan but I think he mis-managed his pitching situation by throwing Cole Sunday and Volquez tonight. While both games were "win and you're in", only tonight's game was "lose and go home". I would have saved Cole for tonight and thrown Volquez Sunday.

I would've found a way to get Liriano this start.

Thus far Bochy is miles ahead of the other 3 managers

The game most certainly wasn't typical of the Pirates who had a great season. I just hate this 1 game playoff stuff for baseball.

I would like to see a 3 game series played over two days. . Play the first two games as a double header at the team with the best record, and play the third game if necessary at the other teams park the next day.

HitsRus;1659539 wrote:The game most certainly wasn't typical of the Pirates who had a great season. I just hate this 1 game playoff stuff for baseball.

I would like to see a 3 game series played over two days. . Play the first two games as a double header at the team with the best record, and play the third game if necessary at the other teams park the next day.

Agreed. The one game format is terrible.

I agree too, except as I already said play all 3 games at the higher seed's stadium.

lhslep134;1659524 wrote:I am a Clint Hurdle fan but I think he mis-managed his pitching situation by throwing Cole Sunday and Volquez tonight. While both games were "win and you're in", only tonight's game was "lose and go home". I would have saved Cole for tonight and thrown Volquez Sunday.

I don't think it was "win and you're in" Sunday. They already had a home wild card game clinched. If they win then they have a 50/50 shot at a 50/50 shot at winning the division, or 25%. If that fails, which it did, then you have a home wild card game that gives you a 50/50 shot of getting to the same place as you would have by winning the division. So in total their odds were about 63% to get to the division series. I think it was a good move to go for the win Sunday and pursue the 25% chance to add to the 50% of the other 75% chance of not winning the division. But it wasn't a "win and you're in" scenario. And whoever you pitch Sunday, you have available for game 1 of the prospective division series anyway!

like_that;1659544 wrote:I agree too, except as I already said play all 3 games at the higher seed's stadium.

I'm ok with that as anything would be better....This just illustrates why it should be at least 2 out of 3.
I think the big objection to a "series" is that the other teams have too long a layoff ... This would allow it to only be pushed back a day.

3 game series, all at the better record ballpark.

That could have gone better. Just feels a bit hollow, going good for 162 and then watching it all disappear in 9 innings. Like a "good season, but...yeah..." ending.

Heretic;1659603 wrote:That could have gone better. Just feels a bit hollow, going good for 162 and then watching it all disappear in 9 innings. Like a "good season, but...yeah..." ending.

Thats what we had last year in Cleveland. Sucks.

If it was a 3 game series (all at best record teams park) it would fall in line with MLB...as in...the whole damn season is played in series. But, it would also allow you to throw your best pitcher. These games dont allow that, and I understand that depth is what makes a team so good in baseball, but it sucks when you cant set your rotation because you have to "get in" first, and then you get smacked because of a pitching match-up. At least in a 3 game series, you can throw your ACE one time...

Part of this one game setup was to get more interest/teams for a postseason appearance and I believe also to put WC teams behind the 8ball in terms of winning it all. THis setup makes it harder for WC teams to win it all and gives the division winners a little bit more of an advantage.

If all 3 are at the higher seed's place....I would like a DH on Day 1 to cut one day off and be a smidge more fair to the team that doesn't get a home game.

mhs95_06;1659545 wrote:But it wasn't a "win and you're in" scenario.!

It was win and you have a decent shot (needing the Cards to lose in a game they wanted to win) of making the divisional round or lose and then face a do or die. Yesterday was do (win and go to the divisional round) or die.

It doesn't require much knowledge about baseball, if any, to see that the game on Monday, while not guaranteed to happen with a win on Sunday but still likely, is much more crucial than the game on Sunday. I would much rather have my ace for the more important game.

lhslep134;1659524 wrote:I am a Clint Hurdle fan but I think he mis-managed his pitching situation by throwing Cole Sunday and Volquez tonight. While both games were "win and you're in", only tonight's game was "lose and go home". I would have saved Cole for tonight and thrown Volquez Sunday.

That was questionable and definitely didn't work out, but I think the bigger issue was with the complete lack of urgency the pitching staff was handled last night. He essentially managed it like a regular season game, keeping Volquez in when it was obvious he was struggling and then using lesser relief pitchers like Wilson and Hughes to try to put out the fire, instead of the best ones (Watson and Melancon, who bizarrely pitched the 9th).

You have starters Worley and Locke on the roster -- why the hell weren't they warming up and ready to go the second Volquez looked weak, instead of him staying in a full inning-plus AFTER he gave up the grand slam?

Laley23;1659622 wrote: but it sucks when you cant set your rotation because you have to "get in" first, and then you get smacked because of a pitching match-up.

While I agree, there's a solution: win your division.

lhslep134;1659647 wrote:While I agree, there's a solution: win your division.

Hate that answer. Its 162 games. If you are 1 game behind the division winner, who maybe got 3 wins on rain shortened games and you lost a game in similar fashion...and you beat them 12/18 times...who is the better team?

Heretic;1659644 wrote:That was questionable and definitely didn't work out, but I think the bigger issue was with the complete lack of urgency the pitching staff was handled last night. He essentially managed it like a regular season game, keeping Volquez in when it was obvious he was struggling and then using lesser relief pitchers like Wilson and Hughes to try to put out the fire, instead of the best ones (Watson and Melancon, who bizarrely pitched the 9th).

You have starters Worley and Locke on the roster -- why the hell weren't they warming up and ready to go the second Volquez looked weak, instead of him staying in a full inning-plus AFTER he gave up the grand slam?

Well if Cole throws yesterday instead of Sunday, maybe there wouldn't have been a rough outing to poorly manage.

And I'm not trying to pile on Pittsburgh. While I hate the Steelers, I actually am somewhat partial to the Pirates because above all I'm a baseball fan and I've been to so many games in 3 Rivers and PNC because of the proximity to Youngstown and the cheapness of the tickets.

Laley23;1659650 wrote:Hate that answer. Its 162 games. If you are 1 game behind the division winner, who maybe got 3 wins on rain shortened games and you lost a game in similar fashion...and you beat them 12/18 times...who is the better team?

They are, they won more games than you did....

162 is more than enough of a sample size that you really can't bitch and moan about being "unlucky".