I look at Pittsburgh's lineup and wonder, how are they in contention?

[Frobby]

Anyone else have that reaction? Last night they had a cleanup hitter and a no. 5 hitter who were each hitting under .210 when the game began. They are averaging 3.28 runs per game.

I guess we are getting an unrepresentative sample of their starting pitching, with Lincoln last night (3 starts) and Correia tonight (4.29 ERA, 2nd worst in their rotation). The team ERA is very good. Still that lineup, outside of McCutcheon, is totally unimpressive.

Then again, they scored 6 runs last night. And now that I've posted this, Lord knows how many they'll score tonight.

By the way, what in the world is going on with Pedro Alvarez? I remember he was considered the top college hitter by a wide margin the year before he was drafted. There were many threads about how great it would be to get him. What's his story?

[MrOrange82]

This is why baseball's a great game. So susceptible to analysis "by the numbers," yet frequently defiant of the same.

[canonfaz]

Anyone else have that reaction? Last night they had a cleanup hitter and a no. 5 hitter who were each hitting under .210 when the game began. They are averaging 3.28 runs per game.

I guess we are getting an unrepresentative sample of their starting pitching, with Lincoln last night (3 starts) and Correia tonight (4.29 ERA, 2nd worst in their rotation). The team ERA is very good. Still that lineup, outside of McCutcheon, is totally unimpressive.

Then again, they scored 6 runs last night. And now that I've posted this, Lord knows how many they'll score tonight.

By the way, what in the world is going on with Pedro Alvarez? I remember he was considered the top college hitter by a wide margin the year before he was drafted. There were many threads about how great it would be to get him. What's his story?

I live within an hour to Pittsburgh and hear Pirates fans complain about Alvarez all the time. He is a very streaky hitter and for the most part he has lost his confidence over the last 1 1/2 years. He strikes out a ton and everyone seems to question his desire.

[LookitsPuck]

I have no idea. But I think it's incredibly pathetic that we allowed them to score 6.

[flashjordnk]

Alvarez has huge contact problems. Just strikes out a ton. Still hits for power when he hits though.

As for the Pirates themselves they've got a -19 run differential. But they've got the second least runs allowed in the MLB with 216. With that kind of pitching the O's would lead the league in run differential.

[Flash- bd]

I have no idea. But I think it's incredibly pathetic that we allowed them to score 6.

Bit hyperbolic, don't you think? It's one game (not to mention if it were closer that total likely would've been less, as we wouldn't have brought in Gregg).

Agree, Frobby, it's a really ugly lineup, one of the worst I've seen. I said it last night and I'll say it again tonight: I'll be disappointed if we don't win. Thursday is a bit of a different animal as we'll be facing Bedard and countering with Hunter, but Correia is one of the worser SPs we've faced and Pittsburgh's lineup is certainly the worst we've faced.

[NewMarketSean]

We scored 8 runs off the 3rd best pitching staff in the NL...that is impressive too.

They eerily resemble the 1986 Cardinals...and I think they'll finish with a similar record too.

[Nolanseye14]

And to think they gave up on the mighty Steve Pearce!

[Purple Oriole]

It would have been 4 if we never used Gregg. Look at it that way.

[LookitsPuck]

Bit hyperbolic, don't you think? It's one game (not to mention if it were closer that total likely would've been less, as we wouldn't have brought in Gregg).

Agree, Frobby, it's a really ugly lineup, one of the worst I've seen. I said it last night and I'll say it again tonight: I'll be disappointed if we don't win. Thursday is a bit of a different animal as we'll be facing Bedard and countering with Hunter, but Correia is one of the worser SPs we've faced and Pittsburgh's lineup is certainly the worst we've faced.

It's definitely a bit hyperbolic, but that lineup is pathetic.

[Mayor McCheese]

AJ Burnett has been on fire:

                                                                                               I          Split W L  W-L%  ERA  G GS GF CG SHO   IP  H  R ER HR BB IBB SO HBP  WHIP SO/9 SO/BB    2012 Totals 6 2  .750 3.61 10 10  0  0   0 62.1 58 26 25  4 20   0 56   2 1.251  8.1  2.80    Last 7 days 1 0 1.000 2.45  1  1  0  0   0  7.1  5  2  2  0  2   0  6   1 0.955  7.4  3.00   Last 14 days 2 0 1.000 3.65  2  2  0  0   0 12.1 10  5  5  0  6   0 14   1 1.297 10.2  2.33   [b]Last 28 days 5 0 1.000 2.05  5  5  0  0   0 30.2 25  8  7  1 13   0 25   1 1.239  7.3  1.92[/b]

[Going Underground]

I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. One of the better Twilight Zone episodes. Take off the bandages and the Pirates have a nice team. Phillies fans asked the same question at Sunday's game. Tolleson,Chavez.Betemit,Pearce,Flaherty,Paulino.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

It just goes to show the huge disparity between the competition in the NL and the competition in the AL. The Pirates wouldn't have 15 wins if they played in the AL East.

AJ Burnett is on fire because he regularly faces crappy opponents, not because he's a reformed pitcher.

[sakata_catching]

Their offense has improved modestly to 3.28 runs/game since I started this thread a few weeks ago, but they're still on pace to be one of the worst offensive teams in modern history. The answers to Frobby's question are: The NL Central, the pitching and Andrew McCutchen, in that order.

As for what happened to Pedro Alvarez: he has contact problems that make Mark Reynolds look like Rod Carew.

[crawjo]

They've already played 27 one-run games and they've won 17 of them. That's a huge reason. They are similar to the Orioles in that respect, as the Orioles have won a lot of close games (evidenced by all the extra inning wins.) Some of that is having a good bullpen, but a lot of that is also luck.