Pirates vs. Astros : 7.4.11

The Pirates are 44-41.  Read that again, the Pirates are 44-41.  Now this most likely will not last throughout the summer but for the time being and as long as the Pirates continue to win ballgames, you have to be loving it.  Today's game was really two seperate games.  In the first 2 1/2 innings the Pirates played about as bad as a baseball team can play.  They committed two errors on relatively routine plays and got thrown out at 2nd and home by Hunter Pence.  Entering the bottom of the 3rd they were down 3-1 and looked like a team that was ready to quit.  Then...they flipped the switch and scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd on double's from d'Arnaud (2 for 5) and McCutchen (1 for 4) and a single from Lyle Overbay (2 for 4).  They then went on to add runs in the 5th and 6th innings and from there Veras and Hanrahan shut the door and the game was over.  A mention has to be given to both Alex Presley and Joel Hanrahan.  Presley was 3 for 4 today and is now hitting a robust .364 with an OPS of .970.  The Pirates are going to have some serious roster management to do when Jose Tabata comes back because there is no way that Presley can be sent back to Indianapolis, not when he is playing this well.  Hanrahan also notched his 25 save and is still perfect in save opportunities.  He will be representing the Buccos in Arizona at the All-Star game.  Speaking of All-Star game, Andrew McCutchen got hosed.  How he is not considered one of the 34 best players in the National League is beyond me.  Moreover, since he didn't get voted him or chosen by the players how is it possible that he is not one of the final 5 that the fans get to vote on during the next week.  McCutchen is hitting .294 with 12 HR, 46 RBI's, 15 steals and an .890 OPS.  On top of that his WAR (wins above replacement player, which is a measure of a laundry list of stats and is look at as one of the best gauges of a player's success) is 4.6.  That number is only matched by Jose Bautista (5.6) and Jose Reyes (4.6).  Both players will be starting next Tuesday in the All-Star game.  McCutchen is a rising star and should be an All-Star, at least I am not the only one who thinks him being left off the team is a crock of crap.