Pirates @ Cardinals : 4.4.11 - 4.6.11

Series: Pirates @ Cardinals, Busch Stadium, St. Louis, MO

TV, radio: Root Sports, WPGB-FM (104.7).

Facts: The Pirates enter their second series of the season with a 2-1 record and currently sit in 2nd place in the NL Central, 1 game behind the Reds.  The Pirates pitching staff currently has a 1.98 ERA with two of the three starters allowing no earned runs in their respective starts.  Obviously that kind of success isn't going to continue, but it is nice to point out for a unit that last year was the worst in baseball.  Lastly, Andrew McCutchen was scratched from Sunday's game with a sore neck that was the result of diving for a ball in the gap in Saturday's game.  I wish the Pirates would have told me that a little sooner so I could have sat him on my bench in my fantasy league.  Never the less, McCutchen should return Monday against the Cardinals.

Side note: I started this preview as the Pirates started to bat in the top of the 9th against the Cubs today and to be completely honest I had little faith in a comeback considering the fact that Carlos Marmol had mowed down the Bucs yesterday afternoon.  Yet, here we are with the first series victory of the year, along with the first road series victory of the year.  The Pirates have now won 2 road games and are 12% of the way to their road win total of a year ago.

Pitching Probables:

Monday, April 4 - Charlie Morton (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Kyle Lohse (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Tuesday, April 5 - James McDonald (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Kyle McClellan (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Wednesday, April 6 - Kevin Correia (1-0, 3.00 ERA) vs. Chris Carpenter (0-0, 2.57 ERA)

Stats and Matchup: The Pirates took 2 of 3 from the Cubs in Wrigley over the weekend and now move on to St. Louis to take on the Cardinals.  The Pirates had 16 hits (all singles) against Cubs pitchers on Sunday and every starting player, including Ross Ohlendorf had a hit.  In addition each and every starter also struck out at least once.  The Pirates were 6-9 against the Cardinals last year with only 1 of those wins coming on the road.  Jose Tabata is hitting .455 this year with 5 singles and 5 runs scored, exactly the type of production that you want out of your leadoff hitter.  Tabata is a career .426 hitter against the Cardinals with 20 hits and 3 triples in 12 career games.  Albert Pujols is a hitting .374 against the Pirates in his career which is his highest average against any of the 5 NL Central teams.  He has 45 home runs and has 134 RBI's in 152 games.  Ouch.  Needless to say he is the guy the Pirates need to be worried about with Matt Holliday out of the lineup for the foreseeable future.

Prediction: The Pirates look to win back to back road series for the first time in what seems like forever and they will have to do it in the first two games because Chris Carpenter on the mound in game 3 is pretty much a no win in my eyes.  I am excited to see Morton and McDonald get the ball on back to back days against the Cardinals 4 and 5 starters.  Morton and McDonald are without question the Pirates most talented pitchers with good breaking balls and heaters that reach the mid 90's.  I say the Pirates take one of the first two but can't take the series from the Cardinals in St. Louis.  However, returning home with a 3-3 road trip would have to be considered a victory for this team.

The Same Old Buccos?

I told myself that I wouldn't post after games, but today's 5-3 loss at the hands of the Chicago Cubs really grinds my gears.  Normally a solid set up man, the Pirates Even Meek struggled to even find the plate let alone pitch effectively and in the process wasted the second consecutive good outing by a Pirate starter.  First observation, up 3-0 in the bottom of the 8th you cannot, and I repeat cannot walk the lead off batter.  Why even bother trying to throw anything off speed to the guy?  Why not just pump the guy fastballs?  Fukudome who lead off the 8th hit a career high 13 home runs last year.  Not exactly an overwhelming threat to go deep, especially with the wind blowing in like it was today in Wrigley.  In the end, the walk led to the wild pitch, which was compounded by Overbay's error (Note: Overbay on average has made 5 errors a season over his career, what a crappy time for his first in a Pirates uniform) and the Pirate bullpen's general inability to be able to pitch effectively, all resulting in the first heartbreak of the young 2011 season.  The Pirates go for the series victory tomorrow.  A win would give them 2 road victories, a whopping 12% of their total road victories from a year ago.  Yikes.  Here's hoping for a W.

Pirates @ Cubs : 4.1.11 - 4.3.11

Series: Pirates @ Cubs, Wrigley Field, Chicago, Ill

TV, radio: FSN Pittsburgh, WPGB-FM (104.7).

Facts: The Pirates enter the 2011 season with many of the same players that helped them to a record of 57-105 a year ago.  New starters Lyle Overbay, Matt Diaz and opening day pitcher Kevin Correia look to help stop the consecutive losing seasons streak at 18.  This will mark the 5th time in 6 years that the Pirates will begin the season on the road and the 1st time since 1985 that the Pirates will start the season against the Cubs.

Side note: For you gamblers out there, Vegas lists the Pirates O/U for wins at 67.5.  For another year I will be taking the over in two separate wagers.  Both I have yet to win.  Maybe this is the year. 

Pitching Probables:

Friday, April 1 - Kevin Correia (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Ryan Dempster (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Saturday, April 2 - Paul Maholm (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Carlos Zambrano (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Sunday, April 3 - Ross Ohlendorf (0-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. Matt Garza (0-0, 0.00 ERA)

Stats and Matchup: The Pirates pitching staff looks to make an early statement against a healthy and in some cases rebuilt Cub lineup.  The addition of Carlos Pena to the middle of the lineup should prove to be exactly what guys like Alfonso Soriano and Aramis Ramirez need to once again be productive.  The Pirates pitchers need to be wary of the long ball against Soriano, Ramirez and Pena with the wind most likely gusting at Wrigley.  For the Pirates, the young Bucs look to get off to a hot start against three good RHP, the last two being power arms in Zambrano and Garza.  The new look lineup should provide a good balance of speed and average which will be the teams recipe for success unless Pedro Alvarez goes crazy and hits 35 home runs.  Garrett Jones should start all three games against the Cubs unless he struggles since all three are RHP.  Lastly, Andrew McCutchen is a career .337 hitter against the Cubs with 13 RBI in 25 career games.  Hopefully that trend will continue with McCutchen now battling in the three hole.

By the way, I will give you a few predictions for the season sometime this weekend.  I know I am a little slow, but you'll get over it.

The Beginning of Something Special...

Ladies and Gentlemen...well mostly gentlemen unless of course my wife decides to read, I welcome you to the newest Pittsburgh Pirates blog, "Jose Guillen and the Freak Show."  The name of the blog gives insight into just how business as usual around here will run.  Mostly the content of the blog will be series previews and recaps as the Bucs play through the season.  Also, there will be the occasional post about random team happenings, the minor league affiliates or even just observations from around Major League Baseball.  In addition, there will also be a regular look back at the team that inspired the name of the blog, the 1997 Pittsburgh Pirates.  These Pirates were the last Pittsburgh Baseball Club team to be competitive throughout the season and hopefully a look back will inspire the 2011 edition of the Buccos to conjure up some of that magic and rise to some sense of mediocrity.  One can only hope.  In advance of your readership I thank you for spending the time to keep up with me and the Pirates throughout the season and while you're here go and check out my buddy Cameron's blog about the Phillies, High Hopes.  I may despise the Phillies, but Cameron's the man and if I will be reading, you should too.  So without further adieu, Let's Go Bucs.