PITTSBURGH - GAME RECAPS

May 30th - Florida 9, Pittsburgh 7 (10) - Attendance 24,343.

At first glance, this didn't look like a marquee matchup - Pittsburgh was last in the NL Central and slumping badly while the Marlins were third in the NL East. However, Jason Schmidt was starting for the Bucs, so things might not be that bad. However, he started poorly, giving up a double to Luis Castillo and, after a strikeout, yielding a 2-run homer to Cliff Floyd.  He settled down after that, giving up only 2 hits through the 6th inning, and his Pirate teammates finally got around to helping him out with a 5-run fifth, knocking out Marlin starter Brad Penny. 

Unfortunately, Schmidt couldn't hold the lead, as Charles Johnson hit a solo shot with one out in the 7th, and Travis Lee and Alex Gonzalez singled, ending Schmidt's evening. Manzanillo relieved and pinch-hitter Kevin Millar slugged a 2-run double to tie the game at 5. In the top of the ninth, still tied at 5, Lee doubled to lead off and scored on Castillo's single. 

In the bottom of the ninth, closer Antonio Alfonseca came on and got Jason Kendall and John Vander Wal quickly, bringing up Brian Giles. It was the last chance for the Pirates, and Giles responded with a home run to right field that tied the game at 6. We were going to extra innings!

Mike Williams was the new Pirates' reliever, and he had nothing. Preston Wilson led off with a double, Mike Lowell walked, and Johnson doubled Wilson in, Lee walked to load the bases. Gonzalez struck out, but pinch hitter Ryan McGuire walked to drive in another run, and a Castillo ground out made the score 9-6. Rob Mackowiak's homer in the bottom of the 10th was not enough and Florida held on for a 9-7 victory. This was a great game, though, with lead changes, comebacks, and extra innings, so it gets an 8/10.

June 3rd - Atlanta 11 Pittsburgh 7 - Attendance 36,924.

After a rainout on Saturday evening, a doubleheader had been scheduled for Sunday afternoon. The first game pitted Tom Glavine against Omar Olivares. In the Braves second, Brian Jordan and Dave Martinez singled and Jordan scored on a ground out by Javy Lopez. It was 1-0 in the third when Olivares fell apart. After Rafael Furcal lined out, Olivares hit Andruw Jones. The next four batters all singled and Olivares had a trip to the showers. Terry Mulholland didn't fare much better, yielding a single and two doubles before getting out of the inning, but it was now 8-0 Braves. The rest of the game was not that interesting as the Pirates fought back but Atlanta was too much and the game ended 11-7 Braves.

The second game of this twinbill was far too similar. In the Braves third they scored a pile of runs, and Pittsburgh spent the rest of the game trying to catch up. Final 8-3 Braves for a sweep of the doubleheader.

Both games were simply not that entertaining, and they illustrated the weaknesses of the Pirates all too clearly as does this picture of two Bucs colliding. The doubleheader gets a 3/10 rating.

I got it, I got it, I go-boom, down they go