Ross K's 11... Pirates Lose.

Anyways, it was a fantastic baseball game before that swing. Ross Ohlendorf had his best start of the year (it seems I've been saying that a lot lately). He struck out 11, which is unheard of for a Pirates pitcher. He was in the zone all game long. His velocity wasn't any higher than normal, but his breaking balls were moving more than I've ever seen. His sinker was the strikeout pitch tonight, it seemed that almost every strikeout came along with an assist, as Ryan Doumit had to block the fanned-at balls in the dirt and tag the runner out or throw it to first for the guys who actually ran. Most guys weren't even running because they were so mad at themselves for being fooled that badly and swinging at a ball in the dirt. Ross threw 104 pitches and could have pitched another inning if he were not going to lead off the 9th inning for the Pirates. Instead, Matt Capps pitched a 1-2-3 9th and earned the right to stay in the game and try to put up another 0 in the tenth. This was not to be however and Capps was tagged with his 8th loss of the year, which is just atrocious for a closer. His ERA is well over 6 and he is slowly becoming one of the most disliked Pirates. 

Despite the loss, it was a positive game for the Pirates. Ross Ohlendorf just keeps reaching new limits. He keeps getting better, no one really knows where his ceiling is. He shows different positive things every start, and who knows how good he could be if he starts putting those all together consistently. The offense was anemic again tonight, notching only 1 run and 6 hits in 10 innings. It's even worse that the Cardinals sent Mitch Boggs to the hill. 

Another thing I noticed tonight is that the Cardinals are one incredibly deep team. They were able to win a game when 2 best hitters watched the first 9 innings from the bench. Granted, they didn't win the game until Pujols entered the game, and they were facing one of the worst offensive teams in the league. However, having guys like Troy Glaus, Colby Rasmus, and Rick Ankiel to fill spots off the bench is pretty impressive. Their bullpen is equally deep. Tonight they sent Trever Miller, Blake Hawksworth, and Ryan Franklin to pitch the last 3 innings of the game. All 3 of those guys have ERAs well under 3.00. (Miller and Franklin are below 2.00). They also have arms like Kyle McClellan and Jason Motte in there, and they can mow some hitters down as well. If I were a Cardinals fan, I'd really be liking my chances at a World Series this year. Their rotation is solid, their offense is one of the best, and their bullpen is near the top of the league as well. That's a good combination to have. 

As for the Pirates, we're still pretty far away from a winning season. It's encouraging to see our pitching staff doing such a great job, but it's discouraging to see guys like Andy LaRoche, Delwyn Young, Brandon Moss, and Ryan Doumit really struggling at the plate. Those are guys that we are really going to need to play well to give the team a shot at the playoffs next year (especially LaRoche and Young). Help is on the way, Jeff Clement, Jose Tabata, and Pedro Alvarez will all be in the bigs next year and they could provide some serious run support to the lineup. 

Tomorrow's a new day, and the Pirates can make history... for all the wrong reasons.