10/2/14

One Devastating Loss

Last night, the Pittsburgh Pirates squared off against the San Francisco Giants in the National League Wild Card Game. Fans filled PNC Park and the stands were a sea of black. All Pirates fans were looking for the Pirates to defeat the Giants and move on to play the Washington Nationals in the National League Championship series. Through the first three innings, there was not much excitement and there was no score heading into the fourth inning. In the top of the fourth inning, Pirates pitcher Edinson Volquez pitched himself into a jam. With back-to-back singles hit by Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence, Volquez walked Brandon Belt. With the bases loaded and no one out, Brandon Crawford drilled Volquez's off speed pitch over the right field wall for a grand slam. This gave the Giants a 4-0 lead. In the sixth inning, Brandon Belt hit an RBI single off of Justin Wilson to expand the Giants lead to 5-0. Brandon Belt continued his dominant night with a two-run single off of Jared Hughes to increase the lead to 7-0. The Giants finished the scoring in the top of the eighth inning when Buster Posey added an RBI single. The score held true and the San Francisco Giants won the game 8-0.

To put all negative aspects aside, let's focus on the positive. This game can serve as adversity for the Pirates. The Pirates are a young team with a lot of future potential. Even though losses are bad, they are good for the mind. This way, the Pirates players will know what needs adjusted and management will know what holes to fill in the off season. Also, the Pirates proved that they are perennial winners. They finished the regular season with a record of 88 wins and 74 losses and clinched a spot in the playoffs. The Pirates fought back from being eight games under 500 early in the season and finished the season sixteen games over 500. Another positive is that the Pirates have a good, young outfield. Starling Marte, Andrew McCutchen, and Gregory Polanco all have speed, the ability to make tough plays, and can hit. Also, the Pirates set an all-time attendance record this season. These are all reasons why the Pirates have a bright future ahead of them. Even though they have been eliminated from the playoffs, every Pirates player and fan can look forward to the potential changes this off season and the 2015 season. The Pirates will open the 2015 season on Monday, April 6 against the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ballpark. The Pirates home opener will be a 1:35 matinee against the Detroit Tigers on Monday, April 13. Even though the season opener is not for another 186 days, that time will go by quickly. The 2015 season will hopefully be even more exciting than the 2014 season. With an early exit from the playoffs this year, the Pirates will be hungry to go even further next season.