10/30/14

Pittsburgh Pirates 2014 Recap

After making it to the playoffs in 2013 for the first time since 1992, the 2014 Pirates were trying to prove that the 2013 season was not a fluke, but was a start of a string of consecutive winning seasons. I remember reading several articles and blogs with the writers believing that the Pirates would fall back. I do not mean fall back a little bit, I mean fall back a lot. I disregarded those opinions and kept to my belief that the Pirates would be headed back to the playoffs. The Pirates opened the season in a good way. For their first and only game in the month of March, the Pirates defeated the Chicago Cubs on a tenth inning walk-off solo home run hit by second baseman Neil Walker. The month of April was not very strong. Out of the 25 games that month, the Pirates were only able to win nine of them. In a series against the Brewers, the bullpen showed us that something was wrong. In the game on April 19, Pirates closer Jason Grilli was brought into the game for the save opportunity with a 7-6 lead. He blew it. With one out, he gave up a two-run home run to Brewers controversial outfielder Ryan Braun. The Pirates lost the game 8-7. The very next day was Easter Sunday. The Pirates had a 2-1 lead in the top of the ninth and Grilli was brought in for the save situation. Now let me say, I hate deja vu. Braun hit a solo home run off of Grilli to tie the game at 2 and the Pirates ultimately lost to the Brewers 3-2 in fourteen innings. The Pirates rebounded to go (15-14) in the month of May. After a winning month of May, the Pirates had a very strong month of June. The Pirates won 17 of their 27 games for the month to boost their record over 500. A major happening in the month of June was that the Pirates traded struggling closer to Jason Grilli to the Angels for their struggling closer, Ernesto Frieri. I questioned this move heavily, as I had know that Frieri was terrible in the first place, but he certainly looked awful when he appeared for the Pirates. The Pirates went (15-11) in July to boost their record to (57-51). August always seems to be a difficult month for the Pirates. Even though they went (14-14) for the month, the Pirates lost seven-consecutive games with two each coming against the Tigers and Braves and three against the Nationals. In September, the Pirates won 17 of their final 26 games to finish with a record of (88-74). This record propelled the Pirates to the first National League Wild Card spot. The Pirates faced the Giants in the Wild Card Game on October 1 at PNC Park. The Pirates lost to the Giants 8-0, as pitcher Madison Bumgarner threw a complete game four-hit shutout. Even though the Pirates had an early exit from the playoffs, they still proved to everyone that they are the real deal. I am very much looking forward to the 2015 season because I believe that 2015 is their year.