Raise the Jolly Roger!?

Last night was the most fun I've had watching a Pittsburgh Pirate game in quite some time. On an night where I felt that the Pirates would find a way to lose the game, they instead persevereed through so much and grinded their way to a win and .500.

In Pittsburgh baseball fans dream of a winning team and cheer for a chance to go at least .500 for a season. This year might be their best chance. No one saw Charlie Morton and Kevin Corriea becoming one of the best one-two punches in the National Legue. Add in arguably one of the best closers in the N.L. in Joel Hanrahan, and you got a young, scrappy team fighting for a win on almost every night.

The win last night over the Arizona Diamondbacks might have been a push in the right direction. I'll admit that I picked the Pirates to lose last nights game, especially when I saw former Bucco pitcher Zach Duke on the mound for Arizona. I thought to myself "Duke's going to pictch an f-ing gem tonight". He didn't pitch a gem but he sure pitched a winning performance, as did Paul Maholm for the Pirates.  Both pitchers gave us exactly what we expected to see, a close game. Maholm went 6 innings giving up 1 hit and no runs while Duke went 7 innings giving up 9 hits while only allowing 1 run.

Moving forward to the bottom of the 10th inning, Arizona had  brought in J.J Putz to end the game. He bean by striking out Xavier Paul, but thenPutz gave up a double to McCutchen to put the tying run in scoring position. Neil Walker promptly stepped to the plate and sent a run scoring shot right up the middle to tie the game.


After a scoreless 11th inning and a hard fought top of the 12th, Diamondbacks pitcher Zach Kroenke gave up a walk off homerun to Pirate center fielder Andrew McCutchen to seal the 3-2 victory. This victory puts the Pirates back to the .500 mark on the season. McCutchens's home-run was a bomb to left field. We all knew it was gone.


My question is what now? The Pirates are now .500 in June. Tonight they go for a sweep of Arizona and would then propel themselves over .500. Is there going to be a huge letdown? Will this team implode at some point this year? Or they will continue to grow as a team and a franchise? Will they flirt with .500 all year? Could they have a winning season this year?

Also, I am curious to find out if they will indeed be buyers at the trade deadline. Will they sign all of their top draft picks? Will they make good baseball moves? I just don't wanna be in for a huge letdown. Fans are starting to get excited. Do you ever think how fun Pittsburgh would be in the summer with a good baseball team and that beautiful park on the North Shore?
I don't know the future but here's a few things I do know.

• Joel Hanrahan is a stud
• Dusty Brown is awful. Get him off the team. How can a catcher not catch?
• Brandon Wood sucks
• Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker are all-stars
• Too many old people at PNC Park