Gorzo Gets 3rd Win as Pirates Beat Dodgers 7-5

Go ahead and cheer, Pittsburgh fans. Your Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Dodgers yesterday, 7-5, in Los Angeles. No extra innings here. No walk off grannys. Just good, Pirates baseball. Chris Duffy had 3 hits, scored 3 runs and swiped a pair of bases, while ADD Laroche (I've quit calling him Adam) hit a solo shot. I hope the Pirates offense is coming around, because we can ill afford to get stuck in the Central cellar again.

Before the season started Tom Gorzelanny was the last Pirate pitcher I would've expected to start the season with 3 wins. Ian Snell, if he could find his location, would've been my 1st pick. Zach Duke, if he could keep the opposing team from scoring 8 runs in the 1st inning, would have been a close 2nd. I probably even pictured Tony Armas Jr. with a couple of wins of his own. Paul Maholm...yeah I don't think I even figured him into the equation. But it is impressive that Gorzo leads the team in wins. No other young Pirate arm even has 2 wins.

The team's record is 7-10, which is still 3.5 games behind Milwaukee. I'm just happy that the team didn't lose again.

Paul (great...) Maholm (0-2) is on tap to pitch Tuesday in Houston against Woody (maybe we will have a chance) Williams (also 0-2). Both pitchers are sportin' ERA's over 6, so maybe the Buc's offense will be able to keep the momentum and really tee it off in Houston.

One more thing. Why are the seats behind home plate at PNC called the Lexus Club? Do you have to own a Lexus to sit there? And if the "Lexus" refers to preferred, or exclusive seating, then shouldn't the general admission bleachers be renamed the 1993 Plymouth Duster Club? Just a thought...

The 2007 Pirates: Holding Company With John Smiley and Doug Drabek

aided by a four-run 5th inning, the pirates prevailed 5-4 over the astros, and swept the first series of the season. considering that the buccos havent swept the astros in houston since 1991, at the astrodome, i consider this sweep a massive positive to build on for the rest of the season. in 1991, the pirates ruled, so equalling a feat by the buccos of my childhood is commendable. the pirates started 0-6 last year. right about the time of the 4th or 5th consectutive loss, i actually wondered if it was possible to go winless! thats not even a possibility this year.

sweeping the astros in the opening series between the two teams got me thinking. this reminds me of the pens sweeping the flyers in philly this hockey season. the pens were a young group of guys, playing in an arena where wins have been hard to come by, against a divisional foe that the pens have struggled against in the past. crosby and company ended up exercising some demons and making a run to the playoffs. the pens beat the flyers 8-2, 5-3, 5-3 and 5-4 in philly. the pirates are a young group of guys, playing in a ballpark where wins have been hard to come by in the past, against a divisional foe that the pirates have struggled against in the past. hopefully, this means bay and company can make a meaningful run to the playoffs, and not a bs run like the one by the 1997 "freak show" pirates (although that pitching staff was pretty sweet).

i think the pirates can make some waves in the national league this year, and although ive said that every year since that other sid crushed my dreams in 92, i honestly think these buccos can be legit.

more later...