The Scats are 55-107 in their last 162 games played. This year, they are on pace for 116.3 losses. Today, they risk getting swept at home by a team on pace for their 17th straight losing season.
Click here to check out my preview on the Bucco's hitters and bullpen. Here's my preview of the Pirates starting pitcher and prediction for the finale.
On the Mound
Ian Snell: Snell is a little guy (5'11", 190 lbs.) who throws hard and can't find the strike zone with both hands and a Geiger counter. In 2007, he was looking like the next big thing with a strikeout-to-walk rate of 2.6:1. This year, it's down to 1.2:1 with a ballooning walk rate of 5.36 per 9. That's not quite Cabrerian, but bad. He throws a fastball, slider, change and curve.
When he was at his best, the fastball and slider are the best pitches. His ERA is 4.93, but he's been even worse than that with a FIP of 5.48. It's a sign of the state of the Pirates franchise that with all his troubles he hasn't seen AAA since 2005.
Fearless Prediction
Season Record: 25-12
Rookie Craig Stammen debuts. He's neither ready nor really very good, and the bullshitpen will have to pitch at least 4-5 innings even if Stammen is as good as can be expected. Bucs get the sweep, 8-5.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
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3 comments:
I'm happy to be the first to point out your fearless prediction about our starting pitcher was about as wrong as wrong could be.
I'm sure you're happy about it, too :)
yep, it's good to see.
To be fair--he may well regress to the mean. But for awhile he looked like Nolan Ryan.
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