2014/11/08

Melancon to Pitch for MLB on Japan Tour

MLB finally announced the roster for the upcoming the MLB-Japan All-Star Series.
Closer Mark Melancon is the only Pirates player on the roster.

No surprise Melancon will participate in the Japan tour. He has traveled to China, Taiwan, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa as an MLB ambassador.

Also, this the second time Melancon visit Japan as a baseball player. He pitched for the U.S. Collegiate National Team in 2005.


Pirates players who played in NPB-MLB All-Star Series.
2004 Jack Wilson
1998 Jason Kendall
1992 Bob Patterson
1990 Barry BondsR.J. Reynolds
1988 Bobby Bonilla
1986 Rick RhodenTony Pena


All games will be available on MLB.tv. Here is the schedule.

Nov. 11: Exhibition  @ Hanshin Koshien Stadium (6 p.m. JST/ 4 a.m. ET)
Nov. 12: Game 1 @ Kyocera Dome Osaka (6 p.m. JST/ 4 a.m. ET)
Nov. 14: Game 2 @ Tokyo Dome (6 p.m. JST/ 4 a.m. ET)
Nov. 15: Game 3 @ Tokyo Dome (6 p.m. JST/ 4 a.m. ET)
Nov. 16: Game 4 @ Tokyo Dome (6 p.m. JST/ 4 a.m. ET)
Nov. 18: Game 5 @ Sapporo Dome (7 p.m. JST/ 5 a.m. ET)
Nov. 20: Exhibition @ Okinawa Cellular Stadium (6 p.m. JST/ 4 a.m. ET)

2014/10/01

EdVol vs. MadBum..#AceOff

I think this photo is one of my worst photoshop works. BUT it was fun to edit.

I'm not really a fan of MLB.com's #AceOff things.
Also, I don't mean Edinson Volquez is the Pirates' ace. Frankie or Cole should be your choice.

Volquez need to pitch like an ace tonight. At least this is certain.

Don't be wild, Eddie. Throw baseball like past two weeks.

Let me raise the Eddie flag to celebrate tonight's win.

2014/09/21

Uehara on His Pitchig vs Pirates

It's rare that Japanese baseball players talk about their performance on their blog or Twitter. Usually most of them write about daily life.

Koji Uehara wrote about his pitching and Pirates hitters' approach on Tuesday's game on his blog.

In beginning of his blog, Uehara said that it was lucky that he didn't gave up a home run.

"If you try to get a strike easily on a first pitch against a clean-up hitter, the result would be like this."  - Koji Uehara

vs. Neil Walker
"First batter, a double to right on fastball. I tried too much to get a first strike."



vs. Russell Martin
"Second batter, strikeout on a splitter. I knew he waited (the splitter), but I think it drop well to the inside."

vs. Starling Marte
"Third batter, strikeout on fastball. Apparently, he was waiting for split based on his swing. He had late swings on not-so-fast fastballs."
I thought Marte took late swings because of Uehara's deception. Uehara has a different perspective.


vs. Gaby Sanchez
"Fourth hitter, strikeout looking on splitter. The movement of the final pitch was like a slider. It was not intentional, but I wish I could throw baseball like that (intentionally)."

Uehara said that he is not at his best.
It is very interesting to see that when a opponent pitcher talks about his pitching approach.

2014/04/30

4/21-4/27 Week in Pirates' Shifts

SHIFTED
Date: April 21
Pitcher: Francisco Liriano (LHP)
Batter: Jay Bruce (LHB)
Fielder: Neil Walker  (2B)
Situation: Runner on 1st,  no outs
Count: 0-2
Pitch Type: 85-MPH Slider

Jay Bruce bunted foul on first pitch and missed a chance to appear This Week in Bunting to Beat the Shift. Do you remember that Bruce tried to bunt against Liriano last September?
4-5-3!!!! The Pirates made fantastic play two pitches later. Bruce got #shifted, and PEDRO ALVAREZ turned a double play.

See. Pedro looks freakin' smooth.

2014/04/24

4/14-4/20 Week in Pirates' Shifts

SHIFTED
Date: April 14
Pitcher: Charlie Morton (RHP)
Batter: Devin Mesoraco (RHB)
Fielder: Neil Walker (2B)
Situation: Bases Empty, 1 out
Count: 1-2
Pitch Type: 75-MPH Knuckle Curve
Neil Walker and the Bucs shifted perfectly. Spray Chat says Mesoraco tends to pull the baseball. There are no GIF or videos of this play because MLB.tv doesn't have the entire video of this game.

2014/04/15

4/8-4/13 Week in Pirates' Shifts

Date: April 8
Pitcher: Charlie Morton (RHP)
Batter: Anthony Rizzo (LHB)
Fielder: Pedro Alvarez (3B)
Situation: Bases Empty
Count: 0-2
Pitch Type: 77-MPH Curve
Remember Jordy Mercer played "second base" when Bucs faced John Baker last week? The Pirates let Pedro Alvarez play "second" when Anthony Rizzo is batting. So why there's a difference? I think they want to keep a natural shortstop in "shortstop" against a good hitter like Rizzo.


2014/04/12

Game 10: BUCS 2-4 BREWERS


                         Source: FanGraphs

・Andrew McCutchen stole his first base of the season. Cutch swipe 2 bags in the game.

Cutch left the game in the 8th due to discomfort in his left ankle.

・Francisco Liriano allowed two homers. It happened only once in 2013.

Elias Says: Aramis Ramirez hit 31st home run against the Pirates. It is the highest total vs. Pirates by any player after leaving the team. (Ramirez: 31, Moises Alou: 27, Gus Bell: 24, Barry Bonds: 22)

2014/04/11

Game 9: BUCS 5-4 CUBS


                         Source: FanGraphs

・Third straight series win to start season 4TH TIME IN LAST 50 YEARS (1966, 1976, 1992). (h/t ROOT SPORTS Pittsburgh)

Elias Says: Gerrit Cole is 6-0 with 2.08 ERA in his last 6 starts. Only two other Pirates pitchers since 1975 went 6-0 with an ERA that low over any 6-start span.
2012: A.J. Burnett (6-0, 1.52)
1990: Doug Drabek (6-0, 1.52)

・Thanks to a clutch home run from Pedro Alvarez. #DayDro had a .363 WPA in yesterday's game. That's 6th highest of his career.
Rk Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF ROE GDP SB CS WPA RE24 aLI BOP
1 2010-08-07 PIT COL W 8-7 6 6 1 3 0 0 1 3 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.855 2.011 1.357 5
2 2013-06-20 PIT CIN W 5-3 4 4 1 3 1 0 1 5 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.613 4.097 2.560 5
3 2011-04-03 PIT CHC W 5-4 5 5 1 3 0 0 0 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.458 1.811 2.190 5
4 2012-06-17 PIT CLE W 9-5 4 4 2 3 1 0 2 6 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.436 4.757 1.373 6
5 2013-08-27 PIT MIL L 6-7 5 4 1 4 1 0 1 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.432 2.035 1.776 4
6 2014-04-10 PIT CHC W 5-4 5 5 1 1 0 0 1 3 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.363 1.282 1.634 4
7 2010-08-06 PIT COL L 3-6 4 3 1 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.337 2.345 1.030 5
8 2013-05-29 PIT DET W 5-3 3 3 1 1 1 0 0 2 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.318 1.459 1.820 6
9 2012-07-16 PIT COL L 4-5 4 3 2 1 0 0 1 3 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.313 1.962 1.645 6
10 2013-05-17 PIT HOU W 5-4 4 4 1 2 0 0 1 2 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0.306 0.957 1.875 7
Generated 4/11/2014.

・Why Starlin Castro was safe at home? Umpire Mark Carlson said that Tony Sanchez DID NOT violate Rule 7.13. Obviously tag was there, but Carlson ruled that Castro slid under the tag... Terrible call.

2014/04/09

Game 7: BUCS 7-6 CUBS


                         Source: FanGraphs

・First career 2 BB/2 SB game for Starling Marte.

・Travis Ishikawa hit his first triple since September 15, 2012. Ishi got the guns!!

・2 sac flys in a game! It happened 3 times last season.

・Bucs scored 4 runs in the 1st inning only once last season. (h/t @DavidManel)

・Tony Watson allowed a run in the 7th inning. His scoreless streak ended at 24 GAMES (not innings), which is longest in Pirates history by a reliever.

・EMILIO BONIFACIO STILL ON FIRE

・First career multi-HR game for Cubs shortstop Starlin Castro. According to MLB Stat of the Day, Castro is second youngest Cubs shortstop since 1914 to have a multi-HR game. (1: Ernie Banks, 23 years old and 203 days. 2: Castro, 24 years old and 15 days)

Damn it!

2014/04/08

3/31-4/6 Week in Pirates' Shifts

Date: April 3
Pitcher: Wandy Rodriguez (LHP)
Batter: John Baker (LHH)
Fielder: Jordy Mercer (SS)
Situation: Bases empty
Count: 2-1
Pitch Type: 77-MPH knuckle curve


John Baker is a backup catcher. His bat is nothing special. However, the Pirates used the shift against Baker. From 2012 to April 1, 2014, Baker hit 10 of 14 groundballs to the right side of the infield.

2014/04/06

Game 5: Cardinals 6-1 Bucs


                         Source: FanGraphs

・Francisco Liriano gave up a home run to Yadier Molina in the 8th inning.
Molina hit well, but it looks the battery wanted the slider to the lower part of the strike zone.

Frankie surrendered only 2 home runs at PNC park last year. (9/15 Welington Castillo, 9/20 Todd Frazier)

・Pedro Alvarez walked THREE TIMES for first time since September 16, 2011.
Date Tm Opp Rslt PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB IBB SO HBP SH SF WPA RE24 aLI BOP Pos Summary
2014-04-05 PIT STL L 1-6 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.051 0.426 1.257 4 3B
2011-09-16 PIT LAD L 2-7 4 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0.086 0.746 .708 7 3B
2010-08-15 PIT HOU L 2-8 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 1 0 0 0 0.079 1.007 .910 4 3B
2010-07-19 PIT MIL L 1-3 4 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 3 0 0 0 0 0 0.248 1.207 1.735 5 3B
Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used
Generated 4/6/2014.

・Four-game hitting streak for Travis Snider. That's 6th longest of his career.

LINK
Pirates Extend Clint Hurdle and Neal Huntington