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.

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.

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.

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）

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

Provided by Baseball-Reference.com: View Play Index Tool Used

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.

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!

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.

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