How Low Can They Go?

By Bob Smizik Sunday, 5:16 p.m.
http://community.post-gazette.com/blogs/bobsmizik/default.aspx
April 25, 2010


Pat Sullivan/Associated Press

Pirates pitcher Charlie Morton catches a ball during the second inning of Sunday's game at Minute Maid Park in Houston.

The utter humiliation of the Pirates continues. The team from which so little was expected is providing even less.

The Pirates lost to the Houston Astros today, 10-3. It was their sixth straight loss, a stretch in which they have been outscored, 55-9.

After their good start -- remember that? -- the Pirates are 7-11 -- a 99-loss pace. It’s isn’t easy to lose 100 games in MLB. The Pirates are making it a no-sweat proposition.

At least they should be feeling comfortable with their current surroundings. They slipped into last place in the NL Central with this defeat.

Charlie Morton, the key acquisition last May in the Nate McLouth trade, stumbled again. In three innings, Morton allowed five runs on five hits. What says it best about how poorly he has pitched is this: His earned run average was lowered -- 16.55 to 16.20 -- with this performance.

As monumentally disappointing as Morton has been, there’s not likely a minor-league assignment or even a demotion to the bullpen in his immediate future. The Pirates are so strapped for starting pitching that Morton likely will stay where he is.

The casual fan would have been perplexed by the pitchers who followed Morton -- Brian Bass and Brian Burres.

How appropriate that the Pirates would be sending a collection castoffs to the mound when home-grown Matt Capps is performing so sensationally for the Washington Nationals.

In December, not wishing to pay him what he might be awarded in arbitration, the Pirates stunningly released Capps, who had been their closer for most of the previous four seasons. The Nationals snatched Capps and installed him as their closer. He picked up his eighth save today with a scoreless ninth inning in a 1-0 win over Los Angeles and lowered his ERA to 0.79.

Octovio Dotel, the Pirates closer, has an ERA of 7.71.

The Pirates loaded the bases with no out in the sixth inning but could score only one run as their offense continues to be almost as bad as the starting pitching.

With today’s performance, Pirates starters have an ERA of 8.27, which is almost two runs higher than any other team.

Posted: Bob Smizik with 48 comment(s)
Filed under: Matt Capps, Charlie Morton, Octovio Dotel