Pirates lack thump, and that'll hurt

Friday, April 10, 2009
By Ron Cook, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
http://www.post-gazette.com/sports/

ST. LOUIS - APRIL 9: Nate McClouth #13 of the Pittsburgh Pirates breaks his bat hitting against the St. Louis Cardinals on April 9, 2009 at Busch Stadium in St. Louis, Missouri. The Cardinals beat the Pirates 2-1. (Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

ST. LOUIS -- The good was very good in the Pirates' season-opening, four-game split with the St. Louis Cardinals. Nyjer Morgan's speed and production at the top of the lineup and in left field. Freddy Sanchez's and Jack Wilson's at-bats, at least before they ran into Cardinals starter Chris Carpenter in the 2-1 loss yesterday. "Unbelievable ... filthy ... unreal," Sanchez called him afterward. The resolve the team showed, not just scoring four runs in the ninth inning to win, almost unbelievably, the first game, but hanging in until the bitter end yesterday despite getting just one hit. "That's the makeup of this club," manager John Russell said. Two saves in two chances for hammer Matt Capps. And, most significant, three impressive outings out of four by the starting pitchers, including the one yesterday by tough-luck loser Ross Ohlendorf.

But the bad also was very bad. The Nos. 3 and 4 hitters -- Nate McLouth and Ryan Doumit -- barely hit a lick. Would you believe a combined 3 for 30 with four RBIs? That's not so much of a concern, but the fact that the LaRoche boys -- first baseman Adam and third baseman Andy -- also didn't hit is a huge worry. Try 2 for 21. There were just two Pirates' home runs, one from McLouth -- his only hit -- and an unexpected one from Sanchez.
The front end of the bullpen made you hold your breath, just as you figured it would. And there was that really lousy start by Ian Snell in game two.

Four days of baseball, and I saw enough to make a confident prediction for the Pirates' season. I apologize for not getting around to it before, you know, the season actually started.

72-90.

Please, hold those Mr. Negativity e-mails. I was thinking 67-95 before the St. Louis series.

"I thought it was a good opening series for us," Sanchez said before the Pirates departed Busch Stadium for Cincinnati and a weekend series leading up to the PNC Park opener Monday. "Obviously, it would have been nice to win it. But I thought our pitchers threw great. If we can get pitching like that every night, we're going to win a lot of games."

Ohlendorf's start was encouraging, likely the best thing that happened in the four games. If his start wasn't, then Zach Duke's in game three was.
Those guys -- along with Jeff Karstens, who gets the ball tonight in Cincinnati -- have to be able to get the team to the sixth or seven inning and past the atrocious middle relievers on a consistent basis. Opening-game starter Paul Maholm will do that. But Snell, who had a hideous line of 9 hits, 8 runs, 2 home runs and 3 walks in four innings in the loss Tuesday night? I have big doubts. Certainly, he has the stuff to shut out the Reds in his next start Sunday afternoon. But he also might be mentally weak enough to give up eight more runs. Who can tell for sure?

Even if the starters pitch well -- and that's far, far from a given -- the Pirates might not have enough offense to end their run of 16 losing seasons.
McLouth and Doumit will start to hit, there's no doubt. Sanchez and Wilson -- a combined 14 for 34 here with 8 RBIs -- should continue to hit now that they're healthy again after tough injury years last season. And it's nice to think the hyper Morgan will build on his 6-for-19, 4-RBI start.
But where's the thump going to come from?

If it's true what they say about chicks digging the long ball, the Pirates could be the least-loved team in baseball.

Really, who, other than McLouth and Doumit, are going to hit home runs?
Adam LaRoche, you say? Maybe, but will he do it before June? Or will he do it in August for another team after the Pirates dump him and his big contract?

On second thought, go ahead and make that prediction 67-95.

And let the e-mails begin.

Ron Cook can be reached at rcook@post-gazette.com. More articles by this author
First published on April 10, 2009 at 12:00 am