OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: Playoffs? Playoffs?! PLAYOFFS!!!

[ImporterExporter]

People are saying it's got to be Cole or Liriano in the wild card game if it comes to it....

Volquez has a 1.78 ERA since July 27th. You know you has the exact same ERA in that span?

Clayton Kershaw.

Let's go for the darn division this weekend and if we end up playing the Giants at home in the WC, i have zero problem with EV getting the call.

 

[cheesedanish87]

I don't want anything to do with Volquez in a wildcard game, regular season and playoffs are different, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Volquez walked the park in a wildcard game


In a one game wildcard you want your best pitcher on the mound, not your 3rd best pitcher, Oakland is pitching Lester, Royals are pitching Shields, Giants are pitching Bumgarner, Last year Pirates pitcher Frankie, Reds Pitched Cueto, when its due or die you pitch your ace.

 

[Harv]

You have to factor in the team he was facing when talking about Volquez. Some of them were straight up bad.

 

[Gallatin]

Me being one of those haters. I'll gladly eat the crow though. Pass the salt please?

Dude he's got an 860 something OPS for the 2nd half. Thats' serious performance when it counts, and it's not a short sample. He will be an excellent safety net in case Polanco does not perform next season, a great pinch hitter, and maybe The top 4th outfielder in the game. Or some really good trade-bait. Admitting you were wrong is one of the most powerful things you can do in life, and quite liberating.

Jump on the train.

 

[Penguins23]

If Jeter was smart he wouldn't play this weekend. Call it quits. Retire.

 

[sniugneP]

If Jeter was smart he wouldn't play this weekend. Call it quits. Retire.

He said he may play DH for this weekend. Last night was last time ever we saw him played shortstop. He wanted to end his career as SS at his home.

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Nice timing, he should have quit playing short 5 years ago

 

[redmosquito]

Nice timing, he should have quit playing short 5 years ago

He should've moved to 3rd when ARod came to town

 

[Winger for Hire]

He should've moved to 3rd when ARod came to town

Probably would have been better to move to 2nd where his lack of range wouldn't have been much of a factor, Arod and Jeter up the middle for the Yanks would have been far better.

Jeter's arm wouldn't have lasted a 3 game series at 3rd.

 

[TNT87]

Go D-backs.

 

[ImporterExporter]

I don't want anything to do with Volquez in a wildcard game, regular season and playoffs are different, it wouldn't surprise me at all if Volquez walked the park in a wildcard game


In a one game wildcard you want your best pitcher on the mound, not your 3rd best pitcher, Oakland is pitching Lester, Royals are pitching Shields, Giants are pitching Bumgarner, Last year Pirates pitcher Frankie, Reds Pitched Cueto, when its due or die you pitch your ace.

Since July how in God's name can you say that he's our 3rd best pitcher? He's got the same ERA in that span as Kershaw. He's got a 1.08 ERA in September and is as hot as you can get as a pitcher. You want a pitcher on a roll, taking the hill when October rolls around. If we had a legit ace (Kershaw, King Felix, Wainright etc) then yes, you roll them out. I'm sorry but there is no definitive ace on this team. It's a hodgepodge of guys who are grinding out some great outings. Cole may still become a legit ace but he's not there yet. Liriano pitched like one much of last year and has been better of late. Nobody else features as a legit playoff pitcher on paper but we'll need a 4th guy.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6401/edinson-volquez

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/32081/gerrit-cole

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6211/francisco-liriano

Liriano has walked 4 and 5 in his past 2 outings and 2 or more in every start back to Aug 9th. He's been very good otherwise but if we face San Francisco, they are a team that features a strong middle of the order from the right side. I'd rather see Volquez and his hot arm slinging from the right against SF.

Yes, he MIGHT walk 5 batters and get us into trouble but looking at Cole's track record of starting games off slow and getting us behind in ball games give's me pause. Liriano's control has not been anything to write home about lately either.

Volquez has been our best starter for quite some time now, crazy as it seems. Numbers don't lie.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Since July how in God's name can you say that he's our 3rd best pitcher? He's got the same ERA in that span as Kershaw. He's got a 1.08 ERA in September and is as hot as you can get as a pitcher. You want a pitcher on a roll, taking the hill when October rolls around. If we had a legit ace (Kershaw, King Felix, Wainright etc) then yes, you roll them out. I'm sorry but there is no definitive ace on this team. It's a hodgepodge of guys who are grinding out some great outings. Cole may still become a legit ace but he's not there yet. Liriano pitched like one much of last year and has been better of late. Nobody else features as a legit playoff pitcher on paper but we'll need a 4th guy.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6401/edinson-volquez

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/32081/gerrit-cole

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/_/id/6211/francisco-liriano

Liriano has walked 4 and 5 in his past 2 outings and 2 or more in every start back to Aug 9th. He's been very good otherwise but if we face San Francisco, they are a team that features a strong middle of the order from the right side. I'd rather see Volquez and his hot arm slinging from the right against SF.

Yes, he MIGHT walk 5 batters and get us into trouble but looking at Cole's track record of starting games off slow and getting us behind in ball games give's me pause. Liriano's control has not been anything to write home about lately either.

Volquez has been our best starter for quite some time now, crazy as it seems. Numbers don't lie.

If numbers don't lie then Vance Worley is the pirates best pitcher.

If numbers don't lie then Vance Worley is a better pitcher then Max Scherzer and James Shields this year.

My point is you can't just look at ERA and see who the better pitcher is.

Volquez is nothing more then a average pitcher who's having a great year.

BTW Volquez has one career playoff start, he pitched 1.2 innings and gave up 4 runs in that start.

 

[ImporterExporter]

I'm not looking at just ERA. Yes that # is incredible but what he's doing lately is what's important. It's the exact same argument as to why Hurdle put Cole out there over AJ Burnett in game 5 last year.

You pitch the guy who's the hottest, unless of course you have a legit #1 (we do not).

You talk about an average pitcher having a great year? Wasn't that Liriano last year? What's the difference? Liriano was a major ? and turned out to be an all star caliber pitcher. Volquez is pitching at an AS level post all star game.

At home, against a predominantly RH hitting team, i have no problem with Hurdle giving Volquez the ball in a 1 game playoff. He might suck, he might not. But that can be said about anyone in our rotation.

 

[cheesedanish87]

I'm not looking at just ERA. Yes that # is incredible but what he's doing lately is what's important. It's the exact same argument as to why Hurdle put Cole out there over AJ Burnett in game 5 last year.

You pitch the guy who's the hottest, unless of course you have a legit #1 (we do not).

You talk about an average pitcher having a great year? Wasn't that Liriano last year? What's the difference? Liriano was a major ? and turned out to be an all star caliber pitcher. Volquez is pitching at an AS level post all star game.

At home, against a predominantly RH hitting team, i have no problem with Hurdle giving Volquez the ball in a 1 game playoff. He might suck, he might not. But that can be said about anyone in our rotation.

Hurdle pitched Cole because AJ had a terrible history pitching at St Louis and he got bombed in game 1.

Liriano has nasty stuff, his pitches are all above average, he has ace stuff, that's what makes him different then Volquez.

If your talking about pitching the hot pitcher that should be Frankie, hes given up 1 earned run in his last 28 innings.

 

[ImporterExporter]

I'd rather Frank pitch this weekend and give us a shot at the division and not having to play in a 1 game WC. I'd rather we put a RH pitcher out there vs SF in the likely event we play them. Volquez has 1 ER in his past 21 IP as well. He's actually walking fewer batters than Liriano in September as well, so the control angle is moot. Hurdle is playing for the division. Doing anything but that is stupid and sending the wrong message to the team and fans. If we lose tonight vs Leake than you might change that thinking. Until we're out of the running for the division, pitch and play for it.

You don't trust Volquez. I do. We really don't have a choice as he'll be pitching in the postseason if we make it to the divisional round. Guess we'll disagree and root for the Bucs regardless

 

[cheesedanish87]

I think we can agree that you want your best pitcher on the mound in a wildcard game, we just disagree who there best pitcher is.

Another thing to consider is if the Pirates do catch the Cards they would have to pitch Locke in a tiebreaker game, that's better then nothing, but i don't think any of us would like the Pirates chances with Locke on the mound pitching in St Louis.

 

[Winger for Hire]

Volquez can pitch on short rest in the tiebreaker game. I'd rather have Locke nowhere near a playoff start right now.

 

[ColePens]

Holding this thread til Big comes online and starts the new one up. I'm very superstitious and Big's been keeping the Pirates hot w/ his thread making. Nobody jump the gun!

 

[sniugneP]

Glad Hamilton isn't playing tonite.

Edit: Gaby hit a solo homer! 1-0

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Hall of Fame baserunning by Cozart.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

This is a very winnable game that we aren't winning. Leake is a very hittable pitcher that we aren't hitting.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Cutch's defense has taken a major step back this year IMO, i don't think its going to happen, but i'd much rather have Marte in center next year.

 

[Pick87your71Poison]

It def won't happen, but agreed it would make sense.

As far as Russ.. I was all for sitting him this whole weekend to make sure he's healthy as we can't go anywhere without him, but especially now, just let him rest. Hopefully this isn't a big deal and if so, just let him rest it...

 

[bathroomSTAAL]

Kirk Gibson fired. Hope he never works again.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Yeah, Martin shouldn't of been in the lineup, give him 4 days off before the wildcard game and hope hes good to go.

Pirates need to score in the 8th, very slim chance they score in the 9th against Chapman.