Pirates Road Ahead

The Pirates just showed a disappointing 2-4 on the west coast swing. Yet, they had a chance to win both series. They currently sit at 4-5. They will also continue to lose every game Charlie Morton pitches. Daniel McCutchen was sent to the minors to continue to get his regular starts, but with Ross Ohlendorf probably missing another start, one has to wonder if it would not be better to bring him back up.

This is the important stretch of the season for the Pirates. They are about to play 22 of their next 24 games against National League Central division opponents. This will either keep them in the hunt or drop them out completely. To reach the goal of a .500 season, being still in the hunt is a must. Early season failure almost always leads to a June swoon.

The good news is that Alvarez is hitting some big homeruns, Tabata is hitting .300 and has stolen 4 bases, and Lincoln just threw 6 scoreless innings, although the Indians failed to score a run so he did not get a decision. These guys ought to be up in June and that could give the Pirates the energy they need to make a real push.