4 Below .500, but some real bad news - May 15

The Pirates won another series today by defeating the Cubs again. The Pirates sit 4 under .500 and 5 games back on the slumping Cards. Only the Reds and Cards are above the Pirates in the central.

But today was more of the same for the Pirate offense. Score first in the first inning and then go to sleep. They got three thanks to some walks and then McCutchen and Church got busy. Malholm pitched great except for one inning when he put runners on second and third with no one out. He almost got out of that inning. But, 2 runs later the Pirates still had a lead. Carrasco and Hanrahan had clean innings. In the Top of the 9th Clement hit a home run the opposite way. It was the first Carlos Marmol had given up all year. Clement had a two hit day, but his first one was a single with not much on it. Still, that counts as a good day for Jeff. The homerun turned out to be huge because Octavio "Doh"tel walked a batter on four straight and then gave up a triple with one out. Then he turned on the juice and struck the next two guys out.

The really bad news is that according to Jennifer Langosh Sterling Marte has a hand injury that probably will require surgery. Marte was excellent and a top 10 prospect for the Pirates. This is not good. Not good at all. The Pirates are deep in the outfield, but Marte was the best with a higher ceiling than even Tabata.