Last night’s Charlie Morton start aside, it’s hard to view the last five games as anything other than a continuation of the awful 19-game stretch that preceded it. The Pirates have had bullpen trouble and starting pitching trouble and their offense has run hot and cold with no predictability. And yet, if they get a strong start from Gerrit Cole and get a win against the Giants this afternoon, they’ll have won two straight series in a row and four of six. That’s as many games as they won in the 19 preceding this one. Finding a way to win some games without playing well is a nice step in the right direction, because they will, at some point, eventually start to play better.
Cole and Tim Lincecum take the mound at 12:35.
