Let’s be honest here. I feel 1000 times better about 2009 today than I did last Thursday. This team still might lose 100 games, but I’ve been of the opinion since they went into the tank at the trade deadling that they weren’t nearly as bad as they were playing and I’m happy to finally see some evidence of that. With 100 losses looming, they’ve now taken five of seven from the Dodgers and Cubs and frankly, I’m just happy to see a pulse in these guys.
The nightcap featured the second straight good outing by the Jeff Karstens-led bullpen squad. This time Karstens actually got through five innings for a win and after a rough appearance by Donnie Veal, Steven Jackson, Jesse Chavez, and Virgil Vasquez closed things down. Which means, for repitition’s sake, we just won a game with Jeff Karstens, Donnie Veal, Steven Jackson, Jesse Chavez, and Virgil Vasquez taking turns on the mound. That’s improbable, to say the least.
On the other side of things, Ryan Doumit continued his recent hot streak with a 4-for-4 night that included a double, a homer, and four RBIs. He’s been slowly improving since returning from his wrist injury, so it’s nice to see a bit of a hot streak from him to close things out.
Two wins to avoid 100 losses. Every team has to start somewhere. I think this is a good place for the Pirates to start.
