Game 55: Giants at Pirates

Wellemeyer and Maholm at seven.

Last night we had the Pirates up 4-0 and then what happened. Was our will enfeebled by strong drink?

Game 54: Giants at Pirates

Duke and Sanchez at seven in a battle of two third-place teams. The Bucs are undefeated since we learned how to literally will victory.

Off day

No game today. We will will ourselves through the playoffs obviously, but perhaps it would be more entertaining if we didn't will every game. For instance, the wild-card route might be more dramatic.

Also, we need to start thinking and talking about will-adjusted metrics. Some players' value will be artificially inflated by winning all the time.

Game 54: Cubs at Pirates

Duke and Zambrano at seven. We will literally will the Bucs to win.

Game 53: Cubs at Pirates

Karstens and Lilly at seven. Now that we can literally will the club to win, the path to the playoffs is clear.

Game 52: Cubs at Pirates

Ohlendorf and the hapless Randy Wells at 1:35.

The last time the Cubs and Bucs played, Ronnie James Dio died. We tremble to think how our losses could be greater.

Game 51: Pirates at Braves

Maholm and Kawakami at 1:35. With so much of the season left and so many Prospects on the way, it's too early to panic about being 8 games out of the wild-card.

Game 50: Pirates at Braves

Burres and Medlen at seven. Most of the Bucs are pacing themselves admirably, waiting to break out until more Prospects arrive.

Game 49: Pirates at Braves

Duke and Lowe at 7:30. A win would be meaningful.

Game 48: Pirates at Reds

Morton and Cueto at seven. If JR wants, the Bucs could probably rest another game, or until another Prospect arrives.

Game 47: Pirates at Reds

Ohlendorf and Arroyo at seven, as the waves of Prospects begin to wash ashore.

Rinku and Dinesh go to DC

Indian reality TV contest victors/Pirates pitchers Rinku and Dinesh are entertained by Obama, Nancy Pelosi, and Ronaldinho. You can't blame these bandwagon Bucco fans for wanting to get in on the wild-card magic.

Game 46: Pirates at Reds

Maholm and Leake at seven in another game with major playoff implications. Advantage third place Bucs: Leake has done well so far, but the kid skipped the minors, so can't possibly know how to play the game the right way.

Game 45: Pirates at Reds

Burres takes on the Harangutan at seven. The once proud Reds are trying to end their hapless nine year streak of losing baseball. Although seemingly in the 2010 playoff mix with the Bucs, the Reds are unlikely to be playing meaningful baseball come October.

Game 44: Braves at Pirates

Duke and Medlen at 1:35. There are no scholarships in the NLCS - the Bucs need to win.

Game 43: Braves at Pirates

Morton and Lowe at seven. One can only imagine how hard it must be for Frodo McLouth to see his old team just a half game back of the Cubs, and right in the thick of the wild-card race. Especially given McLouth's hapless .208/.329/.350 effort, and the gaudy aggression, location, and xFIP of the guy he was traded for.

Game 42: Braves at Pirates

Ohlendorf and Hudson at seven. The Braves are a hapless 8-14 on the road, and since 1958 have only won one World Series. Until there's a MLB salary cap, the Bucs will always have to play lesser franchises. Hopefully this substandard 2010 Braves team is clean of infectious bad habits like taking off for third while the ball is still in the infield.

Game 41: Brewers at Pirates

Maholm and Narveson at seven, untucking at nine. The hapless Brewers have lost nine straight. Until Bud Selig figures out a way to enforce MLB team owners to actually try to win and not just stuff their pockets, gross mismatches will occur, and Benny Hill scenes like LaRoche's Matrix move will be routine.

Game 40: Brewers at Pirates

Burres and Wolf at seven. The hapless small-market Brewers are 15-24, have lost 8 in a row, and apparently are content at cashing the Yankees' and the Pirates' checks while not even trying to field a competitive team. Prepare to untuck.

Game 39: Pirates at Phillies

Duke and Halladay at seven. There's no reason JR and Neal need to tip their hand to a likely playoff opponent this early in the season. So it might make sense to save the best lineup and defensive shifts for October, and rest up one more day.