Game 76: Red Sox at Pirates

Return of Wakefield tonight at seven.

Flattery is rooting around in somebody's dumpster, finding something you like, then using it for 17 years.

Game 75: Bucs 3, Red Sox 1

If the league was realigned into overall talent tiers, the elite teams like the Bucs, Red Sox, and Yankees would get to play each other more often.

Still three back.

Three back

The Bucs are off today, and just three out of first place.

Game 74: Orioles at Pirates

To have any chance for the Cy Young, Kevin Correia must beat Zach Britton today. Game starts at 12:35.

The latest odds of the Bucs winning the division have dipped to 30%. Again: Must. Win. Game.

Game 73: Orioles at Pirates

Pirates have four runs after 2, which is pretty impressive, the way they have been hitting.

Woody Guthrie and James McDonald are the pitchers.

Pirates are back to being two games under .500 and need the win, of course, as always.

Game 72: Orioles at Pirates

Another match-up I'd like to see much more often.

But not with this result. Orioles lead 7-0 in the bottom of the second.

Bad Charlie started. Jake Arrieta pitching for the 5's and 2's.

Game 71: Pirates at Indians

Karstens and Masterson starting soon. Offensive call-ups and trade acquisitions still en route.

Game 70: Pirates at Indians

Pirates still above .500.

Paul Maholm and Hector Carrasco at 7.

Game 69: Pirates at Indians

Correia and Tomlin at seven.

Pirates are 35-33; the Indians, who once had the best record in all baseball, are 36-31.

How great would it be if these two teams were division rivals. The Indians could be the Browns of baseball.

Game 68: Pirates at Astros

The winning Pirates take on the hapless Astros again.

Game starts in about half an hour. McDonald and Lyles are the starters.

Time to start brainstorming about who the Pirates will add, at the trade deadline, for the defense of their national championship.

Those Mets had a pretty good-looking catcher who might be available, given the pathetic down-on-their-luck condition of that scandal-plagued franchise.

Game 67: Pirates at Astros

One of the Charlie Mortons takes on Happless tonight at eight.

The Bucs are 33-33 and four games out of first place. Playoff odds are 75.5%.

Game 66: Bucs 1, Astros 0

We raise our glasses to the proposed league realignment, and the day the mighty Bucs won't have to regularly play the hapless last-place Astros.

Game 65: Mets at Pirates

Maholm and Pelfrey at seven.

In other news, all hail new Trib columnist Dejan Kovacevic, who now has a free blog, reports Bucs have signed a new catcher, thinks Huntington should be extended, and like me, cried* outside after Bream's slide (* very briefly in our case).

Game 64: Mets at Pirates

Was mighty entertained by last night's game. McCutchen took that HBP like a chambpion.

Today it is Chris Capuano and Huntington's Correia at one-thirty.

Game 63: Mets at Pirates

McDonald, Dickey, and Ronny Ballgame open up for Zambelli Fireworks and Huey Lewis and the News. Prepare to be entertained.

Game 62: Mets at Pirates

The Pirates welcome the Mets to town.

Gee and Morton at seven.

Game 61: D'backs at Pirates

Collmenter and Karstens for the white-hot Lumber Company. At 7.

Game 60: Bucs win!

Bucs clinch the pennant with a dramatic clutch Cutch jack in the 12th! And many beverages ensued.

Game 59: D'backs at Pirates

Dion Hudson and Cy Correia at seven.

In a Cole sweat

The World Champion Bucs came in first place in the draft today, and selected UCLA RHP Gerrit Cole. Despite the big, powerful Cole not being the best bunter on his college team, we are penciling him in to start Game 1 of the 2015 World Series.

On Pittsburgh, Cole aptly notes the "...fans are unbelievable." We raise our glass to young Gerrit, who sorely needs a nickname. Stone Cole?