Game 105: Pirates at Phillies

McDonald and Lee at seven.

Iron Balls McKenry: 666 OPS on the season, 790 OPS in July, 935 OPS the last seven days.

Game 104: Pirates at Phillies

Roy Halladay and one of his clones, a Charlie Morton, at seven.

Andrew McCutchen #2 in NL for WAR.

Game 103: Pirates at Braves

Correia, Lowe, and (hopefully) the return of Iron Balls at seven.

Game 102: Pirates at Braves

Maholm and Jurrjens at seven.

Last night's six-hour, nineteen-inning game ended with the most egregious blown call, in any sport, I've ever seen. I've watched a lot of sports. Seriously, that has to be the worst call by a baseball umpire ever.

Game 101: Pirates at Braves

Karstens, Pedro, and Fort Iron City Balls take on the Hanson Brothers at seven.

Game 100: Pirates at Braves

McDonald and Hudson at seven.

First place again. Playoff odds rising.

Game 99: Cardinals at Pirates

Lohse and Morton at 1:30.

Kids Jose Tabata jersey day.

This is a real public service for all thirteen-year-old boys out to impress the college girls.

Game 98: Cardinals at Pirates

Garcia and Correia at seven.

Pirates will wear the Grays uniforms.

I will do the same in the beer fort, and juggle sparklers afterwards.

Game 97: Cardinals at Pirates

Friday at seven: Carpenter and Maholm.

Pirates are six games up, and they should be getting some players back over the weekend.

I am curious to see how anticipated whipping-boy Pedro Alvarez would fare if promoted to the Show to work on that 587 OPS. Any talk about bringing him up should be grounded in the fact that his 2011 season has been a huge bust to date. It's not Ryan Braun we'd be getting back.

That said, I was looking around at various pre-season projections and whatever he did in 2010, was clearly promising for a man his age. ZIPS suggested a 116 OPS+ and 116 RBI with 28 HRs in a near-full season. Alvarez looks like the kind of player a budget-minded team would trade for--the next Andy Laroche, maybe.

The Pirates should give him another shot with that in mind. Some of these guys will be for real, and the opportunity to be the team that finds out, is a valuable one that is not to be squandered, especially when Ronny Cedeno might be the third or fourth best hitter on the active roster. He's up to a 924 OPS at AAA. I'd like to see him recalled when hot and then, if he does not hit much in a week, sent down again. I'm not sure if that is practical in terms of minor-league options etc., but this team does not hit so well that they can afford to keep Alvarez down there, destroying minor-league pitching.

Game 96: Reds at Pirates

Cueto and Karstens at 12:30.

Game 95: Reds at Pirates

Leake and McDonald at seven.

Good $60 seats available in the baseball club level.

Standing tall

The Pirates not only in sole possession of first place -- a half game over the Brewers and the Cardinals -- they are also a good six games above .500.

Game 94: Pirates at Reds

Willis and McDonald at seven.

Pirates are 49-44, and a half-game back of the Cardinals.

The simulations give the Reds a greater chance (~81%) at the playoffs. The Reds are a little more worthy than the hapless Astros, making this series an important test.

It will help answer the question, never far from my mind: "Will the Pirates squeak into the playoffs, or will they win 105 games, like they did last year?"

Game 93: Pirates at Umps

Pirates could have done a lot of things better last night, sure.

Correia and Rodriguez at two.

Game 92: Pirates at Astros

Game on at seven.

Maholm and Norris to start.

First Place Party

Going on up here.

Game 91: Pirates at Astros

Karstens and Myers at eight. The Bucs are one game back.

Now that the burgeoning baseball market in Pittsburgh could support two MLB franchises, why not move the hapless 30-62 Astros to the AL, as the Pittsburgh Astros? We wouldn't cover them here, of course, but at least they'd have fans show up to make noise.

All Star Break

That's right, take a break.

Game 90: Cubs at Pirates

Last call before the All-Star break.

Old Ramon Ortiz and Paul Maholm at 1:30.

Also Kid's Peirogy Wind-Up Racer Day.

Game 89: Cubs at Pirates

The hapless Cubs will try again at 7.

Cryin' Dempster and Cy Correia to start.

After the game, more sparklers and an eight-track.