Game of the Week: July 14: STL @ PIT

[Commissioner Erick]

St. Louis Cardinals (40-47) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (50-38)


STL: Mike Leake (6-8, 4.70)
PIT: Wade LeBlanc (8-5, 3.93)


The Pittsburgh Pirates don't score a lot of runs. They don't hit for power. They don't play good defense. Top to bottom, they don't have a very good staff.

All they do is win enough to lead the NL Central.

The Pittsburgh Pirates take on the St. Louis Cardinals as the unlikely pace setters in the National League Central. They've done so with a lot of good fortune favoring players like tonight's starter Wade LeBlanc.

Despite scouts having unfavorable opinions towards LeBlanc, he's 8-5 with a 3.93 ERA. He has a very good changeup and years of experience, but only throws 85 miles an hour. He threw 6 innings allowing only one hit and two runs to the Cubs on Sunday. If LeBlanc can keep up being serviceable, then the Pirates will get a huge boost to their playoff chances.

They'll need that to continue because of their small margin for error. They generate a lot of their offense based on base hits and not power. Fortunately, Josh Bell is having a great rookie season and Josh Harrison may win the Batting Title. Bell is hitting .307, a very robust number for a rookie. Meanwhile, Harrison is hitting an amazing .350 with 51 RBI's. With a 5.5 game lead on the Cubs, how those players fare in the second half will determine whether the Pirates are in the playoffs.


Questions for the GMs:


For Mike McAvoy, your team is well over .500. What has been the key reason why in your opinion?

You had to offload salary per owner demands earlier this season. Describe your shortstop situation now that Jordy Mercer has left?

You have a team option for Andrew McCutchen, and he's struggled this season. Do you pick up that option this offseason?

[Commissioner Erick]

Pirates 11 - Cardinals 1


WP: W. LeBlanc (9-5)
LP: M. Leake (6-9)


Wade LeBlanc and the Pirates are in first place having a charmed season. That season continued to stay charmed as LeBlanc nearly LeBlanced the St Louis Cardinals.

LeBlanc fired 7.2 innings of one-run baseball as the Pirates beat up the Cardinals 11-1.

LeBlanc walked four, allowed just four hits, and struck out five in the gem, lowering his ERA to 3.74 in the process. He allowed only one extra base hit and has allowed two runs or fewer in his last five starts.

He only faced trouble a few times. In the second, Matt Carpenter hit a one-out double and Greg Garcia walked. LeBlanc escaped by getting Jhonny Peralta and Matt Adams to fly out, ending the threat. LeBlanc next faced a threat in the fifth when a leadoff walk and an error again put two runners on with one out. Hong-chih-Kuo slapped a ground ball to Jason Rogers for a 5-3 double play to get out of the inning. LeBlanc found himself in the same situation in the sixth. First and second, this time with no outs. Randall Grichuk grounded to Rogers to start a 5-4-3 double play, before Carpenter flew out to shallow center to end the inning.

By this time, the Pirates had a 3-0 lead. They decided to blow things open.

With two outs in the sixth, John Jaso homered; his second RBI and extra base hit of the day. Jaso came up with the bases loaded in the seventh and singled in two runs, before Jason Rogers effectively ended the game with a three-run shot to make it 9-0.

The Cardinals got yet another situation with two on and no outs in the eight. LeBlanc struck out Stephen Piscotty and a Jedd Gyorko fielder's choice brought home a run. LeBlanc was pulled after the play after marvelously darting out of the few rough situations he created.

Mike Leake allowed four runs in 5.2 innings for St. Louis.


Questions for the GM's:


For Mike McAvoy, LeBlanc looked good out there. How has he continued to pitch this effectively with his velocity?

Jason Rogers has not had a good season at the plate or at third base, but he made some key defensive plays and had a big knockout home run in the game. How big was that for you?

John Jaso isn't the big slugger people think about when they think of designated hitters, but he had three hits and four RBI's. Can you continue to win big if Jaso isn't hitting for this kind of power or average?

[pittsburghgm]

For Mike McAvoy, your team is well over .500. What has been the key reason why in your opinion?

---Both the offense and pitching has clicked together every single night. We're very happy the way things are going as we had towards the deadline. Josh Harrison and Josh Bell have been the difference for us thus far.

You had to offload salary per owner demands earlier this season. Describe your shortstop situation now that Jordy Mercer has left?

---Playing in Pittsburgh you have to know that the owner can be stingy at times. We're a smaller market club with younger guys needing to get paid, its stuff. Newman and Adames have split time at SS and they've really held down the fort. Very happy with both as of now.

You have a team option for Andrew McCutchen, and he's struggled this season. Do you pick up that option this offseason?

---Right now we're not worried about off-season moves. We're trying to get Andrew going. Find out what's wrong with his swing. This team has been good without him at 100% which is pretty scary...

LeBlanc looked good out there. How has he continued to pitch this effectively with his velocity?

---Right now he's pitching good enough. He's getting guys to hit it where the defenders are. Its a young team and his veteran presence has been huge.

Jason Rogers has not had a good season at the plate or at third base, but he made some key defensive plays and had a big knockout home run in the game. How big was that for you?

---Jason has been doing fine with us and had a great game against the Cards. With that being said we had some guys come back from injury and Jason will go back to AAA. We'll see him again.

John Jaso isn't the big slugger people think about when they think of designated hitters, but he had three hits and four RBI's. Can you continue to win big if Jaso isn't hitting for this kind of power or average?

---Jaso has been around for awhile now and he knows what we expect from him. He's put together a nice season for us. We don't have a lot of options with the budget and young kids not ready yet. Jason is doing a great job holding down that spot.