Cards 2 Pirates 1

Well, that was a quick one. Pujols hit that homer in the first and it was all the Cards would get and all they would need, as Marquis had us down on one hit through seven. We managed a run in the 8th on Jose Castillo's double and Nate McLouth's 2 out, pinch hit single, but the heart of our order came up dry in the 9th after Jumpin' Jack's leadoff double. In fact, Bay, Burnitz, CWilson (he must've forgotten to pound his bat in the ground and change into Thor today), and Randa were a stellar 0-for-14 today, with only Bay reaching base on a walk.

On the brightside, we did get a good outing from Maholm today. He threw a ton of pitches, but gutted his way through a tough sixth inning in which he entered with over 100 pitches and put the leadoff batter on before working his way through the inning. That makes two quality starts in three games for the Buccos, though we've only scored 6 runs in those three games. Torres was exceptional tonight, throwing only 17 pitches (15 strikes!) in two innings and even managing to get Pujols to make an out. Gonzo similarly mowed through the Cards in the 9th to keep things close for us. Unfortunately, four hits isn't going to get you much of anywhere, especially against a team like the Cards. We're 4-11, but at least it looks like parts of the rotation are making some strides forward. Wins will have to come eventually... I think.