The finale

This is a huge, huge game for the Pirates. They've played terribly the last two nights and are falling further and further away from the ever elusive .500 mark. Unfortunately, Ben Sheets and Tony Armas face off this afternoon and Sheets still pitches for the Brewers and Armas still pitches for the Pirates.

How else to put it? A loss today makes it five of six and seven of ten. These are the stretches that the Pirates get into every single year that buries them deep into holes that they can't dig out of. It's stupid to say that a game on May 6th is a must-win game for a non-playoff team, but that's exactly what it is for the Pirates today. If they wish to remain relevant in the National League Central beyond May for once, they have to win today. That's all there is to it.