We should be able to beat Jeff Weaver

Jeff Weaver? Raise your hand if you're happy the Pirates didn't listen to me and sign this guy. Yeah, me too. Weaver has been so bad (10.94 ERA, 2.19 WHIP, 0-6 record proving that pitcher record can be indicative of performance sometimes) that you almost feel like he's due for a good outing because no one can be this bad. Wait? Did I just say due for a good outing? Does anyone know a team that seems to excel at making bad pitchers look good? What? The Pirates are that team? Weaver's longest outing this year is six innings and he's reached that fine milestone twice. I'm calling seven innings and two runs on five hits for the nightmare Weaver tonight.

His mound opponent is the Jekel and Hyde-like Paul Maholm, except that his Jekel is more "mediocre, adequate, not bad" rather than, say, "excellent." Regardless, he does seem to be getting his act together if his past four starts are any evidence at all. One would think he need not be very good tonight to win this game, but one would also be foolish to assume that the Pirates will score more than three runs on any give night.

One more thing to think about: a win tonight, in this most winnable of games, gives us a winning interleague record to date this season. Even more reason to believe something unspeakable and awful (like my above Jeff Weaver prediction) will happen in this one.