Game 104: Cards 6 Pirates 4

I'll do the recap first, Matt Morris later. But I will get to Morris before I go to bed, I promise.

Figures that the last game I see at PNC before I move would be a loss to the Cardinals. It's pretty fitting because it's probably the outcome I've seen the most of all the games I've been to at PNC (just guessing, I have no actual evidence for that statement beyond the fact that I know I've seen them beat us three times in 11 or 12 games this year). And it's fitting that the Cards' win was helped by lackluster effort by the Pirates, because that's what happens at PNC Park.

Anyways, the game was trucking along nicely in the sixth inning. The Pirates were hanging around, Maholm was keeping things close at 2-2 despite a high pitch count, and I wasn't completely bored by the Pirates effort on the evening. All of these things are more than I can usually say for most nights at the park. With two outs in the inning and Ryan Ludwick at the plate, my dad and I were discussing if Maholm should be brought back for a seventh inning. Ludwick popped up behind the plate and Paulino went to catch it ... and dropped the ball. I said, "Watch this, here comes the homer." Ludwick ripped a hit into center, McLouth came up throwing, and Paulino dropped the throw, ruining a good chance to get Rolen at the plate. I've never heard PNC boo a player like that before. Usually you just hear a rumbling of discontent after a Jason Bay or Adam LaRoche strikeout. Not this time. The 25,000 in attendance really let Ronny have it, and he deserved it.

From there, Salomon Torres sucked, Scott Rolen took advantage of Jason Bay's pop-gun arm and assumption that he wouldn't take a base on it, and we lost 6-4. It wasn't like we played terribly, but Paulino cost us a run with his "catching" skills and Bay probably cost us one between his arm and his slow approach on the Rolen hit that let him take second. Two plays that most teams make, we screw up and we lose. The story of the Pittsburgh Pirates.