Pittsburgh Pirates: Regular season results – MLB September 2011 Part 1
After ending the month of August 2011 with a poor 62-74 win-loss record, Pittsburgh Pirates were hoping to restore some of their lost pride with strong and steady performances in September 2011.
The Pirates had suffered a series sweep against Houston Astros and they were now on a four match losing streak. Clint Hurdle and his men, however, looked determined and they aimed to end the regular season on a positive note.
In a three match series against Chicago Cubs, the Pirates raised the level of their game play to earn their first series win after almost two weeks.
It was a great comeback by the NL Central team, which looked completely out of sorts in their previous series. Securing comfortable wins in the opening two games, they took a decisive 2-0 lead.
In game one, the Pirates made the most of available chances. Handling the pressure absolutely brilliantly, Clint Hurdle’s side showed the MLB world what they were capable of. In addition to having a strong offence, they had a superb defensive strategy to down their opponents.
Pirates displayed solid baseball during curial stages of the contest and they tested the Cubs' patience. Cubs, on the other hand, were unable to capitalise on some easy scoring chances and it will not be wrong to say that they let the opportunities slip through the fingers.
Hurdle was very pleased with the his players' performances on the field and he aimed to give similar results in the next two games of the series.
"We were able to do some things we haven't been able to do against them, getting some timely hits, getting some hits with runners in scoring position, running the bases aggressively," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said.
Executing their game plan to perfection, the Pirates gave their rivals a run for their money in game two of the series. Hitting their way out of trouble, they showed amazing determination and fighting spirit to improve their win-loss record to 64-75.
The Tigers had failed to live up to expectations in their previous series but now they wanted to end the season on a high note to give their fans something to cheer about.
"We kept fighting, we kept scratching and clawing," said Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle, who was ejected in the fifth for arguing balls and strikes. "We kept finding a way to get back in it to tie it up. We were one punch away from creating some serious separation."
However, despite having a 2-0 lead, the Pirates were unable to control their nerves in the third and final game of the series as they let the Astros clinch a narrow 5-4 win. Hurdle was pretty satisfied with his side’s overall performance and he expressed his delight at winning the series in a post game interview
Continued in part 2
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