Pittsburgh Pirates: Regular season results for June - MLB 2011 - Part 3
Improving their win-loss record to 30-31, Pittsburgh Pirates were looking to put themselves on top of the wild card standings with consistent performances. Clint Hurdle and his men had displayed some high quality baseball in the series against Philadelphia
Phillies and Arizona Diamondbacks.
Looking to continue their impressive form in a four match series against New York Mets as well, the Pirates aimed to achieve considerable results by adapting a very aggressive strategy. However, as it turned out, the Pirates failed to impress their fans
as they received an 8-1 hammering in the opening game of the series. The Phillies, on the other hand, made most of the available opportunities and they made their opponents run for their money.
The Pirates, however, concentrated on their own game play and made a strong come back in game two to level the series at 1-1. Emerging victorious in a thrilling encounter, Clint Hurdle’s side performed brilliantly as a team. James McDonald put up a decent
show as he allowed eight hits and three walks, conceding two runs in six innings and the Pirates rallied past the Phillies to stay in the series.
“Even when I got in good counts, they were able to get decent swings on the ball, but the defense was able to pick me up,” McDonald said.
“It was a big-time effort, with his want-to being better than his how-to,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He was pitching out of the stretch all night. He was up in the zone a lot, too. But he got outs when he needed to.”
Despite having the momentum on their side, the Pirates failed to live up to the expectations and suffered a humiliating defeat in the third and final game. The Phillies dominated them in almost all aspects of the game to secure a thumping 7-0 win. It was
an embarrassing defeat for the Pirates considering the number of scoring opportunities they had during the contest.
Looking to level the series, the Pirates raised their game to a higher level in the fourth and final game. Paul Maholm led the pitchers pack in emphatic fashion as he pitched seven shutout innings.
“Sometimes, a pitcher is too worried about making a mistake if there's no room for error or no large safety net to work with,” Hurdle added.
Brandon Wood displayed some high quality hitting skills as he hit a gigantic home run to lift the Prates to a much needed 3-1 win. With the win, the Pirates also improved their win-loss record to 32-33. Team manager, Clint Hurdle aimed to produce even better
results in their upcoming games.
Continued in part 4
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