The Slide Continues - Buccos Report
The Sports Porch podcast aired a Buccos Report for the Pirates' May 4th game, hosted by Chris. The team lost 3-2 to Tampa Bay, bringing their overall record to 20-12. Velasquez was forced to leave the game due to elbow discomfort; Tampa Bay contributed 13 strikeouts, whereas the Pirates' pitching only managed 8. Santana's two-run double was the only positive on the batting side, prompting the team to now travel to Toronto for a three-game set to try and improve.
The Rays sweep the Pirates. 3-2 in the final game of the series.
In this episode of the Buccos Report, Chris gives an update on the Pittsburgh Pirates' recent loss to Tampa Bay Rays with a score of 3-2, bringing their record to 20-12. He notes that while the Pirates have lost four straight games, their divisional rivals have also experienced losses. I also expresses concern about Velasquez leaving the game with elbow discomfort after pitching three innings. The Pittsburgh Pirates are struggling offensively as Tampa Bay's pitching held them to only three hits. Overall, the pitching performance was decent, with five hits, eight strikeouts, and four walks.
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Swell AI Transcript: The Slide Continues - Buccos Report
00:00 Chris What's up, Buccos fan? This is your Buccos report for May 4th, 2023. May the 4th be with you. It wasn't with the Buccos though. I'm the technical director, Chris , or TD. And thank you for listening on the Sports Porch podcast. On the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or anywhere you get your podcasts. And you can catch our website at theporcheslive.com, theporcheslive.com, theporcheslive.com.
If you follow the podcast, please leave us a review. We'd really appreciate that. And you can hear us every Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern time on American Busker iHeart Radio. Let's dive into this. It was a sweep.
Okay, so the Pirates lose 3-2 today. And granted, I had to catch up to the game on the ESPN Gamecast afterwards because I was actually swimming with stingrays or devil rays today. But that's another story. That's the picture of the episode is my wife with a stingray.
Anyway, 3-2. Their record is 20-12. Luckily, they have lost four straight, but Milwaukee has lost four straight. Chicago has lost three straight. Cincinnati lost one and the Cardinals have lost six straight. So we really haven't given up any ground in the central. Of bigger concern is that Velasquez pitched three innings, gave up two hits a run, had a K and a walk. But he left in the fourth or at the end of the third with elbow discomfort. We'll have to see what that's all about. The pitching overall gave up, you know, five hits, eight Ks, four walks and all three home runs or all three runs for Tampa Bay came on home runs. So once again, not a horrible pitching performance.
What it really was is Tampa Bay's pitching shut down the Pirates, Bats again. Efflin, seven innings pitch, three hits, 10 Ks. Total of 14 hits, 13 strikeouts for the Buccos. Now, I know that Shelton was arguing after getting thrown out last night, of course, they were arguing the location of these pitches. But it doesn't matter. The strikes, strikeouts are in the book.
Santana, the lone positive on the hitting side, two for four with a two run double for all the Buccos wins. Now, look, here's what's going to happen at 20 and 12.
We're going into Toronto for a three game set. Toronto as a team is batting 254. They have a 4.12 ERA and pitching. We are not facing Gausman, the strikeout machine, 54 Ks. He's pitching tonight.
So we're facing Bassett, who has a 5.58 ERA, Berrios, who has a 5.29 ERA and Kikuchi, who has a four plus ERA. Now, I know I'm old school, but that's that's their earned run average over nine innings. And had we, you know, scored four runs this game, well, we would have won it.
So on the mound for the Pirates, going to be Hill, Oviedo and Contreras try to redeem themselves. I hate to say this, but I think it's very important that we sweep Toronto. I don't think that's going to happen. Toronto is a pretty good hitting team and they're in third place in the AL East. So, you know, but but we're not facing their best pitchers and the pitching is not as good as Tampa Bay.
So if there's any place for the bats to come alive, it's going to be this game or this series. I'd like to get out of here with two out of the three games, of course. And if we can do that and keep pace, I think maybe we're just going through one of those slumps.
Look, baseball is a long season and you go through ups and downs and the Pirates have now dropped four straight. So, you know, that's their longest losing streak of the year so far. So you're not going to give up on them. We're not going to give up on them.
Obviously, you're going to have this kind of, you know, Tampa Bay is a great team. So come in and take two with Toronto and and we shall be happy. So do not lose faith. But goes fans do not lose faith. The ship may be taking on a little water, but it's not a leak that can't be plugged.
Thanks for listening to the Buccos report on the sports porch podcast on the iHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, Spotify or anywhere you get your podcast. Please visit the website, the porches live dot com, the porches live dot com, the porches live dot com and hear us on American Busker I Heart Radio every Sunday at 4 p.m. Eastern Time. Until the next game, let's go Bucs.
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