I said yesterday if the Pirates won they would probably sweep. I stand by that. The Pirates clawed their way into that one, and shut down the Royals. It was a good win and now the Pirates are just one game out of first place.
They are competing. This is competing. Let’s keep it up!
First Pitch: 1:35 PM EST
Where To Watch: Root Sports, MLB.TV, FSKC
Bruce Chen, LHP (34)
Bruce Chen has played for what appears to be every team in the league. His career has also been inconsistent, to say the least.
| Tm | W | L | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ATL | 2 | 0 | 3.98 | 4 | 4 | 20.1 | 23 | 9 | 9 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 106 | 1.574 | 10.2 | 1.3 | 4.0 | 7.5 | 1.89 |
| ATL | 2 | 2 | 5.47 | 16 | 7 | 51.0 | 38 | 32 | 31 | 11 | 27 | 45 | 82 | 1.275 | 6.7 | 1.9 | 4.8 | 7.9 | 1.67 |
| TOT | 7 | 4 | 3.29 | 37 | 15 | 134.0 | 116 | 54 | 49 | 18 | 46 | 112 | 142 | 1.209 | 7.8 | 1.2 | 3.1 | 7.5 | 2.43 |
| ATL | 4 | 0 | 2.50 | 22 | 0 | 39.2 | 35 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 19 | 32 | 185 | 1.361 | 7.9 | 0.9 | 4.3 | 7.3 | 1.68 |
| PHI | 3 | 4 | 3.63 | 15 | 15 | 94.1 | 81 | 39 | 38 | 14 | 27 | 80 | 130 | 1.145 | 7.7 | 1.3 | 2.6 | 7.6 | 2.96 |
| TOT | 7 | 7 | 4.87 | 27 | 27 | 146.0 | 146 | 90 | 79 | 29 | 59 | 126 | 87 | 1.404 | 9.0 | 1.8 | 3.6 | 7.8 | 2.14 |
| PHI | 4 | 5 | 5.00 | 16 | 16 | 86.1 | 90 | 53 | 48 | 19 | 31 | 79 | 85 | 1.402 | 9.4 | 2.0 | 3.2 | 8.2 | 2.55 |
| NYM | 3 | 2 | 4.68 | 11 | 11 | 59.2 | 56 | 37 | 31 | 10 | 28 | 47 | 89 | 1.408 | 8.4 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 7.1 | 1.68 |
| TOT | 2 | 5 | 5.56 | 55 | 6 | 77.2 | 85 | 53 | 48 | 16 | 43 | 80 | 78 | 1.648 | 9.8 | 1.9 | 5.0 | 9.3 | 1.86 |
| NYM | 0 | 0 | 0.00 | 1 | 0 | 0.2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1.500 | 13.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | ||
| MON | 2 | 3 | 6.99 | 15 | 5 | 37.1 | 47 | 29 | 29 | 9 | 23 | 43 | 61 | 1.875 | 11.3 | 2.2 | 5.5 | 10.4 | 1.87 |
| CIN | 0 | 2 | 4.31 | 39 | 1 | 39.2 | 37 | 24 | 19 | 7 | 20 | 37 | 100 | 1.437 | 8.4 | 1.6 | 4.5 | 8.4 | 1.85 |
| TOT | 0 | 1 | 5.55 | 16 | 2 | 24.1 | 26 | 16 | 15 | 6 | 10 | 20 | 84 | 1.479 | 9.6 | 2.2 | 3.7 | 7.4 | 2.00 |
| HOU | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 11 | 0 | 12.0 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 75 | 1.833 | 10.5 | 1.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.00 |
| BOS | 0 | 1 | 5.11 | 5 | 2 | 12.1 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 94 | 1.135 | 8.8 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 8.8 | 6.00 |
| BAL | 2 | 1 | 3.02 | 8 | 7 | 47.2 | 39 | 19 | 16 | 7 | 16 | 32 | 151 | 1.154 | 7.4 | 1.3 | 3.0 | 6.0 | 2.00 |
| BAL | 13 | 10 | 3.83 | 34 | 32 | 197.1 | 187 | 94 | 84 | 33 | 63 | 133 | 113 | 1.267 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 2.9 | 6.1 | 2.11 |
| BAL | 0 | 7 | 6.93 | 40 | 12 | 98.2 | 137 | 81 | 76 | 28 | 35 | 70 | 65 | 1.743 | 12.5 | 2.6 | 3.2 | 6.4 | 2.00 |
| TEX | 0 | 0 | 7.20 | 5 | 0 | 10.0 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 65 | 1.700 | 9.9 | 2.7 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 1.17 |
| KCR | 1 | 6 | 5.78 | 17 | 9 | 62.1 | 74 | 42 | 40 | 12 | 25 | 45 | 77 | 1.588 | 10.7 | 1.7 | 3.6 | 6.5 | 1.80 |
| KCR | 12 | 7 | 4.17 | 33 | 23 | 140.1 | 136 | 68 | 65 | 17 | 57 | 98 | 101 | 1.375 | 8.7 | 1.1 | 3.7 | 6.3 | 1.72 |
| KCR | 12 | 8 | 3.77 | 25 | 25 | 155.0 | 152 | 71 | 65 | 18 | 50 | 97 | 110 | 1.303 | 8.8 | 1.0 | 2.9 | 5.6 | 1.94 |
| KCR | 5 | 5 | 4.37 | 12 | 12 | 70.0 | 72 | 35 | 34 | 6 | 15 | 48 | 94 | 1.243 | 9.3 | 0.8 | 1.9 | 6.2 | 3.20 |
| 14 Yrs | 65 | 63 | 4.51 | 329 | 181 | 1234.2 | 1242 | 675 | 619 | 207 | 461 | 930 | 96 | 1.379 | 9.1 | 1.5 | 3.4 | 6.8 | 2.02 |
| KCR (4 yrs) | 30 | 26 | 4.29 | 87 | 69 | 427.2 | 434 | 216 | 204 | 53 | 147 | 288 | 98 | 1.359 | 9.1 | 1.1 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 1.96 |
| ATL (3 yrs) | 8 | 2 | 4.14 | 42 | 11 | 111.0 | 96 | 56 | 51 | 18 | 55 | 94 | 109 | 1.360 | 7.8 | 1.5 | 4.5 | 7.6 | 1.71 |
| BAL (3 yrs) | 15 | 18 | 4.61 | 82 | 51 | 343.2 | 363 | 194 | 176 | 68 | 114 | 235 | 96 | 1.388 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 3.0 | 6.2 | 2.06 |
| NYM (2 yrs) | 3 | 2 | 4.62 | 12 | 11 | 60.1 | 57 | 37 | 31 | 10 | 28 | 47 | 91 | 1.409 | 8.5 | 1.5 | 4.2 | 7.0 | 1.68 |
| PHI (2 yrs) | 7 | 9 | 4.28 | 31 | 31 | 180.2 | 171 | 92 | 86 | 33 | 58 | 159 | 105 | 1.268 | 8.5 | 1.6 | 2.9 | 7.9 | 2.74 |
| BOS (1 yr) | 0 | 1 | 5.11 | 5 | 2 | 12.1 | 12 | 8 | 7 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 94 | 1.135 | 8.8 | 2.9 | 1.5 | 8.8 | 6.00 |
| TEX (1 yr) | 0 | 0 | 7.20 | 5 | 0 | 10.0 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 7 | 65 | 1.700 | 9.9 | 2.7 | 5.4 | 6.3 | 1.17 |
| CIN (1 yr) | 0 | 2 | 4.31 | 39 | 1 | 39.2 | 37 | 24 | 19 | 7 | 20 | 37 | 100 | 1.437 | 8.4 | 1.6 | 4.5 | 8.4 | 1.85 |
| MON (1 yr) | 2 | 3 | 6.99 | 15 | 5 | 37.1 | 47 | 29 | 29 | 9 | 23 | 43 | 61 | 1.875 | 11.3 | 2.2 | 5.5 | 10.4 | 1.87 |
| HOU (1 yr) | 0 | 0 | 6.00 | 11 | 0 | 12.0 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 2 | 8 | 8 | 75 | 1.833 | 10.5 | 1.5 | 6.0 | 6.0 | 1.00 |
| NL (6 yrs) | 20 | 18 | 4.57 | 150 | 59 | 441.0 | 422 | 246 | 224 | 79 | 192 | 388 | 97 | 1.392 | 8.6 | 1.6 | 3.9 | 7.9 | 2.02 |
| AL (9 yrs) | 45 | 45 | 4.48 | 179 | 122 | 793.2 | 820 | 429 | 395 | 128 | 269 | 542 | 96 | 1.372 | 9.3 | 1.5 | 3.1 | 6.1 | 2.01 |
That’s a lot to digest. The only real take from it is that he can be pretty inconsistent from season to season. His career ERA of 4.51 is probably what he is.
Chen has been pretty good this year, with seven quality starts in twelve attempts, but he has also struggled pretty majorly when he isn’t on.
| Date | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 6 | LAA | L,0-5 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0.00 | |
| Apr 11 | OAK | L,4-5 | 5.0 | 4 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 1.64 | |
| Apr 17 | DET | L,1-3 | L(0-1) | 7.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 2.00 |
| Apr 23 | TOR | L,1-4 | L(0-2) | 7.0 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 2.52 |
| Apr 29 | MIN | L,4-7 | L(0-3) | 2.2 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 4.23 |
| May | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | |
| May 4 | NYY | L,2-6 | L(0-4) | 6.2 | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 4.98 |
| May 9 | BOS | W,4-3 | W(1-4) | 6.2 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4.83 |
| May 14 | TEX | W,3-1 | W(2-4) | 6.2 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 1 | 4.34 |
| May 19 | ARI | W,7-3 | W(3-4) | 6.1 | 8 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 4.17 |
| May 25 | BAL | L,2-8 | L(3-5) | 4.0 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4.81 |
| May 30 | CLE | W,6-3 | W(4-5) | 5.0 | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 4.86 |
| June | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | |
| Jun 5 | MIN | W,1-0 | W(5-5) | 7.0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 4.37 |
| 70.0 | 72 | 35 | 34 | 15 | 48 | 6 | 4.37 |
Really good outing last time. Maybe it will be bad outing time for Chen.
Why do I think the Pirates have such a good chance against Chen today, despite his good season?
How about these splits.
| Split | W | L | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 3 | 3 | 3.54 | 6 | 6 | 40.2 | 40 | 16 | 16 | 4 | 5 | 28 | 1.107 | 6.2 | 5.60 |
| Away | 2 | 2 | 5.52 | 6 | 6 | 29.1 | 32 | 19 | 18 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 1.432 | 6.1 | 2.00 |
He has been a home pitcher this season.
Not only that, he has been awful in day games.
| Split | W | L | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Day | 1 | 1 | 7.82 | 3 | 3 | 12.2 | 17 | 12 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 7 | 1.816 | 5.0 | 1.17 |
| Night | 4 | 4 | 3.61 | 9 | 9 | 57.1 | 55 | 23 | 23 | 5 | 9 | 41 | 1.116 | 6.4 | 4.56 |
He has also NEVER pitched well at PNC Park.
| W | L | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 3 | 7.04 | 4 | 3 | 15.1 | 21 | 15 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 7 | 1.565 | 4.1 | 2.33 |
He has quite a few appearances against the Pirates, but they aren’t recent, so there usefulness is pretty dubious.
| W | L | G | GS | GF | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 4 | 4.42 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 36.2 | 40 | 22 | 18 | 4 | 10 | 28 | 1.364 | 6.9 | 2.80 |
Not too great there either.
Soooooo to recap he has been awful on the road, awful during the day, and awful throughout his career at PNC Park. That’s where my confidence comes from today.
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rod Barajas | 6 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | 1.667 | 2.167 |
| Andrew McCutchen | 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Clint Barmes | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1.000 | 1.000 | 2.000 | 3.000 |
| Total | 10 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 0 | .400 | .400 | 1.200 | 1.600 |
A.J. Burnett, RHP (35)
Another reason I’m confident is because I’m just such an A.J. Burnett fanboy. He has been such an unreal addition to this team. Was his last outing the best outing ever? No. He needs to go deeper. Still he was good enough to give the Pirates a chance to win, and still struck out eight batters.
| Date | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 21 | STL | W,2-0 | W(1-0) | 7.0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 0.00 |
| Apr 27 | ATL | L,1-6 | L(1-1) | 6.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 1.38 |
| May | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | |
| May 2 | STL | L,3-12 | L(1-2) | 2.2 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8.04 |
| May 8 | WSN | W,5-4 | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 6.08 | |
| May 13 | HOU | W,3-2 | 8.0 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 5.12 | |
| May 19 | DET | W,4-3 | W(2-2) | 6.0 | 7 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 4.78 |
| May 25 | CHC | W,1-0 | W(3-2) | 5.1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 4.19 |
| May 30 | CIN | W,2-1 | W(4-2) | 7.0 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 3.60 |
| June | Opp | Rslt | Dec | IP | H | R | ER | BB | SO | HR | |
| Jun 5 | CIN | W,8-4 | W(5-2) | 5.0 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3.76 |
| 55.0 | 53 | 24 | 23 | 18 | 50 | 4 | 3.76 |
Despite that bad outing I feel confident because the Pirates are absolute money when A.J. pitches, having won the past six straight games he has pitched in and seven of nine overall.
He has also been an absolute stud at PNC Park this season. Which is why we call him Burghnett in these parts.
His road numbers are kind of skewed because of that two inning twelve run disaster though.
| Split | W | L | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Home | 3 | 0 | 1.02 | 5 | 5 | 35.1 | 23 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 7 | 30 | 0.849 | 7.6 | 4.29 |
| Away | 2 | 2 | 8.69 | 4 | 4 | 19.2 | 30 | 19 | 19 | 3 | 11 | 20 | 2.085 | 9.2 | 1.82 |
So we have a guy for the Royals that sucks on the road coming to PNC, and a guy going for the Pirates who is awesome at PNC pitching there today. #Confidence.
Burnett also pretty much dominated the Royals last year.
| W | L | G | GS | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | HBP | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 0 | 2.84 | 2 | 2 | 12.2 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 1 | 1.342 | 5.7 | 1.33 |
Maybe domination is a stretch, but he was good none-the-less.
That has always been the case too. His record isn’t so great, but he has a stellar ERA and a good SO/BB.
| W | L | G | GS | CG | IP | H | R | ER | HR | BB | SO | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 3 | 2.71 | 10 | 10 | 1 | 66.1 | 57 | 25 | 20 | 5 | 23 | 50 | 1.206 | 6.8 | 2.17 |
A sweep would be huge here with Brad Lincoln and Kevin Correia going up against a hot Orioles team in the next series…..
| PA | AB | H | 2B | 3B | HR | RBI | BB | SO | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yuniesky Betancourt | 22 | 22 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | .182 | .182 | .182 | .364 |
| Billy Butler | 21 | 20 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 3 | .250 | .286 | .250 | .536 |
| Alex Gordon | 20 | 18 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 5 | .167 | .250 | .333 | .583 |
| Jeff Francoeur | 15 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 | .167 | .267 | .167 | .433 |
| Eric Hosmer | 6 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | .400 | .500 | 1.000 | 1.500 |
| Mitch Maier | 6 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | .000 | .333 | .000 | .333 |
| Brayan Pena | 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .000 |
| Alcides Escobar | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | .250 | .400 | .250 | .650 |
| Jarrod Dyson | 4 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | .000 | .250 | .000 | .250 |
| Johnny Giavotella | 3 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .667 | .667 | .667 | 1.333 |
| Mike Moustakas | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | .500 | .500 | .500 | 1.000 |
| Total | 110 | 99 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 9 | 8 | 18 | .202 | .273 | .263 | .535 |
