NOT SO MUCH...............
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/146362599
Bucs' losing streak hits 11 games
By Karen Price, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Jun. 18--For a few minutes in the bottom of the eighth inning, it seemed like the Pirates were not only going to break their 10-game losing streak but also do it off the bat of Pedro Alvarez.
Trailing by four runs to the Chicago White Sox going into the bottom of the inning, they got within one with runners on first and third and two out. Pedro Alvarez, the top prospect who made his major-league debut the night before, was up to bat.
But his seventh at-bat in the big leagues was against flame-throwing left-hander Mark Thornton, and he got the best of the 23-year-old with a three-pitch strikeout.
Evan Meek sat the White Sox down in order in the ninth, but Chicago's Bobby Jenks returned the favor in the bottom of the inning and the Pirates lost, 5-4, to extend their season-high losing streak to 11 games on Thursday night at PNC Park.
"We played well; we played a lot better," said Meek, who lowered his ERA slightly to .70, lowest among all major-league relievers with a minimum of 30 innings. "We made a push in that eighth inning. But this is the kind of stuff that happens when you're on a losing streak. It's the smallest thing."
Like Delwyn Young's pinch-hit flare to left field in the ninth that White Sox outfielder Juan Pierre converted into an impressive diving catch. Had Pierre missed, the tying run would have been on first. But, manager John Russell said, it's a game of inches, and the Pirates were a sliver away.
"The guys really fought back," Russell said. "Hopefully, the guys will take the little bit of positive out of this that they did battle back from a lead that looked like we might not be able to and made it a very interesting game."
Starter Ross Ohlendorf (0-5) took the loss for the Pirates (23-43) and is still looking for his first win in nine starts. He struggled with his breaking ball in particular, and left after 6 1/3 innings with five earned runs allowed on nine hits and four strikeouts.
"(Pitching during a losing streak) gives us a really good opportunity to be the one who ends it," Ohlendorf said. "I was really looking forward to that. I just wish I'd pitched better."
The White Sox (31-34) recorded their second-three game sweep of the season, led by left-hander Mark Buehrle, who allowed just two runs on six hits and shut the Pirates out until Neil Walker's solo home run in the sixth inning.
The Pirates' comeback attempt in the eighth started with a one-out, pinch-hit double by Andy LaRoche. Jose Tabata got a walk and Walker, Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge all singled. Garrett Jones hit a sacrifice fly as the Pirates pulled within one.
Alvarez, whose defense was shaky in his major-league debut on Wednesday, made a nice play diving to grab a quick one-hopper from Rios in the third inning. He turned to throw to second, realized it was too late to make the play and threw to first to get Rios out. He made a nice stop in the fifth and two in the ninth before catching a ball in foul territory to end the inning. "I think he's relaxed a little bit more," Russell said of Alvarez's fielding. "He made a couple nice plays at third, and that should boost his confidence."
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/yb/146362599
Bucs' losing streak hits 11 games
By Karen Price, The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review
Jun. 18--For a few minutes in the bottom of the eighth inning, it seemed like the Pirates were not only going to break their 10-game losing streak but also do it off the bat of Pedro Alvarez.
Trailing by four runs to the Chicago White Sox going into the bottom of the inning, they got within one with runners on first and third and two out. Pedro Alvarez, the top prospect who made his major-league debut the night before, was up to bat.
But his seventh at-bat in the big leagues was against flame-throwing left-hander Mark Thornton, and he got the best of the 23-year-old with a three-pitch strikeout.
Evan Meek sat the White Sox down in order in the ninth, but Chicago's Bobby Jenks returned the favor in the bottom of the inning and the Pirates lost, 5-4, to extend their season-high losing streak to 11 games on Thursday night at PNC Park.
"We played well; we played a lot better," said Meek, who lowered his ERA slightly to .70, lowest among all major-league relievers with a minimum of 30 innings. "We made a push in that eighth inning. But this is the kind of stuff that happens when you're on a losing streak. It's the smallest thing."
Like Delwyn Young's pinch-hit flare to left field in the ninth that White Sox outfielder Juan Pierre converted into an impressive diving catch. Had Pierre missed, the tying run would have been on first. But, manager John Russell said, it's a game of inches, and the Pirates were a sliver away.
"The guys really fought back," Russell said. "Hopefully, the guys will take the little bit of positive out of this that they did battle back from a lead that looked like we might not be able to and made it a very interesting game."
Starter Ross Ohlendorf (0-5) took the loss for the Pirates (23-43) and is still looking for his first win in nine starts. He struggled with his breaking ball in particular, and left after 6 1/3 innings with five earned runs allowed on nine hits and four strikeouts.
"(Pitching during a losing streak) gives us a really good opportunity to be the one who ends it," Ohlendorf said. "I was really looking forward to that. I just wish I'd pitched better."
The White Sox (31-34) recorded their second-three game sweep of the season, led by left-hander Mark Buehrle, who allowed just two runs on six hits and shut the Pirates out until Neil Walker's solo home run in the sixth inning.
The Pirates' comeback attempt in the eighth started with a one-out, pinch-hit double by Andy LaRoche. Jose Tabata got a walk and Walker, Andrew McCutchen and Lastings Milledge all singled. Garrett Jones hit a sacrifice fly as the Pirates pulled within one.
Alvarez, whose defense was shaky in his major-league debut on Wednesday, made a nice play diving to grab a quick one-hopper from Rios in the third inning. He turned to throw to second, realized it was too late to make the play and threw to first to get Rios out. He made a nice stop in the fifth and two in the ninth before catching a ball in foul territory to end the inning. "I think he's relaxed a little bit more," Russell said of Alvarez's fielding. "He made a couple nice plays at third, and that should boost his confidence."
wow might have to add them to my orioles fade!!!!! fade pit and the orioles
