Losing Streak to Start Season

[pumph]

The '88 Orioles have nothing on the 2014 Pirates in my 2013 career.

I'm actually playing a 4-game series with them right now, and the pressure is enormous. I don't want to be the team they beat. It's May 2nd and they're winless.

[Hockey13Playa]

Wow that is so bad lol. Good luck on your series!

[tejdog1]

Pennants can't be won in April, but they can be lost.

[D-BacksJosh]

Shiver me timbers!

[X3NEIZE]

Wow, can you post a list of their current players? this is nuts

[tejdog1]

So when'd they end up getting their first win?

[Padreman]

I'm just happy San Diego has 2nd best Record in the NL

[pumph]

Originally Posted by tejdog1

So when'd they end up getting their first win?

Haven't yet.

They're 0-26 after I got my 4-game sweep. I play each game out and normally only play a game or two each day.

Even worse for them is that the Cardinals are on a 10-game winning streak (21-5), so the Pirates are now 21 games out of first. Good news for them though, as they're only 18 out of the wildcard.

The only abnormalities to their roster is that McCutchen is out for 2 weeks with a hammy and Neil Walker has missed time on the DL as well. I even traded them Kurt Suzuki for cash in the offseason so I could clear some financial wiggle room and they needed another catcher. Cole is up with the big club. They dealt a couple mediocre pitchers to other teams for prospects, and they signed Ryan Madsen as a free agent to be their closer. They did deal Starling Marte for prospects last season as well.

Last season, they went 62-100, with McCutchen only playing in 82 game due to injury, and hitting .263 with 12 HR.

The first game of our series was a real struggle - a 6-5 win by me where I had to come from behind and then hold on as Soriano wanted to gift the game away.

The last game was one I was worried about. Liriano, who despite an awful team was among the league leaders in strikeouts, against my #5 SP, Matt Torra. And despite some changes to my roster, my team still strikes out an awful lot.

I milked some counts early to get his pitch count up, and got a 2-out, 3-run homer off him by my #8 hitter in the 2nd to give me some breathing room. Then the wheels came off of him as we chased in him the 4th with four more runs, eventually getting out to a 9-0 lead, before winning 11-2.

I was glad to escape. For me, it almost had a playoff feel to it, as I wanted their streak to continue and didn't want it to come to a close against me. I feel I managed the games like playoff games in the way I handled my pen and bench.

Pittsburgh is off to Cincinnati, where the Reds look to extend the streak.

[BoSoxFan]

Originally Posted by pumph

Haven't yet.

They're 0-26 after I got my 4-game sweep. I play each game out and normally only play a game or two each day.

Even worse for them is that the Cardinals are on a 10-game winning streak (21-5), so the Pirates are now 21 games out of first. Good news for them though, as they're only 18 out of the wildcard.

The only abnormalities to their roster is that McCutchen is out for 2 weeks with a hammy and Neil Walker has missed time on the DL as well. I even traded them Kurt Suzuki for cash in the offseason so I could clear some financial wiggle room and they needed another catcher. Cole is up with the big club. They dealt a couple mediocre pitchers to other teams for prospects, and they signed Ryan Madsen as a free agent to be their closer. They did deal Starling Marte for prospects last season as well.

Last season, they went 62-100, with McCutchen only playing in 82 game due to injury, and hitting .263 with 12 HR.

The first game of our series was a real struggle - a 6-5 win by me where I had to come from behind and then hold on as Soriano wanted to gift the game away.

The last game was one I was worried about. Liriano, who despite an awful team was among the league leaders in strikeouts, against my #5 SP, Matt Torra. And despite some changes to my roster, my team still strikes out an awful lot.

I milked some counts early to get his pitch count up, and got a 2-out, 3-run homer off him by my #8 hitter in the 2nd to give me some breathing room. Then the wheels came off of him as we chased in him the 4th with four more runs, eventually getting out to a 9-0 lead, before winning 11-2.

I was glad to escape. For me, it almost had a playoff feel to it, as I wanted their streak to continue and didn't want it to come to a close against me. I feel I managed the games like playoff games in the way I handled my pen and bench.

Pittsburgh is off to Cincinnati, where the Reds look to extend the streak.

21 games back to start the season... defimitely different from real life!

[pumph]

Have not played too many games recently as I've been busy, but I did play two tonight (not against PIT).

The streak has now reached 31 games.

It's still alive. And pathetic.

[BoSoxFan]

Originally Posted by pumph

Have not played too many games recently as I've been busy, but I did play two tonight (not against PIT).

The streak has now reached 31 games.

It's still alive. And pathetic.

Lower the Jolly Roger!

[pumph]

BREAKING NEWS:

The streak is over!

After losing their first 33 games to start the season, the Pirates fought back from an early 4-0 deficit to defeat the Miami Marlins 6-4. I guess beating the Marlins counts as winning a Major League game, but barely.

They are now 1-33, 23.5 games back in the division and 20 back in the wildcard.

Predictions on their final record?

I'll say they pick up 48 wins, going 48-114. They have talent, especially in the minors, several of whom are just about ready to come up. I think they'll do better than playing .029 ball. To get to 48 wins, they "only" need to play .375 ball from here on out. Yes, that's a dramatic turnaround, but I think they can do it.

[jaysdailydose]

Originally Posted by pumph

BREAKING NEWS:

The streak is over!

After losing their first 33 games to start the season, the Pirates fought back from an early 4-0 deficit to defeat the Miami Marlins 6-4. I guess beating the Marlins counts as winning a Major League game, but barely.

They are now 1-33, 23.5 games back in the division and 20 back in the wildcard.

Predictions on their final record?

I'll say they pick up 48 wins, going 48-114. They have talent, especially in the minors, several of whom are just about ready to come up. I think they'll do better than playing .029 ball. To get to 48 wins, they "only" need to play .375 ball from here on out. Yes, that's a dramatic turnaround, but I think they can do it.

When you have a moment, could you look at your preseason predictions and see how pathetic they were supposed to be, just to put things in perspective?

Kind of curious what their Pythagorean record is as well... Thanks in advance!

[pumph]

Preseason, they were picked to be tied with Oakland as the worst team in the league at 67-95.

Pythagorean Record is 4-30.

[pumph]

The Pirates have now improved to 3-33 after winning 3 straight.

If they tear off 33 wins in a row after that 0-33 start, I will never play this game again

[tejdog1]

I say they win 60+

63-99. Meaning they go 63-66 from an 0-33 start.

[Fyrestorm3]

I've got my money on 52-110.

[chucksabr]

I say 60-102.

[pumph]

Ok, so the results are in...

The Pirates end my 2014 season with a record of 67-95 after the 0-33 start.

Pretty impressive, actually.

My Nationals won the NL East with 91 wins, and the Pirates actually had a better 2nd-half record than I did.

They actually finished ahead of the:
Brewers 61-101
Mets 66-96
and tied with the Giants and Twins

Originally Posted by pumph

Preseason, they were picked to be tied with Oakland as the worst team in the league at 67-95.

Nice job on the prediction. But the A's finished 80-82, 4 games out of the WC

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I can only imagine the time management had keeping the players happy at 0 & 30.