THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to continue their winnings ways this afternoon as they close out their homestand against the Atlanta Bravos. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates are going for a 3rd consecutive win, which would also give ATL their 3rd loss in a row. Pirates starter Jonathan Sanchez has been playing like a Dirty Sanchez all season. He is 0-2 with a 12.96 ERA. Seriously, think how good the Pirates could be if they had a real pitching staff, not just AJ and Wandy and hope a blind squirrel finds a nut. Sanchez needs to step up or get outta the way! 2)I know the season isn't even a year old yet and it's way too early to watch the scoreboard. But, the Pirates are over .500 for the first time this season after winning 6 of 8. Keep that train a' rollin'! 3)ATL is 1 for 13 with runners in scoring position in this series. Make them leave those ducks on the pond! ATL is still tied for the best record in baseball at 13-4. The Pirates are 1 game back of division leading St Louie. A win today and Clint Hurdle will take the Pirates to the Dairy Queen for ice cream. Don't forget: Hit, Run, Score, oh my! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!