THE BULLPEN

     Hey, batter, batter, batter, batter! Our Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series tonight with their NL Central rivals the St Louie Cardinals at PNC Park. These are your keys for tonight's game. 1)Give the Pirates credit. They're creative, if nothing else. They continue to find new ways to lose ballgames. Last night, they gave another one away in a 12-inning, 9-3 loss in this series opener. They are now in 3rd place in the NL Central and sinking like a stone. Teams of the past few years found a way to win. This team finds a way to lose. Where does Mrs. Black-N-Gold begin? She can start with the fact that they were just 2 for 10 with runners in scoring position. St Louie may not be having their best year but they are a team that will always take advantage of opportunities. The Pirates, on the other hand, do not. You cannot leave Bucs on the pond! 2)Believe it or not, the Pirates had a lead in this game. Unfortunately, the bullpen was bull crap. Again! Hold 'em! 3)Considering how badly the pitching staff has performed this season, this last key cannot be repeated enough. You've got to, got to, got to give us more Hit, Run & Score! Right the ship, raise the Jolly Roger and get back in the win column! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!