Shane Bieber put the polish on his Cy Young bid credentials by taking the ERA and Wins titles. He’s also atop the leader boards in WHIP and rWAR, and made 26 QS.
The Pirates set a record for vehicles impounded in a single season at 103. The Fat Captain was heard chortling as he tossed more gold into his treasure chest.
The Lincoln Park rotation essentially dominated the NC this season.
Well. We went 0-3 against the number one seed, which doesn’t bode well for the Series, and 2-1 against the number two, which does.
All in all, not as rotten a month as the schedule predicted. 14-10 for August, which puts us at a comfortable 86-50 for the season. Division 1st (+14½), Overall 3rd. We cannot be relegated, and +14 with a 26 games to play is effectively, if not yet officially, a lock on the division.
Projections (margin of error small at this point):
PPM™ 100 wins
RSS 99 wins
I think we’d prefer the nice round 100, but high nineties ain’t no slouch. Should be a club record.
Not a particularly good month, we went 10-12 for July. In terms of schedule strength, August promises to be so much worse.
But we aren’t dead yet. 69-40 for the season, division 1st, overall 4th. +11 with two months to play, relatively safe?
We’ve already won enough games to guarantee avoiding relegation, so that’s not any worry, but I would like to get at least a division win out of this season. Here come the number one and number two seeds running through the division in August back-to-back.
Pitch your arms off, men.
Projections:
PPM™ 98 Wins
RSS 93 Wins
Not much exciting happened in June. We’re maintaining the pace.
15-9 (.625) for June. Division 1st (+10) Overall 56-28 (.667) 3rd.
Wainwright was Pitcher of the Month for May. Kaline hit a grand slam on Jun 9, Walters threw a Maddux on June 15. Four of the top seven pitchers in ERA and rWAR.
Projections: PPM 99, RSS 93.
August looks like a rough month in schedule terms, we get to face the #1 and #2 seeded teams. Series preview? Gonna be a bloodbath.
Comes up in the first month of every season a lot, “does anyone have a list of the achievements in PT?”
Original author unfortunately unknown. But preserved for posterity here, for the next time it comes up.
Life in a smaller league continues. We’re beginning to see the Big Guns from the other league roll through; there’s a lot more inter-league play than normal in this schedule. 24-team league, that’s almost demanded just to fill out the games.
May wasn’t as spectacular as Mar/Apr, but it wasn’t bad, 15-10 (.600). Division 1st (39-18, .684), Overall 3rd. Looks like August is going to be Shark Month here at the Towing Yard, and our likely Final Four is shaping up.
The Towing Yard park effects are showing up strongly, keeping our pitching hot hot hot and our bats cool. Runs Allowed 145 (1st), Runs Scored 236 (10th). Pretty normal for a deadball park, but at least our ISO is a bit better than last season. Those extra sticks we acquired (Cano and Kaline) are surely helping.
Predictions: (really unreliable, this early in the season)
Pessimistic Projection Model™—98 Wins
Remaining Schedule Strength—91 Wins
Lincoln Park went on a plundering spree in April. Cutlasses clenched and cannons loaded, they looted more vehicles than in any month in the team’s brief history. The Fat Captain so pleased that he actually ordered some shore leave and free grog and wenches for the men.
From Apr 22-26. Pirates pitchers hurled FIVE back-to-back-to-back-to-back-to-back shutouts or shared shutouts. During this particular week, they outscored the opposition forty runs to none. Sutton and Bieber are each 4-0, team ERA is 1.93.
Division 1st (+3) Overall t-1st @ 21-7 (.750).
That kind of streak cannot last forever, but it’s certainly a great start to the season.
Welcome aboard:
CF Al Kaline, who will share the position with 2-time GG winner CoCo Crisp.
‘
Lincoln Park’s post-season ended with a two-run single in the bottom of the 7th of the division series deciding game.
Wainwright was pitching a 4-hit shutout up until Machado’s single to deep center field drove in Winfield and Baines for the #2-seeded Camarillo Airhogs. Musgrove and Iglesias surrendered 7 hits and 2 walks, yet escaped with a shared shutout as the Pirates stranded six on base.
The Airhogs move on to face the #3-seeded Seattle Reign in the sub-league series.
Gold Gloves: C. Crisp CF, R. Hansen 3B, C. Vazquez C
Welcome to the team: Robinson Cano (and other Yankees, assigned to the reserves)
Knight Raid going to the playoffs.
Final season record: 89-73, AC second wild card spot.
Face The Curtain 