It’s hard to get to upset about this one, if you can even bring yourself to get upset about another Pirates loss at this point in the season. The Braves are a very good team — the defending world champions, with enough youth and talent to win more titles in the near future. Atlanta has been a model franchise ever since these two clubs first met in October more than 30 years ago; as for the Pirates during that span, well…
Who cares. On a night like this, it wouldn’t have mattered if the Pirates were a well-run ballclub or whatever the hell they call this current product on the field. Max Fried is one of the best pitchers in baseball. The Braves have one of the best lineups in baseball. That’s a tough assignment for any team, let alone baseball’s version of the Washington Generals. Fried did his thing and dominated the Pirates for 8 innings; JT Brubaker matched him through 4 innings and then the wheels popped off in the 5th, where he allowed 5 runs on 6 hits. I still think Brubaker is a decent pitcher — games like this happen to good pitchers, too, particularly when they face the 2022 Braves.
This kind of game could have happened to a good Pirates team, so it’s no surprise that it happened to a bad one. But it was nonetheless a stark reminder of how far this franchise has to go before they’re truly ready to contend for a championship. Even if things go right for Ben Cherington — and not a lot is going right currently — it could be years before the Pirates get there, if they ever do.
Bucco Ball 