Umm, okay...

--So the Pirates beat the Cardinals 8-2 tonight. In amazing events, Tony Armas pitched a quality start, Shawn Chacon didn't give up any runs, and the Pirates got lots of hits and those ever-so-important hits with runners-in-scoring-position despite Freddy Sanchez again posting no hits. Seriously, amazing.

--Amazing enough to make me wonder if perhaps I should post sermonizing screeds about how my baseball team ruins my love of the game before every game. Though really, I do think facing a starter just back from surgery had more to do with the outcome of the game than any incredible skill of my baseball team. But at the least the Pirates took advantage and hit Mulder.

--While I'm not prepared to say that this solitary win means anything more than 1 more victory in the standings, at least the Pirates responded to leaving 10 men on base yesterday by getting those "big" (Tracy's term) hits in tonight's match. And even though the Pirates were aided due to the fact that it was Mulder's first start back, earlier in the season the team still wouldn't have responded to yesterday's loss by getting key hits tonight. No, I'm not about to be like the propaganda machine by claiming a one-time occurrence as an "encouraging" sign for next year. However, it was a reaction that should be expected of a legitimate MLB team, and for once, it was nice to see the Pirates reacting like a legitimate MLB team.

--Speaking of nice things to see, Steve Pearce hitting doubles is quite enjoyable. I could get used to seeing and enjoying that extremely easily. As Serious Lifelong Baseball Fan, featured in one of yesterday's posts, noted: "He's got a nice swing." Here's hoping he can keep hitting at the MLB level as he did in the minors this season.

--I seriously did a double-take when I saw the standings on FSN. No, not just due to the comical ineptitude of the NL Central. The Cardinals have 7 more wins than the Pirates. 7 more wins. While the Cardinals have played 3 fewer games than the Pirates, still, they have 7 more wins and are 2 games out of first place in the NL Central. A measly (and I realize it's not measly at all)10 more wins and the Pirates would be in the running for winning their pathetic division (they'd only be a mediocre club, but mediocre gets you contention in the NL Central some years). The fact that the team couldn't get those wins despite playing against (generously described) mediocre NL Central opponents should indict a lot of people, starting with people wearing suits down to the people wearing Bucco uniforms.

--In other baseball news, the Phillies imploded again today in allowing Atlanta to mount a comeback late in the game. I thoroughly enjoyed watching the Phillies implode when the Pirates managed an outpouring of offense in the 7th inning against them. While I enjoyed the Buccos' performance, the comeback wins of both Atlanta and Pittsburgh reveal that even teams that win more than they lose have issues. (I tend to forget this truth, given the multiplicity of problems facing my losing team.)

--Though, really, if the Pirates could mount a comeback against the Phils, and if they apparently can score runs, why in the world couldn't they manage to do that consistently enough to be, you know, within 5 games of .500? (I know, overall, the answer to that question is that they're just not very good and certainly not as good as they look when they're winning.) But, you know, it's really better not to ask such questions.

--For tonight, when my MLB team played baseball the way a MLB team should, I'll refrain from posing the questions that drive me to the edge of insanity and just remember that sermonizing screeds aside, I do love baseball. It's just nice to get a win every once in awhile, where hitting, pitching, and defense all do what they're supposed to do, that reminds me why I love baseball.

--Oh, and I've apparently returned to what I believe should be "normal" status for a Bucco fan. Expect a loss, but be pleasantly surprised when your team wins. Sad as it is to say, I wasn't convinced a 8-2 lead was safe, but I must admit, it's far more enjoyable to be surprised by an unexpected win than to find yourself down after a should've-been-expected-but-didn't-want-to-expect loss. Perhaps low expectations are the key to maintaining sanity when following the Buccos as a fan, at least until ownership, the GM, coaching staff, and the team actually set, and then maintain, and then meet, high expectations. For this fan, it's easier to follow the "low expectations" lead until higher expectations are legitimately set in place by the powers-that-be. That rant about high/low expectations aside, no matter the expectations, winning is always nice.