Jimenez was good as advertised, giving up only 1 run to the Pirates in 7 innings. He surrendered only 4 hits while striking out 6 and walking 3. Jose Tabata and Garrett Jones teamed up to put a run on the board in the first inning, which was a surprise to me, but the offense was silent after that.
I suppose today was as good a day as any for a terrible pitching performance, which is just what the Pirates got out of the incredibly inconsistent Paul Maholm. Paul went 5.1 innings giving up a wowing 11 hits and 8 earned runs. The performance raised his season ERA from 4.13 to 4.52. Steve Jackson, who made his first appearance in his 526th call up to the majors (well... it seems like it anyway), gave up a run and 4 hits in 1.2 innings of work. Javier Lopez put up a zero in the 8th and lowered his season ERA to a pleasant 2.58.
So that's the story from today, but let's take a closer look at the best starter for the 2010 Pittsburgh Pirates, Paul Maholm and the season he has had.
While the majority of the Pirates losses in 2010 have come on the road, Maholm hasn't really contributed to that trend, as he has had more success on the road than he has had at home this year.
On the road this year, Paul Maholm has posted a record of 2-3 with a 3.85 ERA. The weird part is that batters are hitting .320 off of him on the road.
At home this year, Paul Maholm has posted a record of 4-6 (a decision in every start) with a 4.95 ERA and batters are hitting only .267 off him. So what that means is that Maholm is having a lot of bad luck at home and some good luck on the road.
There really isn't much to say about Maholm's year so far, it's just been kind of strange. One day he'll throw a complete game shut out (like he did on July 18th, and then gives up 12 runs in his next two starts. You don't really know what you're gonna get from Paul on any given night.
The one thing that Paul has done this year is take advantage of lackluster lineups. For example, Paul has made 2 starts against the Houston Astros and has held their batters to a .164 average. He has also made 3 starts against the Chicago Cubs, and has won all 3 starts. He has been surprisingly good against the Cincinnati Reds, holding their batters to a .204 average and leading the Pirates to victories in both of his starts. However, he got roughed up by the Phillies, Rangers, Cardinals, Braves, and now Rockies, all teams above the .500 mark.
Paul has been his normal self this year, pitching to contact and altogether average. However, when you're pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates, average can make you look like an ace.
Here's the updated offensive report for the Pirates second half, still looking pretty decent as they are averaging 10 hits a game and hitting at a .286 clip:
1 comments:
A 6-7 record with that average is bad though. They need better pitching.
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