Skip to main content

Wow. The Bucs sweep the Reds

Do you think the St. Louis Cardinals are getting nervous yet?

Probably not, but it's fun to think that they might be looking in their rear-view mirror as the Bucs sit one game out of first place after sweeping the Cincinnati Reds this weekend.

What was particularly encouraging is the way the Bucs are going about business.

They rallied in the ninth inning Friday and Saturday to win the first two games of the series.

With a chance to sweep, Paul Maholm had a strong outing on the mound, giving up just four hits.

Meanwhile, the Pirates made the most of their five hits, scoring five runs in the fourth inning against the Reds on Sunday.

Key hitting. Strong pitching. Good bullpen.

It's a recipe for success, and the Bucs have followed it in four of their past five games.

Yeah, it's been fun. And I know the bottom can fall out at any given moment for this franchise. After all, they were 9-6 last season.

But at least not everyone is satisfied with the start.

"It doesn't mean too much at this point. Now, if we're at that point in September? That will be something," Maholm told the Post-Gazette.

That might be the most encouraging sign.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Are the Steelers the team no one wants to face?

Embed from Getty Images There's a label attached to the Steelers this postseason: The team no one wants to face. Don't buy it? Monday Morning QB thinks so . Andy Benoit says an explosive passing game and creative defense makes Pittsburgh the most dangerous team in the AFC. I don't think the Ravens had any problems facing the Steelers two weeks ago. But, hey, the Ravens aren't in the playoffs, right? The problem with the Steelers is the defense. They might be creative, as Benoit suggests, but they're also vulnerable to the big play. The team seems to play up -- or down -- to its competition. So, again, there are no Ravens in the playoffs, so they can't be accused of playing down. However, the Steelers have to like their chances with the Bengals on Saturday. One Vegas line on Sunday night had Pittsburgh as a small favorite. Does that mean the Steelers could play down to Cincy? I'm sure the Steelers will be fired up. And it is the po

It was a Burfict ending for the Steelers against the Bengals

Embed from Getty Images I've never seen an ending like that . Oh, sure, I've seen games play out like the scoring summary did from Saturday night's unbelievable wild-card game. Steelers take a 15-0 lead. It looks like they have the game in hand. The Bengals take the lead late in the game. The Steelers win it with a field goal in the waning seconds. That doesn't quite sum it up, does it? Not this game. Not the way it unfolded. Let's get back to the 15-0 part. Martavis Bryant gave the Steelers that lead with an incredible TD catch from Ben Roethlisberger. He actually caught it with his butt. I'm not sure how that was a football move -- but I digress. At that point, it looked like the Steelers were in control. Then Vontaze Burfict took over for the Bengals. Yeah, that guy. Burfict sacked Roethlisberger at the end of the third quarter, knocking Big Ben out of the game. Embed from Getty Images But all the Ste

Don't compare the Steelers to last year's playoff team

Embed from Getty Images I'm already hearing talk about this year's playoff is unfolding like last year. You know how that went: The Steelers lost their starting running back in Week 17, then lost in the wild-card round against a divisional opponent. This year, DeAngelo Williams was injured in Week 17. And the Steelers face a divisional opponent -- the Bengals. That's where it stops. Williams has a sprained ankle, and is considered day-to-day. They also face an opponent that has a rich history -- of losing in the postseason. That's not to suggest that this game is a gimmie and the Steelers should book a trip to Denver. This will present it's share of challenges, namely A.J. Green and tight end Tyler Eifert. The Steelers will need to slow them down, no matter who's throwing the ball. But, if A.J. McCarron is behind center, that should be in favor of the Steelers -- also something different from a year ago.