The Pirates opened their four game series in St. Louis by losing to the Cards 17-4. After that disaster I figured it was a given that the Buccos would lose their ninth straight series to their NL Central rivals. I never imagined the Pirates winning the next three straight and the series on the road. Not against the Cardinals, the gold standard in the division. It was a heck of an effort by the injury plagued Pirates.
· Josh Bell is turning into a star before our eyes. After a sophomore slump, the switch hitting Bell is tearing it up. His four for four 5 RBI effort against the Cards in the series finale was really impressive. Bell has tremendous power, but he’s also hitting the ball all over the yard. I also like the way Bell has improved in the field. He made a couple of great plays against the Cardinals. If he can solve his throwing woes he just might turn into a pretty good fielder. As for his hitting, Bell is worth the price of admission.
· Every team has a few bad losses during the course of the season. Last week’s blown game against the Rangers was one you can put in that column. Instead of getting a win before heading on the long road trip, the Buccos gave one away. Michael Feliz was brutal, giving up three straight walks followed by a grand slam. I think it was fair to question manager Clint Hurdle for not pulling Feliz. The veteran skipper stuck with his reliever and the results were horrible. This game won’t make the difference in whether the Pirates win the division, but it was one you can look back at and wonder what the heck happened.
· You can’t read too much in rookie mini camps. Only a few guys that take part will ever make an NFL roster. Still, it says something that Devin Bush was already calling the defensive signals in his first day in black and gold. The Steelers know they have a really talented kid in Bush, and a natural leader. Steelers’ rookies are usually brought along slowly by the coaching staff. Bush could be a starter come the opener in New England. He’s that good.
· I love the move by the PGA Tour to move the PGA Championship up to May. I’ll be at Beth Page on Long Island on Friday for the second round of golf’s second major championship. Needless to say, all everyone is talking about is Tiger Woods after his comeback win at The Masters. Tiger has won at Beth Page and could very well win again. Still, don’t out the other young guns. And don’t forget Brooks Koepka, who won last year and might very well go back to back.
· Even without Kevin Durant, the best player in the world, the Golden State Warriors keep rolling. They’re back in the NBA Western Conference finals again. If they get Durant and Boogie Cousins back, I believe they’ll win another title. I don’t watch much NBA basketball, but I did go up to Cleveland last year and saw the Warriors win Game Four to capture the title. They’re an incredibly talented team and are a joy to watch. I’d love to see them do it again.
· I love the NHL playoffs, but confess I haven’t paid as much attention to the games now that the Pens are out. Seems like a lifetime ago that the Pens exited in four games. Wonder how the guys are doing on the golf course?
