The Pirates return home after winning their series in Miami against the Marlins. That should qualify as good news. Unfortunately, when you go 2-8 on the road trip, the series win in Miami wasn’t much to celebrate. The Pirates were downright awful on this trip. They are now seven games under 500. Neal Huntington can talk all he wants about being a contender and liking his team’s fight, but reality tells me this Pirates team isn’t very good and isn’t going anywhere. Unless they come up with a double-digit winning streak like they did a year ago, and I don’t see that happening, the Pirates are going to be so far out it over the next month that they may admit they’re in a rebuilding mode and start trading some veterans. It’s just a matter of time until it happens.
• Jim Rutherford finally made his first off-season move for the Pens, sending young defenseman Olli Maatta to Chicago. The move was hardly unexpected. Maatta had struggled with injuries and seemed a step slow over the last season. And with so many players on defense, he had become expendable. I don’t believe for one second that Rutherford is done dealing. I still think there’s a great chance he deals Phil Kessel, and wouldn’t be surprised if it happens at next weekend’s NHL Draft. Speaking of, the Pens actually have a first round pick. It’s about time. The Pens have traded away too many top picks. They need to start putting a value on first round selections, starting this week.
• Mitch Keller may be one of the Pirates’ top pitching prospects, but he sure has a long way to go if he’s going to make it in the majors. Keller has had two starts in the bigs, and he’s been pounded both times. More alarming is how he has struggled in the first inning of each game. I don’t question the young man’s ability. I just hope he can get it together soon.
• So much for Chris Archer building on his recent good starts for the Pirates. It’s still hard to believe he gave up five home runs against the Braves last week, including a club record four in one inning. A fat guy sitting in the stands could have done that. Archer looked terrible and defeated. I don’t know how he will overcome this. Nor do I know how the Pirates will change the minds of the fan base who believe the trade that brought Archer to Pittsburgh was one of the worst in club history.
• I’m still trying to figure out why Joe Musgrove was tossed in Atlanta in the first inning against the Braves. It was an overreaction by the home plate umpire. Musgrove was not trying to throw at Josh Donaldson. Yes, some words were said between the players, but no punches were thrown. The whole thing was ridiculous.
• I love golf’s major championships. They hardly ever disappoint. The US Open was terrific. I was hoping Brooks Koepka would be in the hunt for his third straight Open, and he was right in it until the end. He gave it a great effort, but couldn’t catch Gary Woodland, who never cracked under pressure. It was hard to believe watching Woodland that he had never won a major before. He made his first one a very memorable one. What a week at Pebble.
• I’ve got to get to Pebble Beach, site of this weekend’s US Open. It’s a spectacular golf course in one of the most beautiful places on earth. The Open returns to Pebble in 2027. I’m going!
• Congratulations to the St. Louis Blues for winning their first Stanley Cup. I picked the Bruins to win the series, and definitely thought the B’s would win Game Seven on their home ice. The Blues just wouldn’t be denied. They were a great story, climbing from last place in January to skating away with hockey’s biggest prize. It was fun to watch. I was also glad to see the team win it because of what they did for Laila Anderson, the young fan who is battling cancer. She’s been the team’s good luck charm. They even surprised her by flying her to Boston for Game Seven. Laila also took part in the post-game celebration on the ice with the players. It was a beautiful thing to see. Well done, Blues!
• Perhaps the dynasty is over. The Golden State Warriors were unable to win their third straight NBA title, and the title now resides north of the border. Hats off to the Toronto Raptors for winning their first ever NBA championship. They were the better team in the series. As for Golden State, they were decimated by injuries and just couldn’t overcome them. Had they managed to pull out Game Six they would have been without sharpshooter Klay Thompson, who tore his ACL in his left knee late in the game. Talk about bad luck. It was a great run for the Warriors. It will be interesting to see how they rebound. First, they need to get healthy again.
• I was glad to see Kevin Durant make his return from injury to join his Golden State Warriors teammates in Game Five. I thought Durant looked great, and was hoping he could help lead the defending champs back from a 3-1 deficit. I never thought he would go down with a torn Achilles. It was devastating break for Durant and the Warriors. I believe Kevin Durant is the best player in the world. I saw him put on a clinic in person last year when I attended the clinching Game Four of the NBA Finals in Cleveland. The guy is incredible. I hope Kevin Durant returns better than ever. In the meantime, it will be interesting to see if he leaves the Warriors via free agency or chooses to return.
• Get well Big Papi. Thank goodness former Red Sox slugger David Ortiz survived a shooting in his native Dominican Republic. Ortiz is beloved in his adopted hometown of Boston. It was a great gesture by the Red Sox to send a plane to bring him to Beantown and get him the further medical treatment he needs. Here’s to hoping Big Papi is up and about soon and will throw out the first pitch in Fenway sometime this summer.