Bucs play well; Jason Marquis does not

First off we need to applaud the latest accomplishments of our Buccos; a three-game sweep is nothing to scoff at and it is something that this club can really hang their hats on in the early going. Good plate discipline, capable pitching and clutch hitting really contributed to the recent victories. I'm looking forward to an interesting and exciting summer if the Pirates keep playing this way.

The next topic doesn't directly concern the Bucs but is something worth mentioning. There was a Nationals-Brewers game that happened earlier today in which a certain pitcher did not play very well. Jason Marquis, I'm looking at you.

("Mrrr...Please don't look at me")

Mr. Marquis pitched quite poorly. Here is the official stat line: 0.0 IP, 4H, 7ER, 1BB, 0K, 28 pitches. The Brew Crew went on to score 3 additional runs in the first inning. Yowza. I always chuckle at the beginning of the season when a bullpen guy gets only 1 out and gives up 5 runs or so and his ERA soars to 108.00 or something like that, but this guy has gone three starts now and all he has to show is an 0-3 record with a 20.52 ERA. That's bad enough for Will Smith to say "Dayumm!"

(Though, for me, it isn't difficult to imagine something that would make Will say "damn".)

However, the point here is not make fun of Jason Marquis. It is rather to reiterate the old saying that it "ain't over til its over". Despite giving up a huge lead in the first inning, the Nats rallied to score 7 runs over 16 hits across the next 9 innings while the Brewers managed only 1 more run. The Nationals ended up losing by 4, leaving 2 stranded runners at the end of the 9th. Even though they came up short, it is refreshing to see a ball club give it their all the whole game even though a bum essentially threw away the game in the first inning. Sorry again Marquis.

("No, go on. It's cool. I'm still making $15 mil")

Moral of the story: don't give up. You may lose, but don't give up. Fans come to a game expecting their team to perform. Ultimately, a good performance is what all fans want to see. Of course, a win is better than a loss, but an exciting loss is better than a mailed-in loss. I'm sure any Nats fans at the game took at least some solace in the fact that their team has some heart. With their recent walk-off wins, the Pirates have shown that they have the grit and determination to hang in tough games and pull out a victory. Lets hope that when the Bucs have their "Marquis-esque" games this season that we can watch a heartfelt performance, and maybe even a win, in the eyes of all but certain defeat.