The Quest for 100
Bucs Provide a Scare But Fail to Sweep Phils

The Pirates proved that they may not be as bad as they look, especially when playing in the friendly confines of PBC Park. Their road record is horrendus but it will be tough to lose 100 games when their home record is around 6-7.
They will have a chance to improve on the major league best 12 road losses Monday night when they kick off a two game series at Chicago before a two game series at the NL East leading Mets. Things could get ugly.

Phillies series
Squeeking by with solid starting pitching, the Pirates landed a 3-1 and a 3-2 decision on Friday and Saturday night but they sent fans home with their brooms put to no use with a 5-1 loss on Sunday. It is becoming more and more evident everyday that the 100 losses will come down to starting pitching. That is a fact.
Lets look at the starters:

Zach Duke 1-2 4.50
Olly Perez 1-4 7.43
Ian Snelled 1-2 5.79
Mahollem 1-3 5.86
Victor Sant 1-4 6.48

The Quest for .100
Jeremy Burnitz .226
Chris Duffy .197
Nate McLouth .196
Jose Hernandez .174

The Quest for 100 K's
C. Wilson 22
Burnitz 20
Bay 20
Duffy 20

The Pirates now find themselves as the worst team in the Central at 10.5 games back, the worst team in the National League with a .269 winning percentage and the most losses in major league baseball with 19. They have won 2 of their last eight.

Post-Gazette
Oliver Perez, still looking much more like a loose link than the leader of the staff, was pounded for four runs and pulled two outs into the fourth inning of the 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies yesterday before 22,320 at PNC Park.

Perez has the second highest ERA among Major League Pitchers with 5 starts behind only Glendon Rusch.

The 1-12 road record is the team's worst to this point in its 120 years. There were only three examples of the Pirates starting as poorly as 2-11, none since 1985. Even the 1890 Pittsburg Alleghenies, owners of the franchise's lowest overall winning percentage, were 4-8-1 through 13 games on the road.

Pirates continue to shatter records

Power Rankings
Post-Gazette No. 29 (28)
ESPN.com No. 30 (28)
CBS Sportsline No. 29 (28)

CBS Sportsline Computer Ranking
Race for the worst

28. Tampa Bay Devil Rays 80.99
29. Pittsburgh Pirates 75.34
30. Kansas City Royals 72.45

2006 Pirates: 7-19
On pace for: 43-119
Odds of losing 100: 81%

-n