Loading ...The great debate regarding the MVP Award in Major League Baseball always comes down to one question: Is it rewarded to the best player of the season, or the one most influential in their team’s success? No matter which side you fall on, there is no denying that Andrew McCutchen of the Pittsburgh Pirates is the clear cut favorite for the National League’s Most Valuable Player award.
The Pirates led the entire game on Wednesday evening, securing a 4-2 victory over the Nationals despite losing starter Erik Bedard after only one inning with back spasms.
The win was the Pirates' second straight over visiting Washington, who have now lost three in a row to fall into a tie for first in the NL East. Pittsburgh is now tied with Houston for third in the NL Central at 14-16, five games behind first-place St. Louis.
Bedard needed only five pitches for a 1-2-3 first inning, but experienced back spasms after getting a 1-2 count on Adam LaRoche leading off the second inning. Brad Lincoln replaced Bedard to strike out LaRoche and pitched three innings to earn the win.
The Pirates got on the board early on the strength of three third-inning runs. Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen and Casey McGehee each hit RBI singles off Washington starter Ross Detwiler.
McCutchen homered for the second game in a row and the second time this season for the Pirates' final run in the eighth inning. He was 4-for-4 on the night.
Read more... Join the Conversation...The Pirates will take on the Braves tonight at 7:35 p.m. at Turner Field.
A.J. Burnett will make his second start of the season for the Buccos opposite Atlanta's Tommy Hanson. Burnett pitched seven innings and struck out seven in his first outing of the year last Saturday. Perhaps the most encouraging stat from Burnett's performance was that he only issued two walks, and none after the third batter of the game.
Third baseman Pedro Alvarez will look to build off his strong performance in the team's doubleheader on Wednesday against the Rockies. Alvarez went 3-for-8 in the twinbill, including a home run in each game as well as a double in Game 2. Alvarez is only 7-for-45 on the season, but five of those hits have gone for extra bases to make for a .444 slugging percentage.
If Alvarez and Burnett can sustain their recent successes, both would go far to settle doubts the Pirates and their fans have. Alvarez had a dismal 2011 season and until Wednesday, his grip seemed to be slipping on the everyday third base job to Casey McGehee. Burnett is just a question mark based on his performance—or lack thereof—over the past three years for the Yankees. With Jeff Karstens out with inflammation in his right shoulder, consistency from Burnett would quickly establish him as a leader among the staff both on and off the field. The Pirates' starting pitchers this year have a 2.59 ERA, but are only 3-7 due to a complete lack of run support.
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