Zach Duke, Is That You?

Remember the Zach Duke that burst onto the baseball scene with the Pirates back in 2005?  Yeah, the guy that with the pinpoint control that went 8-2 and held a 1.81 ERA in 14 starts.  He showed up for the second straight start after taking 2006-2008 off.  Duke was excellent in the Pirates’ home opener, tossing a complete game four-hit shutout as the Bucs hammered the Astros by a final of 7-0.

Given the emergence of Paul Maholm as a front-line starter, and Ian Snell’s strong finish in 2006 and excellent start in 2007, the Pirates have the makings of a solid rotation if those two and Duke can put it all together.  Don’t forget about ol’ Gorzo in AAA Indianapolis either, he’s much better than his awful 2008 campaign indicates.

I’m not alone in thinking that this year’s version of the Pirates is looking more and more like a semi-competitive club.  The National League Central isn’t baseball’s easiest division, but I’d take the Bucs finishing ahead of the Astros with confidence.  There’s no way a rotation that features Brian Moehler, Mike Hampton, and Russ Ortiz can hold up for a whole season.  This isn’t 2001 anymore.

Notes and Observations:

• Steve Blass was honored before the game.  The facade below the radio broadcast booth now features a silhouette of Blass jumping during the celebration of the 1971 World Series.
• Duke hit his second double of the season over the head of former teammate Jason Michaels
• Nate McLouth received his Gold Glove Award prior to the game, then crashed into the center field wall trying to make a catch in the 1st inning.
• Jason Michaels and Nate McLouth both graduated from the Brian Giles school of hairstyle.
• Freddy Sanchez hit three doubles, and displayed the sweet stroke that made him the 2006 NL batting champ.

Tags: Freddy Sanchez, Houston Astros, Nate McLouth, NL Central, Pirates Rotation, Zach Duke