Pirates Sweep Marlins, Run Win Streak to 6

The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally hitting their stride. Coming in to a weekend series with the New York Mets, the Bucs had a record of 18-22. After sweeping New York in 3 games and following that up with a 3 game sweep of the Miami Marlins, they are now 24-22 and just 2 games back of the Mets for a wildcard spot. Miami came to PNC Park on Monday hoping for a good showing under new manager Dan Jennings, but Pittsburgh just was not the place for that to happen. The series started on Memorial Day where the Pirates won 4-2. Charlie Morton's first start of the season was successful, and his  7 strong innings of work were backed up by a 3 run home-run from catcher Francisco Cervelli(his first as a Pirate). Cervillis blast ended up making the difference. The Bucs followed that up with a comfortable 5-1 win on Tuesday. Neil Walker homered and Jeff Locke was stellar, allowing 0 runs in 5.2 innings. Wednesdays game was the most entertaining of the 3 game set. The Marlins got out to an early 2-0 lead, and that lead held until the bottom of the 7th. First,  Josh Harrison singled to make it 2-1. Then Clint Hurdle decided to take the bat out of Jordy Mercer's hands, and pinch-hit Pedro Alvarez in his place. The move worked, and Alvarez slapped a game tying single to right field. With the bases loaded, Starling Marte had a brilliant at bat and walked in the go-ahead run to make it 3-2(Marte also robbed a home run earlier in the game). Jung-ho Kang proceeded to drive the nail in the Miami coffin with a 2 run single to make it 5-2. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon shut down the fish in the last 2 innings to secure the win. Gerrit Cole allowed just 2 runs over 7 innings, and he received a well deserve win to improve is record to 7-2.

I think it is safe to say that the Pirates are in form. As has become a pattern under Clint Hurdle, the Pirates had a rough April and the struggles continued into May, but as June nears, Pittsburgh is finally hitting their stride. They will now travel to San Diego to take on the 23-25 Padres, which I predict will be at least a series win for the Pirates. I think that the Pirates will keep this up, and it should be a very fun summer on the North Shore.

NBA Playoffs: Rockets won't stop Warriors/ Clevland/Atlanta prediction

Hello. Today I will talk about the NBA Playoffs. The title gives away what this article will be discussing so let's get right into it

Warriors/Rockets
Although anything is possible, I do not think that Houston can comeback and beat Golden State. The Warriors, led by Steph Curry's 33 points and 6 assists, defeated the Rockets on Thursday by a score of 99-98. The Rockets fought very hard, and although I am not a fan of either James Harden(38 Points, 10 Rebounds, 9 Assists) or Dwight Howard(19 Points, 17 Rebounds), I give them high praise for their efforts last night. However, the better team came out on top, and the league MVP stepped up in the final seconds to contribute to a game-clinching steal of Harden. I believe that the Rockets might win 1 or 2 games, but Golden State has been dominant the whole year, and Houston will not be able to play catch-up like they did against the Clippers.

Cavs/ Hawks
The Cavs already have a 1-0 lead in this series, and I think that they will win it. The Cavs are simply too talented and hot right now for Atlanta to handle. Cleveland has also received a huge boost by JR Smith getting hot in the playoffs. Oh, and they have this Lebron James fella who is decent. I also think that Kyrie Irving has not been playing his best basketball, and it will be scary if/when he heats up during this series. The Hawks have a nice team with Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver leading the way, but Cleveland talent will prevail.

So, as I have thought for the past few months, a Warriors/Cavs final is very likely to take place.

Thanks for reading. I am Joe Smeltzer

Floyd-Manny breakdown/prediction

Well, it sure took long enough, but the fight is finally here. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. These 2 are without question, the 2 biggest faces in the sport. Hell, in the eyes of many, they're the only 2 faces in the sport. Mayweather has been ranked #1 in the world for as long as people my age can remember, and his success, arrogance and criminal past have caused him to be both one of the wealthiest, and most hated, athletes in the world. Like a lot of battles, this is seen as a conflict between good and evil, and it is clear who that Floyd Mayweather is playing the villain. Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, is almost as loved by the public as Mayweather is hated. He has a very good sense of humor and charming personality, and along with being a boxer, he is a politician, pop star, and basketball player. It is a perfect contrast of personalities. Now, I will discuss how these 2 match up with one another and who has the edge.


Speed
This one goes to Floyd. Mayweather is very quick and will frustrate Pac Man with his ability to slip away from any punch that Manny throws. Floyd will hope to use this quickness to tire out Pacquio and wear him down in the later rounds.

Edge: Mayweather

Power
This is where Manny has the edge. Other then the controversial knockout of Victor Ortiz in 2011, Mayweather has not had a knockout of any sort since his stoppage of Ricky Hatton in 2007. Pac Man is much more known for his power than Floyd is, as Mayweather relies more on quickness and defense. Manny has the edge in this category.

Edge: Pacquiao


Defense
This is an easy one. Even Mayweather's harshest critics will admit that he is one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. He has perfected the shoulder roll like he invented it and trying to hit him is like trying the smack a fly out of the air. He moves so quickly around the ring and can dodge a punch like few others can. Floyd has the edge over Manny and pretty much everybody else in this category.

Edge: Mayweather

Chin
Mayweather has the edge again. Floyd rarely ever gets hit, but when he does, his chin is strong enough to where it does not hurt him like it does most fighters, Pac Man included.

Edge: Mayweather

Confidence
I don't really have to explain this one, do I?

Edge: Mayweather

In conclusion, I am very excited for this fight. This has been 5 years in the making and these 2 are both among at least the Top 40 fighters of all time. I am indeed pulling for Manny Pacquiao in this fight like most people are. However, I do not see him winning. Manny will come fired up and this fight will be even for the first 4-5 rounds or so. However, Floyd's quickness and defense will frustrate Manny, and cause him to tire himself out. Like so many of Floyd's previous opponents, Manny will be worn down by Round 10, and it will be clear by that point who the winner will be. I expect a fairly competitive fight, but Floyd will just be too much in the end. I have Mayweather winning 8 rounds out of 12, and the final scorecard should read 116-112 in favor of Mayweather. Yes, as much as people may be pissed off, 48-0 will become a reality.

Winner: Mayweather