Pittsburgh Pirates at Miller Park

The Pirates have been pretty terrible at Miller Park, home of the Milwaukee Brewers.  If you go to different blogs or newspaper articles, you will hear that in the last 39 games at Miller Park, the Buccos are 3-36.  It cracks me up that they use that number.  At least the Pirates website says 4-38 since 2007.

They have had a terrible run there and I think the majority of the reason for this is because the Pirates have been so bad in recent years and the Brewers have been pretty good.  I know, some major deduction there.  I decided to have a look at how the Pirates have fared at Miller Park since it opened in 2001:

2011:  1-8
2010:  2-7
2009:  0-6
2008:  0-9
2007:  1-8
2006:  2-4
2005:  3-5
2004:  6-4
2003:  2-5
2002:  9-1
2001:  2-5

Really, the 2008 and 2009 seasons were the reason the streak is so prominent.   Hell, back in 2002 they dominated at Miller Park.  Since 2001, the Pirates are 28-62 at Miller Park (they are 53-38 at PNC Park).

The real question I would ask is whether or not this is normal?  Do some teams just seem to get dominated by another team at home.  I started looking at different teams during a 2001-2011 period.  Guess what?  There are plenty of teams with at least 60 losses.  The Padres have been crushed by the Diamondbacks at Arizona.  The Reds at St. Louis.  The Orioles at New York.

I do not believe that the Buccos are somehow intimidated to play in Milwaukee.  I think the recent struggles gets in their head a little bit and they try to make things happen there.  Fortunately, I think that with them doing well this season, they should be able to go there and make a statement.  At least I hope so…

Author: Ngewo