Not the laws. It's not splitting with the Cubs. It's, there's this sense of just general wishy-washiness right now about this team.

Good morning to you. Good Friday morning. I'm Dan Kovachovich of D.K. Pittsburgh Sports.

This is Daily Shot of Pirates, presented by the North Shore Tavern, Home of Steak on a Stone.

Comes your way bright and early every weekday. If you're into football and or hockey, I also offer daily shots of Steelers and Penguins in the same place that you found this.

Cubs 7 Pirates 2 last night at PNC Park, and it was, in fact, a split of the four-game set.

It's that version of the split that leaves you with the foul taste, which is you

win the first two and lose the last two. But that's not all that's creating that taste. Paul

Skeen's was outstanding. Wonderful bounce back performance in isolation for him, five and a third innings.

Ten strikeouts.

Three runs, only one of them earned.

Four hits, three walks.

Two errors committed while he was out there.

He also mishandled a high chopper tried to get it with his bare hand.

Wasn't charged with an error,

but things didn't go all that great in the field. Regardless, I mean, listen to what I'm saying here,

he pitched really well. Mason Montgomery came in and relief and make sure you're omitting Montgomery from your criticisms of the bullpen. He retired all five batters that he faced and struck out too.

But things went badly after that, as tends to be the case.

Brandon Bidwa, who really doesn't look like he's ready for the majors, was hit for three

runs in an inning of relief.

Johann Ramirez, who is still here somehow, gave up his obligatory run on a walk and a hit.

And offensively, which might have told the story as much as anything,

nobody other than Brian Reynolds did a thing.

...