Back on the 9th of May, when Ben Charington was conducting a press conference in which he was pretending to have just fired Derek Shelton,

that was done by Bob Nutting and only Nutting, he spoke with

outright optimism about the team that he was watching and about the product that we should be

expecting for the remainder of the summer. I quote directly, I don't think you have to squint

too hard to see a stronger team on the field in 2025. I don't think you have to squint too hard to see a stronger team on the field in 2025, end quote.

Oh my, good morning to you.

Good Wednesday morning.

I'm Dan Kovachovich of D.K. Pittsburgh Sports.

This is Daily Shot of Pirates.

It 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 4 Pirates won last night at PNC Park. Paul Skeens'

home finale of his brilliant season, of his Say Young season. It didn't go great. He didn't have all of his stuff, all of his brilliant season, of his Sayyung season. It didn't go great. He didn't have all of his

stuff, all of his command, three runs on seven hits and three walks over three and two

thirds. Innings, six strikeouts. His ERA soared, ballooned, erupted to 2.03, he's going to win the Cy Young.

The rest of the game was as irrelevant as all of them are anymore.

Four total hits for the Charington offense, which is one more than they had last night.

One of those for extra bases, which is the same number that they had last night,

except in Charington speak, that's actually more. And that brings us back to the actual most

absurd statement of the entire year, in which he described the 2024 pirates as having done

more winning than the 2023 pirates, even though both

of those teams finished with exactly 76 wins.

...