Who ya gonna call?
Instead of wearing haz-mat suits and firing proton guns, they put on baseball uniforms and wield (in a manner of speaking) baseball bats.
They're the Pittsburgh Pirates. And if you're a pitcher who feels like he can't get anyone out, bring 'em to your ballpark.
Seattle's Jeff Weaver, who's had a modicum of success at various times during his career, had yet to pitch effectively this season. His 2007 statistics: 0-6, 10.97 ERA, 62 hits allowed in 32 innings. He'd given up six or seven runs in five of his first six starts this year.
But then he must have looked at the schedule and smiled. The Pirates were coming to town.
And just like Aykroyd, Murray, Ramis and Hudson, the men from Pittsburgh came through for Weaver. They managed a grand total of four hits and no runs off him as he went the distance for a 7-0 victory Wednesday night.
Cue up Ray Parker Jr. music.
Weaver now is in the win column, has a sub-9.00 ERA and dropped the batting average against him below .300.
Thank you, Slumpbusters!
Now, let's see what he can do against a real major-league team ...
Jeff Weaver was just the latest in a string of not-so-well-known pitchers who have dominated the Pirates this season. The list also includes:
• April 18: Milwaukee 7, Pittsburgh 3 - Claudio Vargas, 11 strikeouts in six innings
• April 28: Cincinnati 8, Pittsburgh 1 - Matt Belisle, complete-game five-hitter
• May 4: Milwaukee 10, Pittsburgh 0 - Claudio Vargas, six scoreless innings
• May 11: Atlanta 4, Pittsburgh 1 - Kyle Davies, one run in seven innings
• May 12: Atlanta 9, Pittsburgh 2 - Chuck James took no-hitter into seventh inning
• May 23: St. Louis 5, Pittsburgh 3 - Kip Wells, one earned run in seven innings
• May 28: Cincinnati 4, Pittsburgh 0 - Kyle Lohse, six hits and no walks in complete-game shutout
• June 14: Texas 6, Pittsburgh 0 - Kameron Loe, eight shutouts innings
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