Tony Watson On Chasing Cardinals: 'I'm Somewhat Frustrated'
PITTSBURGH (93-7 The Fan)-Pittsburgh Pirates Pitcher Tony Watson joined "The Cook and Poni Show" Tuesday from Milwaukee, where the Pirates will begin September on a key nine-game road trip.
"It's a really competitive division," Watson said. "I think it's the best in baseball."
Watson and his teammates are on pace to win 99 games this season, but that might not be enough to catch the division leading St. Louis Cardinals. That is something that has to frustrate this team that might feel hopeless in the pursuit.
"I'm somewhat frustrated," Watson said. "They are playing great baseball and I think we are playing great baseball as well. We still have two series with them, but we don't look that far ahead. We just need take care of business one at a time and hopefully climb our way back."
This key nine-game road trip has the Pirates playing three games in Milwaukee, and three in St. Louis including a primetime Sunday night game before heading to Cincinnati for a three-game series that opens with an afternoon game on Monday.
That would mean the Pirates after playing at 8 p.m. Sunday, jumping on a plane and flying to Cincinnati for a 1:10 p.m. game the following day. It seems to be an unfair travel situation for a team in a pennant race.
"It's the price you pay for being good," Watson said. "It's good to be on ESPN. I think it will be the fourth or fifth time being on there, so the experience is great, but it is what it is with the schedule. We can't do anything about it. We just have to sleep fast."
Listen to the full interview here: