Meet Your Bucs: Daniel Moskos

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: J. Meric/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates made yet another roster move today, as they recalled left handed relief pitcher Daniel Moskos from Triple-A Indianapolis, to take the roster spot of Evan Meek, who was placed on the 15-day disable list with right shoulder tendinitis.  Meek will be eligible to come off of the DL on May 12.

Moskos is a former number one draft pick of the Pirates, fourth overall in the 2007 MLB draft.  He was a surprise pick, as you may recall, since most scouts saw him as only a relief pitcher.  Pittsburgh passed on other first round picks such as Matt Wieters, Madison Bumgarner, Jason Heyward, and Rick Porcello in favor of the 6’1” reliever out of Clemson.

Daniel has seen time in all levels of the Pirates’ organization, but this will be his first time on the Buccos’ 25 man roster.  For his career, he has gone 21-23 with an ERA of 3.79, while recording 239 strikeouts and 144 walks in 344.1 innings pitched over four plus seasons in the minors.

During the 2011 spring training season, Moskos posted an ERA of 7.20 over five innings of work with four walks, three K’s, and one save.  So far this year with the Indians, he has pitched 10.2 innings with one save, seven strikeouts, one walk, and an ERA of 1.69.

It looks as if Daniel will be used sparingly out of the pen and in situations where the outcome of the game has been decided, so that he has time to adjust to Major League hitters.  Meek’s role of setup man will go to Chris Resop, Jose Veras, or Joe Beimel, based upon the game situation.

Be sure to check back to http://www.fansfromthestands.com for all of your Pirates’ roster updates.

Correia, Bullpen Shut Down Rockies, Pirates Win 3-0

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates headed west after finishing 3-3 during a six game home stand.  For the first three games of this six game west coast swing, the Buccos take on the red hot Rockies.  Colorado came into this series with a Major League best record of 16-7 and had taken three of four from the Pirates early this month.  Pittsburgh sent their ace Kevin Correia, who was sporting a 3-2 record and an ERA of 3.48, to the hill.  His mound opponent was Jhoulys Chacin, who came in with a 3-1 record and a 2.67 ERA.

The Pirates continued a trend of getting on the board first, when Andrew McCutchen hit a solo homerun in the third inning.  This was Cutch’s fourth homerun of the year and ended the 0-16 slump he was in at the plate.  Garrett Jones blasted his fifth homerun on the season to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead in the sixth.

Ronny Cedeno, who had a great game defensively, hit the Pirates’ first triple of the season in the seventh inning.  This three-bagger scored Pedro Alvarez from first and put the Buccos on top 3-0.  The bottom of the inning saw Jose Tabata rob Todd Helton of an extra base hit with a leaping catch at the leftfield wall.

Correia pitched great tonight and was taken out of the game with two outs in the seventh inning after he threw his 106^th pitch.  His final line of the night was zero runs on three hits, with one walk and four strikeouts.  Jose Veras came out of the bullpen to get the final out of the seventh, a strikeout of Jose Lopez.

Chris Reop worked the eighth inning for the Buccos and allowed one hit, while striking out the side.  Three runs were more than enough for Joel Hanrahan to close the game and earn his eighth save of the year, which is second in the National League.

This was a great way for the Pirates to start the road trip.  While the offense didn’t light up the scoreboard, they had timely hits and drove two balls out of the ballpark.  The pitching was phenomenal tonight, starting with Correia going all the way to the bullpen.  The errors that plagued the Pirates during the Giants’ series were non-existent tonight as the defense made the routine as well as the spectacular plays.

These teams will battle again tomorrow night at 8:10, with Paul Maholm looking to bounce back from a rough home opener against the Rockies.  Colorado will counter with Jason Hammel

Record Vs. Rockies: 2-3

Record Vs. N.L. West: 3-5

Record On The Road: 8-6

Overall Record: 12-14

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Xavier Paul

By Zane Heiple

On Tuesday, the Pirates added outfielder Xavier Paul to the roster after claiming him off of waivers from the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Paul joined the club prior to Thursday’s afternoon game against the San Francisco Giants.  In order for Xavier to have a roster spot, Pittsburgh designated outfielder John Bowker for assignment.

Paul is a former fourth round draft pick in 2003 of the Dodgers.  In 2004, he was selected by Baseball America as having the best outfield arm in the Dodgers’ system and hit .262 for the Columbus Catfish that season.  In ’05 and ’06 he played for the Vero Beach Dodgers and Baseball America named him the best defensive outfielder in all of Single-A.

He then spent the ’07 season with Double-A Jacksonville and ’08 with the Las Vegas 51’s hitting .316 in 115 games.  Xavier may be most known for being called up to the Dodgers as Manny Ramirez’s replacement when he was suspended for steroid use.  Shortly after this, he was sidelined with a staph infection and then an ankle injury caused him to miss the rest of the season.

2010 saw him once again in Dodger blue, but only for 44 games, in which he hit .231.  He returned to AAA when another ankle injury would prevent him from being a September call up with Los Angeles.

As a member of the Pirates, Paul will be their fifth outfielder and used mostly off the bench as a pinch hitter and a defensive substitution.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

FFTS Podcast: Episode Seven!

Hey Bucco Fans!

It’s time for another episode of the Fans From The Stands Podcast!

We realize the name of the podcast is weak and unoriginal, so if you have a suggestion as to what our name should be, send us an email at comments@fansfromthestands.com or fansfromthestands@yahoo.com and you may win free tickets to an upcoming Pirates’ game!

On this week’s podcast, Zane and Chad discuss the recent Pirates’ homestand against the Washington Nationals and San Francisco.  They talk about the continued strength of the Bucs’ starting rotation, the struggles of Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, as well as looking ahead to the upcoming road trip against the Colorado Rockies and San Diego Padres.

Check it out, and be sure to let us know what you think!

FFTS Podcast: Episode Seven

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Vogelsong Returns To Pittsburgh, Beats Bucs As Giants Take Game And Series

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

After great performances by Charlie Morton and James McDonald the past two days, the Pirates handed the ball to Jeff Karstens this afternoon for their rubber match of the series against the San Francisco Giants.  The defending World-Series champs sent former-Pirate (aren’t they all?) Ryan Vogelsong to the mound, which was his first start in almost seven years. 

As most Bucco fans could probably assume, Vogelsong pitched a tremendous game this afternoon against the Pirates.  He struck out eight batters, while only giving up two runs on four hits through his 5.2 innings of work.  His solid start, phenomenal bullpen work, as well as key Pirates’ mistakes, enabled the Giants to take the game, and the series, this afternoon by a final score of 5-2 at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh got on the board in the first inning, and that point, it looked as though it would be a rough one for the former Pirates’ pitcher.  With two outs in the first frame, Lyle Overbay drew a walk, and scored on Neil Walker’s double to deep left center.  The Pirates had the chance to score more, but with runners on first and third, Ryan Doumit wasn’t able to bring them home, ending the inning.

The big inning, which also turned out to be the difference in the game, was the third, as the Giants took advantage of a fielding error by Overbay and a throwing miscue by Doumit.  Aaron Rowand had a huge two-run double, scoring Mike Fontenot and Eli Whiteside.  After Pablo Sandoval grounded into a fielder’s choice, beating out a play at first and avoiding a double play while allowing Vogelsong to score, he and Rowand used the double-steal to score the Giants’ fourth run of the inning.

The rest of the afternoon was rather uneventful from an offensive standpoint.  The Pirates had opportunities to cut into the lead on multiple occasions.  In the fourth inning, they had runners on second and third with only one out, but Vogelsong struck out Pedro Alvarez and Brandon Wood to end the threat and the inning.

History repeated itself in the sixth inning, when Wood struck out to end the frame with two runners on base.  The Pirates did tally one run that inning on Doumit’s ground-ball sacrifice to first, allowing Walker to score.

Brian Wilson closed the game out for the Giants.  After walking the first batter of the inning, he went on to strike out the side, earning his seventh save of the season, helping Vogelsong with his first of the year, as the Giants took the rubber match from the Pirates.

This game was unbelievably frustrating from a Pirates’ fan’s viewpoint.  Vogelsong pitched a strong game, but the Pirates’ batters needed to come through with more than four hits, three of which came from Walker.  The only other hit the Buccos could muster was Garrett Jones’ single.  Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Alvarez combined to go 0-12 today.  McCutchen’s and Alvarez’s batting averages are even at .202 a piece.

Luckily, the Pirates, and us fans, don’t have time to sit around and dwell on this pathetic performance (which included four errors by the defense), as the club jumped on a plane shortly after the game today and are heading to Colorado to take on the Rockies for a weekend series.  The Rockies took three out of four games from the Pirates earlier this year during the Buccos’ first home stand of the season.  Kevin Correia will get the start in tomorrow night’s game for Pittsburgh.

Record Vs. Giants: 1-2

Record Vs. N.L. West: 2-5

Record At Home: 4-8

Overall Record: 11-14

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McDonald Has Best Start Of Season, Pirates Shutout Giants

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Don Wright/AP

After a frustrating 3-2 loss on Tuesday night, the Pirates battled the Giants in game two of this three game series.  Tonight was another closely fought contest, as starting pitchers James McDonald and Madison Bumgarner made it tough for both offenses to get anything going.

Pittsburgh notched a run early tonight during the second inning.  Neil Walker led the inning off with a single and Steve Pearce followed that up with a double.  Chris Snyder brought Walker home with a single to center.

With no outs and two runners on, Bumgarner was able to get three straight outs without allowing the Pirates to score another run.  This is something we, as Bucco fans, have become accustomed to seeing over the years.  What made this tough tonight was that Pedro Alvarez and Brandon Wood were two of the three outs and these are guys we need RBI production from in order to be successful.  But, that type of pitching is why the Giants are the defending World Series champions.

James McDonald definitely had his best game of the year tonight as he shut down San Francisco’s offense over six innings, allowing four hits, while walking four and striking out three.  With McDonald out of the game, manager Clint Hurdle used three relievers over the course of two innings to get to closer Joel Hanrahan.  Mike Crotta and Joe Beimel each got an out in the seventh, while Chris Resop went 1.1 innings, while striking out one batter.

The Buccos added an insurance run in the seventh when Jose Tabata singled home Wood to get them a 2-0 lead.  Hanrahan earned his seventh save of the year after giving up a walk and a hit in his one inning of relief.

It was great to see the Pirates pull off the win tonight after it slipped through their hands on Tuesday.  Coming into this series, we all knew the Buccos’ starting pitching would have to be on top of their game in order to pull out W’s against the Giants’ starters.  The difference between tonight and last night was Pittsburgh’s ability to limit mistakes by the defense.  I feel our Buccos have a very good chance of taking the rubber match of the series tomorrow afternoon, as Jeff Karstens will take on former Bucco Ryan Vogelsong at 12:35. 

Record Vs. Giants: 1-1

Record Vs. N.L. West: 2-4

Record At Home: 4-7

Overall Record: 11-13

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates' Offense Stagnant, Lose To Giants In Extra Innings

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

After winning their first home series of the season against the Washington Nationals, the Pirates welcomed the San Francisco Giants to town for a three-game set at PNC Park.  The Giants came into the series with a 10-11 record, while our Buccos came in at 10-12.  Pittsburgh sent Charlie Morton to the mound tonight, hoping for him to improve upon his last outing.

The Giants are known for their superb pitching, from the starting rotation through their bullpen.  As expected, it was a low scoring game tonight at PNC Park, and the Giants, as the better teams in the league usually do, pulled out a close game against the Pirates, 3-2 in extra innings.

Garrett Jones gave the Pirates the early lead in the second inning with a solo blast to deep center field.  It would be one of only five hits the Bucs would have the entire night.

Pittsburgh maintained the lead for the better half of the game, as Morton was pitching very effectively.  Charlie pitched six innings, giving up only one run on four hits, while walking three and striking out six, lowering his ERA to 3.00.  His only blemish came in the sixth inning, when Aaron Rowand led off with a double, and eventually scored on Aubrey Huff’s sacrifice fly, tying the game at that point, 1-1.

Lyle Overbay gave the Pirates the lead again in the bottom of the inning, scoring Matt Diaz from third base. 

From that point on, it was the Darren Ford show for San Francisco.  His speed, sheer athleticism, and ability to take advantage of Pirates’ defensive mistakes were the difference in the ballgame.  After stealing a base in the eighth inning to get himself over to third base, he tagged and scored on Buster Posey’s sacrifice fly to left field, tying the game at 2. 

Two innings later, in the 10^th, after reaching base safely, Ford stirred up more trouble for the Buccos.  Joel Hanrahan’s pickoff attempt went wide of Overbay’s glove, allowing Ford to advance all the way to third base.  Then, on a weak ground ball off the bat of Freddy Sanchez to Neil Walker, after a short delay, Ford broke for home, beating Overbay’s throw to Chris Snyder.

After the Pirates went fairly quietly in the bottom of the inning, the Giants escaped with a 3-2 victory.

This was a frustrating game for the Pirates.  They certainly had opportunities, but simply couldn’t capitalize.  This is the type of game the Giants play, and their successful at winning these close games.  The Buccos managed only five hits against the Giants’ pitching staff, and the Pirates’ key players didn’t step up when given opportunities to do so.  Andrew McCutchen was 0-5 today, dropping his average to .222.  Pedro Alvarez was also held hitless and looked uncomfortable at the plate all night.  The Buccos’ inability to consistently put runs up on the board adds A LOT of extra pressure on the pitching staff to perform at a high level, night after night.  That’s asking a lot of a staff who was, on paper, supposed to be one of the worst in baseball.

The Pirates will look to bounce back against the Giants tomorrow evening at PNC Park.  James McDonald will make the start for Pittsburgh, hoping to improve upon his previous two outings. 

Record Vs. Giants: 0-1

Record Vs. N.L. West: 1-4

Record At Home: 3-7

Overall Record: 10-13

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

From The Fans In The Stands: PNC Park Memories

Hey Bucco fans!  A couple weeks ago, we gave away free tickets to this past Saturday’s game against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.  Fans emailed us here at Fans From The Stands telling us about their most memorable moments at PNC Park.  Below are a couple of the stories we received from you fans out there!

“August 7, 2010:  The Pedro walk-off.  You already know what happened, the situation, and all that.  But here’s my story from that night:  It was probably as loud as PNC Park has ever been/will ever be.  The place was literally ROCKING.  I could feel it shaking.  This, not to mention the George Thorogood and fireworks show afterwards.  The dude was hilarious.  Talking about the Pirates being the best franchise in pro sports, and even though he didn’t grow up a fan, he’s not a huge supporter of the Pirates, etc.  I could smell the alcohol on his breath.  He kept the place rocking though.  That whole night was amazing.  The fireworks were a letdown.  That’s how electric the place was.  Other than that, the only complaint I had on the night was that when they played Greg Brown and Steve Blass’s call of the homerun, I couldn’t hear it because of the insanity that was still taking place around me.  As soon as I got home, I was on a mission to find the audio and/or video."

-Brandon

“My best memory of a Pirates’ game I attended at PNC Park was on 6/28/04.  It was a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.  With one out in the bottom of the ninth inning and the score tied 1-1, Jack Wilson came up to bat.  He crushed the ball into the left field corner.  He had an easy double and the ball was thrown into second.  Albert Pujols, who Wilson did not see, was late getting to the second base bag so he continued on to third.  When Pujols caught the ball he had plenty of time to get Wilson, but his throw sailed on him and the Cardinals’ third baseman Scott Rolen was unable to catch the ball and it rolled towards the Pirates’ dugout.  The Pirates won the game 2-1.

-Mike

Have something to say?  Want to post something on the website?  Send us an email, message, article, or anything else you’d like to share Pirates-related at fansfromthestands@yahoo.com or comments@fansfromthestands.com.  Throughout the entire season, we’ll be posting comments and articles from you, the fans.  After all, that’s what this site is all about!  The Fans!

Bucco Blast From The Past: Nellie Briles

By Chad Carlson

It’s Tuesday, and that means it’s time for another edition of Bucco Blast From The Past!  Inspired by the Pirates’ History segment during the game at PNC Park this past Saturday, Fans From The Stands looks back at the career of Nellie Briles. 

The right-handed hurler from Dorris, California entered the league as a reliever, but ended up pitching complete games in two of the most important World Series games for his teams.

Nelson Kelley “Nellie” Briles pitched for five different teams during his Major League career from 1965-1978.  He began his career with the St. Louis Cardinals as a reliever and spot starter.  After Bob Gibson suffered a broken leg when he was hit by a Roberto Clemente line drive on July 15, 1967, Nellie was promoted into the starting rotation.  He won nine straight games, leading the National League in winning percentage, as well as the Cardinals’ staff in ERA.  He also threw a complete game against the Red Sox in Game 3 of the 1967 World Series.

Briles won a career-high 19 games and 15 games the following two seasons in 1968 and 1969, but then slumped noticeably the next two years.  Before the 1971 season, the Cardinals traded Nellie, along with Vic Davalillo, to the Pittsburgh Pirates for Matty Alou  He went 8-4 for the Pirates that season and pitched a complete game, two-hit shutout against the Baltimore Orioles in Game 5 of the 1971 World Series. 

Following his run with the Pirates from 1971-1973, Nellie played ball for the Kansas City Royals, Texas Rangers, as well as the Orioles.  He retired following the 1978 season. 

After retiring as a player, Briles returned to Pittsburgh and became a television sportscaster in 1979.  He went to work for the organization in 1986 as director of corporate sales and he was also the director of the Pirates’ annual fantasy camp.

Sadly, his life was cut way too short.  While participating in the annual Pirates’ alumni golf tournament in Orlando Florida, Briles collapsed and died of an apparent heart attack.  He was 61 years old when he died in 2005.

Be sure to check back next Tuesday to see who’s featured in the next Bucco Blast From The Past! 

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Maholm Pitches Well, Wood Delivers Huge Hit As Pirates Beat Nationals

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

The Pirates and Nationals finished off a three-game series tonight after Friday night’s game was postponed due to rain.  The two teams split the first two games of the series and were looking to get solid starting pitching performances in order to win the series.  Pittsburgh gave the starting nod to Paul Maholm, while Washington countered with John Lannan.

The Nats struck right out of the gate with two runs in the first inning.  Former Bucco Adam LaRoche brought two runs home on a line drive single to centerfield.  Maholm shut down Washington after the first inning.  He finished the game after seven innings of work, allowing two runs on four hits, while striking out eight and walking two.  Tonight’s victory was Paul’s first of the season.

Pittsburgh’s bats awoke in a fourth inning that was interrupted by a 21-minute rain delay.  Neil Walker hit a single to right field, and a throwing error by Jason Werth allowed Jose Tabata to score from second base and Walker to move to third.  After a Steve Pearce walk, newly acquired infielder Brandon Wood doubled to right field, scoring both Walker and Pearce.  Chris Snyder stepped to the plate and continued swinging a hot bat, singling home the Pirates’ fourth run of the inning.

Four runs would be enough tonight as Evan Meek pitched a flawless eighth, followed up by Joel Hanrahan picking up his sixth save of the year in a Pirates’ 4-2 win.

It was great to see the Pirates kick off this six-game home stand by taking out of three from the Nationals.  They will have a difficult task up n ext as the defending World Series Champions San Francisco Giants come to town for a three-game set.  If Pittsburgh plays to the potential that they have shown during the early parts of this season, they will give the Giants a competitive series.  However, if the Buccos come out with sloppy fielding, poor pitching, and silenced bats, it could be a cake-walk for the champs.

Record Vs. Nationals: 2-1

Record Vs. N.L. East: 2-4

Record At Home: 3-6

Overall Record: 10-12

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Brandon Wood

By Zane Heiple

On Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates signed shortstop/third baseman Brandon Wood off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  Many feel this move was done for two reasons.  One is to place pressure on Ronny Cedeno to perform better, and two, if Wood is able to live up to his potential as a former first round draft pick, the Pirates may have a long term solution at shortstop.

Wood was drafted 23^rd overall in the 2003 draft by the Angels.  He would go on to set the California League record for homeruns with 43 in 2005 with class High-A Rancho Cucamonga Quakes.  His two doubles and triple in four games at the Triple-A level would make him the first minor league player with 100 extra base hits in a season.  In 2006, he was ranked as the third best prospect by Baseball America and would spend the season at the Double-A level, hitting .276 with 25 homeruns.

2007 saw him make his Major League debut in April.  He only appeared in 13 games that year, hitting a measly .152.  He did not truly get a chance with the Angels until 2010 when the third base job opened up, since Chone Figgins signed with the Seattle Mariners.  Unfortunately, this opportunity was wasted as he wound up hitting .146 with four homeruns and 14 RBi in 81 games.  So far 2011 has been just as bad.  In six games, he has hit just .143.

On paper, this looks like another desperate attempt for the Pirates to strike gold with another team’s misfortunes.  It is possible, with the pressure to be a star player off his shoulders and new coaches teaching him, Wood could live up to the potential he showed in the minor leagues and give the Buccos some consistency at shortstop.  At worst, he fades into oblivion and becomes another answer to a random trivia question.  In order for Brandon to join the roster, Pedro Ciriaco was sent back to Triple-A Indiapolis.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Nationals Beat Correia, Even Series With Bucs

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

After an impressive series-opening victory last night over the Washington Nationals, the Pirates looked to tally another win at home in front of a scarcely populated PNC Park crowd today.  The Buccos sent Kevin Correia to the mound today, who was looking to follow up his magnificent start in his last outing, pitching a complete game against the Cincinnati Reds.

Unfortunately, Correia wasn’t as sharp today as he was in his previous start, and the Nationals got the best of the Pirates this afternoon by a final score of 6-3.

Kevin was only able to pitch 4.2 innings, giving up five runs on 11 hits, while walking a batter and giving up two homeruns, raising his ERA to 3.48.  Correia took the loss, falling to 3-2 on the year.

The Buccos struck first in the game, though, as Neil Walker singled in Andrew McCutchen, giving the Pirates a 1-0 in the first inning.  After quite a rough stretch the past week or so, Walker went 3-4 today.

The Nationals responded in the third inning as former Bucco Adam LaRoche grounded out to first base on a sacrifice, scoring Danny Espinosa.  The very next batter, Michael Morse, blasted a three-run homer to deep left, scoring Rick Ankiel and Jayson Werth.  The Nationals led 4-1.

Pittsburgh battled back in the fourth inning with a pair of runs.  Chris Snyder hit a sacrifice fly to left, allowing Garrett Jones to tag and score.  Then Ronny Cedeno, who is still apparently feeling the pressure of the recent moves regarding the shortstop position, hammered a double to left center, scoring Pedro Alvarez and cutting the lead to 4-3.  Unfortunately, that is the closest the Buccos would make it in the game.

The Nationals would tally a run in the fifth and eighth innings to secure the victory, which included a solo homerun to deep right by LaRoche.  Drew Storen came in and accumulated his third save of the season.

This was a hard fought game by both teams, and the Nationals simply made more plays in the crucial situations.  Their starter, Jason Marquis, improved to 2-0 on the season, giving up three runs on eight hits through his six innings of work.

On a positive note, the Pirates’ top part of the lineup delivered.  In addition to Walker’s three-hit performance, McCutchen added a pair, while Jose Tabata and Lyle Overbay also added a knock a piece.  Alvarez also had two more hits today after going hitless yesterday.

As we said in the podcast, this is a huge series for the Pirates.  They need to win this series.  They got off to a fabulous start last night with the victory, but today’s game was a bit of a setback, setting up a huge matchup tomorrow in the rubber match of the series.  With a victory, the Buccos can win their first home series of the season, and hopefully build some momentum as they welcome the World Series Champion San Francisco Giants into PNC Park later this week.

Record Vs. Nationals: 1-1

Record Vs. N.L. East: 1-4

Record At Home: 2-6

Overall Record: 9-12

And…

As Always...

Let’s Go Bucs!

FFTS Podcast: Episode Six!

That's right Bucco fans!  It's time for another episode of the Fans From The Stands podcast!

The latest installment of the podcast is live from the home of the Pittsburgh Pirates, PNC Park!  In this abbreviated edition, Zane and Chad discuss the recent Pirates' road trip, which started out impressively and ended in utter disaster in Florida.

The FFTS guys share their thoughts on the strengths and weaknesses of the Pirates as they enter this home stand against the Washington Nationals and San Francisco Giants, while also emphasizing the importance of the next stretch of games for this young Pirates' team.  Check it all out!

FFTS Podcast: Episode Six

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Pirates Score Five In The First, Take Game One Over Nationals

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

After Friday night’s game was postponed, the Pirates and Nationals kicked off a three-game series, after a one hour delay, on Saturday night.  Pittsburgh was looking to get back on track after a three game sweep at the hands of the Marlins.  Jeff Karstens started again in place of the injured Ross Ohlendorf, while the Nats countered with the ageless Livan Hernandez.

Check out the Fans From The Stands Pregame Show Right Here!

The Buccos equaled their entire offense output of the Marlins’ series in the first inning tonight.  Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata led off the game with singles.  This was followed up by an RBI single from Lyle Overbay and an RBI double from Garrett Jones.  Ryan Doumit, Pedro Alvarez, and Ronny Cedeno also brought runs around to give them a 5-0 lead heading into the second.

Washington cut into the lead on a Michael Morse single that scored Adam LaRoche.  Pittsburgh got that run back in the bottom part of the inning when Tabata hit a sacrifice fly, scoring McCutchen from third.

Karstens allowed one more run in the fourth, a solo homerun by Jayson Werth, and finish his day after the sixth inning.  In total, he gave up two runs on six hits, struck out three and walked one.  For a guy who fills many roles, Jeff pitched well tonight and did not waste the offensive output that the team provided him.

Overbay brought his second run home on the night in the sixth when he singled in McCutchen.

This was a great game for the Pirates overall.  A quality start from Karstens, followed up by flawless bullpen work by Chris Resop, Joe Beimel, and Evan Meek.  Plus they had some quality trips to the plate from the offense.  Ronny Cedeno went 2-4 with an RBI tonight.  He may have some pressure for playing time with the recent acquisition of Brandon Wood.

Unfortunately, Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez had a tough time at the plate, going a combined 0-7.

Fans From The Stands would like to wish radio legend Porky Chedwick the best after he fell during the opening pitch ceremonies tonight.  Hopefully he was able to enjoy the Pirates’ victory.

Check out the Fans From The Stands Postgame Show Right Here!

Be sure to check out game two of this three-game series tomorrow afternoon when Kevin Correia takes to the bump for the Buccos.

Record Vs. Nationals: 1-0

Record Vs. N.L. East: 1-3

Record At Home: 2-5

Overall Record: 9-11

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Pedro Ciriaco

By Zane Heiple

Even though the Pirates’ game was rained out on Friday, the front office was busy making moves.

Josh Rodriguez was designated for assignment, because of the addition of shortstop Brandon Wood, who was recently released by the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim.  To fill the roster spot until Wood is able to join the club, Pedro Ciriaco was recalled.

Ciriaco was signed as an amateur free agent by the Arizona Diamondbacks in 2003.  From 2005-10, he moved his way up through the Diamondbacks’ farm system.  Pedro would come to the Pirates, along with Chris Snyder, for D.J. Carrasco, Ryan Church, and Bobby Crosby in July of 2010.  After playing with AAA Indianapolis, he made his Major League debut on September 8, 2010 and played in a total of eight games to finish the season.

Even though Ciriaco is able to play a variety of positions, his time in Pittsburgh looks to be short.  Once Brandon Wood walks through the clubhouse doors, Pedro most likely will be sent back to Indy.  Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for information on Wood once his place on the roster becomes official.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Marlins Hammer McDonald, Complete Sweep Of Pirates

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images

The Pirates limped their way into the final game against the Florida Marlins tonight, having been outscored 12-0 in the first pair of games of the series.  This guaranteed the Pirates’ first road series loss of the season, and they faced their first road series sweep as they took the field tonight.

Pittsburgh sent James McDonald to the hill, hoping to improve from his earlier starts this season.  If the Buccos were going to win the game tonight and avoid the sweep in the series, they would need a strong start from McDonald, to keep the game close throughout, and get timely hits with runners in scoring position.  None of these happened tonight for the Buccos, and the Marlins completed the sweep with a 9-5 victory in the final game of the series.

Unfortunately, this was McDonald’s worst start of the season thus far.  After a strong first inning, he ran into serious trouble in the second.  After a pair of walks and a single, the Marlins had the bases loaded as Scott Cousins walked to the plate, hammering a McDonald fastball over the wall in deep right center.  The grand slam was the first homerun of Cousins’ career, and gave the Marlins an early 4-1 lead.  Hanley Ramirez’s sacrifice ground out, scoring pitcher Chris Volstad, further padded the lead for the fish at 5-1.

The nightmare continued for McDonald the very next inning, as Brett Hayes crushed a three-run homer to deep left, breaking the game wide open, 8-1.  James lasted only three innings, giving up eight runs on six hits, while issuing three walks and giving up two homeruns, including a grand slam and a three-run shot.  McDonald fell to 0-2 with the loss, and his ERA sits at 10.12.

The Buccos attempted to get back into the game in the sixth inning.  After falling behind 9-2, Pedro Alvarez smacked a single down the line to third base, scoring Lyle Overbay.  Chris Snyder followed that up with a single of his own to left field, allowing Neil Walker to cross the plate.  With the bases loaded, Josh Rodriguez was hit by a pitch, scoring Garrett Jones and bringing the game to within four runs.  Rodriguez tallied his first Major League hit in the fifth inning, as well as his first RBI in the sixth.

Pittsburgh had a chance to make the game much tighter in the sixth with the bases loaded and only one out, but Matt Diaz’s ground ball up the middle was stabbed out of the air by Ramirez and flipped around the diamond for an inning-ending double play.  It would be the last time the Pirates threatened all night.

After being silent the first two games, the Pirates’ offense did come alive somewhat.  Alvarez hit his first homerun of the season in second inning.  The round-tripper was one of three hits for the Pirates’ third baseman.  Pedro was the only Bucco with a multi-hit evening.  Andrew McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Neil Walker were a combined 0-12 in the game.

This was a series to forget for the Pirates.  After a tremendous series in Cincinnati, the Buccos had set themselves up for another successful road trip and a chance to build on their impressive record away from PNC Park.  Unfortunately, starting pitching let them down in this three-game series, something that we were all worried about coming into the season.  The Marlins outscored the Pirates 21-5 in the three games.

With the loss, the Pirates fell to 8-11 on the season.  They return to Pittsburgh tomorrow for the start of a three-game series against the Washington Nationals at PNC Park.  The home stand will also feature a series against the World Champion San Francisco Giants next week.  Jeff Karstens is expected to make the start tomorrow against the Nationals.

Record Vs. Marlins: 0-3

Record Vs. N.L. East: 0-3

Record On The Road: 7-6

Overall Record: 8-11

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton Gives Up Six Runs, Marlins Blank Bucs Again

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

Someone on the Pirates’ equipment staff may want to go back to the airport and check the lost and found for the Buccos’ offense.  For the second night in a row, the Marlins’ pitching staff blanked Pittsburgh on their way to a 6-0 win. 

Pirates’ fans had reason for hope tonight with Charlie Morton taking the bump tonight.  Unfortunately, a rough night for him and lack of offense gave the Buccos no chance at victory tonight.  Morton went five innings, allowing six runs on ten hits and three walks, while striking out six. 

Even if Morton would have only given up one run, it would have been enough since the offense failed to score.  The Pirates’ bats only mustered five hits in thirty plate appearances.

Florida scored four runs in the second inning.  All of these runs came with two outs.  Singles by John Buck and Emilio Bonifacio, along with a walk to Ricky Nolasco, loaded the bases.  Chris Coghlan brought two runs home with a single.  Omar Infante singled to center to make it 3-0.  Hanley Ramirez finished the scoring for the inning with a single to right field. 

In the third, Bonifacio singled home Greg Dobbs.  Coghlan collected his third RBI of the night two batters later with a single to Garrett Jones.

The only bright side for Pittsburgh, for the second night in a row, was their bullpen.  Chris Resop and Evan Meek combined to pitch three scoreless innings.  Resop struck out three batters and Meek gave up only one hit.

The Pirates will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow with James McDonald taking the ball, who is looking to regain his form from the latter part of the 2010 season.  First pitch is scheduled to be at 7:10pm.

Andrew McCutchen was out of the lineup tonight to deal with family matters.  It is unknown if he will rejoin the team before tomorrow’s first pitch.

Record Vs. Marlins: 0-2

Record Vs. N.L. East: 0-2

Record On The Road: 7-5

Overall Record: 8-10

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blast From The Past: Ralph Kiner

By Zane Heiple

Welcome, Pirates’ fans, to this week’s edition of Bucco Blast From The Past.  Today we look back on the Hall of Fame career of Ralph Kiner.

After serving as a U.S. Navy pilot during World War II, Kiner made his Major League debut on April 12, 1946 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He finished the season with 23 homeruns and 109 strikeouts.  During the offseason baseball great Hank Greenberg worked with Kiner and the results showed the following season, as his homeruns jumped to a league leading 51 and he struck out less than 100 times.  Ralph hit many of his homeruns over the short fence in left and left-centerfield at Forbes Field, during his time this part of the fence was known as “Kiner’s Korner.”

In 1949, Kiner became the first National League player to have two 50 homerun seasons, when he hit 54.  He topped 40 homeruns and 100 RBI from 1947-51.  Ralph was selected to six straight All-Star games from 1948-53 as a left fielder.

His career with the Pirates ended on June 4, 1953 when he was traded because of a salary dispute with general manager Branch Rickey, to the Chicago Cubs as part of a ten-player deal.  He played two seasons with the Cubs and finished his career with the Cleveland Indians in 1955.  His final career batting status were 369 homeruns with 1,019 RBI and a .279 batting average.

After his playing days, Kiner became a broadcaster for the Chicago White Sox in 1961.  The following year, he began broadcasting games for the expansion New York Mets.  2011 will mark his fiftieth year calling Mets’ games, although he only makes the occasional guest appearance.

Kiner was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1975.  In 1984 the Mets elected him to the team Hall of Fame.  The Pittsburgh Pirates retired his number 4 in 1987.  In 1999, The Sporting News named him the 90^th baseball player on their list of “The 100 Greatest Baseball Players.”

Be sure to check back next week for another edition of Bucco Blast From The Past.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Dominated By Johnson, Shutout By Marlins

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

Following their best series of this young 2011 season against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates traveled south to take on the Florida Marlins for a three game series.  The Buccos were looking to continue their success on the road this season, where they have an impressive 7-3 record.  Pittsburgh sent Paul Maholm to the hill to face off against the Marlins' ace Josh Johnson.

One night after scoring nine runs on the Reds’ pitching staff, Pittsburgh could barely muster a couple of hits against Johnson.  The sturdy right-hander pitched seven flawless innings, giving up only two hits and one walk, while striking out nine Buccos, lowering his miniscule ERA to just 1.00 for the season.  Garrett Jones’ blast off the wall and John Bowker’s pinch-hit single were the only blemishes on Johnson’s card tonight, but neither led to any type of threat for the Pirates.

Johnson also helped his own cause tonight, getting things rolling in the second inning.  His poke single to shallow right center scored Mike Stanton and John Buck, giving the Marlins a 2-0 advantage.

The Marlins put the game away in the fourth inning with four more runs on Maholm.  Buck doubled home Stanton, and later scored when Hanley Ramirez drew a bases loaded walk.  Gaby Sanchez’s broken bat dribbler scored two more runs, giving Florida a 6-0 lead, which would be the final.

Maholm once again didn’t have his best stuff tonight.  While he didn’t pitch a horrible game, he got himself into trouble early and, without the shutdown arm strength available in his arsenal, he wasn’t able to get out of it cleanly.  He lasted only 3.2 innings, giving up six runs on seven hits, while walking three.  His ERA sits at 4.30, and he is now 0-3 for the season.

On a brighter note, the Pirates’ bullpen came in and pitched very well in the losing effort.  Mike Crotta, Daniel McCutchen, and Joe Beimel each threw scoreless ball to close out the game.

This was one of those games where the opposing pitcher was just too good.  Johnson is the type of pitcher who is capable of completely shutting down an offense, and that’s exactly what he did tonight.  The Pirates’ starting lineup was just 1-26 tonight, with the only hit coming from Jones.  Pedro Alvarez and Ronny Cedeno were both 0-3 tonight, with their averages dropping to .183 and .180 respectively.

The Buccos will look to get back on the winning track tomorrow evening against the Marlins.  Pittsburgh will send Charlie Morton to the mound, coming off a superb effort last Friday when he pitched a complete game against the Reds.  Rick Nolasco will make the start for the Marlins.

Record Vs. Marlins: 0-1

Record Vs. N.L. East: 0-1

Record On The Road: 7-4

Overall Record: 8-9

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Offense Explodes For Nine More Runs, Pirates Take Three Of Four From Reds

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates won their seventh road game and third road series of the year when they defeated the Cincinnati Reds by the final score of 9-3 on Monday night.

Kevin Correia pitched a great game, going nin innings, allowing two earned runs on fourt hits, while striking out five and walking two.  This was the second time this series that a Pirates’ starter went the distance, after Charlie Morton on Friday night. 

Correia’s only mistake of the night came in the ninth when he gave up a two-run home run to Chris Heisey.  The other run of the night occurred when Steve Pearce made a throwing error to first base, which allowed Scott Rolen to score from third.

The Pirates’ offense struck early for the second game in a row.  Jose Tabata scored on a Neil Walker single.  Pearce singled home Matt Diaz, which was followed up by Chris Snyder singling home Walker. The Buccos held a 3-0 lead before the Reds even came to bat.

Pittsburgh then scored five runs in the fourth inning to seal the game.  Andrew McCutchen doubled home Snyder and Ronny Cedeno to give the Pirates a 5-1 lead.  Diaz and Pearce singled home runs before Lyle Overbay doubled home the final run of the inning.  The Bucco bats added another run in the fifth when Diaz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

This was an interesting series for the Pirates.  The dominated two games, won a nail biter, and got killed on Saturday.  What we can take away from this may be obvious, but when the Pirates receive great pitching, defense, and offense, they can compete with any team in the Majors.  If one of these aspects falters, then they are in for a dogfight, and I’m sure if you have followed the team the past 18 years, you know what happens when two of the three aspects forget to leave the locker room.

The Pirates will head to Miami for a three-game set with the Florida Marlins.  I think it’s safe to consider the Marlins an equal foe for the Buccos, so this should be a good series.  Paul Maholm will get the start in game one with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10pm.

Record Vs. Reds: 3-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 7-5

Record On The Road: 7-3

Overall Record: 8-8

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McCutchen Delivers Game-Winner As Bucs Win Wild One Over Reds

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

In one of the most exciting games in this young season, the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds, 7-6, in a wild contest today in the third of their four-game series.  Spot-starter Jeff Karstens was given the ball by Clint Hurdle for the Buccos as the Reds sent Edinson Volquez to the mound.

The Pirates got off to a very fast start today, as Andrew McCutchen and Jose Tabata led off the ballgame with back-to-back solo homeruns.  After Chris Snyder drew a bases-loaded walk, Ronny Cedeno smacked a sacrifice fly, only feet away from out of the park, scoring Neil Walker.  The Buccos occupied an early 4-0 lead.

As good teams always do, the Reds made their comeback in a series of innings.  After tallying a run in the second and fourth innings, they delivered a big blow to Karstens and the Pirates in the fifth frame.  After Miguel Cairo’s solo homerun to bring them within a run, Scott Rolen doubled to shallow left, scoring Joey Votto.  Jay Bruce then singled to right, scoring Rolen and giving the Reds their first lead of the game at 5-4.

The Pirates responded the very next inning with a solo shot by Garrett Jones to deep left and an RBI-double by John Bowker, as the Buccos re-took the lead. 

That was answered an inning later by the Reds, when Bruce hammered a solo homerun to deep center field, tying the game, 6-6.  Bruce has had a strong series against the Buccos, including today’s 4-5 performance with two RBI.

The Pirates proved to have the last knockout punch this afternoon, and it came from the bat of McCutchen.  With two runners on in the eighth, the Buccos’ centerfielder singled to shallow center, allowing Snyder to cross home plate, giving the Pirates a 7-6, which would be the final.  Cutch ended his day 3-3 with a homerun and two RBI, while also forcing two walks.  After a troublesome game Friday night, he has rebounded as we all hoped and expected he would, and after dipping below the .200 mark, his average has climbed substantially to .250.

From a pitching standpoint, the Pirates certainly didn’t shut the Reds’ offense down, but they did enough to keep the team in the game and they gave the offense a chance to win.  Karstens pitched 4.1 innings, allowing five runs on eight hits with six strikeouts and just one walk.  His mound opponent, Volquez, went a little deeper, allowing six runs on five hits with an alarming six walks through 5.2 innings.  Both pitchers earned a no-decision today.

The bullpen for the Buccos was strong today.  Other than Jose Veras giving up a run in the fifth, the relievers pitched shutout ball.  Strong performances from Daniel McCutchen, Chris Resop, and Evan Meek set the stage perfectly for Joel Hanrahan to come in and earn his fifth save of the season.  Resop earned the victory today, while Logan Ondrusek was tagged with the loss for the Reds.

This was a HUGE victory for the Pirates for a couple of reasons.  I think we learned a lot about the coaching staff, led by Clint Hurdle of course, by the way the team responded to the abysmal performance in yesterday’s game.  A day after they lost a game by nine runs, they came out and scored four runs of their own in the very first inning.  That speaks to the coaching and the leadership of the club, two extremely important factors to any successfully competitive team. 

Secondly, today’s victory guarantees the Pirates will earn at least a split from the Reds.  With the firepower offense the Reds have and how much trouble the Pirates have had in years past playing in Cincinnati, this was a huge series for them from a confidence standpoint.  They have put themselves in a great position to potentially win another series on the road this season against an N.L. Central opponent.

Kevin Correia will take to the mound tomorrow evening for the Pirates in the final game of the wrap-around series at Great American Ballpark.  Travis Wood will get the start for the Reds.  Hopefully the Pirates can come out strong once again and earn a series-victory in Cincinnati before heading south to take on the Marlins.

Record Vs. Reds: 2-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 6-5

Record On The Road: 6-3

Overall Record: 7-8

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!