Halladay Out-Duels Bedard, Phillies Beat Pirates 1-0

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

The Pirates opened the 2012 season against the Philadelphia Phillies this afternoon at PNC Park, and as is the case every year on Opening Day, optimism was at an all-time high.  Not only were both teams on an equal-playing field before the game began today, but Pirates’ fans were remembering the excitement of last year’s first half when their team was in the middle of an unprecedented run to the top of the N.L. Central division, and were playing highly-competitive baseball through July.  We all know what happened in the final couple months of the year, but taking the next step, as the team has said they’re ready to do, began today.

Unfortunately, the Bucs faced one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, Roy Halladay, and that’s exactly the way he pitched today.  The Pirates’ first two batters tallied hits, from Alex Presley and Jose Tabata, and didn’t get another hit the rest of the game.  Halladay pitched eight shutout innings and Jonathan Papelbon recorded his first save as a Phillie, as the Bucs fell to their cross-state rivals, 1-0 on the North Shore.

From the Pirates’ perspective, there were a number of positives and negatives to take away from today’s game.  Offensively, they were held in check all day long.  Andrew McCutchen grounded into a double in the first inning with two one and no outs during the Bucs’ one and only true threat to Halladay.  He, Neil Walker, Garrett Jones, and Pedro Alvarez combined to go 0-12 today.  Rod Barajas struggled as well in his three at-bats, as did Clint Barmes, who blasted a shot to the warning track in his first at-bat.  Overall, the Bucs’ hitters looked overmatched all day.

Despite the loss today, it was a strong performance by the Pirates defensively.  No errors were committed on the day as the defense made the plays they were supposed to, from Andrew McCutchen to Pedro Alvarez to Neil Walker.  Erik Bedard pitched seven strong innings for the Bucs, giving up just one run on six hits while walking one and striking out four.  Chris Resop and Juan Cruz each pitched a scoreless inning. 

More often than not, when a Pirates’ starting pitcher gives up a run or less in seven or more innings, they’re going to win the game.  Today, that wasn’t the case.  Still, it was a solid start to the season for the Bucs, and while it would’ve been nice to win the season-opener in front of the record-breaking crowd at PNC Park, it was satisfying to see one of the team’s newest acquisitions pitch strong in his debut. 

After a day off tomorrow, the Pirates and Phillies will face off again on Saturday at 7:05pm.  Cliff Lee will be opposed on the hill by Jeff Karstens.

Record vs. Phillies:  0-1

Record vs. N.L. East:  0-1

Record at Home:  0-1

Overall Record:  0-1

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Look To Finish In 2012



Photo Credit:  http://www.bleacherreport.com/

 “Starting Opening Day, it’s ‘finish.’ Last year we were able to rekindle the city. Now it’s time to finish a play, finish an at-bat, finish an inning, finish the game and finish the season.”


Those words, spoken by Pirates’ manager Clint Hurdle, were the fighting words, the theme of the team’s Spring Training workouts and Grapefruit League season in February and March in Bradenton, Florida.

The Bucs played respectable baseball for the first four months of the regular season, and in doing so, created quite a stir around Major League Baseball. In fact, for a matter of weeks, the Pirates were battling it out, and on several occasions even surpassed, the Milwaukee Brewers and St. Louis Cardinals for the N.L. Central division lead.

As we all know, the wheels fell off after the All-Star Break, and a team that, at one point, had a 51-44 record, ended up losing dozens of games in all too familiar (and embarrassing) fashion on their way to a 70-92 mark. In the process, they secured their North American sports record 19th consecutive losing season.

But we know all that already. So does Clint Hurdle. So do the players and the coaching staff. They’re not focusing on that. They’re not focusing on records. They’re focusing on each play, each pitch, each at-bat. They’re striving to be better in each aspect of the game, as Hurdle indicated above, by getting better at each individual element of the game, it will, in turn, improve the team’s chances of accomplishing bigger goals.

That all sounds wonderful. But naturally, this type of mentality has been met with much skepticism…and rightfully so. After all, no professional sports team has ever endured losing to this extent, so it’s difficult to draw any comparisons to any other team in any other sport. That being said, the Bucs did make strides last season…they learned about winning and they learned about losing. They experienced both over-achieving and under-achieving at different times in the season, and they won games in which they underperformed while losing games they deserved to win. Those are all the trials and tribulations, the highs and lows of a 162-game MLB season, and with a young core of players who had yet to endure it, last year was a learning experience of utmost importance.

Tomorrow afternoon, thousands of baseball fans will embark on their annual trip down to PNC Park, decked out in their Steel City colors and motivated by a blind optimism that will never be as high as it’ll be on that day. That’s right, folks, tomorrow is April 5, 2012, Opening Day for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

The Bucs have had a busy offseason and Spring Training, but all those moves, trades, releases, acquisitions, etc., all boil down to the same question that has hounded the team since the early 1990’s: Is this the year they end the streak?

“The streak,” as all Pittsburgh followers know, refers to the 19 consecutive losing seasons the Pirates (and their fans) have endured since 1992. So aside from the regular naïve optimism of Opening Day, why else should any of us believe that this is the year the Bucs turn the corner?

First of all, it starts with leadership from the top. Do the Pirates have that? It looks like it…Clint Hurdle had an under-talented team playing well above its head for 2/3 of the season last year.

How about starting pitching? This is obviously a huge question mark at this point. They spent money (yes the Pirates) to bring in A.J. Burnett and Erik Bedard, and while Bedard has pitched solidly, avoided injury, and is even slated to being the Opening Day starter, Burnett is out two months with the orbital bone. Not exactly what the Bucs had in mind when they acquired him from the New York Yankees. The other starters, including Jeff Karstens, James McDonald, Kevin Correia, and even Charlie Morton, all had strong first halves in 2011 followed by terrible finishes. Which pitcher shows up this year? Only time will tell.

Bullpen? Joel Hanrahan proved to be one of the best closers in the league last season, and so far this spring, he’s looked just as effective and confident in 2012. The key will be if the Pirates are able to maintain a lead through innings 6-8 to even get the ball to Hanrahan. Guys like Evan Meek, Jason Grilli, and Chris Resop headline the slew of bullpen arms will always prove to be extremely valuable.

And that takes us to the offense. At the heart of the debate is Pedro Alvarez, the outrageously gifted third baseman who has underachieved (to say the least) at the big-league level thus far. Pedro is a strikeout machine right now, and while he’s shown the ability to hit for power, so far this spring, he hasn’t been able to hit anything. He is the key to the offense being good as opposed to average (at best). Andrew McCutchen, having just signed a new contract, looks to continue to progress from a star to a superstar, while Neil Walker, Jose Tabata, and Alex Presley, as well as new Buccos Clint Barmes and Rod Barajas, will all have vital roles in the Pirates’ quest for .500.

Pittsburgh will need to get off to a fast start this season, as they encompass one of the most difficult April schedules in baseball. After opening up with a three-game home slate against the Philadelphia Phillies, the Pirates travel out west for series against the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants, and Arizona Diamondbacks. Ouch. Fast start needed indeed.

There are those out there who believe the first half of 2011 was a fluke…a blip on dismal radar that is the Pittsburgh Pirates’ present and future. Conversely, fans and baseball lovers that long to see a winning team in Pittsburgh had their hopes rekindled with the hint of success last year. One thing can’t be argued, though. As we saw last season, if this team is competitive, people will watch…people will care. The Pirates were seven games over .500 in July last season, and fans were coming in droves down to PNC Park night in and night out.

Can the Pirates take the next step? Will they improve upon a small step in the winning direction from last year? Will they finish?

The journey begins this afternoon at PNC Park.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Head To Pittsburgh With Loss To The Phillies

by Zane Heiple

Photo by pittsburghsportsdepot.com

Spring training is now officially over, after the Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up a two game exhibition series with the Philadelphia Phillies in a 7-2 defeat.  Tonight's game was one final chance for those players looking to earn a roster spot to show management they were worthy of the opportunity.

Matt Hague has been they only Bucco that has shown consistent power throughout the spring, because of this he has stayed in the hunt coming into tonight's contest.  He would go 2-3 during the game.  At this point with so little power on this team, the only way I see Hague not making the roster is by a lack of versatility on his part defensively. 

Tonight was also a chance for James McDonald to throw a few innings before his first start of the season.  McDonald would go three innings allowing one run on two hits while striking out three and walking one batter.  Evan Meek also worked an inning tonight giving up one hit.

For the most part tonight's game was more about giving some minor league players one last chance in a big league atmosphere before being sent off to their respective teams.  I doubt management will look at any one players performance in this game as their final decision making determination, but it couldn't hurt for a player to perform well.  With the spring season over Pittsburgh finished with a record of 9-20-2. Ouch.

Next up for the Pirates is the day every Major League Baseball fan has been waiting for since the last out of the World Series, Opening Day.  Pittsburgh will host Philadelphia in a three game series set to kick off at 1:35 on Thursday.  Erik Bedard will be the starting pitcher for the Buccos, while the Phillies will counter with Roy Halliday.  Fans From The Stands will be in attendance, so be sure to check back after the game for pre and post game videos, along with a writeup on all the action.

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

McCutchen Homers, Phillies Edge Pirates 4-3

Well the days in Bradenton have come and gone for the Pittsburgh Pirates for another year.  The Bucs returned to the keystone state for a pair of exhibition games tonight and tomorrow against their cross-state “rivals,” the Philadelphia Phillies.  Of course, they’ll open the regular season on Thursday at PNC Park, but tonight, as will be the case tomorrow, both teams were simply getting their final warm-ups in before the season kicks off later this week.

Both teams played a solid baseball game tonight, exhibition or not, and the Phillies got the last laugh, beating the Bucs 4-3 at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark.

Pittsburgh didn’t send a starter to the mound tonight, using seven relievers to pitch the nine innings.  Tony Watson, Evan Meek, and Juan Cruz each gave up a run in the first, second, and third innings respectively, while Joel Hanrahan, Jason Grilli, and Chris Resop each pitched a scoreless frame.  We all know how the game ended, but overall, the Pirates’ pitching staff did a serviceable job, giving up seven hits to the high-powered Phillies’ offense. 

From an offensive standpoint, a few things remained constant.  Andrew McCutchen is still a stud, and Pedro Alvarez is still a dud.  Ok, I don’t really mean that (not yet), but the two continued their trends in opposite directions.  Cutch blasted a solo homerun in the sixth inning to tie the game at that point.  He’s hitting .304 this spring and looks like he’ll be ready to take off on Thursday towards a strong season. 

Alvarez, on the other hand, went 0-3.  He’s hitting .154 this spring.  Is it a bad thing that I’m content when he flies out (as opposed to striking out)?  I think it is.  Luckily for Pedro, everyone gets a clean slate on Thursday.  I’m STILL thinking he’ll have a big year for the Bucs, but am I thinking or hoping?  We’ll see.  Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, Garrett Jones, and Rod Barajas had a hit each tonight as well.

Earlier, Daniel McCutchen and Brad Lincoln were optioned to Triple A, where they will begin the 2012 season in Indianapolis.  That leaves the lone remaining bullpen spot up for grabs amongst three relievers:  Chris Leroux, Daniel Moskos, and Jared Hughes. 

The Pirates and Phillies will meet again tomorrow at Citizen’s Bank Ballpark for the final exhibition game of the 2012 spring training campaign.  Then, after a day off on Wednesday, the teams will open up their respective regular seasons at PNC Park on Thursday.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Leave Florida With Win Over The Blue Jays

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Christopher Horner/Tribune-Review

With March over, we are one step closer to opening day.  The Pittsburgh Pirates moved even closer to that glorious occasion by winning the final game of the Grapefruit League season with a 3-1 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays.

Jeff Karstens was on the hill and pitched quite well to close out the spring.  He would go four innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out and walking a batter.  He would end spring training with a 2.12 ERA.  His next appearance will be during the season opening series against the Philadelphia Phillies.  The only other Bucco to pitch today that could be coming north with the team was Daniel Moskos.  Over one inning of work he would allow one hit and strikeout two batters.

It took awhile for the offense to wake up today, but it came thru in the clutch with some late inning action.  In the eighth inning Nate McLouth would hit a two run home run.  Matt Hague would then hit his seventh home run of the spring with a solo shot in the ninth.  Hague has impressed me with his bat all spring.  While it is no guarantee that it would continue during the season, the Pirates are very limited with power bats and should give Hague a shot at playing in the majors this season.

Pittsburgh will now head back to the keystone state for a two game exhibition series in Philadelphia.  Tomorrow an assortment of bullpen pitchers will receive work on the hill for the Buccos.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Grapefruit League record:  9-18-2

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Pitching Falls Apart Against Twins & Orioles This Afternoon

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.hardballtalk.nbcsports.com

The Pirates had a busy Saturday afternoon today, with intra-squad games against the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles.  Kevin Correia and Erik Bedard started against the Twins and Orioles respectively, and neither, well, exactly propelled much confidence with their performances today.

Kevin Correia will make his first start of the season in a little over a week in the Pirates’ first road game of 2012.  In his final Spring Training game, he (and the rest of the team) was hoping for a strong performance to carry over to the regular season.  Unfortunately, that didn’t happen today against the Minnesota Twins.

Ryan Doumit’s new teams lit Correia up for 10 runs on 12 hits in just 2.1 innings today.  After a routine opening inning, Kevin ran into a world of trouble in the two subsequent innings, and wasn’t able to escape the third frame.  Daniel McCutchen, who will also be apart of the Opening Day roster bullpen, also struggled, as did Tim Wood.  D-Cutch surrendered three runs on three hits in an inning, while Wood was touched up for two runs on four hits in two innings.  Not the kind of performance we want from the pitching staff leading up to the regular season. 

Offensively, Jose Tabata and Michael McKenry were the only Pirates to have a multi-hit game, and McKenry blasted a homerun for the Bucs today.  Pedro Alvarez went 1-4 with only one strikeout, and Matt Hague also homered, his sixth of the spring.  He continues to make a strong case for an Opening Day roster spot, along with Yamaico Navarro, who went 1-4 today.

The Twins won the game, 15-3.

Similar to Correia (but not quite to that extent), Erik Bedard struggled in his start today, giving up four runs on five hits, including two homeruns.  His ERA sits at 5.03 right now, and even though this is just Spring Training, this is not the way one of the top pitchers in the Pirates’ rotation needs to throwing as we approach Opening Day.

Joel Hanrahan gave up a run today, while Chris Leroux had a solid one inning of relief, striking out two batters without giving up a single hit.

Garrett Jones had a homerun (his fourth of the spring) and two RBI’s, while Rod Barajas and Casey McGehee had a pair of hits a piece.  Clint Barmes and Alex Presley each had a hit as well, including Presley’s solo homerun.

The Bucs and Orioles played to a 6-6 tie. 

The Pirates will face the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon before heading to Philadelphia for the final two exhibition games against the Phillies.

Grapefruit League:  8-18-2

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates-Rays End Game In A Tie?

Photo by AP

by Zane Heiple

Well I guess the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays forgot to post their lineups for the shootout before the first pitch today, as their game ended in a 3-3 tie.  This is the only time of year where one can see a baseball game end like this and with the way the Buccos have been playing maybe this was for the best.

Pitching for Pittsburgh today was strictly done by bullpen and minor league players.  The bullpen grouping of Tony Watson, Jason Grilli and Chris Resop shutdown the bats of Tampa.  Watson and Grilli each pitched two scoreless innings, while Resop threw one shutout inning.  The Rays were able to get to Brad Lincoln in the seventh inning touching him up for three runs.  Tim Alderson then came in for the final two innings allowing zero runs on two hits.

Offensively for the Pirates Casey McGehee and Matt Hague led the way.  Each would go 2-4, with McGhee bringing one run home on a solo shot in the first and Hague bringing in two on a home run in the seventh.  Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker had a rough go of it at the plate going 0-4 each.

Always good to see some quality innings from the bullpen guys as I am sure they will be leaned upon heavily this season.  Pittsburgh will have a split squad game tomorrow.  One game will see Erik Bedard at home against the Baltimore Orioles, while the other will be against the Minnesota Twins on the road with Kevin Correia starting.  First pitch for both games is scheduled for 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record 8-17-1

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

McDonald Struggles As Pirates Lose To Twins

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.piratesgab.com/

Thank goodness these games don’t count. The Pirates just keep losing games this spring. Today, they fell to Ryan Doumit and the Minnesota Twins, 11-6 at McKechnie Field.


Unfortunately for the Pirates, another one of their starting pitchers had a rough outing. Today, it was James McDonald who was touched up, this time by the Minnesota Twins. J-Mac was slammed for 10 runs on 7 hits and 7 walks through 3.2 innings. 7 walks! He also gave up two homeruns on the day, while only striking out one batter.

I feel like I said these same types of things earlier in the week about Charlie Morton, but this is not the direction we want our starting pitchers to be headed. McDonald pitched incredibly solid when he first came to Pittsburgh from the Los Angeles Dodgers; slowly but surely, however, he has declined over the past couple seasons. Today’s outing, one of his last (if not his last) of Spring Training, went just about as terribly as possible.

On the offensive side of the ball, the Bucs managed six runs on twelve hits, even though the game’s outcome had quickly been decided early in the game. Pedro Alvarez was the only everyday Pirate to have more than one hit. Yes, Pedro Alvarez had two hits today. He also struck out twice. Still, though, for a guy who had four hits total coming into today, this is big news. Garrett Jones and Neil Walker each had a hit and an RBI in a losing effort. We can’t forget about the impact these two players can have if they’re swinging the bat well. Jones platooning at first base with Casey McGehee could provide some much needed power, but he’s had a relatively quiet spring.

In addition to the on-the-field action, the Bucs made some other news today as well. First of all, Neal Huntington announced that Charlie Morton will begin the 2012 regular season next week on the 15-day disabled list. Chuck, of course, had hip surgery in October, and has been a week or so behind the rest of the starting pitching staff. Even though he struggled last night, the Bucs’ coaches insist that he’s been progressing nicely. Still, with Morton on the DL, there is yet another spot on the Pirates’ pitching rotation open. It’ll be interesting to see who will fill in.

The Pirates also sent four more players to the minors today, including Nick Evans, Jake Fox, Eric Fryer, and Ryota Igarashi. None of these players were expected to make the big club to begin the season, though each of them had positive moments this spring. If last year is any indication, the Bucs will need guys from Indianapolis and Altoona to step up in case of fatigue and/or injury this year.

With the loss today, the Bucs fell to 8-17 in Grapefruit League play. Ugh! I know the wins and losses don’t matter at this point, but still, it’s getting a little embarrassing. Let’s at least get into double digits in wins! They’ll face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow at 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record: 8-17

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Lose Third Straight, This Time To Rays

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

Maybe the Pittsburgh Pirates are just getting tired of spring training.  Maybe they are ready to head north and play some meaningful games.  I sure hope so, because their performance over the past week has me a little concerned on what this team will look like when the games do count.  For the ninth time in eleven games they Pirates lost a spring training game, this time to the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3.

Now its not like things went horribly wrong for Pittsburgh tonight.  The offense was able to collect ten hits, Neil Walker would go 2-4 and Andrew McCutchen would hit a solo home run.  Another plus was that Pedro Alvarez did not strikeout, granted he did not play, but we take any positive news on Pedro that we can. 

The downside of the night came from Charlie Morton.  While he is still about a week behind other pitchers, he did not have a good night.  Morton would pitch five innings allowing six runs on eight hits.  Tonight showed that he definately needs more time to recover from the offseason hip surgery and should stay behind for a few extended spring training starts before joining the Pirates roster.  While Charlie struggled, Evan Meek, Chris Leroux, and Juan Cruz each pitched a scoreless inning in relief.

Now i understand that records are not important during spring training, but it just seems like the Buccos just aren't performing up to the level they are capable this spring.  Like I said earlier maybe its just the lull of spring training.  I hope they are ready to play come April 5th at PNC Park.  Pittsburgh will be back in action again tomorrow at 1:05 against the Minnesota Twins. 

Grapefruit League Record:  8-16

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Pedro’s Struggles Continue, Pirates Lose To Phillies

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.wickphotography.com/

It’s March 27, with a little less than a week left in Spring Training, and I have yet to be negative about the Pirates. I’ve been objective in my analysis of individual players and the Bucs as a whole, but I haven’t been negative. After today’s 5-4 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, I have to break my streak here this spring and come down pretty hard on the Pirates.


This was just one of those frustrating afternoons for a Pirates’ fan…and of course, it was aired on MLB Network for all to see. They managed eight hits on the afternoon, three of which came off of Phillies’ starter Cliff Lee, who pitched six scoreless innings. The hits came from Alex Presley, Andrew McCutchen, Eric Fryer, Nick Evans, and Casey McGehee, as well as Pedro Alvarez. Wait, before anyone gets excited about Pedro, no this wasn’t a coming out party for the third baseman.

In fact, it was more of the same debacle that has Pirates’ fans pulling their hair out over this guy. He went 1-4 on the day with three strikeouts, including an at-bat with two runners on base and one out in the seventh inning. He was called out on strikes. Garrett Jones struck out after Alvarez to end the threat.

Making things even more excruciating was Pedro’s fielding error in the third inning, as well as Jake Fox’s error in the second. All aspects of Alvarez’s game are on the rocks at this point. For a guy with this much pedigree, it is astonishing to see him struggle this mightily in all areas of the game.

The Pirates used a total of eight pitchers today, collectively giving up five runs on twelve hits. Chris Resop, in a spot he’ll never find himself in a game that matters, started this afternoon, surrendering two runs on three hits in two innings, while striking out three batters. Daniel McCutchen, following his horrendous outing last week against the Tigers, gave up a run on a pair of hits in the fourth inning, while Ryota Igarashi also gave up a run, coming in the sixth inning. Daniel Moskos gave up the walkoff homerun in the bottom of the ninth to the Phillies’ Scott Podsednik.

Bright spots? Hmm…well Joel Hanrahan and Chris Leroux each tossed a scoreless inning. But in the regular season, if the Bucs can’t score runs, Hanarahan will leave his jacket on in the bullpen. Not much point in a closer when you can’t score runs to obtain any type of a lead. From an offensive standpoint today, however, the Bucs did manage a couple of runs in the eighth inning. Nick Evans’ RBI single scored Nate McLouth and Eric Fryer’s RBI double scored Evans to make things interesting at 4-2. McGehee hammered a double next, scoring Fryer.

Later in the game with the score tied 4-4, Pedro Alvarez walked to the plate with a chance to be the hero. Spring Training game or not, this was an opportunity for Pedro to give his team the lead. So what happened? He was called out on strikes.

I realize this is Spring Training, and I know the Bucs were facing a Philadelphia Phillies’ starter in Cliff Lee, and I know they weren’t sending a starting pitcher out to the mound themselves, but this was an utterly frustrating game to watch for this Pirates’ fan. While they did make a comeback in the eighth inning and put a string of hits together, the production from the everyday players was absent. Sure, it’s nice to see Evans and Fryer come through, but the guys we need to see production from, most particularly Pedro, didn’t come through.

With the loss, the Pirates fell to 8-15 in Grapefruit League play. Again, while wins and losses don’t matter at this point, it continues to leave a bad taste in the mouth of this Pirates’ fan.

Well after my rant, I feel a little better. As for the Pirates, they face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow night at 7:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record: 8-15

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucs Fall to O's Under The Lights

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles have had many things in common over the past two decades.  The one main thing is that neither has sniffed .500 for the past 15+ years.  While talent has graced each organization, neither had done well in drafting and developing players.  That seems to be changing by the amount of young talent that was seen on the field for each team tonight in the Orioles 4-1 victory.

While the Pirates offense was M.I.A tonight it was a former Oriole on the mound for the Buccos that starred for the Black and Gold.  Erik Bedard, who was named Opening Day starter for Pittsburgh earlier in the week, looked ready for April tonight, as he would go six innings allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out five and walking one.  Pirates fans everywhere would love to see Bedard have games like this throughout the 2012 season.  Jason Grilli performed well tonight in one inning of work as he struck out two batters.  At this point it looks like Grilli is a lock for the bullpen.  Juan Cruz and Tony Watson each worked an inning tonight allowing one run on two hits.

While it may still be spring training, the offensive struggles are still frustrating.  Pittsburgh would only manage one run on two hits.  Neil Walker and Michael McKenry collected the only hits for the Buccos, while Garrett Jones would bring home Andrew McCutchen with a sacrifice ground out to first base.   Would be nice to see a little more consistency out of the offense before the head north for opening day.

The Buccos will head to beautiful Clearwater to take on the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow afternoon at 1:05.  Starting for the Pirates will be Chris Resop.  You may be asking why Resop, well Jeff Karstens is scheduled to pitch the second game of the opening series, and Clint Hurdle does not want Philadelphia to get a good look at Karstens before then.

Grapefruit League Record:  8-14

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Pirates Outlast Astros In High-Scoring Affair

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.bucsdugout.com

The Pirates beat the Houston Astros this afternoon in a high scoring affair, 9-7.  With the win, the Bucs improved to 8-13 in Grapefruit League play.  The two teams combined for 16 runs on 30 hits.  Pitchers’ duel, anyone?

Brad Lincoln struggled today, surrendering three runs on four hits, including two homeruns, in his four innings of work.  His ERA this spring is at 10.50, and he hasn’t had the command or consistency we’ve been looking for, at least from the perspective of him perhaps becoming a member of the team’s starting pitching rotation.  I would argue he has all but solidified himself as a minor league player to start the season.  The only exception would be if he’s a long man out of the bullpen, but I think that’s even a long shot at this point. 

Chris Leroux also struggled today, giving up three runs on two hits and three walks in the seventh inning, while Jared Hughes got touched for a run on three hits in the eighth frame.  On a brighter note, though, Evan Meek was impressive today, tossing two scoreless innings.  He seems to look more comfortable each time out this spring, which is great news for the Bucs.

The Buccos brought the bats to the field today, tagging Astros’ pitching for nine runs on 20 hits.  Yamaico Navarro led the team with four hits, including a triple, while Garrett Jones added two RBI’s as well.  In all, five Pirates had multi-hit afternoons, including Clint Barmes, Casey McGehee, Rod Barajas, Navarro, and Nate McLouth.  It was nice to see the bats come alive.  One of the main points we’ve spoken of in regards to the Bucs’ success this year is the ability to score more runs.  They will need to give the pitching staff more support on a nightly basis, and while Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, etc. will be expected to contribute in massive amounts, the likes of McLouth, Barajas, and Barmes all represent significant pieces to that Pirates’ .500 puzzle.

A special note on Navarro here:  he has had a nice spring this year, and he may prove to be a very valuable asset to the team.  He’s been solid with both the bat and glove, but what may keep him up with the big club this year is his versatility and ability to play multiple positions.  He is able to play in the outfield or infield, and can pinch hit, as well as do platoon work or even spot starts in case of occasional maintenance scratches for players like McCutchen, Walker, etc.  We’ll see what happens, though, as players like Josh Harrison, Matt Hague, etc. are also making a strong case to start the season in Pittsburgh as well.

The Pirates will keep the Grapefruit League ball rolling tomorrow night under the lights against the Baltimore Orioles at McKechnie Field.  First pitch is slated for 7:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  8-13

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Beat-3.25.12

It's just about that time again.  The Pirates open up their 2012 regular season on April 5, 2012, against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park.

Zand and Chad are on location from the PIAA State Championships on the campus of Penn State University for the first Bucco Beat podcast of 2012.

The guys discuss Spring Training, the Pirates' projected Opening Day roster, and starting pitching rotation.  They make their MLB regular season and postseason predictions, while also eluding to whether they feel the Bucs will end their recording-setting losing streak.

Bucco Beat: 3-25-12

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Late Game Comeback Drops Pirates Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Christopher Horner/Pittsburgh Tribune Review

While wins and losses aren't the true definition of a successful spring training, holding onto a lead and performance in those latter innings give an organization an idea of what kind of player they have.  While yesterday's loss was just an off day for Daniel McCutchen, today's game may have marked the end of the line for Ryota Igarahshi.  Igarahshi was brought in as a non-roster invitee to challenge for a spot in the bullpen.  After today's outing of not being able to hold a three run lead in the ninth inning, I feel his days with the Buccos are over.  The Houston Astros would cap the 5-4 win in the tenth inning over the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Errors where also abundant today as Pittsburgh would commit three of them.  Maybe its just the surplus of players and not being comfortable with each other, but it seems like the Pirates have been committing a lot of them this spring.  It will be important to solve this problem come April 5th, since the Buccos are not a ball club that can give teams extra outs during an inning.

There were some good things that happened today as well.  Starting pitcher James McDonald went seven innings while striking out three batter while giving up one run on two hits.  Chris Resop would pitch a scoreless eighth inning and Daniel Moskos stopped the bleeding in the ninth by striking out two batters.

The offense looked good as well.  Josh Harrison went 2-4 to increase his average to .520.  Jose Tabata would go 2-4 and Garrett Jones hit his third home run of the spring. 

The Pirates will take the field on Sunday to battle the Astros once again.  Brad Lincoln will get his first start since March 7th when he had some calf tightness.  Lincoln looks to once again be a pitching option for the Pirates in case of injury or if a spot start is needed from a minor league player once the season begins.  First pitch is at 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record: 7-13

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Tigers Score Six Runs in the 9th To Beat Pirates

By Chad Carlson



http://www.countingbaseballs.mlblogs.com/

 The Pirates’ pitching staff looked solid today. Starter Charlie Morton tossed four innings of scoreless baseball, giving up only a pair of hits while also striking out two batters. Joel Hanrahan, despite giving up a solo homerun, pitched well in the fifth inning, while Chris LeRoux and Ryota Igarashi threw a scoreless inning. Yeah, the pitching staff looked solid top to bottom this afternoon. That is…until the ninth inning.


Daniel McCutchen gave up six runs in the ninth inning, and the Detroit Tigers beat our battlin’ Buccos 7-2 this afternoon. D-Cutch faced a total of 13 batters in his two innings of work, and it was easily his worst performance in recent memory, whether in Spring Training, regular season, or anywhere else. So why did Clint Hurdle leave him in? Well, because that’s what Spring Training is all about. He wanted to see if he could work his way out of trouble. He obviously failed today, but there wasn’t any harm done, except for maybe a little bruise to McCutchen’s ego.

As for the offense, the Bucs did muster eight hits as a team, including three from Jose Tabata. Matt Hague showed his power again today with a homerun in the second inning. He’s making a strong case to be apart of the Opening Day lineup in a couple weeks.

Clint Barmes and Rod Barajas combined to go 0-6. Again, though, a lot of the regulars, including Andrew McCutchen, are in more of a maintenance type mode at this point. They know they’re on the roster, and there’s no sense risking injury right now. Still, though, the Bucs need some more offensive production from someone, anyone.

The Pirates face the Houston Astros (with Chris Snyder) tomorrow afternoon at 1:05pm.

Also, be sure to stay tuned this weekend for the premier 2012 edition of our Bucco Beat podcast, right here on FFTS.

Grapefruit Record: 7-12

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Three Run Eighth Inning Sends Rays Past Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by pirates.com

The Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates today 8-6 in Grapefruit League action.  It was an up and down day for the Pirates as they totaled 14 hits and had three errors.  Pittsburgh was leading 6-5 going into the eighth inning when Tampa scored three runs to put a cap on the game.

Jeff Karstens started for the Buccos today and did not have his best stuff.  He was able to work five innings and struck out three batters, but he would give up three runs, two earned, while giving up four hits and walking four batters.  Karstens still has time to work out some kinks.  I would like to see him be able to go another inning of work and cut down on the walks before April gets here.  Daniel Moskos would only go 2/3 of an inning allowing one run on one hit while striking out and walking one batter.  Jason Grilli had by far his worst day of the spring allowing three runs on four hits and giving up a home run while working one inning.

The Pirates did account for three errors today.  While that is a high number, only one error was made by a player that will be starting for Pittsburgh on opening day.  That was made by Clint Barmes who missed a catch.  The other two came from relief pitcher Doug Slaten and outfielder Nick Evans.

The offense fared pretty well today.  A key to the 2012 season will be stealing bases and Nate McLouth, Alex Presley and Barmes each swiped a bag today.  Barmes also scored a pair of runs today.  The big offensive output of the day came from Yamaico Navarro who would go 3-4 with 3 RBI and a home run while making the start today.  His versatility in the infield and .303 batting average during spring training make him a viable candidate for a bench spot when the club heads north.  Rod Barajas also played well going 2-3.

Today's game proved that while there are still things to work on before the season opener in two weeks, this team is showing improvement in certain areas.  Pittsburgh will host the Detroit Tigers for the only time this spring tomorrow at 1:05.  Charlie Morton will have the task of starting the game against one of the hottest offenses of spring training. 

Grapefruit League Record:  7-11

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Correia Struggles, Pirates Win Close One Over Red Sox

Photo Credit:  http://www.bradenton.com/

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates beat the Boston Red Sox today, 6-5. To be perfectly honest, I couldn’t care any less about the score of this game or the fact that the Bucs lost. This is still Spring Training; wins and losses don’t matter for another two weeks.


Prior to A.J. Burnett bunting a ball off his face, Kevin Correia was more than likely on his way to beginning the 2012 regular season in the bullpen. Now, even despite Burnett’s impressive (and speedy) recovery thus far, Correia will be in the starting rotation to begin the season, and in fact, he may even be the Opening Day starter when the Pirates host the Philadelphia Phillies in a little over two weeks from today.

Correia got the start today against the Boston Red Sox, and unfortunately, he looked more like his post All-Star Game from last year, lasting five innings while giving up four runs on eight hits. He fought hard against a number of batters, but he proved vulnerable to leaving pitches a little higher in the zone than desirable, and it cost him on several occasions.

Before today’s start, Correia had looked incredible on the mound…very solid, confident, and reminiscent of last year’s Spring Training and early regular season. Today was definitely a step backwards for him. That being said, this was against a pretty jacked up Boston Red Sox lineup, one that is among the best the Pirates will see this year. Still, as we draw closer to the regular season, it’d be nice to see the Pirates’ pitchers performing better, not worse.

Joel Hanrahan relieved Correia and tossed a scoreless sixth inning, giving up a hit and walking one batter while striking out one. Evan Meek, unfortunately, wasn’t as strong, giving up a run on two hits, including a homerun, in the seventh inning.

From an offensive standpoint, the Bucs looked solid today. Josh Harrison and Matt Hague, two players vying for those previous bench spots on the Major League roster, had two hits a piece, while Andrew McCutchen, Alex Presley, and Casey McGehee each added a hit as well. Nate McLouth hammered a go-ahead homerun in the seventh inning as well.

Prior to today’s game, the Pirates announced they were reassigning four players to the Minor Leagues, including Brandon Boggs, Daniel Cabrera, Jeff Clement, and Tim Wood. The Bucs’ current roster number sits at 39.

The Pirates face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow at 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record: 7-10

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Yankees Roughup Pirates Under The Lights

by Zane Heiple

Photo by bradenton.com

The Pittsburgh Pirates came out swinging early in their game with the New York Yankees tonight, but the Yanks took the early punches and delivered a knockout with a 10-3 win. 

The offense was a familiar scene for us fans plenty of hits, but a lack of runs.  Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen, and Neil Walker, three faces who will be leading the offense this season, each accounted for two hits in their three at bats.  The Buccos took an early 2-0 lead when McCutchen took a 3-2 pitch deep to left field.  That was the last of the Pirates leading for the night as New York would score the next nine runs before Walker would single home Tabata in the sixth.  The Yankees would finish off the scoring in the eighth inning.

Pitching was obviously well off track tonight and it all started with Erik Bedard.  He would work 3.2 innings allowing four runs on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.  Bedard was brought in to help this rotation with experience, his ERA is up to 6.23 and needs to start putting consistently good starts together if he hopes to regain his form from his days with the Baltimore Orioles.  I think Jo Jo Reyes days in a Pirates uniform are soon coming to an end.  He gave up three runs tonight without recording an out and now  has a spring training ERA of 12.86.  Daniel McCutchen and Daniel Moskos looked good again tonight as they each struck out a batter in their inning of work.

While some of us at Fans From The Stands are expecting big things out of Pedro Alvarez this season, I keep waiting for him to show that he is even a baseball player.  Tonight he would go 0-3 with a strikeout and is now batting .148.  But it does not end their folks, a fielding error in the third inning would give the Yankees their first run of the night.  Do not get me wrong, I hope that he figures things out and at least resembles some form of what all us hoped he would be when the Pirates drafted him, but as the days go by the word bust seems to stick to him more and more.

Well the great thing about baseball is that there is no time to dwell on the game before.  Pittsburgh is back in action for their first of three straight games in Bradenton.  Tomorrow they will take on the Boston Red Sox.  Kevin Correia will start for the Buccos and first pitch is scheduled for 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record:  6-10

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Morton Struggles In Shutout Loss To Twins

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.burningantsblog.com

After a long, tumultuous 162-game regular season, there are at least a handful of games that each and every team would like to forget about.  For the Pirates, they can add a Spring Training game to the list as well.  The Minnesota Twins shut them out this afternoon, 10-0, on a day when Charlie Morton was almost as ineffective as the Pirates’ offense, which only mustered one hit all day.

Morton surrendered five runs on seven hits through his three innings of work.  He is, without a doubt, expected to be part of the starting rotation in a few weeks, but he certainly struggled today.  His ERA this spring is at 9.00, but hopefully over the next couple weeks leading up to Opening Day, he can put together a string of strong outings to get the confidence level up to par.

The offense was putrid today, no question about it.  Brandon Boggs recorded the only hit for the Bucs, while the team struck out a total of ten times on the day.  Pedro Alvarez and Andrew McCutchen both had the day off, but this was a rough day for everyone across the board…one that the team, and us fans, will love to put in the past.  Pedro did have a pinch-hit appearance today, going 0-1, dropping his average to .167. Ouch.

The Pirates’ lack of efficiency in the fundamental aspects of the game is already a concern for me.  Even though it’s still in Spring Training, this is the time when teams need to clean up their individual games, and right now, the Bucs aren’t doing that.  If this team is going to have any chance at a winning record this season, they need to play fundamentally sound in the field and at the plate. 

Oh yeah, and they need to hit the ball!

Prior to the game today, it was announced that Starling Marte, Gorkys Hernandez, Kyle McPherson, Bryan Morris, and Justin Wilson were optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.  Marte has been incredible at the plate this spring, but has struggled defensively.  He still has some on-the-field maturation to do, and will do so throughout this year and, depending on that development, may find himself in Pittsburgh by the end of the season.

The Bucs are now 6-9 in Grapefruit League play.  After their second (and last) day off of Spring Training tomorrow, they’ll resume action against the New York Yankees on Tuesday at 7:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  6-9

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Rays Top Pirates In Pitching Battle

by Zane Heiple

Photo by pirates.com

Consistency is what the Pittsburgh Pirates need if they want to build on the success of last season.  So far this spring the Pirates starting pitching has been just that, it is their offense that has been sporadic during the month of March.  Today was no different as the Buccos fell to the Tampa Rays 2-1.

Jeff Karstens was on the mound to start the day and continued to prove that last year was not a fluke.  He would pitch five innings allowing one run on three hits with five strikeouts and three walks.  With today's performance he has lowered his ERA this spring to 1.13.  James Shields went for the Rays and was even more impressive than Karstens.  He would go six innings allowing one run on four hits while striking out seven.  Joel Hanrahan would give up one run in his inning of work while striking out three batters.  Jason Grilli would go two innings and Ryota Igarashi would pitch one inning, with neither pitcher allowing a run to score.

While both teams struggled at the plate, none of the Pirates would have multiple hits.  Their only run of the day came in the sixth inning when Andrew McCutchen would go deep with his first home run of the spring.  Tampa's first run would come from a Luke Scott solo home run in the fifth and then would take the lead for good with one run in the sixth.  Pedro Alvarez continued to struggle as he would go 0-3 with three strikeouts and see his batting average drop to a measly .174

While it is impossible to average the 14 runs per game that they did on Wednesday and Thursday, it would be nice to see the Pirates average around five runs a game over the next few weeks before heading north.  It will not matter how effective the pitching staff is, if the offense can not give them run support.

The Pirates will play the Minnesota Twins for what seems like the millionth time this spring in Fort Myers.  Charlie Morton will head to the mound for Pittsburgh as he looks to regain his form following off-season hip surgery.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record:  6-8

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Correia Throws Four Scoreless In Pirates' Win Over Phillies

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  Pirates.com

After scoring 28 runs in the past two games, the Pirates’ offense was not expected to continue this type of production any longer. Today, they managed only three runs against the Philadelphia Phillies, but it was good enough for them to earn their sixth win of the Grapefruit League season.

Kevin Correia pitched four shutout innings before handing the ball over to the bullpen to finish off the latter five frames to help the Bucs improve to 6-7 this spring with 3-2 victory today.

Correia gave up just one hit and one walk in his four innings of work, while Evan Meek, Justin Wilson, and Kyle McPherson each pitched an inning of scoreless ball. Kevin has yet to give up a run yet this spring, and he’s looking to revert back to the pitcher he was the first half of 2011. So far, so good for him, while the same rings true for a bullpen that was one of the best prior to the All-Star break last year, before falling apart and ending the season in the lower handful.

As for the offense, it was less exciting for the Pirates than it had been the last couple days. Alex Presley, Jose Tabata, and Andrew McCutchen were all given the day off, which, in part, allowed Starling Marte the opportunity to start in the outfield. He continued his hot spring today with two hits, including a homerun and an RBI and two runs scored, while Clint Barmes, Neil Walker, and Jake Fox (HR) added a hit each. Casey McGehee added an RBI as well.

Pedro Alvarez, on the other hand, did start, going 0-2 with a walk and a strikeout.

Daniel Moskos and Bryan Morris finished out the game for the Bucs, despite together allowing a pair of runs in the late innings. But the Phillies’ comeback came up a little short, the Bucs were able to escape with the win.

This was a solid win for the Pirates today. They didn’t score a dozen runs…in fact, they struggled at the plate against a nice slate of Phillies’ pitchers. But they had key hits an opportune times, and were able to push some runs across the plate. On the flipside, the pitching was fantastic today, top to bottom. Correia with yet another impressive outing, and the bullpen came in and did its job. This was a very satisfying victory for the Bucs this afternoon.

The Pirates will face the Tampa Bay Rays tomorrow afternoon at 1:05pm.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Bats Dominate Twins

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Christopher Horner/Tribune Review

Defense may win championships, but offense is what puts fans in the seats.  While it is still only spring training, offensive days like this should keep PNC Park plenty full during the regular season.  The Pittsburgh Pirates dominated the Minnesota Twins by the final of 17-6.  The first inning alone was enough to earn the W, as the Buccos would send 15 batters to the box scoring 10 runs.

After what had mostly been a stagnate spring for the offense, the bats have awoken these past two games scoring 28 runs on 34 hits.  Alex Presley, Matt Hague, and Garrett Jones each went deep today bringing in seven runs between them.  While Presley and Jones are locks for the roster, Hague was brought up to fight for a job and if he keeps hitting with a .429 batting average I think we will be seeing him in Pittsburgh come April 5^th.

Now in a game where 23 total runs were scored, pitching obviously was not a key factor in the game.  Minnesota started rule 5 draft pick Terry Doyle in place of Scott Baker.  Doyle gave up the first eight runs of the game, while recording only two outs.  Pirate’s starter Jo-Jo Reyes did not fair much better allowing four runs in 2.1 innings pitched.  It’s a long shot for Reyes to make the team as a starter and will most likely be used in long relief.  If he does head north with the team he will need to lower that ERA and be more consistent on the bump.

Up next for the Pirates will be a home contest against the Philadelphia Phillies, a team that has owned the Buccos this spring.  Kevin Correia will make his third start of the spring against one of the Phillies aces Cliff Lee.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05.

Grapefruit League Record:  5-7

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!