Ohlendorf Throws Seven Innings, Hits HR In Bucs 6-2 Victory Over Dodgers

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Harry How/Getty Images

The Pirates began a difficult west-coast road trip tonight in the first of a four game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  In tonight’s matchup, Ross Ohlendorf took the mound against Dana Eveland, who was a September call-up for the Dodgers. 

In his first game on September 1 in a make-up contest at PNC Park, Eveland had the Pirates guessing all, earning a victory against his former team, just as he did in his second start against the San Francisco Giants.  In fact, in his two starts with the big club this year, he was 2-0 with a 0.60 ERA.  So why hasn’t he been the Dodgers all season?

Because he gives up homeruns to opposing pitchers.

Ohlendorf hammered a three-run homerun to right field in the second inning, scoring Ryan Doumit and Ryan Ludwick, giving the Bucs a 4-1 lead at the time.  The round-tripper was Ross’s first career homerun, leading the Pirates to a 6-2 victory over the Dodgers.

More importantly for Ohlendorf and the Pirates, though, he pitched very well tonight.  After a rough first inning where he gave up an RBI ground-rule double to Justin Sellers, Ross settled down and held the Dodgers in check for the remainder of his seven-inning evening.  He gave up two runs on four hits, striking out six and he didn’t walk a batter.

Ohlendorf won his first game of the season tonight, and tallied his first road victory since August 2009 when he defeated the Colorado Rockies.

This was a huge performance for Ohlendorf, and nice to see for Pirates’ fans.  With the status of the starting pitching rotation up in the air as we approach the end of the season, the Bucs are certainly eyeing up every start by starters like Brad Lincoln, Charlie Morton, Jeff Karstens, Jeff Locke, and yes, Ross Ohlendorf. 

Jason Grilli, Evan Meek, and Joel Hanrahan pitched the eighth and ninth innings to end the game.  After recording the first pair of outs, Meek loaded the bases in the ninth before Clint Hurdle gave the ball to Hanrahan to finish the Dodgers off to end the game.

On another positive note, the Pirates’ offense came alive tonight, accumulating eleven hits against Dodgers’ pitching.  Doumit, Ludwick, Andrew McCutchen, and Brandon Wood each had two hits and an RBI for Pittsburgh, while Neil Walker and Alex Presley added a hit a piece.  The only starter to not have a hit was Chase d’Arnaud, who did reach base after he was hit by a pitch in the second inning.

This is sure to be a tough seven-game road trip at L.A. and Arizona, and it was very important to have a strong performance here in the first game.  The Pirates got a strong outing from their starter, the batters were patient at the plate, stretched at-bats, and didn’t miss opportunities to drive in runs.  The bullpen came in and shut things down.  All in all, considering the skid the Pirates have been on the past month and a half, this was a very satisfying victory.

The Bucs and Dodgers will do it again tomorrow night at 10:10PM EST.  Jeff Locke will get the start for Pittsburgh, looking for his first victory.  In his first game on September 10, he gave up three runs on five hits through five innings in a 3-0 loss to the Florida Marlins. 

Record Vs. Dodgers: 2-3

Record Vs. N.L. West: 12-15

Record On The Road: 34-38

Overall Record: 68-82

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Reds Win Back And Forth Game Over Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

The last time the Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds met, both teams were battling for the top spot in the National League Central title.  That was in mid-July and things have changed quite a bit.  Now both teams seem to be in a battle for third place in the division as the Reds held a one game lead over the Buccos entering the start of this three game series.  Pittsburgh has played quite well against Cincinnati this year compiling a 7-2 record, so there was hope that the Pirates could lead over the Reds and possibly make up some ground on the St. Louis Cardinals for second and possibly move closer to that elusive .500 record. 

Kevin Correia took the ball for the Buccos on this night and while he has struggled at home this year looked pretty good the first time through the lineup.  The second time through however, Cincinnati would put two runs up on the scoreboard when Joey Votto hit a home run to deep centerfield. 

The Pirates were able to get on the board in the bottom of the fourth inning when Brandon Wood hit a sacrifice fly to score Andrew McCutchen.  Ronny Cedeno would tie the game with a RBI single to shallow centerfield.

The Reds did not take long to regain the lead, Ryan Hanigan hit a solo home run to left field.  Correia continued to give up the long ball as Brandon Phillips hit a three run shot to left field giving Cincinnati a 6-2 lead.  Pittsburgh did add a run in the bottom part of the inning on a sac fly by Neil Walker.  The Pirates would cut into the lead once again in the sixth inning with another run.

Correia would leave after six innings allowing six runs on eight hits with one K and one walk.  The bullpen would allow a run in the seventh, after Brad Lincoln got two outs, he would leave the game with runners on first and second.  Joe Beimel would give up a hit to shallow centerfield and then walk a hitter to load the bases before being pulled.

With the Pirates down three with two outs and runners on second and third, Wood doubled into left field to bring Pittsburgh to within one run.  Cincinnati then added a run in the eighth.  After Paul Janish reaced first on a missed call by the first base umpire, he would steal second and then score when Phillips hit into a fielder’s choice.

The Pirates battled back in the bottom part of the inning.  They would cut the Reds lead to one on a Garrett Jones double that scored Xavier Paul.  McCutchen then brought home Jose Tabata on a single to left.  With the game tied though, Pittsburgh would have two runners thrown out at home plate.

Things feel apart in the ninth for Joel Hanrahan as he gave up three runs in the ninth as the Reds would go on to win 11-8.  This was another one of those games where the offense shows up and the pitching has a poor outing.  Hopefully the Pirates can pull it together for a afternoon game that will be airing on FOX.

Record vs. Reds:  7-3
Record vs. N.L. Central:  27-25
Record at PNC Park:  28-34
Overall Record:  58-65

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Brewers Comeback, Defeat Pirates In Extras

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

S.O.B.  For some us this stands as a phrase to help us deal with a frustrating moment in life.  For Pittsburgh Pirates fans this stands for Same Old Buccos, which is what we were all saying after today’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers and another sweep at Miller Park.  This defeat was the 36^th in 39 appearances in Milwaukee for the Buccos.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Andrew McCutchen doubled home Garrett Jones.  Charlie Morton made it look like that was all the offense he would need on the day as he would pitch 7.1 innings allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. 

The lone run he gave up came with two outs and Joel Hanrahan on the mound.  With a runner on second, Hanrahan would strike out Nyjer Morgan, but the ball would get away from Michael McKenry, allowing runners to be on first and third.  This led to Ryan Braun hitting a single that would tie the game, and ultimately send it to extras.

This Buccos had the bases loaded in the top of the tenth with two outs, but Brandon Wood would hit the ball an inch in front of home plate for an easy force out at home by Brewers catcher George Kottaras.  It was the bottom of the inning that allowed fans of the Brew Crew to get out their brooms.  After getting the first batter out, Chris Resop would give up a single to Kottaras and then a double to Casey McGehee.  This allowed Morgan to get back at his old ball club with a sacrifice fly to right field for the win.

S.O.B. is just what this game was, great starting pitching wasted by a lack of offense.  A 2-4 road trip was unfortunate, since the Buccos lost the last two games of the trip by one run apiece.  Pittsburgh will head home to begin three game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 with James McDonald starting for the Pirates and Jake Westbrook on the bump for the Cardinals.

Record vs. Brewers:  0-8
Record vs. N.L. Central:  25-23
Record on the Road:  30-31
Overall Record:  56-63

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

McCutchen Leads Pirates In Rout Of Giants

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jed Jacobsohn/Getty Images

Last night’s game was just plain frustrating for Pirates’ fans.  After being shut out by Madison Bumgarner and the Giants, the Buccos sat at 1-8 in the month of August prior to this afternoon’s game against the San Francisco Giants, while having dropped 14 of their last 16 games.

This afternoon was a big game for the Pirates, who had the opportunity to win a series for the first time since mid-July.  Jeff Karstens made the start today for the Bucs, coming off his worst start of the season against the Padres last Friday night.  The Giants countered in this rubber match with Jonathan Sanchez, a nifty left-hander looking for his fifth victory of the season.

The Pirates’ offense was strong today, getting contributions from a number of different players on their way to an 9-2 beat down of the Giants.

Sanchez, known for his inconsistency and at-times deceiving dominance, didn’t have his best stuff today, and the Pirates took advantage of it.  The Giants’ starter lasted only 4.1 innings, giving up five runs (four earned) on four hits while walking four batters. 

Pittsburgh took the lead early in the first inning.  After drawing a lead-off four-pitch walk to start the game, Andrew McCutchen stole second, and eventually scored on Ryan Ludwick’s two-out RBI single.

Pablo Sandoval quickly tied things up in the bottom half of the inning, blasting a two-out solo homerun to right field, tying the game 1-1.

The Pirates took advantage of Sanchez’s struggles to throw strikes…and made him pay.  After a leadoff walk to Jeff Karstens, Sanchez gave up a monster two-run homerun to McCutchen.  After a walk to Steve Pearce and a two-base error, Matt Diaz smacked an RBI single, scoring Pearce and giving the Bucs a 4-1 advantage.

San Francisco got a run back in the fourth inning on an RBI-single by Orlando Cabrera.  The base hit scored Aubrey Huff, who smacked a 1-out double down the first base line to reach base.  Karstens was able to strike out Aaron Rowand to end the inning with the Pirates still occupying a two-run lead.

Cutch scored for the third consecutive time after leading off the fifth inning with a walk, and eventually scoring on an RBI-single, this time by Garrett Jones.  Pittsburgh extended the lead once again to three runs.

The Buccos opened things wide open in the seventh inning with three more runs on an RBI single from Diaz and a two-run single from Brandon Wood. 

Karstens responded well to his last outing against the Padres, giving up two runs on eight hits in his six innings of work today against the Giants, while earning his ninth win of the year.  He effectively worked his way out of trouble on multiple occasions as well, including leaving two runners stranded in the fifth and sixth innings.

It was an interesting lineup devised by Clint Hurdle for this afternoon’s game.  Steve Pearce, despite his 3-31 mark since being recalled, made the start at third base, while Brandon Wood gave Neil Walker a day off at second base.  Matt Diaz started in right field and Garrett Jones spot-started for Derrek Lee at first base, who was a late scratch due to continued soreness in his hand.

Andrew McCutchen took this game over in the early-going, and set the tone throughout the afternoon for the Pirates’ victory.  Cutch went 1-1 with a homerun, two RBI’s, three walks, four runs scored, and two stolen bases. 

This was a huge victory for the Pirates.  After a horrible home stand, this was a huge step in the right direction for the Bucs to get back to their winning ways.  They won a series for the first time since mid-July, and earned a much-needed confidence boost as they now head into the series this weekend against the N.L. Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Record Vs. Giants: 3-3

Record Vs. N.L. West: 11-14

Record On The Road: 30-28

Overall Record: 56-60

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton Shuts Down Giants As Pirates End Skid With 5-0 Victory

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

The Pirates’ current 10-game losing streak has been rough on the players, coaches, and most of all, on us fans.  Only a couple weeks ago, the Buccos were sitting atop the N.L. Central, and, now, we find our team 10 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers.

Things didn’t look much better tonight, as the Pirates kicked off their six-game road trip against the San Francisco Giants and their unexpected ace, Ryan Vogelsong.  The defending World Series champs’ starter came into tonight’s game sporting a 9-1 record and a 2.19 ERA.  This, combined with the fact that the Pirates have been struggling to muster any type of offense since the All-Star break, didn’t set the table for a pretty picture for Pittsburgh fans.

That’s why they play the game.

The Pirates got to Vogelsong early and often, tagging him for five runs on nine hits through his five innings of work, as they finally snapped their current losing streak with a 5-0 victory over the Giants.

Pittsburgh took the lead in the first inning.  Garrett Jones and Neil Walker hit back-to-back doubles, with Walker’s scoring Jones.  Ryan Ludwick then singled home Walker to give the Bucs an early 2-0 lead.

The Buccos scored another run in the third inning.  After Andrew McCutchen led off with a bunt-single, Jones singled to put two runners on.  After Walker grounded out and Derrek Lee struck out, Ludwick and Pedro Alvarez both drew walks, pushing Cutch home to give the Pirates a 3-0 advantage.

They added two more in the fifth inning.  After Jones singled for his third hit of the game, he stole second, and scored on Ludwick’s single to center field.  Back to back singles by Alvarez and Brandon Wood scored Ludwick, stretching the lead to 5-0.

That proved to be more than enough for Pirates’ starter Charlie Morton, who pitched eight superb innings of baseball tonight, holding the Giants in check throughout the night and getting himself out of some trouble on a few occasions.  Chuck gave up just six hits and issued three walks.  The Pirates’ right hander has pitched 15 innings of scoreless baseball in his last two starts, earning his ninth victory of the season tonight while lowering his ERA to 3.56.

Newly acquire Carlos Beltran was out of the lineup tonight for San Francisco with a right hand injury, while the Pirates’ Derrek Lee, who has been sidelined with a bruised hand of his own, made his return to the lineup tonight.  The Pirates’ first baseman went 1-4 with a triple and three strikeouts.

This was a complete team victory for the Pirates, which is exactly what they needed to end the longest losing streak of this 2011 season.  Charlie Morton pitched a brilliant game tonight, and Jose Veras came in and closed things out in the ninth inning.

Garrett Jones led the offensive attack with four hits, while Andrew McCutchen and Ryan Ludwick added a pair each. 

This was the type of game the Pirates desperately needed.  They got an outstanding performance from their starting pitcher.  They were able to take the lead early and never looked back. 

Tonight’s victory was huge as they kick off a very difficult road trip.  The ten game losing streak is now officially history, and hopefully the Bucs can turn this win tonight into a very successful string of games over the next week and beyond.

Record Vs. Giants: 2-2

Record Vs. N.L. West: 10-13

Record On The Road: 29-27

Overall Record: 55-59

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Drop 10th Straight, Swept By Padres

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates entered today’s home stand finale on a nine game losing streak and really had no answers on what to do in order to end this streak.  The San Diego Padres who entered this three game series 16 games under .500 scored a combined 28 runs in the first two games, and would score seven more today as they swept the Pirates in a 7-3 win.

The Padres opened the scoring in the second inning with a ground out to shortstop which scored a run from third.  The only reason San Diego had a runner on third was because Matt Diaz missed a fly ball at the right field wall.  The Padres would put the game away in the sixth inning by scoring three runs.  They would add another run in the seventh and two more in the ninth.

Pregame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IiKVP2Ta_yY

The Pirates only form of offense came at a meaningless point in the game, which is pretty much when all their offense came to life during this series.  Brandon Wood hit a three run homer to left field with Ryan Doumit and Pedro Alvarez on base. 

Postgame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2TaRdf-bl14

I am just glad that this team can head back out on the road to hopefully end this slide, as they have played better on the road during this 2011 campaign.  With so much going wrong during this home stand it would take a book to go over all of it.  That being said I think a trip across the country will allow the Buccos to clear their heads and maybe get back on their winning ways.  This six game road trip will start Monday night against the San Francisco Giants, who avoided a sweep today by the Philadelphia Phillies. 

Record vs. Padres:  2-4
Record vs. N.L. West:  9-13
Record at PNC Park:  26-32
Overall Record:  54-59

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Phillies Get The Best Of The Pirates Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates were back at it again against their cross state rivals the Philadelphia Phillies tonight.  The Phillies once again proved why they are one of the top teams in the league by using their loaded lineup and great pitching to top the Pirates 7-4.

James McDonald was roughed up by the Phils offense in five innings of work, giving up five runs on ten hits while striking out five and walking two batters.  His counterpart, Cliff Lee, was able to keep the Buccos offense in check allowing four runs on eight hits while striking out eleven and walking two in 7.2 innings of work.

The Philadelphia offense would score three runs in the first three innings before Pittsburgh was able to close the gap to one on a Pedro Alvarez home run to right centerfield that scored Brandon Wood.  The Phils regained those runs in the bottom part of the inning on RBI singles by Chase Utley and Ryan Howard.  The Phillies added another run in the seventh.  The Pirates made one more attempt to tie the game in the top of the eighth.  Neil Walker would single home Pedro Ciriaco and Wood brought home Andrew McCutchen.  Unfortunately the rally ended when Alvarez struck out with runners on first and second.

As of right now with all the injuries, lack of experience, and under achieving on the offensive side of the ball it should not be that big of a surprise that the Pirates have hit a slide here over the past week.  Even though the trade deadline is approaching, one player is not going to make that much of a difference unless this team can get healthy quick enough to make some noise in the division.  That being said the Buccos will try to avoid a sweep in the finale of this series tomorrow.  Jeff Karstens will take on Vance Worley.

Record vs. Phillies:  2-3
Record vs. N.L. East:  12-18
Record on the Road:  28-26
Overall Record:  54-51

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Cardinals Rout Pirates 9-1, Clinch Series Victory At PNC Park

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

For the second straight game, the Pirates entered play against the St. Louis Cardinals with the top of the N.L. Central on the line, and, for the second straight night, they were outslugged and outplayed by their opponent.  The Cardinals lit up the scoreboard, and Kevin Correia, on their way to a 9-1 rout of the Buccos tonight at PNC Park.

Correia lasted just 4.2 innings, giving up seven runs on eight hits, while walking three and giving up two homeruns, losing for the eighth time this season.  His ERA has ballooned to 4.38 for the year.

Jaime Garcia, on the other hand, pitched a strong game for St. Louis, surrendering just once run on eight hits through 7.1 innings, lowering his ERA to 3.01 on his way to his 10^th victory of the season.

The Cardinals took the lead early again tonight, tallying two runs in the second inning off RBI singles by Yadier Molina and Daniel Descalso.  After the Buccos cut the lead in half in the bottom half of the inning, St. Louis blew the game wide open in the fifth frame.

Albert Pujols smacked an RBI single to right center, scoring Skip Schumaker from third base.  Two batters later, Lance Berkman hammered a three-run homerun to deep center field, his 27^th on the year.  Molina added a solo homerun to make the score 7-1 after five innings.  The Cardinals added two more in the ninth to end the scoring. 

The Pirates’ offense continued to struggle tonight.  Chase d’Arnaud and Matt Diaz each had two hits, while Brandon Wood recorded the only RBI for the Bucs.  Still, the offense couldn’t muster together multiple hits at a time, and ended up leaving five men on base.  Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen were a combined 1-7 on the night, while Garrett Jones, Lyle Overbay, and Alex Presley all had the night off.  Where were we expecting the offense to come from?

This was arguably the worst performance by the Pirates this season.  Kevin Correia didn’t pitch well at all and the offense couldn’t score runs.  Walker and McCutchen, the two leaders of the club, didn’t do anything at the plate, and when the Pirates were able to put runners on base, they weren’t able to bring them home.

The game tonight was reminiscent of a game from last year or previous years.  So far this season, the Pirates have played to the level of their competition, meaning they play worse against the bad teams and good against the good teams.  Unfortunately, this weekend, they have looked like a far inferior team when compared to the Cardinals.  If they are going to stand any chance of competing in this division alongside the Cards as well as the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pirates are going to need to find a way to score runs. 

Pittsburgh will try to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon at PNC Park.  Charlie Morton will make the start for the Pirates against the Cardinals’ Kyle Lohse.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:35pm.

Record Vs. Cardinals: 2-3

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 24-16

Record At Home: 25-25

Overall Record: 51-47

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Take Another Road Series With 7-5 Victory In Extra Innings

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images

The Pirates entered this afternoon’s game against the Houston Astros needing to take the final game of the series before heading home for a very important home-stand at PNC Park.  The Buccos used the long ball yesterday to produce the bulk of their offense, but a horrid eighth inning doomed the club, dropping the contest to the last-place Astros, and setting up the rubber match for this afternoon.

In a game that was played more on the Astros level, the Pirates found a way to push runs across the plate, beating home team by a 7-5 score to earn another road game (and series) victory.

Pirates’ starter Kevin Correia lasted six innings, giving up three runs on five hits.  While he certainly wasn’t invincible today, he kept his team in the game, giving them a chance to win down the stretch.  His ERA continues to climb, though, which is alarming for Pirates’ fans.  After today’s effort, his ERA sits at 4.04 for the season.

The Astros took the lead in the first inning after Correia had made the first two outs with relative ease.  After a double by Jeff Keppinger, Hunter Pence slapped an RBI single through the left side of the infield, giving Houston an early advantage.

The Pirates responded in the second inning with two runs of their own from a very unlikely source.  Lyle Overbay got things started with a double.  With two outs, the Astros decided to intentionally walk Eric Fryer to put Correia to the plate with two outs.  The Buccos’ starter laced a two-run double to left field, scoring both Overbay and Fyer.  Pittsburgh occupied a 2-1 lead.

Houston responded in the third inning on a two run homerun by Keppinger.  After manager Brad Mills was thrown out of the game earlier in his at-bat for arguing balls and strikes, Keppinger blasted a ball to deep left field, scoring Clinton Barmes and giving the Astros a 3-2 lead.

Our battlin’ Buccos responded immediately in the fourth frame to tie the game.  After a Brandon Wood walk and a Fryer single, Alex Presley chopped an RBI single in between shortstop and third base, scoring Wood and evening the game, 3-3.

In his next at-bat, Wood doubled to put the lead-run in scoring position.  Presley then hammered a double of his own, scoring Wood and giving the Bucs the lead.

Joe Beimel made his first appearance in a long time for the Pirates in the seventh inning.  After getting two outs, Angel Sanchez and Michael Bourne each slapped singles, kicking Beimel out of the game in favor of Daniel McCutchen.  Andrew McCutchen made an incredible catch on a blooper hit by Barmes, charging in and sliding under Neil Walker to record the third out of the inning.

For the second straight game, the Pirates entered the bottom of the eighth inning occupying a 4-3 lead, and, for the second consecutive game, they lost the lead to the Astros.  Once again, Jose Veras started the inning, giving up a leadoff single to Keppinger.  After Pence and Carlos Lee hit two straight flyouts, Clint Hurdle opted to put Joel Hanrahan in early.  The Buccos’ closer gave up an RBI-double to Chris Johnson, allowing Keppinger to score the game-tying run.  It was Hanrahan’s first blown save of the season.

The 11^th inning showed both the Astros’ and Pirates’ true colors.  Houston committed two errors, gave up two runs and three hits, while the Pirates capitalized on the mistakes and took the game away from the Astros.

Wood led off with a double to deep right field.  After Garrett Jones flied out to left center, Xavier Paul reached base on pitcher Mark Melancon’s fielding error.  Josh Harrison, who was pinch-running for Wood, reached third.  Harrison scored and Paul advanced to second on a passed ball.  Presley then singled home Paul for this third RBI of the game.  Later in the inning, Walker was intentionally walked, and McCutchen reached base safely on pitcher Aneury Rodriguez’s throwing error, allowing Presley to score. 

Despite giving up a two-out solo homerun to Humberto Quintero, Chris Resop came in and closed out the game for Pittsburgh, earning his first save. 

Overall, this was an ugly game, and series, played by these two teams.  One expects this type of play from the Astros, a team that has just lost their 63^rd game in mid-July.  The Pirates, on the other hand, have come out of the All-Star break very sluggish.  After a well-pitched game on Friday by Jeff Karstens, Paul Maholm and Kevin Correia didn’t have their best games the past few days.

Still, the Pirates found ways to win two out of the three games this weekend.  Friday, it was Andrew McCutchen, with his two run triple, who made the difference, along with the outstanding performance from Karstens.  Today, Alex Presley, Brandon Wood, and yes, Correia, led the way on the offensive end. 

This is what good teams do.  They win even when they don’t play well.  When you’re contending for the division, which is what the Pirates are doing this year, you need to win games against the bad teams in the league.  They did that this weekend, and now they return home for an important home-stand.

The Buccos welcome the Cincinnati Reds to PNC Park for a three-game series starting tomorrow night.  James McDonald will make the start for Pittsburgh.

Record Vs. Astros: 9-3

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 22-13

Record On The Road: 26-22

Overall Record: 49-44

Costly Mistakes in Eighth Inning Send Pirates To 6-4 Defeat

by Zane Heiple

Photo By Getty Images

Tonight was one of those nights for the Pittsburgh Pirates that have become few and far between this year, but nonetheless still painful to watch.  While it may only be July, some of us feel that we can’t take games too seriously this time of year, but this team still needs to put games away against a team with the caliber of play as the Houston Astros.

The Pirates did have some great plays on defense and collected three solo home runs from Neil Walker, Lyle Overbay, and Brandon Wood.  The offense started out slow on the night as they stranded five base runners in the first two innings and while the box score showed eleven hits on the night, seven of those came from Walker and Mike McKenry.

The defense for Pittsburgh seemed sloppy all night.  In the second inning Garrett Jones had trouble getting to a fly ball hit by Jason Michaels, fortunately that did not cause any damage.  The damage did come one batter later when McKendry and Maholm appeared to get a pitch crossed up and the ball went to the back stop, allowing Carlos Lee to score.  McKendry appeared to be in position to catch the ball, and then looked like he could have made a throw to make it interesting at home plate.  McKendry then appeared to have a shot at throwing out Hunter Pence at third base in the eighth inning, but he either lost his grip on the ball or was not comfortable throwing to Brandon Wood as he was running to get in position for the throw.  Pence would then score the tying run on a Brett Wallace fielder's choice.  There was a play at the plate and after watching all the replays, the call could have gone either way.

Paul Maholm, who started for the Buccos, had a below average start from what we are used to seeing from him in 2011.  He would leave the game after only going five innings allowing three runs on nine hits, to go with three strikeouts and one walk.  He left the game with a one run lead and early on it looked like it might hold up, as Daniel McCutchen and Chris Resop set down all three batters they faced.  The problem came in the eighth when Jose Veras came to the mound.  He would walk the leadoff man and it went downhill from there as the Astros put three runs on the board and would win 6-4.

Tonights game was roller coaster with a bad ending.  I am confident that Pittsburgh will play better tomorrow, since they seem to save their worst outings for when Maholm is on the hill.  While it may not be a must win tomorrow, it is an important game.  Kevin Correia is on the hill for the Pirates, while Wandy Rodriguez will pitch for the Astros.  First pitch is scheduled for 2:05.

Record vs. Astros:  8-3
Record vs. N.L. Central:  21-13
Road Record:  25-21
Overall Record:  48-44

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Karstens, Wood Lead Pirates To 5-1 Victory Over Astros

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

After an exciting game on our nation’s birthday that saw the Pirates overcome three errors for a victory over the Houston Astros yesterday afternoon, the Buccos were back in action tonight for the second game of the series against their N.L. Central rivals.  The Pirates were finally able to surge past the two-game over .500 mark with the win yesterday, while the Astros’ season continued to fall apart with the loss. 

Tonight was more of the same, as the Pirates got another quality start from their pitcher, timely hitting from somewhat unlikely sources, and their bullpen shut the door on any chance of a comeback as the Buccos beat the Astros by a final score of 5-1 this evening at PNC Park.

Jeff Karstens was spectacular on the mound for Pittsburgh, as he’s been all year.  It’s hard to believe this guy was supposed to be a long-reliever out of the bullpen before the season began.  Tonight, he gave up just one earned run on seven hits through seven innings of work.  He notched his seventh victory of the season, while lowering his ERA to a miniscule 2.55.

Karstens’ only blemish, and the Astros’ only sign of offensive life, came in the fifth inning when Clint Barmes blasted a solo homerun to deep left field.  Barmes had two hits on the night to lead Houston.

During this remarkable run the Pirates have been on this season, there have been a number of unlikely heroes.  Tonight, it was Brandon Wood’s turn to lead the club, and that’s just what he did, going 2-3 with a homerun and three RBI’s. 

The Buccos jumped on the board first in the second inning.  After Lyle Overbay doubled, Wood crushed a homerun to deep right center, giving Pittsburgh the early 2-0 advantage.  Brandon would capitalize again in the fourth inning with an RBI single to shallow center field, scoring Neil Walker from third.

The Pirates put two more runs on the board in the sixth, which seemingly put the game out of reach for the Astros.  After Walker and Overbay reached on singles, Wood forced a walk to load the bases.  Michael McKenry smacked a sacrifice fly, scoring Walker.  Then, in one of the more surprising plays that Clint Hurdle has called this season, Karstens pulled the suicide squeeze, allowing Overbay to score from third base.  When all was said and done, the Pirates had a 5-1 lead at the end of the inning, which would ultimately be the final score.

The bullpen did a great job tonight as usual.  Jose Veras and Chris Resop took over for Karstens in the eighth and ninth innings respectively, setting the Astros down without so much as a whimper. 

The Pirates continue to impress. Granted, this is a team that the Buccos should beat relatively easily.  After all, the Astros have a similar record to what the Pirates had last year at this point in the season.  But the fact is, the Pirates are beating the teams they should…and the teams they shouldn’t.

They don’t have letdown series (minus the Cleveland series).  They go on the road and beat the Blue Jays, split with the Nationals, and now come home and take at least two from the Astros.  The Pirates are playing like a team that is in a divisional race…and they are in a divisional race, as a matter of fact.

Neil Walker and Lyle Overbay continue to heat up with two hit games again tonight.  Matt Diaz had three hits to lead the team, while Wood had a huge game, showing that pop in his bat that seems to show up at the most opportune times.  And the starting pitching led the way again tonight.  Jeff Karstens continues to be one of the biggest surprises in the National League this year.

With the victory tonight, the Pirates improved to four games over .500 this late in a season for the first time since 1992, which, of course, was the team’s most recent winning season.

The Pirates will now aim for the sweep of the Astros tomorrow evening at PNC Park.  Charlie Morton will make the start for Pittsburgh against Houston’s Bud Norris.

Record Vs. Astros: 7-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 18-10

Home Record: 21-20

Overall Record: 45-41

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!

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!