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!

Pirates Fall To Blue Jays In First Spring Training Game Of 2012

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

By Chad Carlson

Well that could’ve gone a little better. 

The Pirates opened up Grapefruit League play today with a 7-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, Florida.

Brett Lawrie went 2-3 and had 4 RBI’s for Toronto, while seven of their eight pitchers tossed scoreless innings, giving up only a total of two hits to Pirates’ batters.

It was a tough day for the Bucs on both ends, only tallying two hits the entire afternoon.  Both knocks occurred in the same inning, though, resulting in the only run they’d score all day.  With two outs in the fifth, Gorkys Hernandez singled to right center, stole 2^nd base, and scored on Michael McKenry’s RBI single to right field.  Other than three walks, the two singles by Hernandez and McKenry were the virtually the only offense for the Pirates this afternoon.

Two of the new Pirates, Casey McGehee and Clint Barmes, combined to go 0-2, while Nate McLouth walked in the second inning.  Starling Marte had a double in the ninth inning in his only at-bat.

Overall, it was a disappointing performance by the Bucs’ pitching staff.  After a flawless first inning, starter James McDonald gave up two runs on hits and a walk in the second inning, while Chris Leroux and Daniel McCutchen gave up a run each in the fifth and seventh innings respectively.  However, after giving up a solo homerun in the sixth inning, LeRoux did strike out the side. 

Unfortunately, Tony Watson had the roughest day of all, giving up three runs on four hits in the sixth inning. 

Now the bright sides of the game:  Brad Lincoln, Chris Resop, and Ryota Igarashi each pitched an inning of scoreless ball.  With the injury to A.J. Burnett keeping him out at least two months, there is an opening to be filled, possibly by Lincoln?  We’ll see.  We’ve seen in the past that he has the ability to pitch extremely well, but the longevity and consistency of that quality pitching has been the issue.  Though it’s only an inning in one Spring Training game, it was still nice to see Lincoln pitch well today.

Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Rod Barajas sat out this afternoon, so we’ll have to wait at least another day to see them take their first official at-bats of Spring Training. 

First of all, Pirates' fans, calm down.  It's only one Spring Training game.  Despite the loss today, it’s incredibly exciting to be talking about Pirates’ baseball once again.  As with any Spring Training, this is always optimism from players and fans alike.  Considering the excitement during the first four months of the season last year in Pittsburgh, fans are looking for the team to take the next step and complete a solid season. 

The goal for this Spring Training is progress, in every sense of the word.  While it’s always nice to win games, a Grapefruit League record means absolutely nothing to me.  This is all about the little things right now on individual levels, micro levels.  How does Charlie Morton look in his inning or two of work, and how does Pedro Alvarez look in his pair plate appearances against left-handed pitching?  Keep these in mind as we watch and discuss Pirates’ baseball this Spring Training.

The Pirates and Blue Jays will meet again tomorrow afternoon, this time at McKechnie Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  0-1

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Ludwick's Walkoff Single Gives Pirates Edge Over Reds

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The final home series of the year got off to an exciting start on Friday night as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Cincinnati Reds 4-3 on a Ryan Ludwick single to center field that scored Jason Jaramillo.  The win tonight gave the Buccos their 70^th win of the year, which is also the first time they have hit the 70 win plateau since 2004.

Pittsburgh got out to an early lead when Garrett Jones blasted a two run home run to center field in the second inning that scored Ryan Doumit.  They would then add a run in the bottom part of the third when Doumit hit an RBI single to right field. 

The Pirates once again used a lot of pieces out of the bullpen tonight, but that is what September baseball is about when you are out of contention.  Jeff Locke got the start tonight and lasted 4.2 innings allowing one run on six hits while walking two and striking out one.  The only run he gave up came in the fifth inning when Joey Votto hit a double that scored Edinson Volquez. 

Cincinnati then scored another run in the sixth inning off of reliever Chris Leroux.  Three more relievers were used to bridge the gap and hold onto the lead for closer Joel Hanrahan.  Hanrahan had a one run lead and was looking to collect his 40^th save of the year, but instead ended up getting his first win of the year.  The Reds tied the game in the ninth when, with the bases loaded, Todd Frazier was hit by a pitch.  The Bucco bats came through in the ninth however to seal the win.

Always exciting to see the Pirates win on a walk off hit and bring some excitement to PNC Park in September.  Andrew McCutchen and Doumit were the only Pirates to have multiple hits tonight, two.  These two teams will face off in the final night game at PNC Park for 2011 tomorrow night with Brad Lincoln getting the nod for the Pirates and Travis Wood heading to the bump for the Reds.  It will also be the final trip to the ball park for Fans From The Stands, so be sure to check back tomorrow night for the pre and post game videos.

Record vs. Reds:  9-4
Record vs. N.L. Central:  37-38
Record at PNC Park:  35-44
Overall Record:  70-87

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Morton, Pirates Snap Four Game Skid With Win Over Diamondbacks

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates were in need of a total team effort tonight to end the current four game slide that they were on.  Tonight’s game was reminiscent of the earlier part of the season where a strong pitching effort was backed by solid defense and a few offense bright spots that put some runs on the board.  Everything started with Charlie Morton who was lights out on the mound tonight going six innings allowing only three hits while walking three and striking out five would pick up his tenth win of the year.  He was also doing damage at the plate going 2-3 on the night.

The Pirates offense was able to get to Arizona Diamondbacks starter Dan Hudson tonight as he would only last five innings giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking three.  The Buccos would score in the first inning off of a Neil Walker double that scored Alex Presley.  Pedro Alvarez showed up tonight hitting a solo home run in the second inning to deep right field.  Run number three would cross the plate in the fifth off of a Ryan Doumit double which scored Andrew McCutchen.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen came into the fold during the seventh inning, and the beginning was very shaky.  Chris Leroux would give up two hits on eleven pitches and not record an out.  He would be replaced by Jason Grilli who would allow one of the inherited runners to score but shut the door to allow the Pirates to carry a two run lead into the eighth. 

The Buccos would get that run back and another one when Derrek Lee would hit a two run shot to left field.  This would allow even more breathing room for the pen in the eighth and ninth innings, which would be needed as Jose Veras allowed a run, while earning only one out.  He would leave the game with runners on first and third when replaced by Tony Watson.  Watson got out of the inning but not before the D-Backs collected their third run of the game when Alvarez made an errant throw to first base on a bunt by Willie Bloomquist.  Joel Hanrahan would enter in the ninth and earn his 39^th save of the year as the Pirates would go on to win 5-3.

Even in victory there were a couple of blunders.  The first was base running mistakes as Morton and Pedro Ciriaco who were picked off on the base paths.  The other was the bullpen struggling over the seventh and eighth innings.  These two teams will wrap up their regular season meetings tomorrow at 3:40.  The Pirates will send Ross Ohlendorf to the hill as he looks for another good outing heading into 2012.  The Diamondbacks will send Wade Miley and his 4.24 ERA to the bump.

Record vs. Diamondbacks:  3-2
Record vs. N.L. West:  13-19
Record on the Road:  35-42
Overall Record 69-86

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Sanchez Pitches Gem In Marlins Defeat Of Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Florida Marlins once again dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight in a 3-0 victory.  While a three run defeat does not sound bad, the fact that Anibal Sanchez threw a complete game one hitter against what should have been one of Pittsburgh’s better offensive lineups, has to make fans wonder of this team has truly turned the corner.

Pirates’ starter Jeff Locke started his first career Major League baseball game and was not great, but did manage to keep his team in the game over the five innings that he pitched.  All three runs that he gave up came in the in third inning.  Two of his four walks came in this inning, which allowed for John Buck to single home two runs.  Donnie Murphy would then hit into a sacrifice double play, but Gaby Sanchez would score before the third out of the inning occurred.   The Pirates bullpen of Chris Leroux, Chris Resop, and Jose Veras shut the Marlins down over the four innings that they worked.

The story of the night was the Pittsburgh offense or lack thereof.  The big names of Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, and Pedro Alvarez went a combined 1 for 9, with the only hit being a Walker double in the second inning.  Trade deadline acquisitions Ryan Ludwick and Derrek Lee would go 0 for 6 and youngster’s Alex Presley, Chase d’Arnaud, and Michael McKenry combined for a 0 for 9 night.

Pregame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muGEPR3Oa3U

It was sad to see another decent outing and only three runs scored by the other team defeat our Buccos.  It’s really hard to understand why the Marlins have the Pirates number this year.  These two teams have similar winning percentages and the Marlins have no real names or threats in their lineups.  While Sanchez is an above average pitcher, his 8-7 record and 3.64 ERA is nothing that the Pirates haven’t faced before.  I guess that’s why the game is played on the field and not on paper.

Postgame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFE1hVOMYVY

Pittsburgh will have one more shot of figuring out these fish from Miami in 2011 tomorrow at 1:35pm.  James McDonald will start for Pittsburgh, while Florida will counter with Javier Vazquez who comes in with a 9-11 record and a 4.29 ERA.

Record vs. Marlins:  0-5
Record vs. N.L. East:  12-21
Record at PNC Park:  33-41
Overall Record:  66-79

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates Embarrassed By Astros.....Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored the first and last runs in tonight’s ball game against the Houston Astros, unfortunately Houston scored eight runs in between for an 8-2 victory.

The Pirates opened the scoring in the third inning with an Alex Presley RBI single to center field that scored Ronny Cedeno.  The Astros would then tie the game in the fifth inning when Jose Altuve hit a solo home run to left field.  This lead to what would be a very messy sixth inning for the Buccos.

Charlie Morton pitched pretty well through the first five innings, but got into some trouble in the sixth inning and his bullpen did nothing to help the matter.  Morton would give up a single to the leadoff batter and then balk allowing that runner to advance to third.  With Jimmy Paredes now on second, he would steal third with one out in the inning, this lead to an intentional walk to Carlos Corporan.  Matt Downs, who was pinch hitting, hit a single down the third base line to give Houston a 2-1 lead.  Morton left the ball game after this and was replaced by Chris Leroux.  Leroux would allow two of the runners he inherited from Morton to score and then give up three earned runs of his own before being pulled, without getting an out, for Daniel McCutchen.  McCutchen would allow only one run in his 1.1 innings of work.

The Pirates then added their final run of the night in the ninth inning when Andrew McCutchen hit his 20^th home run of the year and second of the series.

Nothing good came from this game for the Pirates.  They struck out eleven times, drew one walk, left seven men on base, and had four hits in thirty at bats.  All of this came to the team with the worst record in baseball and basically a minor league roster since they traded their notable players away at the trade deadline. 

Pittsburgh will try to save face tomorrow and avoid a sweep to the Astros.  James McDonald starts for Pittsburgh, while Houston will counter with J.A. Happ.  First pitch is scheduled for 8:05pm.

Record vs. Astros:  9-5
Record vs. N.L. Central:  31-33
Record on the Road:  31-35
Overall Record 62-73

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Cardinals Too Powerful For Bucs, Win Game One 8-4

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Dilip Vishwanat

After a 5-5 home stand, including a series split against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pirates kicked off their road trip tonight in the first of four games against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. 

Both teams had been struggling coming into this series, as the Cardinals and Pirates trailed the first place Brewers in the N.L. Central by 10 and 15 ½ games respectively.  Pittsburgh returned to Busch Stadium tonight for the first time since the second series of the season back in April, when they took two of three games from the Cardinals. 

The Pirates and Cardinals battled back and forth for the better part of the game, but in the end, it was the Red Birds’ powerful offensive attack that was the difference, as they took game one of the series tonight by a final score of 8-4.

Charlie Morton made the start tonight and certainly didn’t pitch his best, giving up five runs on nine hits through 4.1 innings of work.  His ERA continues to rise, now sitting at 3.62.

St. Louis took the lead in the first inning when Allen Craig and Albert Pujols hit back-to-back doubles to put the Cardinals on the board, 1-0.  Lance Berkman’s RBI single scored Pujols, and the Bucs trailed by two runs after the first inning.

Skip Schumaker’s RBI single in the second inning scored Rafael Furcal, and the Cardinals looked as if they were going to run away with the game against Morton.

The Pirates battled back in the third inning, thanks, in large part, to Cardinals’ starter Edwin Jackson’s control problems.  After Michael McKenry reached on an error to lead off the inning, Morton sacrificed him over to second base.  With two outs, Alex Presley, who was recalled earlier in the day from Indianapolis, singled home McKenry to get the Bucs on the board.  After Jackson walked Andrew McCutchen and Neil Walker to load the bases, Garrett Jones delivered a big two-run single on a full count to tie the game, 3-3.

McKenry’s RBI double in the fourth scored Ronny Cedeno, who led off the inning with a double of his own.  The Pirates owned a 4-3 advantage.

The Cardinals regained the lead in the fifth inning on a two-run single by David Freese, which scored Craig and Pujols. 

The best chance for the Pirates to tie things up came in the eighth inning.  Jones led off with a single, and Xavier Paul, who was called in to pinch run, stole second base.  With a runner in scoring position and no outs, the Bucs were unable to bring the tying run across the plate. 

St. Louis added three insurance runs in the bottom half of the eighth to seal the victory.  After John Jay reached base with a double, Puljos was intentionally walked for the second time in the game, putting two runners on with two outs.  Matt Holiday crushed a three-run homerun off Tony Watson to extend the lead to 8-4.

This was certainly not the way the Pirates wanted to start this road trip.  The Bucs aren’t going to out-hit too many teams in this league, and that definitely includes the Cardinals, who, when at their best, can hit with the top teams in baseball. 

While Morton didn’t have his best game, the bullpen didn’t exactly hold up their end of the bargain either.  Watson gave up the big three-run shot in the eighth which effectively put the game out of reach.

Chris LeRoux pitched very well in relief, giving up just one hit in his 2.2 innings of work.  Garrett Jones continued his hot streak at the plate, going 2-4 with a double, single, a walk, and two RBI’s.  In his return to the club, Alex Presley had an RBI single, while Michael McKenry added two hits and an RBI of his own.

Jose Tabata, Andrew McCutchen, and Neil Walker went a combined 0-10.  Tabata’s hitting streak ended at 10 games.

The Pirates will try to get back on the winning track tomorrow evening at Busch Stadium.  James McDonald will start for Pittsburgh, opposed by the Cardinals’ Jake Westbrook.

Record Vs. Cardinals: 5-5

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 30-29

Record On The Road: 30-32

Overall Record: 61-69

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Chris Leroux

by Zane Heiple

Photo by zimbio.com

With a slew of injuries, interleague play, and double headers, the Pittsburgh Pirates roster seems to change every day.  The most recent change came on Sunday when Chris Leroux was called up from AAA Indianapolis to take Brad Lincoln’s spot, after he pitched in game two of the twin bill against the Washington Nationals on Saturday.

Leroux is a former 2005 seventh round draft pick of the Florida Marlins.  He would join the Pirates after being claimed off waivers from the Marlins on September 13, 2010.  His Major League debut was in May of 2009 with the Marlins and actually was with the Pirates at the end of the 2010 season.  Prior to making his 2011 debut with the Buccos, Chris had played with the Altoona Curve and Indianapolis Indians appearing in a combined 29 games.  His stats in the minors include a 4-4 record with 46 strikeouts, 14 walks, and an ERA of 2.94.  He came out of the bullpen on Sunday to pitch one inning.

Chris Leroux’s time this season with the Pirates will depend on a variety of factors including future injuries, performance, and pitchers coming off the DL.  No matter how long he is with the big club, Leroux will play a part in keeping the Buccos in contention for the N.L. Central title.

Doumit Has Two RBI's, Pirates Score In Ninth To Edge Rays

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates and Rays matched up again today at McKechnie Field.  This was the seventh time the two clubs played of the spring, basically playing to a stalemate through the first six contests.

Paul Maholm took the hill for the Pirates today.  After being named the team’s starter for the home opener on April 7, as well as being plugged into the number two spot in the rotation, the left hander, manager Clint Hurdle, and Pirates’ fans were hoping he could have a solid performance today against Tampa Bay.

As Pirates’ fans entering a season following one of the worst years in recent memory, it is realistic for us to hope that our starting pitchers can keep us in ballgames on a consistent basis.  That’s exactly what Paul Maholm did today.  While he certainly didn’t shut the Rays down, his kept his team in the game, giving up three runs on five hits through five innings.  Two of the five hits against Paul were homeruns, coming off the bats of Kelly Soppach and Ben Zobrist in the second and fifth innings respectively.

Joel Hanrahan had probably his best performance of the spring, pitching two innings of shutout ball, without even surrendering a hit, while striking out three batters.  It was nice to see our closer shut down an offense like he did today.  

Chris Leroux, on the other hand, who is in the running for the final bullpen spot, certainly didn’t help his cause this afternoon.  After pitching well in the eighth inning, he gave up a game-tying solo homerun to the Rays’ John Jaso in the ninth.

After drawing a one-out walk against rays reliever Jeremy Hall and moving to second on Jose Tabata’s fielder’s choice groundout, Josh Rodriguez scored an unearned run on Daniel Mayora’s throwing error as the Pirates edged the Rays, 5-4.

Ryan Doumit was the hitting star of the day for the Buccos, with two hits and two RBI’s.  This is especially good news due to the fact that Chris Snyder’s nagging injury has been more persistent than what was initially expected. 

Tabata and Neil Walker also chipped in two hits, while Andrew McCutchen had an RBI for the Pirates. 

With the win, the Pirates improved their Spring Training record to 11-19, while the Rays fell to an even 14-14. 

The Buccos will travel to Fort Myers, Florida to take on the Minnesota Twins tomorrow at 1:05pm ET.  This will be the final spring game in Florida for the Pirates.  Jeff Karstens will make the start tomorrow afternoon.  Following the game, the team will travel to Philadelphia for their first of two final exhibition games this week before the start of the regular season.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates' Bullpen Continues To Take Shape As Team Cuts Burres

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

The Pirates’ bullpen situation, which a week ago looked to be completely wide open, is really beginning to take shape with the team’s management cutting and demoting players in the past few days. 

The most notable move occurred just this morning when Brian Burres was informed that he had been optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis.  Burres didn’t allow a run in four of his five outings this spring, seemed to have a legitimate shot to make the team, but one day after three other relievers were cut from the big club, it was manager Clint Hurdle’s duty to once again make another difficult decision.

While Burres certainly wasn’t one of the best arms in the clubhouse, he provided two elements that Pirates’ pitchers need when it comes to the regular season.  First of all, he’s a lefty, which the team is in lack of, especially considering the injury to Joe Beimel.  But he’s also consistently mediocre, meaning the team knows what they’re going to get from him, day in and day out.  He’s capable of putting together whatever is asked of him, whether it be an emergency start in replace of an injured starter, and he’s also able to provide up to three to four innings of middle relief.  It all depends on the situation, but Burres seemed to give the pitching staff a lot more flexibility.

Of course, Burres will start for Indianapolis in the even the Buccos need a spot starter.  It appears as though Jeff Karstens will be the one to step in for James McDonald if he’s not ready for the start of the regular season. 

With the demotion of Burres, the Pirates’ bullpen situation is looking clearer, with a few decisions still left to be made.  There are two open spots available, with three relievers remaining to fill them.  Garrett Olson is more than likely going to occupy one of those vacancies, leaving the last bullpen seat to be filled by either Chris Leroux or Mike Crotta.  Leroux has done nothing that has impressed me thus far in the spring, so hopefully Crotta is chosen to start the regular season in Pittsburgh.

Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for all of the breaking news surrounding our battlin’ Buccos.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McCutchen Continues Impressive Spring As Pirates Lose To Astros

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP/Eric Gay

Well, if Charlie Morton wasn’t the favorite to be part of the Pirates’ starting pitching rotation before, he certainly should be after today’s game.  Brian Burres, who is considered to be one of the candidates for the club’s final pitching rotation spot for the start of the 2011 regular season, was lit up today by a Houston Astros team that isn’t expected to have much pop in their lineup at all.

Burres gave up six earned runs on ten hits through five innings of work, as the Astros jumped on top of the Buccos early and never relinquished the lead.  While Houston’s starter, J.A. Happ, didn’t fair much better on the afternoon, giving up five runs on nine hits through six, his bullpen did enough to fend off the Pirates’ bats throughout the latter part of the ballgame.  The Astros won the game by a score of 10-6.

After Burres’s performance today, it SHOULD be clear that the left-hander does not belong in the starting role.  He’ll make a bullpen spot, and he probably should, but he’s not cut out to be a starting pitcher on a regular basis.  This, along with rumors and expectations of Brad Lincoln beginning 2011 in the minor leagues, make it almost a guarantee that Charlie Morton will be the fifth and final member of the Pirates’ starting pitching rotation when the regular season begins next week.

While the pitching certainly wasn’t sharp this afternoon, the same cannot be said about the offense.  The Buccos totaled 14 hits today, including four players tallying multi-hit games, including Andrew McCutchen, who had a homerun and two RBI’s while raising his spring batting average to a frightfully impressive .370.  Pedro Alvarez also had a round-tripper this afternoon, while Ryan Doumit and Lyle Overbay had two-hit performances. 

It was nice to see Ronny Cedeno hit well at the plate as well, adding two hits and scoring a run.  Cedeno is sure to be the shortstop, if not for the future, definitely for the present, so it was encouraging to see his continued impressive play this afternoon.

With the loss, the Pirates fell to 10-16 this spring.  The Buccos will travel to Sarasota, Florida tomorrow to take on the Baltimore Orioles for the final time this spring at 7:05pm ET.  Baltimore has been a nemesis for the Pirates this spring in their previous meetings.  Ross Ohlendorf will make the start for Pittsburgh, while Evan Meek, Garrett Olson, and Chris Leroux are also scheduled to make appearances.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!