Why Major League Baseball Needs To Realign

by Zane Heiple

Late last month Major League Baseball and the Player’s Association came to an agreement on a new five year collective bargaining agreement.  Some of the major points of this agreement were blood testing for human growth hormone, provisions around how teams can spend money on the first year player draft, the addition of a second wild card team in the playoffs, and an increase in the minimum salary from $414,000 in 2010 to $480,000 in 2011 and eventually $500,000 in the future.

The last key point was the movement of the Houston Astros from the National League Central Division to the American League West Division in 2013.  This move will create three five team divisions in each league and cause interleague play to take place throughout the season.  For me the question now is why doesn’t Major League Baseball just totally realign and dissolve the NL and AL into a Western and Eastern Conference?  I know baseball traditionalists will think I’m crazy, but hear me out first.

First off a breakdown of the new conferences and divisions, the Eastern Conference will have three divisions.  The Northeast Division will be made up of the Boston Red Sox, New York Mets, New York Yankees, Philadelphia Phillies, and Toronto Blue Jays.  The Central Division will include the Cincinnati Reds, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, Milwaukee Brewers, and Pittsburgh Pirates.  Finally the Southeast Division will consist of the Atlanta Braves, Baltimore Orioles, Miami Marlins, Tampa Bay Rays, and Washington Nationals.  In the Western Conference’s three divisions you will see the Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Kansas City Royals, Minnesota Twins, and St. Louis Cardinals in the Midwest Division.  A Southwest Division would include the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, San Diego Padres, and Texas Rangers.  Finally the Pacific Division would host the Los Angeles Angels, Los Angeles Dodgers, Oakland Athletics, San Francisco Giants, and Seattle Mariners.

After reading the new alignment where are the drawbacks?  Simply there are none.  If you are worried about rivalries, they are all still there.  Yankees still play the Red Sox, Cubs and Cardinals are still together, along with the Giants and Dodgers.  Plus look at all the new regional rivalries that will take place.  The Mets and Yankees would be going at it for division titles, Pittsburgh and Cleveland would no longer just be about the Browns and Steelers, the Beltway would be abuzz over the Orioles and Nationals, and maybe Florida could get excited about baseball with Marlins and Rays fighting over the division crown.  In the west the Windy City and Show Me State would have a division battle going all season, Texas would have a shootout between the Rangers and Astros and the battle of California would be going on between four teams.

So how do we schedule this?  Glad you asked.  Each team would play 12 games against their own division.  7 games would take place against each of the teams within your conference.  Finally 3 games would be played against teams in the opposite conference.  In total one game would be added to the schedule which owners would love since its one more game of revenue that would be added.  With an odd number of games teams would alternate yearly between having 81 or 82 home games.

The All-Star game could still be the deciding factor in home field for the World Series, and the playoffs would still consist of three division winners and two wild cards.  The other big question is what to do with the Designated Hitter?  Well I hate to say, but since there is no way that the MLBPA will let MLB to get rid of this position it will be adopted by both conferences.

Still not convinced?  Well look at this, the differences between the NL and AL have been fading for years.  With interleague play, umpires covering both leagues, the draft no longer alternating between leagues, no more league presidents, players switching leagues more often with free agency, both leagues feel the same other than the DH.  If keeping the National and American League names is so important just name the Western Conference the American League and the Eastern Conference the National League.

Major League Baseball has slowly been moving in this direction for years, so why not just pull the trigger and set this in motion.  Maybe having two separate leagues made sense before all this expansion took place, but face it the game has changed.  This format works for the NBA and NHL and I see no reason why it can’t work for the MLB.

Pirates Drop Final Game Of 2011 At PNC Park

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

One of the storylines for the Pittsburgh Pirates during the 2011 season was the inability to sweep a series.  The Pirates came into today with ten previous failed attempts to sweep a team after taking the first two in a three game series.  Their 5-4 loss to the Cincinnati Reds today marked the eleventh time that has happened.

The Reds got out to an early lead by scoring three runs in the first two innings off of Buccos starter James McDonald.  McDonald would improve over the course of his final three innings as he would last five innings today allowing only one earned run and six hits, while striking out four and walking two.

Pittsburgh’s offense would battle back tying the game at three in the bottom part of the second inning.  After a Derrek Lee single and Ryan Ludwick walk, Chase d’Arnaud would triple both of them home.  Michael McKenry would then hit a sacrifice fly to bring d’Arnaud home and tie the game.

The sixth inning saw the Reds regain the lead and score what would be the game winning run off of relief pitcher Daniel Moskos.  With runners on second and third Dontrelle Willis would double home both runners.  The Pirates then cut into the lead in the bottom part of the ninth when Neil Walker doubled in Andrew McCutchen.  Unfortunately neither Garrett Jones or Pedro Alvarez were able to bring in Walker.

While the Pirates road record improved dramatically from 2010 this year.  The home record was a disappointment as they won five less games at PNC Park this year.  Pittsburgh will head to Milwaukee for their final series of the year against the N.L. Central champions Brewers.  Charlie Morton will make his final start of the season, while Shaun Marcum will go for the Brew Crew.

Record vs. Reds:  10-5
Record vs. N.L. Central 38-39
Record at PNC Park:  36-45
Overall Record 71-88

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Final Pre And Post Game Videos For 2011

Photo From Wikipedia

Fans From The Stands headed down to PNC Park for the final time in 2011 on Saturday night to see the Pittsburgh Pirates take on the Cincinnati Reds in game two of this three game series.

Pregame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2w4BjJV-72I

After the exciting win, Chad and Zane gave their final video thoughts on the season.

Postgame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ElVGXEFjeX0&feature=channel_video_title

Well folks, while overall it was another disappointing season for the Pirates, there were many exciting moments that I hope the true Bucco fan enjoyed.  Fans From The Stands hopes everyone has an enjoyable offseason and look forward to bringing you more video from Pirates games in 2012.

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!!!

Harrison Leads Bucs Past Reds 4-3

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

Last night’s 4-3 victory over the Cincinnati Reds marked the first time the Pirates won 70 or more games in season since 2004.  That being said, the Bucs need to finish the 2011 season against the Reds and the Milwaukee Brewers with a record of 3-2 to avoid a 90-loss season.

Tonight, the bats were working, Brad Lincoln gave a strong-willed performance, and the Bucs knocked off the Reds again by a score of 4-3 at PNC Park.

Josh Harrison had four hits to lead the Bucs past the Reds, assuring them of a losing season a year after they won the N.L. Central.

Lincoln struggled early tonight, giving up a run in the first inning.  Even the Reds’ outs were loud in the first handful of frames, but the Buccos’ right hander kept chipping away, finding ways to get outs and keep his team in the game.  He finished his five innings of work having given up two runs on six hits, while walking four and striking out four batters.

The bullpen, aside from Jose Veras, pitched scoreless baseball.  Jason Grilli gave Joel Hanrahan the night off, pitching a scoreless ninth inning to earn his first save of the season.

Harrison was the hitting star of the day, going 4-5 and was a homerun shy of hitting for the cycle.  Neil Walker had three hits and Jason Jaramillo added two, as the Bucs kept the Reds’ pitchers on edge throughout the night.  Andrew McCutchen was walked three times tonight, but record his 89^th RBI of the season on his sacrifice fly in the third inning.

It was a great night at PNC Park, as the Pirates played a well-received game by the nearly packed house.  While it’s certainly been and up-and-down year for the Bucs, it’s nice to see them finish off their disappointing home schedule with a series victory.

They’ll go for the sweep tomorrow afternoon, as James McDonald will take the hill looking for his 10^th win of the season.  First pitch for the final game at PNC Park in 2011 is slated for 1:35pm.

Record Vs. Reds: 10-4

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 38-38

Record At Home: 36-44

Overall Record: 71-87

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!!!

Reds Get Best Of Hammer, Take Series From Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

The All-Star break seems like it has been a curse for the Pirates as a team and for the two pitchers that represented the Pittsburgh Pirates in Arizona.  We all know of Kevin Correia’s struggles as of late, but even Joel Hanrahan has not been immune to the teams shortcomings in his recent outings, today was just another sign that the early good season fortune has gone by the way side.

Today’s series finale against the Cincinnati Reds started off great for the Pirates as they would jump out to an early 2-0 lead in the first inning on a home run by Andrew McCutchen.  This lead would hold tight until the sixth inning when Reds first baseman Joey Votto hit a three run shot to center field off of Buccos starter James McDonald.  McDonald would leave the game after this inning, allowing three runs on three hits while striking out five and walking three.

Pittsburgh would counter in the bottom part of the inning off of another two run blast, this time by Garrett Jones.  The bullpen combination of Jason Grilli and Jose Veras would keep Cincinnati off of the scoreboard and set the stage for The Hammer to nail down another home victory.  Unfortunately Hanrahan was not his early season self today.  After giving up a leadoff single and a one out walk, Ramon Hernandez would single to left field to tie the game at four.  After another single, Brandon Phillips would ground into a force play at second, but the go ahead run would score for the Reds.  Hanrahan would walk the bases loaded and then get pulled from the game.  His replacement, Daniel McCutchen would strike out Votto to end the inning, but the damage was done as the Pirates fell to Cincinnati 5-4.

Tough loss today for the Buccos, would have been big to take the first two series in this home stand with the Milwaukee Brewers coming to town for a four game series tomorrow.  Pittsburgh did have a chance to win it in the ninth, when Neil Walker hit a one out double, unfortunately Xavier Paul and Brandon Wood were unable to bring him home.  Tomorrow will be a double header against the Brewers.  Game one is scheduled for 5:05pm with Jeff Karstens taking on Chris Narveson.  Game two will begin at 8:35pm with Brad Lincoln making a spot start against the Brew Crew’s big offseason signing Zack Greinke.

Record vs. Reds:  8-4
Record vs. N.L. Central:  28-26
Record at PNC Park:  29-35
Overall Record:  59-66

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pre and Post Game Videos From Pirates vs. Reds August 20, 2011

Fans From The Stands was on site for the Saturday afternoon contest between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds.

Pregame Show:

Postgame Show:

 

Pirates Beat Reds In Another Close Game At PNC Park

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Last night’s game against the Reds was frustrating in the fact that the Pirates battled hard, making comeback after comeback, wasting a few opportunities down the stretch and coming up just short in the end.  After opening this most recent home stand with two wins over the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pirates had dropped their last two games at PNC Park.  It was an important game this afternoon as the Bucs looked to revert back to their winning ways against the Reds.

That’s exactly what they did today, scrapping their way to a 5-3 victory to even the series with the Reds, setting up the rubber match tomorrow afternoon.

Charlie Morton pitched a nice game for the Pirates, giving up two runs on seven hits through his six innings of work, while Tony Watson earned the victory on the night, the first of his MLB career.

Joey Votto’s RBI single got Cincinnati on the board in the first inning, scoring Brandon Phillips to give the Reds the early advantage.

The Pirates tied the game in the fourth, and took the lead in the fifth with two more runs.  Ronny Cedeno singled home Andrew McCutchen to even things, 1-1.  RBI singles by Ryan Ludwick and Neil Walker gave the Pirates a 3-1 lead.

Votto’s RBI single, once again scoring Phillips, cut the lead to one run in the sixth, and Ramon Hernandez’s RBI double in the seventh tied the game, costing Morton a victory.

As they have done pretty consistently on this home stand thus far, the Pirates battled back, scoring two runs off Aroldis Chapman in the seventh inning on RBI singles by Walker and Brandon Wood.  For Walker, it capped off a game in which he went 3-4 with two RBI’s.

Joel Hanrahan came in and set the Reds down in order in the ninth, securing his 31^st save of the season.

Walker’s 3-hit performance led the way for Pittsburgh, who also received multi-hit games from McCutchen and Ludwick.  This was a well-earned team victory for the Pirates, and it was a very nice response to last night’s nail biting loss.

The Pirates had 11 hits tonight, 10 of them being singles, and they scrapped and battled their way through to a well-earned victory over the Reds today.  They improve to 8-3 against Cincinnati this season, with the rubber match now set for tomorrow afternoon.

Record Vs. Reds: 8-3

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 28-25

Record At Home: 29-34

Overall Record: 59-65

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!!!

Craig Hits Two HR's As Cardinals Avoid Sweep With 7-2 Victory

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

The Pirates entered tonight’s game at PNC Park in search of a sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals.  As is the case with the better teams in the league, it would be no easy task to defeat the Cards in three straight games.  Additionally, the Cardinals needed to start playing catch-up immediately, as they had fallen seven games behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.

Paul Maholm continued his struggles against St. Louis tonight, as he was tagged for three runs on eight hits in five innings of work.  The Cardinals defeated the Pirates tonight at PNC Park by a final score of 7-2.

The Cardinals jumped on the board early tonight against Paul Maholm.  In fact, the first four batters reached base, including Allen Craig, who blasted a two run homerun to deep center field.  Yadier Molina also singled in the inning, driving home Matt Holliday.  St. Louis led 3-0 before the Pirates even came to the plate.

Pittsburgh battled back to make it interesting in the fifth inning, as Jose Tabata smashed a two-run homerun to right center field, scoring Ronny Cedeno from second base. 

Unfortunately, that was as close as the Pirates would get, as the Cardinals added a runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth to break the game wide open.  Craig hit his second homerun of the game in the seventh inning, and Lance Berkman added a pinch-hit RBI single in the eighth, stretching the lead to 7-2, which would eventually be the final.

The Pirates did not play well tonight at all.  It’s awfully frustrating, especially considering how well they played the previous two games, and the fact that they were going for a sweep of an N.L. Central divisional foe.

Mental mistakes and errors certainly hurt the Bucs tonight.  After getting behind early, they couldn’t afford to make these types of mistakes and expect to come back.

Ronny Cedeno’s mistake in the sixth was particularly aggravating.  With runners on first and second and one out, the Cardinals’ Kyle Lohse hit a ground ball at Cedeno, who was playing in for that exact reason.  Rather than throwing the ball home to save a run, Ronny took a quick look toward Ryan Doumit before tossing the ball over to Jones for the out.  The Cardinals scored, adding another run to their lead.  Garrett Jones and Brandon Wood each had errors as well. 

The first inning seemed to set the tone for the entire night.  After the Cardinals scored three runs to take the early advantage, the Buccos put runners on first and second with one out, and later had the bases loaded with two outs. Doumit and Ryan Ludwick couldn’t deliver, and the Pirates ended the inning empty-handed.

The bullpen didn’t fair too well tonight either.  Brad Lincoln gave up two runs on three hits in two innings, while Daniel McCutchen surrendered two runs in one inning of work.

Kyle Lohse pitched a nice game for the Cardinals, limiting the Pirates to two runs on five hits through his seven innings, while the bullpen held the Bucs in check in the eighth and ninth innings.

Pittsburgh has the day off tomorrow before opening up a series against the Cincinnati Reds this weekend.  Saturday’s game will be televised on Fox, and Fans From The Stands will be in attendance.

Record Vs. Cardinals: 5-4

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 27-24

Record At Home: 28-33

Overall Record: 58-64

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Beat-Episode 15

It's July 24, 2011, and the Pittsburgh Pirates are battling it out for the N.L. Central lead alongside divisional foes the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers.

In the latest edition of Bucco Beat, Zane and Chad discuss the recent homestand, which saw the Pirates take two of three from the Cincinnati Reds and lose two of three from the Cardinals.

The FFTS guys talk about the recent offensive struggles, the possibilities of trades and players returning from injuries, as well as looking ahead to the upcoming road trip against the Atlanta Braves and Philadelphia Phillies!

Check out the podcast and stay tuned to http://www.fansfromthestands.com for all your Bucco updates!

Bucco Beat: Episode 15

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Cueto, Bullpen Shut Down Pirates As Reds Avoid Sweep At PNC Park

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pirates entered this afternoon’s game against the Cincinnati Reds with the opportunity to stay atop of the N.L. Central standings by completing a three-game sweep of their divisional foes.  After scoring just three runs in the first two games of this series, the Buccos needed two things to come away successful today:  to score more runs and they would need another top-notch performance from their pitching staff.

Unfortunately, a pair of costly errors and a lack of offense contributed to the Pirates’ 3-1 loss to the Reds today at PNC Park.

On paper, this matchup looked to have the potential of being an old-fashioned pitchers’ duel with the Reds’ Johnny Cueto facing off against the Bucs’ Jeff Karstens.  Both starters held the opposing offenses in check for the majority of the afternoon.  Karstens gave up three runs, just one of them earned, on seven hits while walking one and striking out one, lowering his ERA to 2.28 but falling to 8-5 on the season.  Cueto bested his on-mound opponent slightly, giving up just one run on four hits through six innings, earning his sixth win of the season.

The Reds got on the board first this afternoon by scoring a run in each of the first pair of innings against Karstens. 

Chris Heisey led off the game by reaching first base and advancing to second on Chase d’Arnaud’s throwing error.  Joey Votto’s sacrifice fly eventually allowed Heisey to score to give the Reds the early advantage.

Similarly in the second inning, Jay Bruce led off the inning by reaching first base.  This time, the Reds’ first batter reached on a walk from Karstens.  After stealing second base and advancing to third on Jonny Gomes’ single,Bruce tagged and scored on Miguel Cairo’s sacrifice fly.  The Reds occupied a 2-0 lead after two innings.

The Pirates cut the lead in half in the fourth inning.  After Neil Walker led off the frame reaching base after being hit by a pitch, Andrew McCutchen crushed an off-speed pitch to the wall for an RBI double, scoring Walker.  Unfortunately, though, Lyle Overbay, Garrett Jones, and Brandon Wood were set down in order, and Cutch was stranded.

Cincinnati responded the very next inning with another unearned run.  After setting the first two men down in the order, Karstens forced Cueto to ground to d’Arnaud, who bobbled the place and elected not to try to throw out the Reds’ pitcher.  Heisey and Edgar Renteria hit back-to-back singles to score Cueto, giving the Reds a 3-1 advantage.

That would be the last of the scoring on the day, as both bullpens shut down the opposing offenses throughout the latter innings.  The Pirates, in particular, had a number of chances to score more runs, leaving five men on base in the fifth-seventh innings.  In all, the Pirates left eight men on base.

The Pirates failed to complete the three-game sweep of the Reds today, but still come away from the first a tough four-series stretch taking two of three from an N.L. Central opponent.  The pitching staff continues to be the dominant story, giving up just three total runs this series against the National League’s highest scoring offense.

Unfortunately, as impressive as the pitching has been for Pittsburgh, the offense has been just as frustrating.  The Buccos only managed a total of four runs this entire series.  That type of offensive output won’t win many games at the Major League level….in fact, it’s pretty incredible that given the fact they only score four runs in a three-game series, they were able to win two out of three games.

So the Pirates are off to a good start in this difficult stretch of games to close out the month of July.  Hopefully, they’ll be able to carry over some this momentum to this weekend’s series against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Record Vs. Reds: 7-2

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 24-14

Record At Home: 25-23

Overall Record: 51-45

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Pitching Carries Team To Victory Over Reds

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

For the second straight night the Pittsburgh Pirates road the back of their pitching to earn a victory.  Tonight the combination of James McDonald, Joe Beimel, Chris Resop, and Joel Hanrahan led the Buccos to a 1-0 defeat of the Cincinnati Reds.

McDonald had his best outing in quite some time going 6.1 innings allowing zero runs on four hits with seven strikeouts and three walks.  The bullpen stepped up in a pressure situation duringthe seventh inning.  After McDonald left the game with the bases loaded and one out in the seventh, Beimel would strike out Jay Bruce.  Beimel was then replaced by Resop, who would get Drew Stubbs to ground out to first to end the threat and inning.  Resop came back out to pitch a 1-2-3 eighth inning.  This allowed Hanrahan to come out in the ninth and earn his 28^th save of the year.
Reds pitchers had a pretty good night as well as Mike Leake, Nick Masset, and Logan Ondrusek allowed only one run over eight innings while striking out five and walking three batters. 

For as great as the pitching was the offense was just as bad.  Andrew McCutchen went hitless again tonight, but did drive in the only run during the first inning.  No batter in the lineup had more than one hit and five of the nine batters had zero hits.  These past two games show why the “so called” experts have a very good point when they mention how much the Pirates need to make a move for a power bat before the trade deadline if they plan on staying in contention for the National League Central Division title.

The final game of this series will take place tomorrow afternoon at 12:35pm.  Jeff Karstens will start for the Pirates, while the Reds will counter with Johnny Cueto.

Record vs. Reds:  7-1
Record vs. N.L. Central:  24-13
Record at Home:  25-22
Overall Record:  51-44

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Morton, Bullpen Shutout Reds In Pirates' 2-0 Victory

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pirates took the field tonight against the Cincinnati Reds (after a 50 minute rain delay) only a half-game back of the Milwaukee Brewers for first place in the N.L. Central.  This evening’s matchup is the first of a two-week span that has been predicted to be the make-or-break point of the season for Pittsburgh.  A strong start in this series against the underachieving Reds would be huge for our Buccos to get the home-stand off on the right track.

An incredible pitching performance by the entire staff and a pair of manufactured runs proved to be the difference tonight at PNC Park, as the Pirates won a low-scoring contest against the Reds, 2-0.

Charlie Morton took the hill for the Pirates, looking to improve on his 7-5 record and lower his 3.80 ERA.  After a phenomenal start to the season, his performance has curtailed tailed off as summer has progressed.  Tonight, while less than stellar, Charlie managed the game and pitched his way out of some serious jams, giving up just three hits through his five innings of work while improving to 8-5 for the year.  Tony Watson pitched 2.2 innings of shutout, no-hit ball himself, and Daniel McCutchen came in and finished up the eighth inning.

Joel Hanrahan showed no effects following his first blown save of the season yesterday.  The Buccos’ closer set the Reds down in order to record his 27^th save of the season.

The Reds threatened early in the first inning tonight against Morton and the Buccos.  Drew Stubbs was hit by a pitch, and Zack Cozart smacked a single to put runners on first and third with no outs.  After Joey Votto’s ground out pushed runners to second and third, Brandon Phillips struck out.  Jay Bruce was then intentionally walked to load the bases for Miguel Cairo.  Just before the 1-2 pitch of the at-bat, the game was halted for a one hour 23 minute rain delay. 

After the break, Morton came back out and forced Cairo to slap a weak ground ball to second base, which was stabbed by Chase d’Arnaud and flipped to Neil Walker for the force out.  While it was only the top of the first inning, this half-frame proved to set the tone for the game that featured the Reds leaving too many men on base and the Pirates cashing in their chances on the offensive end.

The Pirates took the lead in the fourth inning.  d’Arnaud and Walker led off with back to back hits, putting runners on second and third with no outs.  Unlike the Reds earlier in the game, the Buccos capitalized on their opportunity.  Andrew McCutchen grounded out, allowing d’Arnaud to score, and Matt Diaz smacked a sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Walker.  The Pirates owned a 2-0 lead, which would ultimately be the final.

Wow, this was a phenomenal performance by the Pirates’ pitching staff.  Morton, Watson, McCutchen, and Hanrahan combined to pitch nine innings of shutout baseball, allowing just three hits and three walks to one of the highest scoring offenses in the league.  For the Reds, it was a game of missed opportunities, as they left a total of nine runners on base.

This was a perfect way to start the home-stand for Pittsburgh.  On a night when the offense struggled mightily, managing just six hits, Morton and the bullpen shut down the high-powered Reds’ offense.  In what is being called the most important stretch of the season thus far, the Pirates couldn’t have started off on a better note.

Neil Walker extended his hitting streak to 13 games with a two-hit performance tonight, while McCutchen and Diaz, on a night where runs were at a premium, each added an RBI.  Alex Presley continued his impressive run with two more hits tonight, raising his average to an impressive .352 for the season. 

In addition to the excitement at PNC Park, scoreboard watching was at an all-time high this evening as the Arizona Diamondbacks shut out the Milwaukee Brewers, 3-0.  With the win and the Brewers’ loss, the Pirates are now sitting atop the N.L. Central standings alone, a half-game up on the Brew-Crew and the St. Louis Cardinals.  The Bucs are now six games over .500 and have put themselves in fantastic position to take this series against the Reds.

Tomorrow evening’s game is set for a 7:05pm first pitch.  James McDonald will take the hill for the Pirates, looking for his sixth win of the season against Cincinnati’s Mike Leake.

Record Vs. Reds: 6-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 23-13

Record At Home: 24-22

Overall Record: 50-44

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Toughest Stretch Of Season For Bucs Begins Tonight At PNC Park

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates enter tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds five games over the .500 mark and a half game back in the N.L. Central standings.  Back in April, those of us who follow the Buccos closely could only dream about the first three months of the season going the way they have thus far.  Still, the Pirates are at the point of the season where they must prove to the critics, the other teams in MLB, the fans, and most importantly, themselves that they belong in this N.L. Central race.  The true test begins tonight.

The Pirates have arguably their toughest stretch of the 2011 season ahead of them in the next couple weeks.  Their home-stand, which kicks off tonight, includes a three game set against the Reds, one of the more underachieving teams in Major League Baseball to this point in the year.  Unable to find any type of consistency between their pitching and offense on a regular basis, the Reds find themselves one game under .500 and 3.5 games back in the division.  Still, with the likes of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce in the lineup, this team is more than capable of putting some big numbers up on the scoreboard.

Do we even need to talk about how important the series this weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals is to the Pirates?  The two clubs are tied in the standings right now, just a half game back of the Brewers (ugh).  The Red Birds will travel to New York for a three-game series with the Mets.  Depending on how that series goes, and considering the fact that the Mets are about as inconsistent as fair-weather Pirates’ fans, the upcoming weekend series could be a battle for first place in the division.  It’s still strange to think that way about our Buccos…especially in July.

You think the home-stand is tough?  Next week’s road trip is even worse.  Following a brutal four-game set in Atlanta against the wild-card leading Braves, Pittsburgh will travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series against their cross-state rivals.  Considering the fact that the Pirates took two of three from the Phillies earlier in the season at PNC Park, they will certainly be out for revenge.

And there it is, the next 13 games for the Pirates will be the toughest stretch of the 2011 season, at least to this point.  Ronny Cedeno and Steve Pearce are expected to possibly be ready for the Cardinals’ series this weekend, which will hopefully provide more offense that the Pirates certainly need.  The Buccos are going to face some outstanding pitching over the next couple weeks, which means they are going to need to match those performances on the mound.  Kevin Correia and Charlie Morton need to pitch better than they have the past few starts, and Jeff Karstens needs to continue his outstanding season.  Neil Walker needs to continue to hit well, and Andrew McCutchen needs to return to where he was before the All-Star break.  Lyle Overbay needs to become the doubles-machine he was a few years ago, and Alex Presley needs to continue to play out of his mind on both sides of the ball.

Does this all sound like it’s a lot to ask of this team, a club who wasn’t expected to even be in contention by the end of May?  Well maybe it is…but if they want to be considered in the race for the division along with teams like the Cardinals and Brewers, they need to prove themselves to the rest Major League Baseball over the next two weeks.

Tonight is the first step in a series of 13 in which the Pirates can solidify themselves as a legitimate National League contender.  If they conclude the next two weeks of baseball within reach of the division lead, they’ll be setting up a VERY interesting last two months of the season, one they’ll be playing with the entire city of Pittsburgh in their corner.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blast From The Past: Tony Womack

by Zane Heiple

Photo By Sports Illustrated

Welcome Pirates fans to this week’s edition of Bucco Blast From The Past.  Today we look back on the career of Tony Womack.

Tony was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1991 during the seventh round of the draft.  He made his Major League debut with Pittsburgh on September 10, 1993.  From 93-96, Womack appeared in only 37 games with the Buccos.  He finally became a starter with the Pittsburgh in 1997 and would have a career year.  His stats for the year included a .278 batting average, six home runs, 50 RBI, and 60 stolen bases.  1997 would also be the first of three consecutive seasons that he was the National League Stolen Base Champion and was his only year as an All-Star.

After the 1998 season Tony was traded to the Arizona Diamondbacks for two minor league players.  He would spend five seasons with the Diamondbacks and was a key member of their 2001 World Series Championship team.

From 2003 to 2006, Womack would bounce around with six baseball teams including the D-Backs, Colorado Rockies, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Cardinals, New York Yankees, and Cincinnati Reds.  His final Major League appearance came with the Cubs in June of 2006.

While never a superstar, Tony Womack will be remembered by baseball fans as a reliable defender and a speed demon on the base paths.

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates Complete Two Game Sweep Of Reds With 5-3 Victory

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Andy Lyons/Getty Images

For the second game in as many days, the Pittsburgh Pirates got an outstanding performance from their starting pitcher and a series of timely hits as they completed a two game sweep of the Cincinnati Reds with a 5-3 victory this afternoon at Great American Ballpark.

James McDonald had the difficult task of following up the shutdown performance from Charlie Morton last night, and he was certainly up to the challenge.  McDonald gave up only one run on seven hits through 6.2 innings, and he held the high-powered Reds’ offense in check throughout the afternoon.  His only blemish on the day came in the second inning, giving up a solo homerun to Jay Bruce.  That would be the only run charged to him on the day.

The Pirates’ offense was limited until the fifth inning.  With two no outs and no runners on base, Andrew McCutchen hammered a double, and would score as the next batter, Xavier Paul, slapped an RBI single to shallow right center.  After Garrett Jones drew a walk, Neil Walker crushed a double to deep center, scoring Paul and Jones.  When all was said and done in the fifth, the Pirates had a 3-1 lead.

Ryan Doumit added to the lead in the sixth inning with a solo homerun to left field, and Cutch added another run to the board with an RBI double in the eighth, scoring Pedro Alvarez.

The Reds made things slightly more interesting over the course of the last two innings of the game.  Joey Votto singled to shallow center in the eighth, scoring Chris Heisey.  Bruce hit his second homerun of the game in the ninth inning, bringing the Reds within two runs.

That is as close as they would get, though, as Joel Hanrahan would record the final out of the game, earning his 12^th save of the season.

So after losing six straight games, the Pirates have rebounded and won two straight games.  There are a couple of reasons why this series against the Reds was so significant.  First and foremost, it stops the losing streak.  Over the years, we, Pirates' fans, are well aware of the one LONG losing streak that buries the team at some point throughout the season. 

Secondly, it was important to get back on the winning track on the road.  The Buccos are now 13-12 on the road, which is only four wins away from equaling last year’s total.  And it never hurts to take two from a divisional opponent, especially the division leader who has an offense that is perhaps tops in the league.

Charlie Morton and James McDonald were the story of this series against the Reds.  In the two games this week, the Buccos’ pitching staff gave up a total of three runs to a top-notch offensive powerhouse. 

The Pirates will hope to continue their winning ways this weekend as they welcome the Detroit Tigers to PNC Park for a three-game interleague series. 

Record Vs. Reds: 5-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 11-9

Record On The Road: 13-12

Overall Record: 20-23

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Nationals Beat Correia, Even Series With Bucs

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Nationals: 1-1

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

Record At Home: 2-6

Overall Record: 9-12

And…

As Always...

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Dominated By Johnson, Shutout By Marlins

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Marlins: 0-1

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

Record On The Road: 7-4

Overall Record: 8-9

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

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

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Reds: 3-1

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

Record On The Road: 7-3

Overall Record: 8-8

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!