Pirates Head To Pittsburgh With Loss To The Phillies

by Zane Heiple

Photo by pittsburghsportsdepot.com

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

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

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

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

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

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

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!

Correia Struggles, Pirates Win Close One Over Red Sox

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

By Chad Carlson

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grapefruit League Record: 7-10

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Fall To Blue Jays Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Mike Cassese/Reuters

Game two of the 2012 spring training season went a little better in terms of statistics for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the Toronto Blue Jays still came out on top with an 8-5 victory.  Even with a 0-2 mark this spring, there is still nothing to get upset about, the wins will come, and spring training is about players improving as they ready for the April 5^th opener.

New Pirate Erik Bedard got his first start of the spring and first in a Pirates jersey today.  His two innings of work showed that he still has a lot of work to do, since he may be the top candidate to start on opening day with injuries to Charlie Morton and A.J. Burnett.  In two innings of work he gave up two runs on one hit with two walks and one strikeout.  Shairon Martis, who is a non-roster invitee and Evan Meek, were roughed up in their outings.  Meek, who is coming off a difficult 2011 season gave up four runs, three earned, in 2/3 of inning.  Martis has not pitched since 2009 with the Washington Nationals allowed 2 runs, none earned, in two innings of work.  Joel Hanrahan, Jason Grilli, and Daniel Moskos were nearly flawless striking out three and walking one in three innings of work. 

With Pittsburgh claiming to be a small ball team, defense will be very important to them.  Three errors in the field today show that they need to knock a little rust of the gloves.  Two of the errors were by players I do not expect to see on the opening day roster, Martis and Sterling Marte.  The third by Chase d’Arnaud shows that this young player has work to do.  His opening day roster spot is up in the air.  It does appear that there is not a starting spot in the infield, so he may be better suited to gain experience in Indianapolis.

The bats looked better today Matt Evans dropped a bomb in the seventh inning, while Nate McClouth hit a double.  With catcher being a huge question mark this offseason, it was great to see Rod Barajas go 2-2 with 2 RBI today.  Downside was Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez each went 0-2. 

Like I stated earlier, spring training games are about improvement, not results.  As the team improves and players are able to get back into game rhythm the wins will come.

Tomorrow the Buccos will be playing under the lights as they head to Sarasota to take on the Baltimore Orioles at 7:05.  Jo-Jo Reyes will start while other non-roster pitcher Mike Crotta and Tim Wood are also scheduled to pitch.  The O’s will counter with lefty Brian Matusz.

Grapefruit League Record:  0-2

And...

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blurb: Jose Veras Out; Jason Grilli & Casey McGehee In

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates’ busy offseason continued on Monday, with two more moves that show a ton of promise for the upcoming 2012 season. 

With a number of players nearing the arbitration deadline, the Bucs had some decisions to make, and they made a couple choices on Monday in regards to their bullpen, favoring Jason Grilli over Jose Veras.

Grilli was rewarded for his strong 2011 season with a one-year deal worth just over $1 million, while Veras was traded to the Milwaukee Brewers for third baseman Casey McGehee.

I like both of these moves.  Grilli had a solid year out of the bullpen for the Bucs, and Veras was horribly inconsistent.  With the players the team had on arbitration restrictions, decisions had to be made on who was worth keeping and who wasn’t, and I think they made the correct choice here.  Joel Hanrahan, Evan Meek, and Chris Resop, other pitchers in the bullpen, are still arbitration eligible.

By trading Veras, though, the Bucs also get McGehee…yes, the same player who hit .285 with 23 homeruns and 104 RBI’s in 2010, but had quite a setback this past season in 2011, hitting just .223 with 13 homeruns and 67 RBI’s.  When Milwaukee made the deal for Aramis Ramirez, it became evident that McGehee was expendable to the Brew Crew. 

The Bucs are rumored to have stated that they are not grooming Pedro Alvarez to make the transition over to first base.  So with Pedro occupying third base, or at least with the inside track to do so, that leaves McGehee as a backup…unless…

He is capable of playing first base, and also an outfield spot as well.  Granted, his most comfortable position is the hot corner, but with the Pirates’ current situation, if he’s producing at the plate, something the team needs drastically, they’ll need to find a spot for him on the field.

Maybe Pedro at third, McGehee at first?  Tabata, Walker, McCutchen, Pedro, McGehee?  Not bad.

This is obviously a gamble, considering McGehee’s 2011 season.  But still, this shows that the Bucs are willing to go after a notable bat to improve the offense.  This is an inspiring move, hopefully one that will turn out for the better for the Pirates and their fans.

We’ll continue to bring you our reactions and ask you for your thoughts surrounding the latest Pirates’ news and rumors.  Stay tuned.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blurb: What Decisions Will Pirates Make With Arb Deadline Approaching?

First off…let’s dismiss any inkling of a rumor that the Pirates are looking to deal Andrew McCutchen.  The Bucs own the rights to Cutch for the next four years, and even though there was a note yesterday that the team would be willing to listen to offers for him, that doesn’t mean anything’s going to happen.  It won’t any time soon…according to local writers.

That aside, the Bucs are focusing on the arbitration deadline approaching in less than two weeks.  Nine players will be affected, and it will be very interesting to see how the team addresses each of their situations.  Here is a list of the players the Pirates have to make decisions about in regards to whether or not to tender a contract.

Jason Grilli

Joel Hanrahan

Garrett Jones

Jeff Karstens

Evan Meek

Charlie Morton

Ross Ohlendorf

Chris Resop

Jose Veras

In terms of relievers, based on comments from local writers and insiders, it seems as though out of Grilli, Meek, Resop, and Veras, the Bucs will want to bring two or three of them back for 2012.  If this is the case, I think Jose Veras is the odd-man out.  He had some big moments this past year, but he’s also had some horrific moments, and his control wavered down the stretch. 

Evan Meek should definitely be with the Bucs next year.  His performance in 2011 can’t really be judged with much significance, due to injury.  We can’t forget about his 2010 season, and given his age and upside, he should be (and hopefully will be) vying for the setup job in the bullpen beginning the 2012 season.  Jason Grilli will be his stiffest competition for the setup spot.  At the time he was brought on board, I was rather surprised by the move, but the Pirates have proven to make a nice acquisition.  Grilli was very surprising and impressive this past year, and there’s no reason to believe he won’t be able to continue that level in 2012. 

That leaves Chris Resop, with whom the Pirates could go either way here.  He’s coming off his most successful season, despite a couple rough months.  His “call-to-fame” in 2011 was his ability to shut batters down when he came in with runners on base.  He was able to get outs with runners in scoring position.  This is extremely valuable to any team, especially a team like the Pirates that needs to prevent as many runs as possible to compensate for lower offensive numbers.

Charlie Morton, Jeff Karstens, and Joel Hanrahan are all givens.  They’ll be in Pirates’ uniforms next year.  There were rumors about the value of Hanrahan going up and things of that nature, but he’ll be a Buc this year.  Ross Ohlendorf SHOULDN’T be tendered a contract.  He’s had two straight bad seasons, having won just two games in 30 starts.  He still remains on the team’s roster at this point, but I still can’t see them keeping him around.

Garrett Jones is an interesting one, and maybe the contract situation will determine what they’re doing with the first base situation, or vice versa.  The team still doesn’t have a first baseman, and obviously Jones can do that.  However, is he an everyday productive first baseman?  Not sure about that.  If the Bucs acquire someone else, it becomes a question of whether they’ll be willing to pay a bench player that type of money.  I think, regardless of whether he’s in an everyday role or a platoon/bench role, G.I. Jones needs to be on the roster in 2012.

Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for all of the latest on the Pirates’ rumors and news.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Crushed by Dodgers

By Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates were dominated today by the Los Angeles Dodgers today in the finale of their four game series.  Since nothing went well for Pittsburgh, I thought instead of giving you the reader a written analysis of the game, I would do a “By The Numbers” piece to show just how Los Angeles outplayed the Pirates.  Since the Buccos lost by two touchdowns, here are fourteen reasons for the defeat and what came because of it.

1 – Number of runs scored by Pittsburgh in a 15-1 defeat by the Dodgers.

2 – The inning in which Brad Lincoln was pulled from the game, as he would only last 1.2 innings on the day, giving up six runs on eight hits.

3 – Total bases that Dee Gordon would collect on the first hit of the game for Los Angeles.

4 – Amount of hits Dodgers starter Chad Billingsley would allow in his five innings of work.

5 – Hits by LA first baseman James Loney, who would go 5 for 6 with three RBI and two runs on the day.

6 – Hits allowed by reliever Daniel McCutchen in 1.1 innings of work.

7 – Total hits by the Pirates offense in 34 at bats.

8 – Number of pitchers the Buccos used during the game in eight innings of work.

9 – Strikeouts combined by the four LA pitchers used in the game.

10 – Men left on base by the Pittsburgh starters

11 – Number of strikes thrown by Evan Meek out of the thirty pitches he threw in 0.2 innings of work.

12 – Amount of losses in the Pirates last 18 games.

13 – Batters faced by Lincoln when he left the game with two outs in the second inning.

14 – RBI on the season for Jamey Carroll after he knocked in the first run of the game on a ground out.

Well they say that numbers don’t lie and these numbers tell the story of today’s game.  The Buccos will now head to the desert for a three game set with the N.L. West leading Arizona Diamondbacks.  Tomorrow’s game will begin at 9:40pm and feature Jeff Karstens going up against Ian Kennedy.

Record vs. Dodgers:  2-6
Record vs. N.L. West:  12-18
Record on the Road:  34-41
Overall Record:  68-85

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

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!

Pirates' Offense Absent Again As Marlins Complete Sweep

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

The Pirates entered today’s game against the Marlins trying to avoid the series sweep, and the season sweep, by the N.L. East bottom-dwellers.  Florida was 5-0 against and the Bucs so far this year, and took the first pair of games this weekend at PNC Park by a combined score of 16-4. 

James McDonald took the hill for Pittsburgh looking for his tenth win of the season.  In a year that has had dramatic ups and downs, J-Mac has been arguably the most consistent Pirates’ starting pitcher. 

Unfortunately for McDonald and the Bucs, Javier Vazquez, along with the Marlins’ bullpen, pitched a strong game today, leading the Florida to a 4-1 victory to complete the sweep.

After a strong start to the game, J-Mac ran into trouble in the fifth inning, surrendering the only runs that the Marlins would score all day.  In fact, he never made it out of the inning, giving up four runs on five hits through 4.2 innings, and he was tagged for the loss, his eighth of the season.

Positives from the game?  The bullpen.  All in all, the Bucs used five relievers to throw just over four scoreless innings, which included strong innings from Tony Watson and Evan Meek.

The offense, for the second straight game, struggled to produce anything.  Jason Jaramillo had the lone RBI for the Bucs.  He went 2-2 on the day, while the rest of the team managed only four hits.  The top four in the Bucs’ lineup combined to hit 2-12, including hitless games from Andrew McCutchen and Alex Presley.  For Cutch, despite his 22 homeruns and 85 RBI’s, his batting average currently sits at a mediocre .266.

The Bucs finished 0-6 against a Marlins’ team this year that is right where they are in the record department.  This is certainly turning out to be a disastrous finish for the Pirates, who will finish up this home stand against the St. Louis Cardinals, who are continuing to play well as they make one last run for the postseason.

If they’re planning to turn things around, the Pirates will need to pick it up a TON offensively.  They scored a total of just five runs in the three games this weekend.

Record Vs. Marlins: 0-6

Record Vs. N.L. East: 12-22

Record At Home: 33-42

Overall Record: 66-80

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Alvarez Among Many Moves Made Today By Pirates

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Matt Freed/Post-Gazette

As expected, the Pirates are going to have a few new faces as well as a few others we have already seen earlier this year when they take the field for the final few weeks of the 2011 season.

Several moves were announced earlier today that should give Pirates’ management and us, the fans, a good look at some minor league talent for next season.

Among the call-ups today was Pedro Alvarez, who we really don’t need to reference too much.  We all know the story.  The guy has amazing pedigree and potential, but thus far, has been a huge disappointment.  That being said, with the Indians’ season over, the Pirates had no choice but to call him up for the final few weeks of the Pirates’ season. 

Daniel Moskos and Aaron Thompson were both also recalled from AAA today.  Moskos, of course, was the Pirates’ fourth overall pick in the 2007 amateur draft, and has already been up with the club multiple times this season due to injuries to other relief staff members.  Thompson made his debut with the Bucs on August 24, 2011 in an afternoon game against the Milwaukee Brewers, pitching 4.1 scoreless winnings as the Pirates downed the Brew-Crew, 2-0.

Evan Meek was also activated from the 60-day disabled list today.  Coming off a huge season in 2010, which was also his first full season in the Majors, Meek has struggled with injury throughout the majority of this year, and hasn’t pitched for the Pirates since June.

Left-handed pitcher Jeff Locke and right-hander Jared Hughes were also called up and are expected to contribute for Pittsburgh as well in September.

To make room for the moves on the 40-man roster, Kevin Correia and Paul Maholm were transferred to the 60-day disabled list, officially ending their season.  Maholm and Corriea were the team’s top two starters entering this season, but were both on a steady decline since the All-Star Break, before landing on the disabled list.  For Maholm, amidst all the rumors about his contract and disappointing performance, he may never pitch for the Pirates again.

Neal Huntington said over the weekend that outfielder Gorkys Hernandez and infielder Matt Hague will not be included in the September call-ups.  The Pirates’ GM referenced Derrek Lee, Ryan Ludwick, as well as the other returning injury-plagued Buccos as main reasons why Hernandez and Hague won’t be sent up to the big club this month.  This tells me that the Pirates are seriously considering bringing Lee and Ludwick (definitely Lee) back to the team next year.  The final few weeks of this season and the offseason will prove to be monumentally important to the Pirates.

Be sure to stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for all of the progress on the club and its newest members.  Here’s to the Buccos finishing off the 2011 campaign on a positive note, hopefully carrying some momentum into the offseason and into 2012 Spring Training.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs! 

Meet Your Bucs: Tim Wood

by Zane Heiple

On Friday, Evan Meek returned to the disabled list with tendinitis and a small tear in the labrum of his pitching shoulder.  He was placed on the 15-Day DL and has been quoted as saying that the injury will not require surgery.  To fill his spot on the roster, the Pittsburgh Pirates called up relief pitcher Tim Wood from the AAA Indianapolis Indians.

Tim was originally drafted by the Florida Marlins in the 44^th round of the 2002 draft.  He would then make his MLB debut on June 25, 2009.  After being released by the Marlins at the end of last year, he would begin spring training with the Washington Nationals, before being released and signing a minor league contract with Pittsburgh.  Before this year he has appeared in 44 games with a 1-1 record, an ERA of 4.18 and 1 save.  In the two days that he has been with the Buccos he has pitched in 2 innings allowing one hit and one walk.  Before coming up from Indianapolis, he had 13 saves and a 2.96 ERA, while not allowing a home run in 23 appearances out of the Indians bullpen.

While injuries have become common over the past few weeks for the Pirates, they continue to play well this year as a team.  Young arms like Wood will have to pitch at a high level if Pittsburgh hopes to break their streak of 18 straight losing seasons.  Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for more roster updates throughout the 2011 season. 

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Halladay Quiets Pirates Offense, As Phillies Avoid Sweep

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

Roy Halladay, along with a combination of poor pitching and defense helped the Philadelphia Phillies avoid a sweep by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Halladay showed why he is considered one of the best pitchers in the Majors in the seven innings he pitched today.  The only blemish on his day was a two run home run that Neil Walker hit in the first inning.  After that he would allow only four more hits while striking out a total of six batters and walking one.  Roy would also go 1-3 at the plate with a walk.

James McDonald was not nearly as fortunate as his day would end after walking the bases loaded with no outs in the top of the fifth.  His first three innings were solid as he only gave up two hits to the first eleven batters he faced.  The fourth inning, he walked the first two batters and a passed ball by catcher Dusty Brown, allowed a Raul Ibanez sacrifice fly to put Philly on the board.  With the bases loaded, Chris Resop would enter the game and get one out before Ryan Howard would collect the first of three RBI today with a sacrifice fly to tie the game.  After an intentional walk, Resop would hit Carlos Ruiz to give the Phillies a lead they would not relinquish. 

Evan Meek would replace Resop in the sixth and give up a run on a single to Placido Polanco that scored Halladay.  The Pirates showed some life in the seventh, with runners on first and third, Chase Utley made a diving catch on a line drive by Jose Tabata to end the inning.

Both teams scored in the eighth inning.  Howard brought RBI number two in during the top part, while an Andrew McCutchen single would bring around Josh Harrison for the final Pirates run of the day.  Philadelphia then added two more in the top of the ninth to give themselves a 7-3 win over the Buccos.

It was a rough day for the Pirates as the Phillies capitalized on the mistakes that Pittsburgh made.  The Buccos needed to play a near perfect game when they face a great pitcher like Halladay and they were unable to accomplish that today.  McDonald will need to bounce back quick as he will be set to start again on Saturday.  Overall it was big of the Pirates to take two out of three from the top team in the National League.  They will have tomorrow off before starting a three game series with the Arizona Diamondbacks on Tuesday.

Record vs. Phillies:  2-1
Record vs. N.L. East:  6-10
Record at Home:  11-15
Overall Record:  28-30

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates Blanked For Second Straight Game

by Zane Heiple

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense has been inconsistent and frustrating all season long.  After starting this home stand by scoring 16 runs in the first two games, they have score zero in the past two, including tonight’s 2-0 loss to the Atlanta Braves.

Jair Jurrjens stifled the Pirates bat’s all night long.  He would give up only six hits in 7.2 innings pitched, while striking out four and walking only one batter.  None of the Pittsburgh base runners would advance past second base. 

A major theme to this season has also been wasting quality starts, and while usually Paul Maholm is the one on the mound when this happens, tonight it was Charlie Morton.  Morton would give up both runs tonight.  The first occurred in the second inning on a sacrifice fly to right field by Brooks Conrad that scored Alex Gonzalez.  The last would happen in the third, when Martin Prado doubled down the leftfield line allowing Jordan Schafer to score all the way from first base.  Charlie would go seven innings tonight giving up seven hits, striking out four and walking three.

Jose Tabata and Chris Snyder were the only Buccos to record multiple hits tonight.  Joe Beimel would pitch a scoreless eighth inning, while Evan Meek made his first appearance since coming off of the DL on Sunday.   He looked impressive as he struck out all three Braves that he faced.   To make room for Meek, former first round pick Daniel Moskos was sent back to AAA Indianapolis.

The Pirates will look to even up this two game series with the Braves tomorrow afternoon at 12:35pm.  James McDonald will take to the hill for Pittsburgh.

Record vs. Braves:  0-1
Record vs. N.L. East 2-6
Record at PNC Park:  9-13
Overall Record 22-25

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Meet Your Bucs: Daniel Moskos

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: J. Meric/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tabata Has Big Night, Pirates Win In 14 Innings

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

After losing to the Rockies 7-1 on Opening Day, the Pirates were looking to even the four game series up at 1-1 on a cold and rainy night at PNC Park.  Pittsburgh faced their first left-handed pitcher of the year in Rockies’ starter Jorge De La Rosa.  The Pirates countered with Ross Ohlendorf, who had a rough start to the game, giving up three runs on three hits in the first inning.  He left the game in the third inning with right shoulder soreness.  Hopefully it is nothing serious and Ross will be able to make his next start on Thursday against the San Diego Padres.

With their starter leaving early due to injury, the bullpen would be the ones to put the Buccos on their back tonight.  Jeff Karstens pitched the next 3.1 innings allowing two hits, three walks and five strikeouts.  Mike Crotta, Jose Veras, and Joel Hanrahan pitched all an inning a piece.  Chris Resop pitched inning ten through twelve, striking out two, walking three and allowing two hits.  Scott Olsen picked up the win for the Pirates after pitching two innings, while walking one and striking out one.

FFTS Pre-Game

Pittsburgh’s bats would strike in the fourth inning.  With runners on second and third with one out, Matt Diaz grounded out to Ty Wigginton, scoring Neil Walker from third.  The Pirates cut the lead to one in the fifth when Jose Tabata hit his first homerun of the year, a solo shot to center field.  One inning later the Buccos tied the game at three, when Jason Jaramillo singled to left field scoring Lyle Overbay.  That would be all the scoring until the bottom of the fourteenth, which is when Tabata would double off the Clemente wall in right field, scoring Josh Rodriguez to lead the Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Rockies.

FFTS Post-Game:

This was an important win for the Pirates, since they avoided going into a 2-0 hole.  Ronny Cedeno made another error in the field, his second of the season and Olsen made one when he couldn’t pick up a bunt attempt with his glove.  Note to Olsen, when fielding a bunt like that, go with the bare hand.  With everyone in the bullpen, except for Evan Meek, being used in this game, it is very important that Charlie Morton have a good start against the Rockies on Saturday.  If he can go seven and allow Meek and Hanrahan the chance to close it out in the eighth and ninth, then Pirates’ fans will once again be leaving PNC Park with their heads held high.

Record Vs. Rockies: 1-1
Record Vs. N.L. West: 1-1
Record At Home: 1-1
Overall Record: 5-3

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Relievers Fall Apart In Eighth, Buccos Lose To Cubs

By Zane Heiple

Ronny Cedeno & Garrett Jones (Photo Credit: AP)

The Pirates were at it again today in game two of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs.  Paul Maholm took the hill for the first time in 2011 and the Cubs countered with Carlos Zambrano.

It didn’t take long for the Buccos to get on the scoreboard.  With two runners on in the first inning, due to walks, Pedro Alvarez brought in his first run of the season on his first hit to make the score 1-0. 

The top of the order would once again prove effective in the third inning.  After Jose Tabata reached base, Neil Walker brought him home on a double to the right-centerfield gap to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 advantage.

Garrett Jones wasted no time in the seventh inning putting another run on the board for Pittsburgh, hitting his first homerun of the year to right field on the first pitch of the inning.  Zambrano left the game three pitches later with a cramp in his right hand.  His final line of the day would be six innings pitched, allowing three runs on five hits, with three walks and four strikeouts.

Maholm’s day also ended in the seventh inning, as he would go 6.2 innings, striking out three, walking two, and allowing five hits.  This was the second day in a row that the Pirates received a great pitching performance by their starting pitcher.  It will be performances like this that will help change the fortunes of the Buccos in 2011.  Replacing Paul was right-handed reliever Jose Veras, who would get the only batter he faced to pop out to shortstop Ronny Cedeno.

The bottom of the eighth inning had us Pittsburgh fans saying, “Here we go again.”  A three run lead was erased by the Cubs.  Evan Meek came in and laid an egg.  He walked the first batter and then gave up a run-scoring double to Starlin Castro.  Castro scored on the very next batter when Lyle Overbay committed an error on a groundball hit by Marlon Byrd.

Alfonso Soriano tied things up on a single to centerfield.  The Cubs then took a 5-3 lead when Blake DeWitt scored two runs on a bases loaded double off of reliever Chris Resop. 

Carlos Marmol came on to close the game for the Cubbies and he did exactly that, setting the Pirates down one-two-three to give Chicago a 5-3 victory.

Frustrating is the word that comes to mind on a day like this.  One bad inning was all it took to waste a great outing by Paul Maholm.  This cannot happen if the Buccos are going to remain competitive this season.  They will need a short memory since they have an opportunity tomorrow afternoon to take two out of three from the north-siders.  Ross Ohlendorf will make his first start of the season.

Record Vs. N.L. Central:  1-1

Record On The Road:  1-1

Overall Record:  1-1

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Walker, McCutchen Lead Pirates To Another Opening Day Win

By Chad Carlson

Walker And McCutchen Led The Pirates In Today's Victory (AP)

The wait is over Bucco fans!  Today, the Pittsburgh pirates kicked off the 2011 regular season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field. 

Kevin Correia pitched a solid game while Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen had huge hits for the Buccos down the stretch as the Pirates beat the Cubs this afternoon, 6-3.

After a mediocre spring, Correia was announced as the team’s starter for Opening Day by Clint Hurdle.  He made his skipper look like a genius today, as he held the Cubs in check for most of his time on the mound.

Correia gave up three runs (two earned) on seven hits, while only walking one and striking out three through his six innings of work, while also earning the victory in his first game with the Buccos.

Walker and McCutchen were clearly the hitting stars of the day for the Pirates, who have now won five straight Opening Day ballgames. 

After falling behind 2-0 in the fifth inning, Neil Walker came to the plate with the bases loaded, and hammered a Ryan Dempster pitch out of the bleachers, and into the street, to give the Pirates a 4-2 lead. 

McCutchen followed that up in the seventh inning with a two-run shot of his own, giving the Pirates some breathing room for the latter part of the game. 

Both Walker and McCutchen had two-hit performances, and the two combined to drive in all of the runs for the Pirates this afternoon.  Jose Tabata, Lyle Overbay, and Ryan Doumit also had a hit each.

The bullpen, another question mark for this season, did a very good job against a feisty Cubs’ lineup.  Garrett Olson made his first appearance as a Bucco (only facing two batters), while Jose Veras and Evan Meek each pitched an inning of shutout baseball, while giving up a hit a piece.  Joel Hanrahan earned his first save of the season after striking out a pair of Cubs in the ninth inning.

So the Buccos played a great game today.  While it’s only the first game of the season, it is still important for the Pirates to get off to a good start in 2011.  First of all, Correia pitched a nice game, keeping his team in the ballgame, which is exactly what we need from our starting pitching this season.  Secondly, we got timely and effective hitting from top performers in the lineup (Walker and McCutchen).  And of course, the bullpen came through, holding off the opposition and cementing a victory. 

Winning in professional baseball is difficult, especially for a young team like the Pirates.  These are quality wins we’ll be sure to remember, especially since it’s against an N.L. Central foe and it was a win on the road, something that the Pirates struggled to do mightily a season ago.

The Pirates will take on the Cubs again tomorrow afternoon at 1:05pm.  Paul Maholm will make the start tomorrow as the Buccos hope to continue this early success.

Record Vs. N.L. Central:  1-0

Record On The Road:  1-0

Overall Record:  1-0

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part Three-Relief Pitchers

By Zane Heiple

Pirates' 2010 All Star Evan Meek

Part Three of this five-part series will focus on the men charged with the task of coming out of the bullpen and finishing the game for the Buccos, the relief pitchers.

Joel Hanrahan:  Hanrahan is a former second round draft pick of the Los Angeles Dodgers in 2000.  His time with the Dodgers was all in the Minor Leagues.  After the 2006 season, he signed with the Washington Nationals as a Minor League free agent.  He made his Major League debut on July 28, 2007 against the New York Mets and he would become Washington’s closer in the latter part of the 2008 season.  Joel came to Pittsburgh in a trade along with Lastings Milledge for Nyjer Morgan and Sean Burnett in June of 2009.  2010 was his first full season with the Pirates and he struck out 100 batters in 69.2 innings of work.  This spring, Hanrahan has given up eight runs on eleven hits while walking five and striking out 13 batters.  Pirates’ fans will see Joel coming out of the bullpen in the ninth inning with the game on the line, as Clint Hurdle named him the team’s closer earlier this spring.

Jeff Karstens:  This will be Jeff’s fourth season with the Pirates since coming over from the New York Yankees in a trade that also included Jose Tabata, Ross Ohlendorf, and Daniel McCutcheon for Xavier Nady and Damaso Marte in July of 2008.  Karstens was a 19^th round draft pick of the Yankees in 2003.  He made his Major League debut with New York in August of 2006.  While with the Buccos, Karstens has been used mostly as a spot starter or as a long relief pitcher out of the bullpen, which is the role he will be responsible for in 2011.  For his career, he has gone 11-26 and posted a 4.95 ERA.  He hopes that his Spring Training numbers will carry over to this regular season, since he has gone 2-0 with a 1.54 ERA in five games.

Evan Meek:  The only Pittsburgh Pirates’ all star in 2010, Meek will come out of the bullpen to set up Joel Hanrahan for the save in 2011.  Evan is a former draft pick of the Minnesota Twins in 2002.  He spent the first three years of his professional career in the Twins’ Minor Leagues, before playing for the San Diego Padres and Tampa Bay Rays Minor League teams the following two years.  The Pirates selected Meek in the Rule 5 Draft from the Rays in 2007.  He made his Major League debut on April 2, 2008 against the Chicago Cubs.  He had his best season in 2010 as first being the set up man for Octavio Dotel, and then splitting the closer role with Joel Hanrahan after Dotel was traded.  For his career, he is 6-6 with a 3.02 ERA, 119 strikeouts and four saves.  Spring Training has seen him post a 4.26 ERA with five strikeouts and three walks.

Chris Resop:  This will be the first full season with the Pirates for Resop.  He was drafted by the Florida Marlins in the fourth round of the 2001 draft.  His Major League debut was in 2005 and he continued to play for the Marlins until he was traded to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 2006.  At the end of the 2007 season, he was signed off waivers by the Atlanta Braves.  In May of 2008 the Braves sold his contract to the Hanshin Tigers of the Japanese Central League.  The Braves resigned Resop before the 2010 season.  The Pirates claimed him off waivers in August of 2010.  For his career, he has gone 3-3 with a 5.63 ERA and had 52 strikeouts.  Spring Training has seen him post an ERA of 2.92 with 14 strikeouts and three walks in 10 games.

Jose Veras:  Signed by the Tampa Bay Rays as an undrafted free agent in 1998, this will be his first season in a Pirates’ uniform.  Released by the Rays in 2004, he was signed by the Texas Rangers in 2005 and spent that year in Triple-A.  The New York Yankees signed him in 2006 and made his Major League debut in August of that year.  In 2008, he was a strong part of the Yankees’ bullpen and earned the set up roll that year.  In 2009 the Cleveland Indians acquired Jose for cash.  2010 saw him return to Florida, this time with the Marlins.  He arrived in Pittsburgh in January and signed a Minor League contract with the Pirates.  His strong spring of two runs allowed on 11 hits with 10 strikeouts, and six walks with a 1.50 ERA in 10 games helped earn him a spot on the Opening Day roster.

Mike Crotta:  This will be his first season in a Pirates’ uniform and will make his Major League debut when he is first summoned from the bullpen in 2011.  Crotta was a 17^th round pick out of Florida Atlantic University in 2006 by the Pittsburgh Pirates.  During his time as a professional baseball player, Mike has spent time in all five levels of the Pirates’ Minor League system.  Scouts say that he is a groundball type pitcher that does not have overpowering stuff, but has shown improvement under the new coaching staff.  This spring, he has a 1.46 ERA in 10 games with two strikeouts and four walks.

Garrett Olson:  With Joe Beimel starting the season on the DL, Olson earned a bullpen spot by being the only left-handed option Pittsburgh had left.  After the Pirates claimed him off waivers from the Seattle Mariners on March 18, Garrett saw limited action in a Buccos’ uniform this spring.  He posted an ERA of 8.10 in three games of work with one strikeout and two walks.  Olson was the 48^th overall draft pick of the 2005 draft by the Baltimore Orioles and made his Major League debut on July 4, 2007.  Traded to the Chicago Cubs during the offseason in 2009, he was there for only ten days before being traded with Ronny Cedeno to the Mariners.  With a career record of 13-21, an ERA of 6.20, and 189 strikeouts, Olson will need to show vast improvement early in the season if he hopes to stay on the big league roster once Beimel returns from the DL.

Up next in our series, we will take a look at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ outfield.

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!

Correia, Beimel Roughed Up As Pirates Lose To Orioles Again

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP/AP

The Pirates traveled to Sarasota, Florida today to take on the Baltimore Orioles.  Scott Olsen, who was signed during the offseason to be apart of the pitching rotation, but has been injured throughout the spring, made his debut in a Pittsburgh uniform this afternoon. 

This was the third time these two teams met this spring, with the Orioles winning the previous two contests.  Kevin Correia made the start for the Buccos, while Jake Arrieta took to the mound for the O’s.

Pittsburgh scored first in the second inning on Jason Jaramillo’s double, scoring Steve Pearce.  The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Pearce smashed a ground rule double and then scored on Josh Rodriguez’s single to centerfield. 

Things were looking good for Correia until the fourth frame when the Orioles tallied three runs on him.  He finished his afternoon having thrown five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, allowing one home run and striking out one batter.  Evan Meek came in for the sixth inning and allowed one hit, while striking out a batter.

The game went from bad to worse for the Pirates in the seventh inning when Baltimore scored three more runs to take a 7-2 lead.  All three of these runs would come off of Pittsburgh pitcher Joe Beimel.  The O’s would score one more run in the eighth to make it a 8-2 final.  Olsen was on the mound when the final run was scored.  He pitched one inning, giving up one run on two hits, with one hit being a homerun.

Both teams brought the lumber today as they each accumulated fourteen hits.  The difference was Baltimore was able to get timely hits with runners in scoring position, and had a pitching staff that was able to close the door when Buccos were on base.

The O’s also hit three homeruns on the day, another stat that the Pirates have to contain if they hope to give teams trouble during the regular season.

Pittsburgh will have their first off day of the spring tomorrow, but will return to action on Wednesday when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays from Bradenton, Florida at 1:05pm.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!