Pirates Outlast Astros In High-Scoring Affair

By Chad Carlson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grapefruit League Record:  8-13

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Late Game Comeback Drops Pirates Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Christopher Horner/Pittsburgh Tribune Review

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

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

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

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

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

Grapefruit League Record: 7-13

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Clint Barmes Signs Two Year Deal With Pirates

Photo Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images

After days of speculation, it’s official:  Clint Barmes and the Pittsburgh Pirates have agreed to a deal.  The free agent, who spent parts of eight seasons with the Colorado Rockies and was the Houston Astros’ shortstop in 2011, signed with the Bucs for 2 years, $10.5 million.  Rumors spread throughout the morning, and they were later confirmed by the Bucs’ MLB.com reporter Jenifer Langosch.

The Barmes signing obviously lays to rest any thoughts of Rafael Furcal or Ramon Santiago coming to Pittsburgh.  Even though there were rumors stating such, I personally still am not convinced that Furcal was ever a serious option for the Pirates.  He’s much more offensive-minded than defensive, and he would have wanted more money than the Pirates would be willing to offer.  Further, he is a little older and has just won a World Series, so one would have to wonder his interest level in coming to Pittsburgh.

Today’s deal also eliminates the possibility of the Pirates re-negotiating a deal to bring Ronny Cedeno, whose option the team decided not to exercise after this past year, back for another season.  Backup options for the Bucs include Chase d’Arnaud and Pedro Ciriaco, as well as Josh Harrison, who can survive as a reserve at third and even second base as well.

So how much of an upgrade is Clint Barmes over Ronny Cedeno, if at all?  First of all, there is sure to be a much better relationship between player and manager, as Barmes and Clint Hurdle were together in Colorado.  Cedeno and Hurdle never really seemed to get along all that well, and with certain antics and hustle-less players displayed by Ronny on multiple occasions in 2011, it’s not shocking that the Pirates replaced him when given the opportunity to do so. 

For the most part, this doesn’t necessarily seem to be a huge upgrade for the Pirates.  Clearly, the team believes that they are getting a better player in Barmes at $10.5 million over 2 years in comparison to the $3 million option they denied on Cedeno, but based upon the on-the-field production, arguments could be made for either player.

Cedeno is four years younger than the 32-year old Barmes, but Ronny has been wildly inconsistent since coming to Pittsburgh in the Jack Wilson deal with Seattle.  Barmes is a career .252 hitter as opposed to Cedeno’s .246, while Ronny was one of the top-rated defensive shortstops in the National League in 2011.  Their numbers this past season were pretty identical, with the exception of homeruns (Barmes’ 12 vs. Cedeno’s 2). 

Barmes:  .244 average, 27 doubles, 39 RBI’s, 47 runs scored, .312 on-base %

Cedeno:  .249 average, 25 doubles, 32 RBI’s, 43 runs scored, .297 on-base %

From an offensive standpoint, power seems to be in favor of Barmes, as Cedeno has never hit more than 10 homeruns in a season.  Clint, on the other hand, has done so four times, including a 23 round-ball campaign in 2009 with Colorado.  While Ronny has eclipsed 40 RBI’s only once in a season, Barmes has done so four times. 

The huge question is, though, whether or not Barmes’ age will play a factor.  At 32 years old, he’s actually more likely to get worse on offense and defense than he is to get better.  Following that line of thinking, it’s bizarre that the Pirates were willing to fork over $10.5 million while objecting to exercise Cedeno’s $3 million option.

With the Barmes signing, the Pirates have added another piece to the puzzle this offseason, having already inked catcher Rod Barajas to a deal.  The attention now shifts to first base as well as the starting pitching rotation to see what changes and upgrades the team will make in preparation for the 2012 season.

As always, stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for the latest reactions to the Pirates’ news and rumors.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McCutchen's 2-HR's Lifts Pirates Over Astros

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates played their 18^th and final game against the Houston Astros for 2011 tonight.  This game was a back and forth battle ending with the Buccos winning 5-4.  Andrew McCutchen was the star of tonight going 2-3 with two HR, four RBI, and drawing one walk.

Houston started the game off hot as they would score three runs in the first inning.  These runs would come off of back to back homers.  The first would come from Carlos Lee who smacked a two run shot to left field.  Matt Downs would follow that up with a solo shot to left field.  Pittsburgh would answer back in the bottom part of the inning with McCutchen’s first home run of the night this one to center field. 

The Astros regained that four run lead in the fourth inning when Clint Barmes hit a home run to left field to make the score 4-1.  That lead did not last long.  Cutch would come to the plate with two runners on in the fifth inning with two outs and gave the crowd at PNC Park plenty to cheer about as he hit his second homer of the night, this time to left field to tie the game.

The Pirates would score the winning run on a crazy play in the eighth inning.  With runners on first and second and one out, Jason Jaramillo would single home Chase d’ Arnaud.  After d’Arnaud scored the go ahead run, the inning ending double play was turned on a 9-2-6-9-2 double play.

With all these home runs tonight, both starting pitcher did not go very deep into the game.   Pirate’s starter Brian Burres would only last 3.2 innings giving up four runs on seven hits while allowing three home runs.  Astros starter J.A. Happ wasn’t much better going five innings giving up four runs on five hits, while striking out eight and walking four.  The Pirates bullpen stepped up tonight bridging the gap from starter to closer and Joel Hanrahan would earn his 36^th save of the year.

Another series win for the Buccos will lead them into a day off tomorrow.  They will return to action on Friday to begin a three game series with the Florida Marlins, which is a team that swept them back in April.  Ross “The Boss” Ohlendorf is scheduled to face Ricky Nolasco on Friday with first pitch scheduled for 7:05pm.

Record vs. Astros:  11-7
Record vs. N.L. Central:  35-36
Record at PNC Park:  33-39
Overall Record 66-77

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

McDonald's Strong Start Lifts Pirates Past Astros

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

While the rest of us were enjoying a day off from work, Mother Nature was working as she delayed the start to today’s game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Houston Astros.  Even when the game did start rain was present throughout the contest.  James McDonald handled the weather and Astros fairly well this afternoon as he would go 7.1 innings allowing one run on three hits, with three walks and six strikeouts as he picked his ninth win on the season today.  The seven plus inning of work was the longest of the year for McDonald.

Houston was able to strike first today.  In the third inning Astros pitcher Henry Sosa was able to draw a four pitch walk.  Then with two outs Jose Altuve hit a fly ball to right field that Jose Tabata misread, which allowed Sosa to score and Altuve to end up with a triple.

Pittsburgh would rally in the fourth inning.  With one out and runners on first and second, Ryan Doumit would double to centerfield, scoring Andrew McCutchen from second base.  Josh Harrison would continue swinging a hot bat with a single to center, which brought home Derrek Lee.  The Pirates would add an insurance run in the eighth inning off the bat of Lee, who when healthy and in a Buccos uniform seems to be a source of power that this lineup desperately needs.  It will be interesting to see if Pittsburgh management will make Lee an offer to remain with the Pirates in 2012.

With a two run lead Joel Hanrahan would come out of the bullpen to earn his 35^th save of the year, which game the Buccos a 3-1 win.  Even though both of these teams are out of contention, Pittsburgh is looking to play for pride as they were swept by Houston a week ago.  With every win, the Pirates increase their win total from last year as they currently have eight more than they did at the end of 2010. 

A few side notes, Chris Snyder announced today that he will not be back this season, which should not be a surprise to fans, since there is less than a month less in the season.  Tabata left the game today with discomfort in his left wrist which has been bothering him since last week.  Jeff Karstens will miss another start on Wednesday to rest his arm, Brian Burres will start in his place.  Game two of this series will be tomorrow night at 7:05pm Brett Myers will take on Brad Lincoln.

Record vs. Astros:  10-6
Record vs. N.L. Central:  34-35
Record at PNC Park:  32-38
Overall Record:  65-76

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates' Slide Continues, Astros Complete Sweep With 2-0 Victory

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

The Houston Astros are the hottest team in baseball!  Ok, not really…but they have been playing their best baseball of the season in the last two weeks with a lineup that includes a number of AA and AAA players that have been given the chance to play, due to moves in the organization. 

As for the Pirates, they’re playing arguably their worst baseball of the season.  It has been an abysmal month for the Pirates, having won just eight games in August.  It was thought a series against the lowly Astros would help turn things around for Pittsburgh. 

It hasn’t quite worked out that way, as the Pirates entered tonight’s game at Minute Maid Park looking to avoid the sweep against the Astros.  James McDonald took the hill looking for his ninth victory of the season against Houston’s J.A. Happ, who came in sporting a 4-15 record and a 6.03 ERA.  This should have been the game the Pirates could turn things around…right?

Wrong.  Happ pitched seven scoreless innings, and the bullpen pitched two flawless frames as the Astros shutout the Pirates 2-0 to complete the three-game sweep tonight at Minute Maid Park.

The Pirates managed just four hits tonight, three of which against Happ, who earned his fifth victory of the season while lowering his ERA to 5.71.

McDonald suffered his seventh loss of the season for Pittsburgh, who gave up two runs (1 earned) on seven hits.  Tony Watson, Jose Veras, and Joel Hanrahan collectively threw two innings in relief.

The Astros showed some glimpses as to why they have the worst record in baseball in the second inning.  They loaded the bases against McDonald without recording a single out.  The Pirates’ right hander forced Humberto Quintero into a pop-out at second base, struck out Happ, and got Jordan Schafer to ground out.  The game was still scoreless after the second.

Houston put the pressure on McDonald again in the fourth inning, but, unfortunately for Pittsburgh, the Astros didn’t squander this opportunity.  With runners on first and third and no outs, Quintero hit a weak ball in between McDonald and Ryan Doumit, which the Pirates’ catcher looked the runner at third back to the base before throwing and recording the out at first base.  Jimmy Paredes, the runner at third, broke for home and, thanks to Garrett Jones’ throwing error, scored the game’s first run.  Schafer’s bunt single scored Angel Sanchez from third base, and the Astros led 2-0 after four innings.

That was the only offense Happ and the pitching staff would need, as they held the Pirates’ offense in check all night.  Jose Tabata, Alex Presley, and Andrew McCutchen combined to go 0-11, and the Pirates never really threatened to score all night.  They were shut out for the 12^th time this season.

The Pirates managed just 14 hits total in the three-game series, and after a great road record to begin the season, they’ve fallen to six games under .500 away from PNC Park.

Being swept by the last-place Astros capped off a horrible August for the Bucs, as they turn the page on this month with an 8-22 record.  They now sit 12 games under .500, the lowest they’ve been all year.

They’ll look to turn things around on a short one-game home stand tomorrow afternoon in a make-up game at PNC Park against the Los Angeles Dodgers, before traveling to Chicago for a three-game series against the Cubs.  Brad Lincoln will start for Pittsburgh tomorrow afternoon at 4:05pm.

Record Vs. Astros: 9-6

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 31-34

Record On The Road: 31-37

Overall Record: 62-74

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Embarrassed By Astros.....Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Cardinals Win Game And Series Over Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The St. Louis Cardinals offense came out swinging this afternoon, and were able to counter any threat by the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they went on to take three out of four in a 7-4 win.  Jeff Karstens started for Pittsburgh and had one of his worst outings on the season.  He would only go 3.2 innings allowing five runs on five hits, while walking two batters and striking out only one.

The Pirates took the lead right out of the gate when Andrew McCutchen brought home Jose Tabata with a line drive single to center field.  St. Louis struck back in the bottom part of the inning with three runs of their own.   All three runs would come on ground balls.  The Buccos battled back in the second inning with three runs to give them a one run lead.  These would also come on ground balls.  Unfortunately this was all Pittsburgh could put on the scoreboard today.

The Cardinals would tie the game in the third with a single by Ryan Theriot.  They took the lead with a run in the fourth on a sacrifice fly by Allen Craig.  They would then add two more runs in the seventh to put away any chance of a Pittsburgh comeback.  Chris Resop was the pitcher that was touched up with the final two runs of the game.

Pitching was the story of today’s contest.  Both teams did not receive good starts, but the St. Louis bullpen was able to silence the Pirates bats, while the Cardinals offense used timely hitting to pick up the victory. 

This road trip for the Buccos will continue tomorrow with the start of a three game series with the Houston Astros.  Ross Ohlendorf will look to improve on his last start, while the Astros will counter with Wandy Rodriguez.  First pitch is scheduled for 8:05pm.

Record vs. Cardinals:  6-7
Record vs. N.L. Central:  31-31
Record on the Road:  31-34
Overall Record:  62-71

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

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

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Bob Levey/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Astros: 9-3

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

Record On The Road: 26-22

Overall Record: 49-44

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

by Zane Heiple

Photo By Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Karstens Rolls For Complete Game Shutout Victory Over Astros

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

After four days of rest and relaxation, the Pittsburgh Pirates were back in action tonight to start a three game set against the Houston Astros.  Jeff Karstens had a very good first half of the season and looked to continue that with his start tonight.  The Astros would counter with Jeff Myers.

It did not take long for the Buccos to get on the board.  After a leadoff single by Alex Presley, he would steal second, and then advance to third on a sacrifice fly by Chase d’Arnaud.  Neil Walker would bring him home for his 60^th RBI of the season.  Two innings later, with Presley and d’Arnaud on base, Andrew McCutchen would hit a bases clearing triple to put Pittsburgh up 3-0.

Astros starter Myers would exit the game after six innings of work and was replaced by Fernando Rodriguez.  Even though he gave up three runs, Myers pitched well as he struck out eleven and only walked three batters.  Rodriguez would leave the game after one inning. 

Garrett Jones would lead the eighth inning off with a walk.  He was then replaced by Xavier Paul to give the team more speed.  This move paid off quickly.  After a wild pitch by Houston reliever Sergio Escalona allowed Paul to move up to second base, Lyle Overbay would bring him home on an error by Astros second baseman Jeff Keppinger.

The story of the night however was Mr. Jeff Karstens.  He would pitch a complete game shutout allowing five hits, zero walks and striking out two.  His story so far this year is unreal.  After coming into the season scheduled to be the long relief option out of the bullpen, he has become one of the most consistent pitchers in the Majors since becoming a starter when Ross Ohlendorf went on the DL back in April.  Jeff did have help from his defense, as any pitcher does when he goes the distance.

A few side notes on the day for the Pirates.  After Daniel Moskos was sent back to AAA Indianapolis on Thursday, Joe Beimel was activated to the roster on Friday.  Jose Tabata had a set back while rehabbing in Bradenton.  Steve Pearce is on a rehab assignment in Indianapolis and Ronny Cedeno will begin his assignment in the next few days. 

The Buccos and Stros will battle in game two of this three game series tomorrow night.  Paul Maholm will get the nod for Pittsburgh, while Houston will send Bud Norris to the bump.

Record vs. Astros:  8-2
Record vs. N.L. Central:  21-12
Road Record:  25-21
Overall Record:  48-43

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Astros Avoid Sweep With 8-2 Victory Over Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

A lot as gone right for the Pittsburgh Pirates of late, but tonight against the Houston Astros in one inning everything went wrong.  Charlie Morton was cruising again tonight for the Pirates until the sixth inning when a pair of errors, a bad defensive decision, and some timely hitting dug the Buccos in a hole that they could not climb out of.

Pittsburgh actually jumped out on top early in the first inning, when Andrew McCutchen singled home Alex Presley.  Neil Walker then flew out to Carlos Lee in left field and then doubled off Garrett Jones, who made a bad read on the ball, at second base.  After that both teams were held scoreless until the Stros piled on in the sixth.

It all started on a fielding error by Chase d’ Arnaud on a groundball by Michael Bourn.  Angel Sanchez would then have an RBI double and advance to third on an error by McCutchen.  Carlos Lee would then triple when Cutch dove for a ball and missed, allowing the ball to roll to the centerfield wall.   Lee would score on a Jeff Keppinger double.  Two batters later, Keppinger would come around to touch home plate on a single by Clint Barmes.  Morton would exit the game after facing Barmes.  After five decent innings, he could not go any longer after poor execution by his defense.  His final stat line read 5.1 innings pitched, allowing four runs on eight hits, with one walk and six strikeouts.

The Pirates would add a run in the bottom part of the inning when McCutchen would ground out to third, allowing d’Arnaud to score.  While this closed the gap to 5-2, three runs would be all the closer our Battlin’ Buccos would get on the night.  Houston starter Bud Norris pitched very well to help his team salvage a game in this series.  He would go seven innings allowing two runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and two walks.

Even the bullpen had a rough night.  After Chris Leroux pitched 1.2 scoreless innings, Daniel McCutchen was touched for two runs on three hits in the ninth, and Daniel Moskos would give up one more run before getting the final out.  The Bucco bats went 1-2-3 in the bottom part of the ninth to give Houston an 8-2 victory.

This game had some flashbacks to 2010 in my opinion, one bad inning leading to a blowout victory.  The offense never seemed to be really into the game after the first inning and there seemed to be a lot of mental mistakes in the field and on the base paths.  The best thing to remember is that it is a long season and games will be lost.  On a plus note, this was the 17^th series that the team had won on the year.  The Pirates will have tomorrow off before welcoming the Chicago Cubs to town to begin a three game series.  James McDonald will start for the Buccos, while the North Siders will send Rodrigo Lopez to the bump.  First pitch is schedule for 7:05.

Record vs. Astros:  7-2
Record vs. N.L. Central:  18-11
Home Record:  21-21
Overall Record:  45-42

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

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

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Astros: 7-1

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

Home Record: 21-20

Overall Record: 45-41

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Old Glory And Jolly Roger Raised In Pirates 5-3 Win Over Astros

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

Sloppy Joes may be on some of your 4^th of July cookout menus, and early on it looked like sloppy defense was on the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Today’s game against the Houston Astros didn’t start off great, but great pitching and timely hits allowed the Buccos to go three games over .500 for the first time since 1999 with the 5-3 win.

Paul Maholm once again pitched very well and gave his team the chance to win.  He would go six innings allowing only one earned run on five hits with three walks and three strikeouts.  His counterpart, Brett Myers, gave up fourteen hits, four earned runs, and one strikeout in six innings of work.  For the 25^th time this season, Joel Hanrahan closed out the game and sent Pirates fans home happy.

The errors that occurred today for Pittsburgh all came in the third inning.  One was by Lyle Overbay on a throw to third base.  The other two came from Josh Harrison who had trouble fielding a groundball by Hunter Pence and then three batters later made a throwing error to first.  Harrison would be taken out of the game in the fourth inning because he was complaining of dizziness that occurred after he collided with the catcher in the second inning. 

Pittsburgh tied the game in the second inning when Michael McKenry singled to left field bringing Overbay home.  After Houston went up 3-1 in the third, the Buccos answered in the bottom part of the inning.  It started when Andrew McCutchen doubled home Chase d’Arnaud.  The tying run came around two batters later when Overbay singled home Cutch.

The Pirates took the lead for good in the fifth on a Neil Walker single to right field that brought d’Arnaud home.  Insurance was added in the sixth by the Buccos when Alex Presley tripled home Brandon Wood from second.

The bullpen bridge from Maholm to Hanrahan included scoreless innings of work from Daniel McCutchen and Jose Veras.  D-Cutch picked up his fifth hold of the year, while Veras picked up hold number 17 on the season.  Hanrahan also set a team record for most saves to start a year without blowing one, with 25.  Game two of this series will be tomorrow night at 7:05.

Happy Independence Day to all of our readers, from Fans From The Stands.

Record vs. Astros:  6-1
Record vs. N.L. Central:  17-10
Record at PNC Park:  20-20
Overall Record:  44-41

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Buccos Complete Sweep Of Stros

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

While the Pittsburgh Pirates have had much more success on the road this year than they did in 2010, the one thing that has eluded them is the sweep over their opponents.  The Pirates came into today’s matinee against the Houston Astros with a chance to break out the brooms.

The Buccos wasted little time gaining the lead over the Astros.  After Jose Tabata reached on a single and Andrew McCutchen walked, Garrett Jones blasted a three run home run to right field.  The Astros almost had a run in the third but a relay from Tabata to Ronny Cedeno to Dusty Brown had Hunter Pence out at home.  Houston did however score two in the bottom of the fourth.  They would then tie the game in the fifth when Pence hit a double that scored Michael Bourn.

Pittsburgh’s offense would come back to life in the sixth inning with some help from Bourn.  Jones would hit a fly ball to center field, but Bourn was unable to handle the ball.  This mistake would allow Cutch to score from second.  Josh Harrison then doubled to score Walker from third.  Unfortunately Jones was thrown out at home by Houston second baseman Jeff Keppinger.

James McDonald finished his day with two outs in the sixth inning.  McDonald wasn’t at his best today but it was efficient enough to pick up his fifth win of the year.  He gave up three runs on seven hits, while striking out and walking four.

Joel Hanrahan was given the day off after pitching three straight days.  With a save on the line, Jose Veras was given the task to finish off the Stros.  After a leadoff single by Jason Bourgeois, Bourn would ground out.  Keppinger would single to bring home Bourgeois.  This would be followed by two straight ground outs to Pirates third baseman Brandon Wood to close the game and give the Buccos the sweep and a 5-4 win.

Great to see the Pirates finish off a series in a sweep.  This is the fourth straight game the Buccos have won and will now head to Cleveland for their first road interleague series of the year.

Record vs. Astros:  5-1
Record vs. N.L. Central:  16-10
Record On The Road:  20-15
Overall Record:  35-33

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Offensive Comes Alive, Pirates Beat Astros And Clinch Series Victory

By Chad Carlson



Photo Credit: AP

 The Pirates’ victory in the opening game of their three-game series against the Houston Astros was the team’s 18th road win of the 2011 season, surpassing their road in total from a year ago. The Pirates have been doing a lot of that lately: exceeding expectations and impressing critics, other teams, and even themselves.


Charlie Morton put together another satisfactory outing and the offense finally put a significant amount of runs on the board, leading the Pirates to their second straight victory over the Astros by a final score of 7-3.

With the win, Morton improved his season mark to 7-3, giving up three runs on eight hits while walking two and striking out three batters. While this wasn’t the shutdown performance we’ve seen from Charlie previously this season, he put his team in a position to win the game, and he got himself out of some pretty tough jams throughout the early innings.

The offense finally woke up tonight in Houston, and the onslaught began early. After an Andrew McCutchen walk in the first inning, Neil Walker crushed an RBI triple to right, giving the Buccos an early lead. Real Deal would tally his second RBI of the day in the third inning on an RBI single to shallow center, scoring Matt Diaz.

After the Astros scored a run a piece in the next three innings, Pittsburgh stormed back in the sixth for three runs of their own. Garrett Jones’ single to right scored Xavier Paul to tie the game, 3-3. McCutchen then reached base on Brett Wallace’s throwing error. Jose Tabata scored on the play. Walker then finished the scoring with a sacrifice fly to left field, allowing Jones to tag and score from third.

Paul added a couple insurance runs in the seventh inning with a two run homerun to left field, which also scored Michael McKenry.

Once again, the bullpen came in and did a great job. Daniel McCutchen pitched three innings tonight, giving up only three hits, while Joel Hanrahan relieved Chris Resop in the ninth, tallying the final two outs of the game and picking up his 19th save of the season.

The Pirates are now 34-33, one game over .500 with a chance to sweep the Houston Astros tomorrow afternoon. This marks another road series victory for the Buccos, something that seemed nearly impossible a year ago. While the pitching has been solid all season for Pittsburgh, the one worry we’ve had has been the lack of consistent offensive production. Tonight’s game was hopefully a stepping stone for the offensive to get back on track and start putting together a string of more productive performances.

The Pirates will look for the sweep of the Astros tomorrow at Minute Maid Park. James McDonald will get the start for the Buccos.

Record Vs. Astros: 4-1
Record Vs. N.L. Central: 15-10
Record On The Road: 19-15
Overall Record 34-33

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Karstens, Bullpen Shutout Astros

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

After a 6-4 home stand, the Pittsburgh Pirates headed to Texas for a three game series with their division rivals the Houston Astros.  While the Astros have the worst record in baseball, Minute Maid Park was not kind to the Buccos in 2010, where they posted a 0-9 record.  Jeff Karstens would be given the task of getting their 2011 campaign in Houston off to a winning start, while Bud Norris would counter for the Stros. 

Garrett Jones got the Pirates on the board with no outs in the second inning, when he hit a single to right field that scored Neil Walker. 

That would be the only run of support Karstens would receive in his 6.2 innings pitched tonight.  He would strikeout three, while only giving up three hits.  Chris Resop would come out of the bullpen and strike out the only batter he would face to close out the seventh.  The Astros also had a strong outing from their starter.  Norris would finish his day pitching seven innings allowing one run on six hits, while striking out nine and walking two. 

The Pirates would use three pitchers in the eighth inning to collect the three needed outs.  After walking a batter to put runners on first and second with one out, Jose Veras would be able to get Jason Michaels and Michael Bourn to fly out to end the threat.  The Houston bullpen would shutdown Pittsburgh’s offense as they would not give up a hit in two innings of work.

A 1-0 lead in the bottom of the ninth set the stage for Joel Hanrahan to close out the game.  He would collect his 18^th save of the year by getting the first two batters to ground out and then Ronny Cedeno made a diving catch to finish of the win for the Buccos.

Another great night by the pitching staff led the Pirates to victory.  Hanrahan collected his 18^th save tonight, the Buccos surpassed their 2010 road wins total tonight with their 18^th road win for this season, and Pittsburgh once again is at the .500 mark.  Hopefully Pittsburgh can get over the .500 mark and stay there starting tomorrow when these two teams battle again at 8:05.  Charlie Morton will take the ball to the hill tomorrow for the Pirates.

Record vs. Astros:  3-1
Record vs. N.L. Central:  14-10
Record on the Road:  18-15
Overall Record:  33-33

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

McDonald's Pitching, Doumit's Homerun Lead Pirates Past Astros

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Battling Buccos lived up to their name today as they pulled out a 5-4 win over the Houston Astros and won the series, two games to one.  While James McDonald was unable to receive the bullpen support to earn the win, he pitched great, going six innings while allowing three hits, zero runs, and three walks.  He tied his career high of eight strikeouts during today’s contest.

Pittsburgh took the lead early, which has been a theme lately, in the first inning.  Steve Pearce hit a sacrifice fly to right field, which scored Andrew McCutchen.  The fourth inning saw the Buccos earn another run when Ronny Cedeno brought around Neil Walker on a single to right field. 

With a two run lead heading into the seventh inning, Chris Resop was summoned out of the bullpen and had his second straight bad outing.  The first batter he faced, Chris Johnson, hit a solo homerun to pull Houston within one.  Humberto Quintero tied the game two batters later on a double that scored Bill Hall.  Resop was yanked at this point and Joe Beimel came into the game.

Houston took the lead on the first batter Beimel faced.  A well timed bunt and run by Angel Sanchez scored Quintero from second base and the Astros had their lead of the day, 3-2.  They added a run in the eighth, which started on a Carlos Lee doubled that should have been ruled a catch by McCutchen.  Lee moved up to third on a poor pickoff throw by Daniel McCutchen and was followed by a Brett Wallace sacrifice fly to left field, scoring Lee.

At this point, it looked like the Pirates would once again drop a game that they clearly should have won.  But we don’t call them the Battling Buccos for nothing.  A Neil Walker single and a Steve Pearce walk brought Ryan Doumit to the plate with the opportunity to give Pittsburgh the lead once again.  Doumit did not disappoint, as he blasted a three-run shot to the left field bleachers to give the good guys a one-run lead.

Joel Hanrahan came in to close the game out in the ninth and earn his tenth save of the year.  He is now one save behind leaders Leo Nunez and Huston Street.

This was another exciting win for the Pirates.  Great starting pitching and timely hits led to the W today.  Hopefully Chris Resop is ablet o get back on track soon, because they cannot afford these let downs if they hope to continue their winning ways in 2011.  This is the first time since 2002 that Pittsburgh has had a .500 record on Mother’s Day.

The Pirates will welcome the Los Angeles Dodgers to town for a four game set tomorrow.  Jeff Karstens will start for Pittsburgh tomorrow and look to give the Buccos a chance to improve their record at PNC Park.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Record Vs. Astros: 2-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 9-6

Record At Home: 6-9

Overall Record: 17-17

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!