Roster Moves Continue For Pirates As Winter Meetings Conclude

By Chad Carlson

Though not comparing to the activity of other teams in baseball, the Pirates made a flurry of moves yesterday in Dallas…most of which are relatively acceptable from a fan’s standpoint.

The Bucs released Ross Ohlendorf, a move that most could have predicted following two terrible seasons for the 29 year old right hander.  Between injuries and overall lack of effectiveness on the mound, it was time for “Ohlie” to go.  Reports are that the Pirates still think he is much better than he performed, but still, it was clear he didn’t fit into the club’s plans for 2012 and beyond.

In addition, as was reported yesterday, Jason Jaramillo and Pedro Ciriaco were both designated for assignment in response to the signings of Nate McLouth and Erik Bedard.  The Bucs will have to release both players if they cannot trade them by next Monday’s deadline to tender contracts to arbitration-eligible players. 

The Ciriaco move isn’t surprising, considering the backup role options the team has for infielders, including Josh Harrison and Chase d’Arnaud, as well as Matt Hague and Jordy Mercer.  Newly acquired Nick Evans, as well as Jake Fox, will also be a part of the discussion for valuable utility roles.  Despite his hustle and strong will, Ciriaco didn’t quite measure up to the other options the Bucs have available, so there’s really no issue with cutting ties with him at this point.

In other news, the Pirates acquired infielder Yamaico Navarro from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for two minor leaguers, pitcher Brooks Pounders and infielder Diego Goris.  The 24 year old Navarro hit .264 in 59 games last season in Triple-A.  At the Major League level, he had a homerun and nine RBI’s in 22 games with the Boston Red Sox and the Royals.  Navarro will more than likely be the leading candidate to back up shortstop Clint Barmes this season.

And then there’s the situation at first base.  As expected, Derrek Lee rejected the Pirates’ arbitration offer.  It was speculated and assumed that Lee was going to wait until first basemen Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder signed before he did.  Pujols, of course, signed just this morning with the Los Angeles Angels, and now, expect a flurry of offers to surround Fielder.  The Bucs continue to say that they’ll keep in contact with Lee if he’s interested in playing in Pittsburgh.  While it would be great for Lee to return in 2012, it doesn’t seem very likely that will happen. 

As per Bucs’ insider Jenifer Langosch has reported, the team is leaning towards a platoon situation at first base if no deal is done for Lee.  The position would be occupied by a combination of Garrett Jones, Nick Evans, or Jake Fox.  The attempt at this type of situation in right field backfired on the Bucs last year when both Jones and Matt Diaz struggled tremendously.  Still, with Lee declining their offer and the lack of affordable first basemen on the market this offseason, this appears to be on of the only remaining options the Pirates have at this point.

The Pirates’ 2012 lineup is beginning to take shape, and as the situation at first base evolves, stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for the latest reactions to all news and notes surrounding the Bucs.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

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Harrison Leads Bucs Past Reds 4-3

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Reds: 10-4

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

Record At Home: 36-44

Overall Record: 71-87

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Ludwick's Walkoff Single Gives Pirates Edge Over Reds

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Ohlendorf Ineffective In Pirates' 8-5 Loss To Diamondbacks

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Christian Petersen/Getty Images

Wow, does anyone want to be in the starting pitching rotation next season?  The past few weeks have spelled disaster for Pirates’ starters, as all potential members of the 2012 rotation have been obliterated. 

Ross Ohlendorf, though, had a surprisingly solid start last Thursday against the Dodgers, giving up two runs through seven innings, while earning his first victory of the season.  The Bucs, and Ohledorf, were hoping he could continue that success this afternoon in the series finale against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

That didn’t happen.

Ohlendorf was tattooed by the Diamondbacks’ batters today, right from the start, and he never even made it out of the third inning.  Arizona went on to win the game 8-5.

He gave up three runs in the first inning, and after getting through the second inning, he surrendered another run in third inning and loaded the bases without recording an out.  Clint Hurdle had seen enough and replaced him with Jared Hughes.

In all, Ohlendorf was charged for seven runs on seven hits through 2+ innings.  His ERA is now at 8.29.  Ouch.  Hughes was charged for one run on two hits through his inning of work.  The rest of the bullpen, though the game was out of reach, pitched scoreless baseball.

Derrek Lee was the lone positive of today’s game, going 3-4 with a homerun and two RBI’s.  With the Pirates’ current first baseman situation up in the air right now, Lee would be a welcomed returner to the club next year.  But only time will tell.

Ryan Ludwick hit a solo homerun in the second inning, and Jason Jaramillo smacked a pinch-hit RBI double in the eighth inning.  As a team, the Bucs tallied 11 hits, while leaving seven runners on base.

After falling behind 8-1, the Bucs slowly battled back, scoring a single run in the fourth, sixth, seventh, and eighth innings each.  They had a chance to creep within a single run in the eighth, but Ryan Doumit grounded out with runners on second and third to end the inning.

Today’s game marked the Pirates’ 87^th loss of the season.  More worrisome, though, is the fact that they’re struggling to get quality starts.  Jeff Karstens and Charlie Morton have continued to show glimpses of what they did earlier in the season, and are favorites to return to the rotation next year, along with Kevin Correia.  But there are two other open spots that seem far out of reach for Ohlendorf, Aaron Thompson, Brad Lincoln, or anyone else. 

The Pirates have only six games remaining on their schedule this season, three of which will be played against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park this weekend.  Pittsburgh will need to go 4-2 the rest of the way to avoid another 90-loss season.

Record Vs. Diamondbacks: 3-3

Record Vs. N.L. West: 13-20

Record On The Road: 35-43

Overall Record: 69-87

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Matt Pagnozzi

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Chris Schneider/AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates claimed catcher Matt Pagnozzi off waivers yesterday, after he had been designated for assignment by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Pagnozzi was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 8^th round of the 2003 June amateur draft, and made his professional debut with the New Jersey Cardinals of the New York-Penn League.  After advancing to AAA Memphis in 2008 and into 2009, the Cardinals called up him in September, making his Major League Baseball debut on September 29.  Pagnozzi hit his first MLB homerun on September 28, 2010, against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

On November 29, 2011, Pagnozzi signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Rockies.  He appeared in just seven games with the Rockies this year, with six hits in only 21 plate appearances.  He played in 54 games at the Triple-A level this season, hitting .275 with three homeruns, 13 doubles, and 29 RBI’s.

The Bucs made room for Pagnozzi on the 40-man roster by transferring Steve Pearce to the 60-day DL. 

This move was obviously made for next season, and not the remaining two weeks of 2011.  While the Pirates hold club options on both Chris Snyder and Ryan Doumit, a move like claiming a 28-year old catcher from another club implies they’re not looking to exercise either of those options.  If that’s the case, the three catchers vying for the starting catching job in 2012 will be Pagnozzi, Michael McKenry, and Jason Jaramillo.

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!

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!!!

Meet Your Bucs: Michael McKenry

by Zane Heiple

Photo by mlb.com

With injuries to catchers Chris Snyder, Ryan Doumit and Jason Jaramillo, it is easy to say the Pittsburgh Pirates are in dire need of help behind the plate.  Late Sunday night they went out and made a trade with the Boston Red Sox to acquire minor league catcher Michael McKenry for cash considerations or a player to be named later.  In order to make room for McKenry, Wyatt Toregas was sent back to AAA Indianapolis.

McKenry is a former 2006 seventh round draft pick of the Colorado Rockies, whom he would make his Major League debut with on September 8^th, 2010.  He was then traded to the Red Sox in March of 2011 and has spent all of this season with the AAA Pawtucket Red Sox.

This season in Pawtucket, he has hit .274 with 3 home runs and 12 RBI.  Defensively he has thrown out 5 of 19 base runners.  A big reason why he was acquired is that Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and coach Mark Strittmatter spent time working with Michael during their time with the Rockies.

Catcher is a very important position on the diamond and while it is very tough to replace players with the experience of Snyder and Doumit, it is good to see the organization make a move to help sure up the need of a player behind the plate.  Be sure to check back often to Fans From The Stands for the latest roster moves.

No Offensive Support For Maholm, Pirates Fall To Twins

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

The Pirates were back in Brandenton today to take on the Minnesota Twins.  The two teams had split their previous two meetings of the spring.  Paul Maholm started the game for the Buccos today and Brian Duensing was his mound opponent for Minnesota.  Coming into today’s game, Maholm had worked 14 innings, increasing his workload by one inning each time.

Pittsburgh hit the scoreboard first in the second inning.  Jason Jaramillo singled to left field, scoring Matt Diaz to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead.  Minnesota answered an inning later on a Joe Mauer single that scored Matt Tolbert.  Once again the Pirates gave up a run with two outs and an error on a pick-off attempt by Maholm, allowing Tolbert to get into scoring position. 

The Twins took a 2-1 lead in the top of the fifth when Delmon Young grounded into a double play with the bases loaded, scoring Denard Span from third base.

Maholm lasted six innings today, giving up two runs on nine hits with five strikeouts and two walks.  It was another solid start for Paul today.  It would be nice for him to get his hit total down when the season starts, but he is the type of pitcher who is going to have the batters make contact and rely on his defense to make the outs.

Jose Veras and Scott Olsen came into the game for the Pirates in the seventh and eighth innings respectively.  Combined, the pitchers gave up on hit and had one strikeout.  Minnesota collected two more runs in the ninth off of pitcher Anthony Claggett.  The Pirates dropped the game, 4-1, when they were unable to rally in the bottom of the ninth.

This was one of those games we, as Pirates fans, are used to seeing:  a decent pitching performance from the starter and a lack of offense that led to the loss.  Today’s defeat dropped the Buccos to 10-15 this spring.  Pittsburgh is off tomorrow as they will welcome the Houston Astros to town for their second and final matchup of the spring on Wednesday.  Brian Burress is scheduled to take the hill for the Pirates.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bowker Blasts Third Homerun Of The Spring As Pirates Beat Red Sox

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Derick E. Hingle

The Pirates faced off against the Red Sox this afternoon in Bradenton, Florida.  Buston came into the game with a 12-11 Spring Training record, while Pittsburgh is 8-14.  Kevin Correia took the hill to start the game for the Buccos.  Correia entered the day with an 0-2 record and an ERA of 7.42.  The Sox countered with Josh Beckett, who is also 0-2, and has a 6.52 Spring Training ERA.  The two teams had met earlier in the spring, with the Buccos winning the previous meeting 9-4.

Both pitchers were able to get out of the first inning with key double plays.  Correia was able to get two outs when a sharp grounder was hit to Neil Walker and two were turned.  Beckett avoided a big inning when left fielder Daniel Nava caught an Andrew McCutchen flyball at the wall and then doubled off Walker at first base.

The Pirates’ defense used a double play to end the second inning when Nava grounded out to Walker for the 4-6-3 double play.  The bottom of the inning saw Lyle Overbay, Pedro Alvarez, and Matt Diaz go down in order.  Beckett finished the day after 4 2/3 innings having given up five runs, only one of them earned, on seven hits, while striking out two and walking one.  Correia went five innings, allowing three runs, two of them earned, on seven hits, four strikeouts and one walk.

Overbay crushed a two-run double into the left-centerfield gap in the fourth inning, scoring Walker from second and McCutchen from first to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead.  Overbay, Alvarez, and Dusty Brown scored on Correia bases-clearing single later in the inning.  This would be the pitcher’s second hit of the day and the Pirates ended the fourth inning with a 5-0 lead.

As expected, Boston answered with three runs in the fifth inning.  Josh Reddick hit a sacrifice fly to right field, scoring Darnell McDonald.  Nava then scored on a Marco Scutero single to left field.  The final Red Sox run of the inning came on a Jarrod Saltalamacchia sacrifice fly to Jose Tabata, allowing Nate Spears to score.

Joel Hanrahan pitched the sixth inning and did a very good job in relief.  In one inning of work, one hit and two strikeouts for Hanrahan.  Justin Thomas came in to pitch the seventh inning and the Sox cut the lead to one.  A Thomas wild pitch scored Spears from third to make it a 5-4 game.

The Bucco bats stretched the lead to 7-4 in their half of the seventh.  Both runs in the inning came on a John Bowker homerun that would also score Jason Jaramillo.  This was Bowker’s third homerun of the spring.  Boston added a run in the ninth off Pirates’ pitcher Fernando Nieve, who would throw two innings today while giving up one run on two hits, striking out two and walking one batter.

With a 7-5 win today, the Pirates ended a four game losing streak.  Overall it was a good day for the Pirates as they were able to collect runs when they had runners in scoring position.  Other than the one rough inning, Correia pitched well.  The Buccos return to action tomorrow when they head to Kissimmee, Florida to face their National League Central Division rivals, the Houston Astros.  This will be the first of two meetings between the two teams this spring.  First pitch is scheduled to be at 1:05pm.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Orioles Rough Up Ohlendorf, Pirates Lose Again

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: J. Meric/Getty Images

The Buccos were back in action against the American League East today as they took on the Baltimore Orioles for the fourth time this spring, having dropped the previous three.  Ross “The Boss” Ohlendorf took the hill for the Pirates against the Orioles’ Chris Tillman.

Pittsburgh took a 1-0 lead in the second inning on Jason Jaramillo’s RBI single that scored Matt Diaz.  That would be the last time the Pirates would have the lead as the O’s would lay the lumber to Ohlendorf in the third inning.

All six of the Orioles’ runs in the frame came with two outs.  Baltimore’s huge inning caused the Pirates’ coaches to pull Ross from the game after only three innings, when hew as originally scheduled to pitch five.  It has been a rough week for Pittsburgh’s potential starters.  Hopefully the staff is able to get it together over these final two weeks of Spring Training.

The Pirates cut the lead in half in the fifth inning when Andrew McCutchen’s single drove in Jose Tabata.  Cutch would score two batters later on a single by Diaz.

Baltimore countered with three runs in both the seventh and eighth innings to make the score 12-3.  These six runs would come off of Scott Olsen and Joe Beimel, both of which have had rough appearances since returning from injuries that held them out for most of the spring.  The Orioles finished their day with one more run in the ninth to make the final 13-3.

The only pitcher to show life for the Pirates today was Daniel McCutchen, who went two innings while giving up three hits and walking one batter.  Pittsburgh will try to end this stretch of awful baseball tomorrow when they head to Clearwater, Florida to play the Philadelphia Phillies.  Brad Lincoln will start for the Buccos and Ryan Doumit is expected to return from a minor oblique strain.

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!

Maholm Pitches Well, Bullpen Falls Apart As Pirates Lose To Orioles

Photo Credit: Paul Videla (Bradenton.com)

After a fantastic start tonight, the Pirates fell apart under the lights at McKechnie Field.  The Buccos were back in Bradenton tonight to take on the Baltimore Orioles, hoping to get back on the winning track following their disappointing loss to the Yankees last night.

The bullpen fell apart against the hot-hitting Orioles, and the Pirates dropped their second straight game, this time by the score of 11-8.

Paul Maholm took the hill for the Pirates, and he put forth a strong, solid performance through his four innings of work.  The Buccos’ left hander gave up one run on four hits without issuing a walk.  The only run came on Vladmir Guerrero’s solo homerun in the second inning.

Unfortunately, Maholm was the only impressive pitcher of the evening for the Pirates.  Joel Hanrahan, the team’s designated closer for the upcoming season, was destroyed by the Orioles offense tonight.  Hanrahan lasted only one inning, giving up four runs on five hits, inflating his ERA to 12.27.  Evan Meek didn’t fair much better, as he gave up three runs of his own an inning later.

The Pirates took the lead in the first inning on Matt Diaz’s sacrifice ground out, scoring Jose Tabata.  After Guerrero’s homerun tied the game, Jason Jaramillo smashed a two-run single to left field, scoring Ronny Cedeno and Gorkys Hernandez.  Jaramillo would then score on Diaz’s double.  At that point, the Pirates looked like they were in control, leading 4-1.

Baltimore made their push in the middle of the game, tallying ten runs in innings five through seven, burying the Buccos.  Ryan Adams led the way for the O’s with four RBI’s, while J.J. Hardy and Craig Tatum added a pair as well.

The Pirates rallied in the eighth inning to make things interesting.  Garrett Jones started the scoring with a pinch-hit single, scoring Pedro Ciriaco.  Corey Wimberly then singled home Josh Fields, cutting the lead at that point to 11-6.  After Dusty Brown’s sacrifice fly scored Andy Marte, John Bowker singled home Jones, bringing the Buccos within three runs at 11-8.  Unfortunately, that would be the last run the Pirates could muster, as the Orioles held on at McKechnie Field for the victory.

Overall, it was a frustrating performance for the Pirates.  Despite the late rally and the flurry of runs scored, this was not the type of game fans should want to see from the Buccos.  Quite simply stated, this is not the kind of game the Pirates can win on a consistent basis.  They don’t have the firepower to win a game played like this, and we saw evidence of that tonight.  If the Pirates are going to be competitive, they have to get strong, consistent pitching from their starting rotation AND from their bullpen.  While Maholm put a nice game together, the bullpen dropped the ball and the team couldn’t recover.  That being said, it was very nice to see Maholm pitch this well tonight. 

The Pirates return to day action tomorrow as they take on the Tampa Bay Rays at 1:05pm.  The Buccos have now lost four of their last five, which is exactly the type of slump they must avoid once the season starts in three weeks.  They now sit at 6-8 in the Grapefruit League, with games against the Philadelphia Phillies, Toronto Blue Jays, and Boston Red Sox in the coming days.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!