Meet Your Bucs: Tony Watson

by Zane Heiple

Photo Courtesy of zimbio.com

The Pittsburgh Pirates added another lefty to the bullpen today when they recalled Tony Watson from AAA Indianapolis.  In order to make room for Watson, they designated Jose Ascanio for assignment.  Since Ascanio has no options left, he will have to clear waivers in order for Pittsburgh to send him to Indianapolis.

Watson is from Sioux City, Iowa and pitched for three seasons at the University of Nebraska.  While with the Cornhuskers, he compiled a 22-7 record with a 3.23 ERA.  The Buccos would select Tony in the ninth round of the 2007 draft.  He split the rest of the 2007 season between State College and Hickory going 7-2 with a 2.79 ERA.  While with the Lynchburg Hillcats in 2008 he would go 8-12 with a 3.56 ERA in 28 starts.  Watson would then spend two seasons with the Altoona Curve which saw him go a combined 6-7 with a 5.45 ERA.

In 2011 he has made 22 relief appearances allowing 19 hits and eight earned runs in 29 1/3 innings of relief.  He has pitched well against batters on both sides of the plate with lefties batting .156 and righties batting .189.  Whenever Watson receives that first call from the bullpen it will be his Major League debut

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Meet Your Bucs: Josh Harrison and Dusty Brown

by Zane Heiple

On Monday it was announce that the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Ryan Doumit (fractured ankle) and Steve Pearce (partially torn calf muscle) on the 15-day DL.  In their place, the Pirates called up infielder Josh Harrison and catcher Dusty Brown.

Photo by web.minorleaguebaseball.com

Josh Harrison is a former 2008 sixth round pick of the Chicago Cubs.  Pittsburgh acquired Harrison, along with Kevin Hart, and Jose Ascanio for John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny on July 30, 2009.  So far this year he has played at AAA Indianapolis.  His stats at the plate read:  .321 batting average, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI in 37 games.  Defensively he has played 8 games at second, 26 games at third, and 1 game at shortstop.  His combined fielding percentage at all three positions is .890.  While in Pittsburgh he will most likely see time at third and shortstop.  He would make his big league debut on May 31, 2011.

Photo by pictures.zimbio.com

Dusty Brown was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 35^th round of the 2000 draft.  He made his Major League debut on June 23, 2009 for the Sox.  Brown became a Minor League free agent after the 2010 season and was signed by the Pirates to a Minor League contract.  So far this year he has played in 30 games with Indianapolis where he has hit .263 with 6 home runs and 19 RBI.  In 26 games behind the plate he has thrown out 42% of base runners, something that is needed at the big league level for the Pirates.  While Chris Snyder will catch the majority of games, Brown has big shoes to fill as Doumit has had one of his better seasons before going down with the injury.

Be sure to check back throughout the season for more updates to the Pirates roster at fansfromthestands.com.

Offense Continues To Struggle, Pirates Lose Sixth Straight

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

As the Pirates took the field tonight against the Washington Nationals, it felt strange to be thinking that this was a must-win game for the Bucs.  After all, this is only the club’s 41^st game and we’re still in May.  But after the start the Pirates had, particularly on the road, and the way the past week has gone, The Buccos needed a win tonight to stop the bleeding of a five-game losing streak handed out by the Los Angeles Dodgers and Milwaukee Brewers. Paul Maholm took the ball for the Pirates, looking for some more run support from his offense as he was in search of his second victory of the season.

Unfortunately, the common theme of the offense’s inability to consistently put runs on the board continued tonight.  The Nationals got a couple big hits in the latter innings, and the Pirates left too many men on base as they dropped the first game of this short two game set, 4-2.

Things did start off well for Pittsburgh tonight though.  The Pirates got the scoring started in the first inning.  Andrew McCutchen scored the game’s first run on Steve Pearce’s infield single.  It was nice to see the Buccos return to the days earlier this season when they maintained quite a streak of games in which they scored in the first inning.  Pearce’s RBI gave the Pirates an early 1-0 advantage.

The Nationals evened things in the bottom half of the opening frame on an RBI single of their own from Wilson Ramos, scoring Ian Desmond.

After the first inning, both pitchers settled in and put together a string of scoreless innings.  The Pirates certainly had their chances to score though in each of the next several innings. 

Jerry Hairston Jr. broke the tie in the fifth inning with a solo shot on a 3-1 count off Maholm.  At that point, the Nationals had the narrow 2-1 advantage.

Andrew McCutchen tied the game up for the Buccos in the top of the seventh with an RBI triple, scoring Ronny Cedeno.  The three-bagger was the second in as many days for Cutch, and Cedeno reached base safely three times on the night. 

The Nationals took the lead right back in the bottom of the seventh.  After recording the first out in the inning, Maholm was pulled by Clint Hurdle, who gave the ball to Jose Ascanio.  The right-handed reliever’s first pitch to Danny Espinosa was hammered deep over the right field wall.  Espinosa’s two-run shot also scored Laynce Nix, and the Nationals took the 4-2 lead.

The Pirates created some minor drama in the ninth, as Ryan Doumit and Garrett Jones each had pinch-hit singles to put runners on first and second base with one out.  Hard-hit flyouts by McCutchen and Jose Tabata ended the game, as the Bucs dropped their sixth straight game.

Tonight’s game was a case of one team taking advantage of opportunities, and the other team squandering too many chances.  The Nationals scored four runs on only six hits, while the Pirates tallied ten hits, only resulting in two runners crossing home plate.  The Buccos left seven men on base throughout the game.  When an offense is struggling, it is imperative to get those runners home when they get on base.  That didn’t happen tonight for Pittsburgh, and that’s why they lost this game.

It was another wasted start by Paul Maholm.  The Bucco southpaw pitched a strong game, retiring 13 straight Nationals at one point tonight.  Paul pitched 6.1 innings, giving up three runs on four hits, walking two and striking out seven.  His ERA sits at 3.67 as he has fallen to 1-6 for the season.

The offense can’t score runs.  Until they do, the Pirates will continue to lose.

After winning last Monday over the Dodgers and having a record of one game over .500, the Pirates have lost six straight games as they enter the final game of this short two-game series with the Nationals.  Charlie Morton will take the hill for Pittsburgh.

Record Vs. Nationals: 2-2

Record Vs. N.L. East: 2-5

Record On The Road: 11-12

Overall Record: 18-23

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Jose Ascanio

By Zane Heiple

On Wednesday, the Pittsburgh Pirates brought right-handed relief pitcher Jose Ascanio off of the disabled list and placed Mike Crotta on the DL with right posterior elbow inflammation. 

For Ascanio, it has been a long road back to the Majors.  He last pitched with the Buccos in August of 2009 after he was traded here from the Chicago Cubs along with Kevin Hart and Josh Harrison for Tom Gorzelanny and John Grabow.  Jose spent the 2010 season rehabbing from arthroscopic surgery on his right shoulder.

He was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Atlanta Braves in 2001.  Ascanio pitched in the Braves’ Minor League system until July 13, 2007 when he made his Major League debut.  Jose finished the ’07 season with a 1-1 record and a 5.06 ERA.  During that offseason, he was traded to the Cubs for Will Ohman and Omar Infante.  He wouldn’t make it back to the big leagues until May of the 2009 season, shortly before his trade to Pittsburgh.  For his career in the Majors, he has a 1-3 record with 36 strikeouts and a 4.99 ERA.

So far in 2011, Jose has been on rehab assignment in the Minors, three appearances with Class A Bradenton and seven in Triple-A Indianapolis.  His stats are less than desirable coming off this past assignment.  He posted a 9.00 ERA with eleven walks and five strikeouts.  The Pirates apparently feel that with some time and staying out of pressure situations early on, he can adjust to being in a Major League bullpen.  They are also encouraged by his 95-96 mph fastball.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!