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

By Chad Carlson

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

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

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

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

Jason Grilli

Joel Hanrahan

Garrett Jones

Jeff Karstens

Evan Meek

Charlie Morton

Ross Ohlendorf

Chris Resop

Jose Veras

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton, Pirates Snap Four Game Skid With Win Over Diamondbacks

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates were in need of a total team effort tonight to end the current four game slide that they were on.  Tonight’s game was reminiscent of the earlier part of the season where a strong pitching effort was backed by solid defense and a few offense bright spots that put some runs on the board.  Everything started with Charlie Morton who was lights out on the mound tonight going six innings allowing only three hits while walking three and striking out five would pick up his tenth win of the year.  He was also doing damage at the plate going 2-3 on the night.

The Pirates offense was able to get to Arizona Diamondbacks starter Dan Hudson tonight as he would only last five innings giving up three runs on seven hits while striking out four and walking three.  The Buccos would score in the first inning off of a Neil Walker double that scored Alex Presley.  Pedro Alvarez showed up tonight hitting a solo home run in the second inning to deep right field.  Run number three would cross the plate in the fifth off of a Ryan Doumit double which scored Andrew McCutchen.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen came into the fold during the seventh inning, and the beginning was very shaky.  Chris Leroux would give up two hits on eleven pitches and not record an out.  He would be replaced by Jason Grilli who would allow one of the inherited runners to score but shut the door to allow the Pirates to carry a two run lead into the eighth. 

The Buccos would get that run back and another one when Derrek Lee would hit a two run shot to left field.  This would allow even more breathing room for the pen in the eighth and ninth innings, which would be needed as Jose Veras allowed a run, while earning only one out.  He would leave the game with runners on first and third when replaced by Tony Watson.  Watson got out of the inning but not before the D-Backs collected their third run of the game when Alvarez made an errant throw to first base on a bunt by Willie Bloomquist.  Joel Hanrahan would enter in the ninth and earn his 39^th save of the year as the Pirates would go on to win 5-3.

Even in victory there were a couple of blunders.  The first was base running mistakes as Morton and Pedro Ciriaco who were picked off on the base paths.  The other was the bullpen struggling over the seventh and eighth innings.  These two teams will wrap up their regular season meetings tomorrow at 3:40.  The Pirates will send Ross Ohlendorf to the hill as he looks for another good outing heading into 2012.  The Diamondbacks will send Wade Miley and his 4.24 ERA to the bump.

Record vs. Diamondbacks:  3-2
Record vs. N.L. West:  13-19
Record on the Road:  35-42
Overall Record 69-86

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Sanchez Pitches Gem In Marlins Defeat Of Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Florida Marlins once again dominated the Pittsburgh Pirates tonight in a 3-0 victory.  While a three run defeat does not sound bad, the fact that Anibal Sanchez threw a complete game one hitter against what should have been one of Pittsburgh’s better offensive lineups, has to make fans wonder of this team has truly turned the corner.

Pirates’ starter Jeff Locke started his first career Major League baseball game and was not great, but did manage to keep his team in the game over the five innings that he pitched.  All three runs that he gave up came in the in third inning.  Two of his four walks came in this inning, which allowed for John Buck to single home two runs.  Donnie Murphy would then hit into a sacrifice double play, but Gaby Sanchez would score before the third out of the inning occurred.   The Pirates bullpen of Chris Leroux, Chris Resop, and Jose Veras shut the Marlins down over the four innings that they worked.

The story of the night was the Pittsburgh offense or lack thereof.  The big names of Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, and Pedro Alvarez went a combined 1 for 9, with the only hit being a Walker double in the second inning.  Trade deadline acquisitions Ryan Ludwick and Derrek Lee would go 0 for 6 and youngster’s Alex Presley, Chase d’Arnaud, and Michael McKenry combined for a 0 for 9 night.

Pregame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muGEPR3Oa3U

It was sad to see another decent outing and only three runs scored by the other team defeat our Buccos.  It’s really hard to understand why the Marlins have the Pirates number this year.  These two teams have similar winning percentages and the Marlins have no real names or threats in their lineups.  While Sanchez is an above average pitcher, his 8-7 record and 3.64 ERA is nothing that the Pirates haven’t faced before.  I guess that’s why the game is played on the field and not on paper.

Postgame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yFE1hVOMYVY

Pittsburgh will have one more shot of figuring out these fish from Miami in 2011 tomorrow at 1:35pm.  James McDonald will start for Pittsburgh, while Florida will counter with Javier Vazquez who comes in with a 9-11 record and a 4.29 ERA.

Record vs. Marlins:  0-5
Record vs. N.L. East:  12-21
Record at PNC Park:  33-41
Overall Record:  66-79

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Berkman Lifts Cardinals Past Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

Tough losses have been a theme for the Pittsburgh Pirates throughout the 2011 season.  Tonight’s game can be added to that list.  James McDonald was on the hill for Pittsburgh tonight and other than a rough third inning that saw the St. Louis Cardinals score three runs, he was effective over the course of the six innings that he pitched.  He would strike out five batters, walk three, while giving up five hits.

The Pirates offense struck early off of Cardinals starter Jake Westbrook.  After Jose Tabata walked and Alex Presley doubled, Andrew McCutchen would single in a run with a hit to left field.  Ryan Doumit followed that up with a single of his own that brought Presley in to score.  To finish off the scoring for the inning, Josh Harrison would hit a sacrifice fly to right field.

After St. Louis countered with three runs of their own in the second, the Buccos would regain the lead in the fourth inning when Tabata hit a double to right field that brought home Ronny Cedeno.  This would be the final run Pittsburgh scored on the night and the fate of the game would rest on the bullpen beginning in the seventh inning.

Jason Grilli would replace McDonald, and take down the three batters he faced.  The trouble for the Pirates pen came in the eighth inning with Jose Veras.  Veras would begin the inning by striking out Albert Pujols.  After he walked Matt Holiday, Lance Berkman hit what would be a two run home run that put the Cards ahead for good.  The Buccos would go 1-2-3 in the ninth inning, and fall 5-4 to St. Louis.

Pittsburgh will get a third shot at the Cardinals tomorrow afternoon at 4:11pm on FOX.  Jeff Karstens will take on Chris Carpenter.  This will be an important game for the Pirates if they hope to earn a split with St. Louis.

Record vs. Cardinals:  5-6
Record vs. N.L. Central:  30-30
Record on the Road:  30-33
Overall Record:  61-70

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Thomposn Deals, Bullpen Closes Out Brewers

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

Aaron Thompson probably had a million emotions running through his body before he made his Major League debut today, but nervous had to be near the top as he would be facing a very potent Milwaukee Brewers lineup.  With the Pittsburgh Pirates recently placing Kevin Correia on the DL, Thompson got the call for the final game of this four game series and he did not disappoint.  He would only last 4.1 innings, but in that short amount of time he held the Milwaukee off the scoreboard while holding them to four hits.

Pittsburgh’s offense was not the high powered machine we saw in game two of Monday night’s game, but with the Brewers being shutout, the one run they scored in the first inning on a sacrifice fly by Andrew McCutchen, would be more than enough.  The Pirates added an insurance run in the fourth inning on another sacrifice fly, this time off the bat of Neil Walker.

Jason Grilli was called into action with one out in the fifth inning and runners on second and third.  Grilli held his ground and got Corey Hart to strikeout and Jerry Hairston to ground out to end the threat.  Jason would pitch two more innings of scoreless baseball after that, before handing the ball over to Jose Veras in the eighth inning.  Veras did not disappoint either in his one inning of work allowing one hit, walking a batter, and striking out the side.  This led the way for Joel Hanrahan, who has been shaky at times, but today he was the hammer.  After allowing a single and walk to start the inning, Hanrahan would follow Veras’s lead by striking out the next three batters he faced to Raise The Jolly Roger for the Buccos.

This was a big win for Pittsburgh as they split a four game series with the N.L. Central leading Brew Crew.  Milwaukee has owned the Pirates for much of the past few years, so this split hopefully gives the Buccos confidence for future series against the Brewers.  The Pirates will head back on the road starting tomorrow night for a four game series against the St. Louis Cardinals.  Charlie Morton will take on Edwin Jackson with first pitch scheduled for 8:15.

Record vs. Brewers:  2-10
Record vs. N.L. Central:  30-28
Record at PNC Park:  31-37
Overall Record 61-68

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Reds Get Best Of Hammer, Take Series From Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Doumit Powers Pirates Past Cardinals In Series Opener

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pirates’ lack of ability to score runs has plagued them to some extent all season, but recently it’s cost them to fall into a huge rut that has run them out of the N.L. Central division race, as well as weaken their chances at a .500 season.  The lack of power has been the most evident, with very few balls leaving the yard at PNC Park all season. 

At the very least, this upcoming home stand was an opportunity for the Pirates to play spoiler against the three N.L. Central teams ahead of them in the standings, beginning with the St. Louis Cardinals tonight.

Ryan Doumit went 4-4, including a three-run homerun, to lead the Pirates past the Cardinals, 6-2 tonight at PNC Park.

Despite their recent offensive struggles, it didn’t take long for the Pirates to get on the board tonight against Jake Westbrook, as Xavier Paul hammered the second pitch he saw to dead center field to give the Bucs a 1-0 lead.

The Cardinals tied the game in the third inning on an RBI double by Rafael Furcal.  The extra base hit scored Ryan Theriot, who led off the frame with a base hit.

Doumit put the Pirates back on top in the fourth inning with a three-run homerun to right field, scoring Neil Walker and Garrett Jones, who each reached base with singles.

After the Cardinals added a run in the sixth inning, Pittsburgh added a single run in the sixth and seventh innings, including an RBI double by Walker in the seventh, scoring Ryan Ludwick from first, giving the Bucs a 6-2 advantage.

The Pirates’ starting pitching continued its recent trend of quality performances, as James McDonald threw a solid game tonight, giving up two runs on six hits through 5.2 innings of work.  He pitched himself out of a couple jams throughout the night, keeping his team in front and earning his eighth win of the season.

The bullpen was also strong tonight for Pittsburgh, as Jason Grilli, Daniel McCutchen, and Jose Veras combined to pitch shutout baseball, setting the table for Joel Hanrahan to close out the Cardinals in the ninth.

Veras, who has struggled mightily as of late, struck out Albert Pujols in the seventh inning with two runners on, ending the frame and retiring the Cards in the eighth in order.

Obviously, any Pirates’ fan knows this was a big one to win tonight.  In fact, this was the first Pirates’ victory at PNC Park since July 24, when they beat these same Cardinals.  So much has changed since then, but Pittsburgh played a nice game tonight, with all of the aspects of the game that helped them have such a phenomenal first half of the season firing off again tonight. 

The Buccos will look to carry the momentum of tonight’s win onto tomorrow, as they face off against the Cards in the second of this three-game series.  Jeff Karstens will make take the mound for Pittsburgh.

Record Vs. Cardinals: 4-3

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 26-23

Record At Home: 27-32

Overall Record: 57-63

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Phillies Complete Sweep Of Pirates With Walk-Off Win In Extra Innings

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Drew Hallowell/Getty Images

The Pirates entered the final game of their most recent seven game road trip trying to avoid a sweep at the hands of their cross-state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.  After surrendering 17 runs in the first two games of the series, the Pirates turned to Jeff Karstens to keep the Phillies’ bats under control this afternoon at Citizens Bank Ballpark.

Despite Karstens’ strong performance today, the Phillies still came up with the big hits when they needed to, coming back late to tie the Pirates and eventually stealing a walk-off victory 6-5 in 10 innings in front of their home crowd.

Phillies’ starter Vance Worley pitched six innings, giving up four runs on seven hits, while striking out seven and giving up one homerun on the afternoon.  While he earned a no-decision in the game, his ERA still sits at an impressive 2.33 for the season.

As for Karstens, he gave up just three hits on seven hits through seven innings against the stacked Phillies’ lineup. 

The Phillies took the early lead in the second inning when Raul Ibanez hammered a solo homerun off Karstens.  It would be the first of three hits for Ibanez, who also had another homerun as well as a double, which proved to be very costly to the Pirates.

Pittsburgh took their first lead of the series in the fifth inning when Xavier Paul slapped an RBI single to left field, scoring Brandon Wood and Eric Fryer.  The lead didn’t last long, though, as Jimmy Rollins singled home Brian Schneider and Michael Martinez to give the Phillies the lead right back, 3-2.

Lyle Overbay answered for Pittsburgh with a surprising two-run homerun in the sixth inning, scoring Neil Walker and giving the Bucs a 4-3 lead.  Garrett Jones’ RBI double in the seventh gave the Pirates a 5-3 advantage, and, at the time, it seemed as though the Pirates had that very important insurance run for their almost-always reliable bullpen.

Ibanez’s second hit of the game, which was a two-run homerun to deep left center field, came off Jose Veras and also scored Hunter Pence, tying the game, 5-5.

After the teams traded zeros over the next few half innings, Ibanez closed out the game for Philadelphia with an RBI double off the Bucs' Tony Watson to right field, scoring Pence once again.  The Phillies, and the capacity audience at Citizens Bank Ballpark, celebrated fanatically, while the Pirates walked off the field in disappointment.

Coming into this series, we, as fans, were hoping for one victory against the Phillies.  Unfortunately, the Pirates’ starters gave up the lead early, the bullpen had a few hiccups, and the offense simply couldn’t keep up with the high-powered Phillies’ lineup.  While it is very disappointing to be swept in this series, it’s important for everyone to realize just where the Pirates stand in comparison to the top teams in the National League.

The Phillies are a phenomenal team, with a complete starting pitching rotation, a dominating bullpen, and an offense that is stacked from top to bottom.  They are the team to beat in the National League, and they proved that in this series against a Pirates’ team who was beginning to garner quite a bit of national attention.

Thankfully, the Pirates are returning home to face a couple of teams at the bottom of the National League standings.  First up are the Chicago Cubs, who will come to PNC Park for a four game series beginning tomorrow night.  The Pirates will send Paul Maholm to the mound.

Record Vs. Phillies: 2-4
Record Vs. N.L. East: 12-19
Record On The Road: 28-27
Overall Record: 54-52

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

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!

Back-end Of Bullpen And Bats Lead Pirates To Victory

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

Home run battles are not games that the Pittsburgh Pirates are built to win, and while they lost the overall home run tally 4-2 to the Toronto Blue Jays, they did however win the first game of the series 7-6. 

This game remained scoreless through the first two innings until the Pirates scored two runs in the top part of the third inning.  After Ronny Cedeno reached base with a single, recent call-up Alex Presley recorded his first hit which happened to be a 2-run HR.  Toronto cut into the lead in the bottom part of the inning on an Edwin Encarnacion solo HR.

Pregame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U7GpHx9y2Y

Pittsburgh then put some space between themselves and Toronto in the fourth inning.  With Lyle Overbay on first Matt Diaz would triple him home, which was followed by a Garret Jones single to make the score 4-1.  Pressley brought home his second RBI with a single and then Neil Walker closed out the inning with another RBI single to give the Buccos a comfortable 6-1 lead.  Former Pirate Jose Bautista made his presence felt in the bottom part of the fourth with a two run blast, his 24^th on the year, to make it a 6-3 Pittsburgh lead.

After a scoreless fifth, Toronto added another run in the sixth.  After Eric Thames tripled to lead off the inning, Chase d’Arnaud would make an error on a Bautista groundball which allowed Thames to score.  The Pirates were able to stop the damage by inducing an infield pop fly and 6-4-3 double play.  This would also mark the end of Kevin Correia’s night.  He would give up four runs on five hits with one walk and three strikeouts.

The seventh inning saw Andrew McCutchen hit a solo home run which would be the most important run of the night for Pittsburgh.  Toronto would hit two solo home runs of off reliever Tony Watson.  Watson left the game to Chris Resop.  Resop did get one out, but left after intentionally loading the bases.  Jose Veras deserves half of a game ball for saving the win tonight.  He would get Adam Lind to line out to Lyle Overbay for an unassisted inning ending double play, which was followed by a 1-2-3 eighth inning.

This called for Joel “The Hammer” Hanrahan to come out in the bottom of the ninth with a one run lead.  While Slipknot’s “Before I Forget” wasn’t blasting over the loud speakers at the Rogers Centre, the intensity was there, as Joel was reaching 98mph with great consistency on the night.  He was able to induce ground outs from the first two batters, and even after giving up a single, he struck out the last batter to give Pittsburgh the victory.

Postgame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f92uPuqmi40 

While it was an ugly game, a win is a win and this felt like a game the Pirates would not have won last year.  Veras and Hanrahan were huge tonight as they were the only two that were able to solve Toronto’s offense.  This was Joel’s 23^rd save in as many opportunities, and Correia was able to collect his league leading 10^th win.  Another big night from the offense was also another key to victory.

Record vs. Blue Jays:  1-0
Record vs. A.L. East:  5-2
Interleague Play Record:  7-6
Record On The Road:  21-18
Overall Record:  40-38

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!!!

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!!!

Maholm Throws Seven Shutout Innings, Pirates Beat Mets 3-1

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

Paul Maholm’s record isn’t good.  In fact, based on wins and losses alone, it would be easy to say that the Pirates’ left-hander has had a rough year.  To those following the club, though, we know that one thing, and one thing only, can be blamed for the shallow number of victories:  lack of run support.

Tonight, Maholm didn’t get much run support, but his seven innings of shutout baseball kept the opposing offense in check, and his teammates came up with enough offense to fend off the pesky New York Mets, winning the game 3-1 at PNC Park.

Maholm won his third game of the season, giving up just three hits and two walks through his seven innings of work, lowering his ERA to a miniscule 3.12 for the season.  Mike Pelfrey, who pitched a solid game for Mets, took the loss, giving up two runs on four hits, falling to 3-5 for the year.

The Pirates got on the board in the first inning.  After a Jose Tabata leadoff single, Xavier Paul smacked a base hit into the outfield.  Tabata was thrown out at third on the play, or so it seemed.  Moments later, Tabata was ruled safe at third base, as it was ruled that the Mets’ Jose Reyes interfered with the Pirates’ left-fielder on the base path.  Reyes was charged with an error, and the Buccos had runners at first and third with no outs. 

The very next batter, Neil Walker, hammered a single up the middle, scoring Tabata to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.  Although the inning fell apart after that, the Pirates still took the early advantage.

Both pitchers dominated the early innings from then on, with a slight hiccup from Pelfrey in the fifth inning.  Brandon Wood, who made a dazzling defensive play in the first inning for a double play, hammered a solo homerun to left field over Jason Bay’s head to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

As is with any Bucco game, no lead was safe.  Jose Veras took over for Maholm in the eighth inning, giving up a run on one hit and issued a walk before Clint Hurdle pulled him from the game without recording a single out.  Tim Wood came in and retired the Mets quickly. 

With two runners on and no outs, Reyes smacked a sinking liner to left field.  Tabata made a sliding snag, then throwing over to first base to double up the Mets.  Ruben Tejada did tag and score from third base, cutting the Pirates’ lead in half at the end of the top of the eighth.

The Buccos got that run back in the bottom of the inning.  After back-to-back singles by Ronny Cedeno and Andrew McCutchen, Tabata slapped a ball down the third base line, beating out the throw and loading the bases.  After Paul struck out, Walker drew a walk, allowing Cedeno to score. 

The Pirates’ lead of 3-1 was more than enough for Joel Hanrahan, who closed out the game with relative ease, recording his 17^th save of the season.

Despite sitting out the majority of the game, McCutchen extended his current hit streak to twelve games.  Tabata was the only Pirate to record a multi-hit effort, while Walker tallied two more RBI’s. 

With the victory tonight, the Pirates earned a split with the Mets, while also finishing out the home stand with a winning record.  The Buccos went 6-4 in series against the Phillies, Diamondbacks, and Mets.  This is a very impressive stretch here by the Buccos, as they are the types of series that build confidence in the clubhouse.  The Pirates have proven that, when they play well, they can beat the league’s top teams. 

Immediately following the game, the Pirates jumped on a plane to Houston for a three game series with the Astros.  Jeff Karstens will get the start for the Buccos tomorrow, with the first pitch scheduled for 8:05pm.   

Record Vs. Mets: 4-4

Record Vs. N.L. East: 8-12

Record At Home: 15-18

Overall Record: 32-33

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Cutch Walks Off In Twelfth To Give Pirates Victory

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

Zach Duke made his return to PNC Park tonight and faced his former teammate Paul Maholm.  Both pitchers made their debuts in Bucco uniforms during the 2005 season.  Duke was traded to Arizona during the offseason and has only made two starts this season, going 1-1 with a 3.00 ERA, since coming off the disabled list.  Maholm on the other hand is having one of his best seasons, even though win-loss record does not show.  After a rough outing for Paul in his last start, he would look to bounce back and defeat the former Pirate he would be opposing.

Pittsburgh continued its trend of scoring first again tonight.  Andrew McCutchen would bring home Jose Tabata on a sacrifice fly to left field.  Unfortunately this was the only run Maholm would receive in support tonight.  Paul would go six innings allowing zero runs, while walking three and striking out four.

Jose Veras came in during the seventh and had little success against Arizona.  After walking the first batter, Willie Bloomquist would bunt to move the runner over to second.  Stephen Drew then hit a pinch hit single to tie the game for the D-backs.  Veras left the game after hitting Justin Upton and was replaced by Tony Watson who made his Major League debut.  Watson would strikeout the first two batters he faced on 3-2 counts to end the inning.

Zach Duke pitched well tonight as well, even though he would not factor into the decision.  His final stat line read seven innings pitched, nine hits, one earned run, and one strikeout.  While Duke may have not had the best career as a Bucco, it is good to see him have success with another team.

Nine innings would not be enough tonight.  The Diamondbacks wasted little time taking the lead.  Drew struck again as he singled home Kelly Johnson off of Pirates reliever Daniel Moskos.  In past years the Pirates may have been counted out, but this year is different.  After a ground rule double by McCutchen, Neil Walker would single to tie the game at two.

Pittsburgh found themselves in trouble in the eleventh.  Arizona had runners on first and third with no outs, but Daniel McCutchen was able to slither his way out.  After striking out Ryan Roberts for the first out of the inning, D-Cutch was able to induce a 3-6-3 double play to end the inning and keep the game tied.  The Pirates then had runners on first and third in the bottom part of the inning, but were unable to capitalize as Xavier Paul would fly out to left field to end the threat.

The twelfth saw more Pittsburgh heroics as the dreadlocked one we call Cutch would step to the plate and hit the walk off homerun to give the Pirates a 3-2 win and bring the team back to .500.

While the Pirates were unable to get Maholm the win it was great to see them continue to battle.  The bullpen faltered at times, but was also able to get big nights from Joel Hanrahan, Daniel Moskos, and tonight’s winner Daniel McCutchen.  Pittsburgh will finish this series tomorrow night with Arizona as Jeff Karstens will take the hill for the Buccos.

Side notes from the game:  Pedro Alvarez reinjured his quad during an extended spring training game today and will be rested for the next week to rehab the injury.  Also tonight Chris Snyder left the game with a back injury while trying to stretch a single into a double.  If this injury lands him on the DL, then Pittsburgh will need to call up a catcher from AAA Indianapolis for tomorrow’s game.

Record vs. Diamondbacks:  2-0
Record vs. N.L. West:  9-9
Record at Home:  13-15
Overall Record 30-30

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates Road Success Continues With 4-2 Victory Over Cubs

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates headed back to the city where the season began, to face their divisional foe the Chicago Cubs in a three game series.  As was in April, Kevin Correia took the ball to begin today’s game.  Pittsburgh’s offense was hoping some travel would help jumpstart their bats after scoring only two runs in their previous three games.  Cubs’ starter Doug Davis was looking to keep them in check and deliver his first win of the year. 

The Buccos scored in the second inning.  Ronny Cedeno reached to load the bases on a fielding error by Davis.  Correia then would hit what should have been a double play to Aramis Ramirez, but the third baseman bobbled it allowing Chris Snyder to score from third.  With one out Steve Pearce would hit a sacrifice fly to left field to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.

Pittsburgh was able to add two more runs in the fourth inning.  The Pirates had the bases loaded when Andrew McCutchen was able to draw a walk and give the Buccos a three run lead.  4-0 would be the score after Neil Walker hit a grounder to Ramirez.  He tried to tag the base for the final out but Pearce beat him to it to avoid the final out.

Correia continued high level of pitching on the road this year.  He would leave the game after 7.1 innings pitched and runners on 1^st and 2^nd.  Kevin gave up zero runs on four hits with two walks and two strikeouts.  Jose Veras came out of the bullpen and was able to end the inning but not without some drama.  He would get the first batter he faced to fly out, but then walked the next batter to load the bases.  Fortunately, he was once again able to induce a fly out to get out of the jam and end the inning.

The ninth inning was not as kind to Joe Beimel.  Beimel would only face two batters and the first one he walked, the second was Alfonso Soriano.  Soriano hammered a pitch to left field for his 12^th home run on the year to inch the Cubbies closer.  This turn of events brought Joel Hanrahan out of the pen and he did not disappoint.  Joel would earn his 14^th save of the year, by striking out the side to put the cap on a 4-2 Pirates victory.

Once again the Pirates played well on the road.  Correia gave them another well pitched outing by a starter and this time the offense gave enough run support for the W to be earned.  Beimel was the only one to disappoint, but Hanrahan stepped up like he has all year.  These two teams will square off again tomorrow afternoon at 1:05pm.  Paul Maholm will look to continue his run of effective pitching, while the offense will look to give him the proper support that he deserves.

Record vs. Cubs:  3-1
Record vs. N.L. Central:  12-9
Record on the Road:  14-12
Overall Record:  23-26

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!