Late Game Comeback Drops Pirates Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Christopher Horner/Pittsburgh Tribune Review

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

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

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

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

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

Grapefruit League Record: 7-13

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Correia Struggles, Pirates Win Close One Over Red Sox

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

By Chad Carlson

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


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Grapefruit League Record: 7-10

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates’ Offense Comes Alive In Win Over Orioles

By Chad Carlson



Just yesterday, on the first of two off days during Spring Training, I was commenting that the Pirates’ starting pitching has been pretty solid thus far. With the injury to A.J. Burnett, the rotation appears to be fairly set and will most likely include Erik Bedard, Charlie Morton, Jeff Karstens, Kevin Correia, and James McDonald.


Speaking of McDonald, he took the hill today as the Bucs faced the Baltimore Orioles for the second time this spring. Unfortunately for J-Mac and the Pirates, there wasn’t a single thing about his performance today that was solid…except the contact the Orioles were making off the right-hander. He was tagged for five runs on six hits through only three innings of work. He walked two, struck out two, and gave up a pair of homeruns. This wasn’t exactly what we wanted from one of our starters. Confidence is incredibly vital to a pitcher’s performance, and with outings like this, J-Mac can’t be feeling too good about his stuff at this point.

Joel Hanrahan pitched an inning of scoreless ball for the Bucs. After surrendering a leadoff walk, Joel set down the next three hitters consecutively, including two strikeouts. He looks solid off his N.L. All Star season last year. Tim Wood, who is one out of what seems to be a million relievers vying for a spot in the bullpen, pitched a scoreless inning today, as did Evan Meek and Jason Grilli.

Without a doubt, though, the Pirates’ offense stole the headlines in their 11-5 victory over Baltimore today. Just as they did the last time they faced the Orioles, the Bucs lit up the scoreboard, pounding the baseball up and down the lineup. Alex Presley, Neil Walker, Josh Harrison and Garrett Jones each had two hits, while Presley, along with Clint Barmes and Harrison, had two RBI’s a piece. Pedro Alvarez, who will be a focal point for me all season long, had a single and a sacrifice fly. He continues to look confident at the plate, and his first-pitch attack looks to be paying off early on this spring. It was a total team effort at the plate this afternoon….adding up for a total of 11 runs on 15 hits. Wow! There’s the offense we need!

With the victory, the Pirates improved their Grapefruit League record to 4-7, two of those wins coming against Baltimore. It was great to see the bats come alive.

On a side note, Rod Barajas was scratched from today’s lineup, as his wife gave birth to their seventh child. Seven children! I have nothing else to say but congratulations. Michael McKenry took his place in the lineup today.

The Pirates will face the Minnesota Twins tomorrow afternoon at 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record: 4-7

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucs Fall To Phillies In Extra Innings

by Zane Heiple

Photo by blackandgoldworld.blogspot.com

In one month the Pittsburgh Pirates and Philadelphi Phillies will meet on opening day, today they met for the first time in spring training.  Pirate’s fans will hope that opening day goes a little better, as the Phillies won 5-4.

James McDonald started for the Buccos today and would allow one run on two hits with one strikeout in three innings of work.  Philadelphia starter Cole Hamels would go 3 2/3 innings striking out four batters and allowing four hits.

After the Phillies took a 4-0 into the sixth inning, Pittsburgh would battle back with three runs of their own.  Casey McGehee, who made his first appearance at third base, drove in Josh Harrison with an RBI single.  Matt Hague singled into a ground out to bring home McGehee.  Gorkys Hernandez then closed the gap to one with a sacrifice fly. 

Starling Marte continued his hot streak with a solo home run to tie the game in the eighth inning.  This game between cross state rivals would head to extra innings where in the bottom of the tenth Philadelphia right fielder Lou Montanez hit a walk-off home run to win the game.

Rod Barajas was the only Bucco to record multiple hits today as he would go 2-3.  Daniel Moskos would pitch two no hit innings, while Mike Crotta would give up a run in one inning of work.

Up next the Pirates will take on the Boston Red Sox tomorrow in Ft. Myers at 7:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  2-4

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Fielder's Three Home Runs Power Brewers Past Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

If these are the final days of Prince Fielder being a member of the Milwaukee Brewers, than he is going out with a bang.  Tonight, Fielder would go 3-3 with three home runs and five RBI, as Milwaukee downed the Pittsburgh Pirates 6-4 in game two of this three game series.

Prince would hit his first home run of the game in the third inning to deep right field, to tie the game at one.  This was then followed by a Rickie Weeks homer to give the Brewers a 2-1 lead.  Pittsburgh regained the lead in the fifth inning.  Ross Ohlendorf singled home Ronny Cedeno to tie the game and then Josh Harrison would bring home Ohlendorf with a single.

Ohlendorf did not do anything tonight to prove his worthiness to be in the rotation for the 2012 season.  He would last only five innings giving up four runs on five hits with three strikeouts and walks.  In his final inning of work he would give up his second home run to Fielder, which gave the Brew Crew a 4-3 lead.

The Pirates were able to tie the game in the sixth when Neil Walker scored on a bases loaded walk.  This lead would not last long, as Fielder would strike again in the bottom of the seventh inning, this time off of Jared Hughes, for his third homer of the game and which gave Milwaukee a 6-4 lead.

These two teams will square off one final time this year in the final regular season game of 2011.  The Buccos will be looking to avoid a 90 loss season, while the Brewers will look to gain some momentum as they head into the playoffs.  First pitch for tomorrow night’s game is scheduled for 8:10.  So do yourself a favor and check out the Pirates one final time this year.

Record vs. Brewers:  3-11
Record vs. N.L. Central:  39-40
Record on the Road:  36-44
Overall Record 72-89

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

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!

Dodgers Use The Long Ball To Rout Pirates 6-1

 By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

During the course of this uniquely up-and-down 2011 season for the Pirates, James McDonald has shown glimpses of pitching brilliance as a starting pitcher, so much so that it made some wonder why the Los Angeles Dodgers could part ways with him.

There have also been games like tonight…when he struggles to record each out, can’t locate his pitches, and when he does, he serves them over the plate and gives up homeruns.

J-Mac pitched made it through only three innings against his former team, being tagged for five runs on seven hits.  Two of those hits were homeruns, a three-run shot by James Loney in the first inning and a two-run blast by Juan Rivera. 

That was more than enough for Dodgers’ starter Ted Lilly, who dazzled and confused Pirates’ hitters through his seven innings of work.  Lilly gave up only four hits and one run, while striking out seven batters. 

The Dodgers won the game easily tonight over our Pirates, 6-1.

Josh Harrison’s RBI double in the second inning was the only productive offense the Bucs could muster all night.

On nights like this, there are always plenty of frustrating moments.  The top of the eighth, though, was the most aggravating of the night for Pirates’ fans.  The Bucs loaded the bases with one out and were in position to at least make the game interesting.  The Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen struck out Ryan Ludwick and Garrett Jones to end the inning and the threat.

The offense really struggled tonight for Pittsburgh.  The top three hitters in the lineup, Alex Presley, Chase d’Arnaud, and Andrew McCutchen, went a combined 3-14.  d’Arnaud’s average is just .195 in his 42-game MLB season, while due to a quite extensive slump, Cutch’s average has fallen to .264.

As always, we at Fans From The Stands try to find a bright note to every game for the Bucs, although some nights are more difficult than others.  Derrek Lee reached base three times tonight (with one hit, a walk, and a HBP), while the latest Pirates’ acquisition, Matt Pagnozzi had a pinch-hit single in the fifth inning.

After a very encouraging start to this series, the Pirates have been totally outplayed in every aspect of the game by the Dodgers.  The Bucs used six pitchers tonight, and while no one was exceptional, Jared Hughes continued his scoreless inning streak.  Daniel Moskos gave up one unearned run in the fifth inning.

The road trip will only get more difficult for Pittsburgh, as they will leave Los Angeles tomorrow and head to Arizona for a three-game set against the N.L. west-division leading Diamondbacks.  The Bucs will look to earn a series-split with the Dodgers tomorrow afternoon.  Brad Lincoln will make the start, looking for his second win of the season.  Lincoln comes in with a 1-2 record and a 3.73 ERA for the season.

Record Vs. Dodgers: 2-5

Record Vs. N.L. West: 12-17

Record On The Road: 34-40

Overall Record: 68-84

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Ciriaco Two Run Double Carries Pirates Over Cardinals

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

The Pittsburgh Pirates battled back and forth all night with the St. Louis Cardinals, and in the end it was the Buccos that came out on top with a 6-5 win.  Brad Lincoln got the start for Pittsburgh tonight and was ok during his 5.1 innings on the mound.  He would give up three earned runs on four hits while striking out one batter and walking two.  The Pirates bullpen was once again consistent as Jason Grilli would pick up his second win of the season, while Joel Hanrahan collected his 37^th save of the year, even though he gave up a run during his ninth inning appearance.

St. Louis starter Kyle Lohse left the game after six innings of work with his team holding a 4-3 lead, but the Cardinals bullpen would falter in the eighth inning.  Former Pirate Octavio Dotel gave up the tying run when Ryan Doumit would double home Chase d’ Arnaud.  Marc Rzepczynski relieved Dotel and earned his fourth blown save of the year and collected the loss.  Rzepczynski intentionally walked Ryan Ludwick, struck out Josh Harrison, and then walked Jason Jaramillo to load the bases with two outs for Pedro Ciriaco.  Ciriaco then would hit a line drive to right field to score Doumit and Ludwick for what would be the win.

After a very sluggish series against the Florida Marlins the Pirates offense came through in clutch situations to keep their team in the game and ultimately pick up the win.  The Pirates starting lineup collected nine of the ten hits tonight, where as two nights ago they only had one.  Game two of this three game series will take place tomorrow night at 7:05pm.  Chris Carpenter will go for St. Louis while the Pirates will counter with Jeff Karstens.

Record vs. Cardinals:  7-7
Record vs. N.L. Central:  35-36
Record at PNC Park:  34-42
Overall Record:  67-80

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

McDonald's Strong Start Lifts Pirates Past Astros

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Burres Earns First Victory Of Season, Pirates Beat Cubs 3-1

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

Pittsburgh entered this afternoon’s game against the Chicago Cubs at historic Wrigley Field on a five-game losing streak, including a three-game sweep by the Houston Astros.  Hard times have certainly fallen on the Pirates and their fans, as the team sat 13 games under .500 entering today’s game.  Of course, there wasn’t a better place for the Pirates to snap the streak than at Wrigley, where the Bucs are 9-6 in the past two seasons at the Cubs’ ballpark.

The Pirates’ success continued today in Chicago, as Brian Burres pitched 5.1 quality innings and the bullpen held the Cubs in check, helping the Bucs earn a 3-1 victory in the opening game of the series.

Alex Presley went 3-4 with two triples, and Josh Harrison, Jose Tabata, and Garrett Jones contributed an RBI each as the Pirates outplayed Chicago in front of another huge Wrigley crowd of over 35,000.

This game featured a lot of missed opportunities, mental errors, and stranded base-runners, which is something we should expect from two teams whose combined record is 32 games under .500.

Burres pitched a solid game for Pittsburgh today, giving up one run on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts through his 5.1 innings of work.  The Cubs certainly made him work for it, though, as Burres threw 95 pitches (61 strikes) without getting out of the sixth inning, but he still was able to limit the Cubs to just one run.

The Pirates’ bullpen was equally as effective, pitching a total of 3.2 innings without surrendering a single hit.  Joel Hanrahan set the Cubs down in order in the ninth to secure the win for Pittsburgh while tallying his 33^rd save of the season.

Carlos Pena’s solo homerun to lead off the second inning gave the Cubs the early lead.  Pena, of course, was one of the players that was rumored to be on the Pirates’ radar as they neared the trade deadline back in July.  The homerun in the second was his 25^th of the season, and was Burres’s only major blemish of the afternoon.

The Pirates took the lead away from the Cubs in the third inning.  Presley led off the inning with a triple off the wall in right, and scored on Harrison’s RBI single.  After Neil Walker reached on a fielder’s choice, Jones hammered a double off the wall in right, scoring Walker and giving the Pirates a 2-1 victory.

After a few scoreless innings from both clubs, Presley got things started again in the seventh inning with a one-out triple, his second of the game, down the first base line.  Tabata’s two-out, RBI single scored Presley, adding to the Pirates' lead.  Tabata was originally held out of the lineup today, but after Andrew McCutchen was hit by a pitch on the hand in the first inning, Clint Hurdle pulled Cutch out and replaced him with Tabata.

This was a nice start to the weekend series for the Pirates, who were in desperate need of a win.  They continue to play well in Chicago, and hopefully they can play well the rest of this series, paying back the Cubbies for the four-game sweep back in August at PNC Park.

The two teams will clash again tomorrow afternoon in game two of the series.  Ross Ohlendorf is scheduled to start for the Bucs against the Cubs’ Casey Coleman.

Record Vs. Cubs: 7-7

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 32-34

Record On The Road: 32-37

Overall Record: 63-75

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Late Rally Falls Short Against Dodgers

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates returned to PNC Park for a one game home stand against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  This game was a make up for a rainout that occurred on May 12.  Brad Lincoln would start for the Pirates while the Dodgers sent Dana Eveland to the hill.  Eveland’s name may sound familiar to Buccos fans and that’s because he played in three games for Pittsburgh in 2010.  He was able to get the best of his former team going eight innings allowing one run on six hits while striking out three batters.  Lincoln had an alright day going six innings, striking out and walking three batters, while giving up three runs on six hits.

LA struck early scoring three runs in the first.  With the bases loaded and one out, Aaron Miles would single home Dee Gordon and Matt Kemp.  Tony Gwynn Jr. would then hit a sacrifice fly that brought home Andre Eithier.  The Pirates cut into that lead in the second inning when Josh Harrison hit into a double play that scored Ryan Doumit from third. 

The Dodgers would open up that lead with a run in the seventh when a passed ball scored James Loney.  They would add two more runs in the eighth on a Gordon double to right field.  Pittsburgh made a little bit of noise in the ninth.  Alex Presley hit a two run homer to cut the Los Angeles lead to three.  Neil Walker then brought home run number four with a sacrifice fly to right field.  That would be all the offense the Pirates could muster as Harrison and Brandon Wood would strikeout to end the game.

The Buccos will now hit the road for a three game series against the Chicago Cubs.  While they had success their earlier this season, Pittsburgh is in the midst of a five game losing streak and cannot seem to find a way to win a ball game.

Record vs. Dodgers:  1-3
Record vs. N.L. West:  11-15
Record at PNC Park:  31-38
Overall Record:  62-75

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Bullpen Gives Up Five Runs As Pirates Drop Game One To Astros

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

The Pirates were certainly relieved to be leaving St. Louis, where they completed a four game series yesterday in which they lost three games at Busch Stadium.  Following a series in a difficult series in St. Louis, it was a nice change of pace to pull into Houston for a three-game date with the Astros, baseball’s worst team. 

With just 44 wins, the Astros are on their way to their first 100-loss season in franchise history.  The Pirates have had a lot of success against Houston this year, as has the rest of the league, but Pittsburgh is 9-3 against their divisional foes, so confidence should have been at an all-time high.

Unfortunately, the Pirates led an early lead slip away tonight, and Carlos Lee blasted a three-run homerun which would prove to be the difference as the Astros took game one over the Pirates, 6-3 at Minute Maid Park.

Houston’s starter Wandy Rodriguez pitched a great game, minus the fourth inning.  The lefty struck out a career-high 13 batters through his seven innings of work.  Despite giving up three runs in the fourth inning, Rodriguez only gave up a total of four hits on the night.

Ross Ohlendorf started out very well for Pittsburgh, making through the first three innings without surrendering a hit.  He ran into trouble, though, in the fourth and fifth innings, and was pulled after the fifth, having given up two runs on five hits.  His ERA now sits at 6.27 for the season.

The Pirates’ bullpen really struggled tonight, giving up the game-deciding runs to the Astros.  The trio of Jason Grilli, Jose Veras, and Tony Watson gave up five runs on eight hits in their three innings of work.  Veras has been particularly frustrating as of late, and that trend continued tonight, giving up two runs on two hits while recording just two outs.

The first hit of the ballgame came in the top of the fourth inning, courtesy of Josh Harrison, who sparked a flurry of extra-base hits that put the Pirates in front.  Andrew McCutchen’s two-run homerun scored Harrison, giving Pittsburgh a 2-0 advantage.  Neil Walker and Ryan Doumit hit back-to-back doubles, with Doumit’s two-bagger scoring Walker, and the Pirates owned a 3-0 lead as they headed to the bottom of the frame.

Unfortunately for Pittsburgh, after the fourth inning, the Pirates would tally only one more hit throughout the rest of the night. 

Houston got a run back in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI single by J.D. Martinez.  They’d add another run in the fifth inning on an RBI knock by Jordan Schafer, and the Astros were within a run after five.

The seventh inning ended up dooming the Pirates this evening, as the Astros tagged Grilli and Veras for four runs.  After Schafer was hit by a pitch and Jose Altuve doubled, Martinez smacked a ground ball to Brandon Wood at third base, who threw the ball to Doumit for the out at home.  The ball hit Schafer, who was breaking for the plate, and bounced away, allowing Schafer to score and tie the game. 

Carlos Lee delivered the knockout punch for Houston, hitting a towering fly ball to left field off Veras, giving the Astros a 6-3 lead.

The Astros added a run in the eighth to further pad the lead to 7-3, which would be the final.

After Ronny Cedeno tripled home Garrett Jones in the bottom of the ninth to trim the lead to 7-4, Jose Tabata struck out looking to end the game.

This loss certainly leaves a sour taste in the mouths of Pirates’ fans.  The Astros are a team who has been at the bottom of their division all season long, and they’ve dumped their two biggest stars in Hunter Pence and Michael Bourne.  Tonight’s win was just their 45^th of the season, and is just their fourth against the Pirates in 13 chances. 

If the Pirates want to finish up this season on a positive note, they need to win games against the teams who are below them, and compete against the teams that are above them.  They didn’t do that tonight.  Pittsburgh is a season-high ten games under the .500 mark, and after a great start against the N.L. Central, they now have a losing record against their divisional foes.

Pittsburgh will look to even the series tomorrow night when they send Charlie Morton to the mound.  First pitch is scheduled for 8:05pm.

Record Vs. Astros: 9-4

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 31-32

Record On The Road: 31-35

Overall Record: 62-72

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Rip Carpenter, Cardinals 7-0

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

After tough losses in the first pair of games at Busch Stadium, the Pirates entered this afternoon’s game against the Cardinals limping their way to the end of the month of August, which has been a brutal and devastating one for the Buccos.  Lance Berkman’s eighth inning homerun last night clinched the victory for the Cardinals, sending the Pirates to a season-high 17 games back in the N.L. Central.

Brad Lincoln took the hill for Pittsburgh tonight, looking for his victory of the season.  On the other side, his on-mound opponent, Chris Carpenter, was aiming to continue his dominance against Pittsburgh, coming into today’s game with a 12-2 career record against the Bucs.

The Pirates jumped on Carpenter and the Cards early and often, acquiring a huge lead and never letting up, beating the Red Birds in front of their home crowd this afternoon by a final score of 7-0.

Despite his impressive statistics in the past, Carpenter’s success against Pittsburgh didn’t continue today, as he was tagged for six runs on nine hits through five innings of work, inflating his ERA to 3.76 for the season.

The Pirates used some two-out magic to get on the board in the second inning.  Garrett Jones reached with a double, and Josh Harrison singled him home, giving the Bucs an early 1-0 lead.

Carpenter’s day would only worsen in the fourth inning, as he gave up four more runs.  Andrew McCutchen led off with a double, and later scored on an RBI double by Jones.  Harrison smacked another RBI single, scoring Jones along with Neil Walker, who reached base with a walk.  Even Lincoln got into the fun, smashing a two-out RBI double to left center, scoring Harrison.  Pittsburgh occupied a 5-0 advantage at the end of the fourth. 

Walker added to the lead in the fifth inning with a two-out solo homerun to center.  The round-tripper was his 11^th and his 76^th RBI of the season. 

McCutchen’s RBI single came with two outs in the sixth, scoring Lincoln, who led off the inning with a walk, giving the Pirates a 7-0 lead.

The Cardinals had an opportunity to get back in the game in the bottom half of the sixth inning.  After Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday hit back-to-back two-out singles, Berkman drew a walk to load the bases for Skip Schumaker.  After a long battle, Lincoln struck out the Red Birds’ second baseman to end the inning.

That ended the day for Lincoln, who finished his six innings without allowing a run to the top-hitting team in the National League, while also earning his first victory of the season and the second of his career.

Following the last two nights in which the Pirates were competitive but let it slip away in the latter innings, it was nice to see the offense take out some frustration on a divisional opponent.  While the Pirates’ post-season hopes are gone, they can still enjoy the experience of playing spoiler against teams like the Cardinals.

Garrett Jones and Josh Harrison led the way for Pittsburgh today, each tallying three hits while Harrison had 3 RBI’s.  Lincoln pitched a very strong game against a tough offense, making a strong argument for his case to be in the starting pitching rotation in 2012.

Pittsburgh will look to carry over the momentum from this victory to tomorrow’s game, as they will look to split this four game series with St. Louis.

Record Vs. Cardinals: 6-6

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 31-30

Record On The Road: 31-33

Overall Record: 62-70

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!!!

Ohlendorf Roughed Up In Return As Brewers Rout Pirates

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

Fresh off a huge 9-2 victory over the Brewers in the nightcap of the doubleheader last night, the Pirates entered this evening’s game looking to take their second consecutive game from the N.L. Central leaders.  Ross Ohlendorf made the start for Pittsburgh tonight for the first time since early April, hoping to put forth a strong end of the 2011 season.

It didn’t work out for Ohlendorf tonight.  The Brewers tattooed the right-hander for seven runs (four earned) on 11 hits on their way to a 11-4 blowout of our Buccos at PNC Park.

After a brief break in their dominance over the Pirates last night, the Brewers were back at it tonight, stomping all over Buccos’ pitching from the very beginning.  In all, Pirates’ pitchers were tagged for 17 hits, with five different players recording at least two hits.

Milwaukee jumped on Ohlendorf in the second inning, scoring all seven runs in the frame, burying him and eliminating much chance of a Pirates’ comeback.

The second inning was highlighted by a two-run double by Ryan Braun and a two-run homerun by Casey McGehee.  Jonathan Lucroy and Nyjer Morgan also added RBI singles.

Prince Fielder added another run in the sixth inning with his 100^th RBI on a double off Daniel McCutchen, scoring Braun. 

There were VERY few bright spots for Pittsburgh tonight, but one of them, without a doubt, was Josh Harrison, who hit his first Major League homerun in the fifth inning. 

Jose Tabata went 1-4 tonight, extending his hitting streak to nine games, while Neil Walker and Garrett Jones each had triples.  Jones’ three-bagger scored Walker from first base after he had singled home Xavier Paul for his 74^th RBI of the season.

I, like many fans out there, had high hopes for the Pirates tonight.  After finally beating the Brewers last night in convincing fashion, the hope was that the Buccos would have the momentum to carry over to tonight’s game, and have a nice shot at winning their second game of the series, setting up a chance to actually win the series tomorrow.

Now, it seems that game two last night didn’t even happen.  Pittsburgh added some late inning runs, but it was after the outcome wasn’t in doubt and Milwaukee had sat many of their regular starters.  The Brewers went right back to their usual beat down of Pittsburgh, and frustration is back at an all-time high for the Buccos and their fans.

In other news, the Pirates placed Steve Pearce on the 15-day disabled list with a broken right index finger and recalled Pedro Ciriaco.

The Pirates will try to salvage a split with the Brewers in the series finale tomorrow afternoon at PNC Park.  Aaron Thompson, who is expected to officially added to the roster tomorrow, is rumored to start for the Buccos, facing off against Milwaukee’s Shaun Marcum.

Record Vs. Brewers: 1-10

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 29-28

Record At Home: 30-37

Overall Record: 60-68

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Jason Grilli

By Zane Heiple

Photo by blog.syracuse.com

On Thursday the Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran relief pitcher Jason Grilli.  In order for this move to be made they sent Pedro Ciriaco and Josh Harrison back to AAA Indianapolis.  The reason for two players to be sent down is so that either Ronny Cedeno or Steve Pearce can have a spot available when the Pirates start a three game set against the St. Louis Cardinals on Friday.

The acquisition of Grilli should be looked at in one way and one way only, experience.  He is not a guy that’s going to be brought in during tight, late inning situations.  He will probably be used mainly as a matchup pitcher brought in to face right handed hitters.

He has not pitched in the Majors since 2009 and has spent all of the 2011 season pitching for the Lehigh Valley IronPigs, which are the AAA team of the Philadelphia Philles.  While with the IronPigs, he would post a 1.93 ERA in 32.1 innings.  He missed all of the 2010 season with a knee injury.

Jason was drafted by the New York Yankees, but chose to play college baseball at Seton Hall.  He was then drafted in the 1997 draft in the fourth round by the San Francisco Giants.  Grilli would make his debut in the Majors during the 2000 season with the Florida Marlins.  After spending the 2002-03 seasons in the Minor Leagues, he would play the 2004 season with the Chicago White Sox.  The next three years Jason would play with the Detroit Tigers.  For parts of the next two years he would play under Clint Hurdle in Colorado before signing with the Texas Rangers after being designated for assignment.  Through 2009 Jason has an 18-18 record with a 4.74 ERA and has 262 strikeouts to his record in the big leagues.

Hopefully this was just a small ripple before the Pirates front office makes a splash with the trade deadline soon approaching.  Grilli does have a lot in common with some of the current Bucco bullpen seeing he has been on the DL at one point in his career.  This move, at least to me, is one the Hurdle wanted to make since he did coach Grilli for parts of two seasons with the Rockies.

Stay tuned to www.fansfromthestands.com for more moves to the Pittsburgh Pirates 25-man roster.

McKenry's First Major League HR Pushes Pirates Past Cubs For 7-4 Victory

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pirates entered their final series before the All-Star break against the Chicago Cubs tonight at PNC Park.  These two teams have not met expectations of their hometown fans to this point in the season.  While the Pirates are shocking the city, and the nation, with their great start to the year, the Cubs are, once again, an underachieving club that are keeping themselves out of the N.L. Central basement simply because of the Houston Astros’ putrid season thus far.

Tonight’s game was highly competitive, full of excitement, homeruns, big strikeouts, and timely hits on both sides of the ball.  But, as their seasons have gone to this point, the Pirates were just a little better tonight, outlasting the Cubs in a thriller on the North Shore by a final score of 7-4.

In all, the Pirates and Cubs used a total of eleven pitchers tonight, and they needed every pitch they got from each of them.  James McDonald lasted 5.2 innings, giving up three runs on five hits.  After giving up a solo homerun to Aramis Ramirez in the first inning, J-Mac pitched well until the sixth inning, when he ran into trouble against the latter part of the Cubs’ lineup.  After Ramirez and Marlon Byrd reached base, Clint Hurdle pulled McDonald and replaced him with Chris Resop.  Alfonso Soriano hammered a double in the left-centerfield gap, driving in two runs and giving the Cubs a 3-2 lead.

The Pirates first got on the board in the third inning, when Neil Walker beat out a tough throw from Cubs’ second baseman Darwin Barney.  Chase d’Arnaud and Andrew McCutchen scored on the play to give the Bucs a 2-0 lead at that point.  Cutch also had a homerun on the night, hammering a pitch to deep centerfield, tying the game, 3-3.

After the Cubs responded in the eighth with a run of their own, the Pirates came to bat in the bottom half trailing by one.  Walker reached on a fielder’s choice and Lyle Overbay singled to put runners on first and second.  Josh Harrison singled to shallow centerfield off and Walker beat the throw at home, tying the game, 4-4.  The next batter, Michael McKenry blasted his first career Major League homerun, a three-run shot over the left field wall, giving the Bucs a 7-4 lead, driving the sellout crowd at PNC Park into hysteria.

Of course, Joel Hanrahan closed out the game with ease, setting the Cubs down in order, to earn his 26^th save in as many opportunities.  Daniel McCutchen picked up his third victory of the season.

Wow, what a game.  This was a well-played ballgame by both teams.  With a total of 11 runs and 23 hits, this certainly wasn’t the typical game we’re used to seeing from the Buccos.  Tonight, it was all about the role players stepping up in huge situations.  Harrison had three hits, while Alex Presley and Overbay had two hits a piece.  Walker had a hit and two RBI’s, and of course, the hero of the night, McKenry was 1-4 with 3 RBI’s. 

There were some very special moments tonight at PNC Park.  The energy in the ballpark, the enthusiasm from the fans, and the will and grit that the players showed on the field gave this Pirates’ fan chills.  Once again, the Buccos found a way to win a game that was up for grabs.  We’ve said it time and time again, but this team is growing up before our very eyes, game by game.  It was a nice response to the rough outing they had against the Astros on Wednesday, and they are right back in position to take another series away from an N.L. Central opponent.

With the victory tonight, the Pirates are tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for second place and just one game behind the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers.  Kevin Correia will take the hill tomorrow night for our battlin’ Buccos, who will be looking for his 12^th victory of the season.  Another huge crowd is expected for the game tomorrow, and a victory will put the Pirates to five games over that .500 mark.

Record Vs. Cubs: 5-2

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 19-11

Record At Home: 22-21

Overall Record: 46-42

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

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

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Rodriguez's RBI Single, Pirates' Mistakes Cap Nationals' Comeback In Game Two Of Doubleheader

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Greg Fiume/Getty Images

After an exciting game in the afternoon, the Buccos and Nationals were back at it again this evening for the second game of the teams’ doubleheader.  Unfortunately for the Pirates, missed opportunities, lack of defensive fundamentals, and errors assisted the Nationals, as they tallied a come-from-behind win over the Buccos 4-3.

Brad Lincoln made his first Major League start of the season for Pittsburgh, going six innings while giving up two runs on four this, while walking three and striking out four batters.  His mound opponent, Washington’s John Lannan, lasted seven innings, giving up three runs on six hits. 

The Nationals took the lead in the second inning.  After a leadoff walk to Jayson Werth, Lincoln gave up a single to Rick Ankiel, putting runners on first and third with one out.  Wilson Ramos then grounded out to shortstop, scoring Werth from third.

The lead wouldn’t last long, though, as the Pirates responded with two runs of their own in the third frame.  After Eric Fryer recorded his first Major League hit with a single to left field, Chase d’Arnaud singled him home, tying the game 1-1.  Andrew McCutchen broke the tie with an RBI double to deep right field, and the Bucs led 2-1. 

That was short lived as well, however, as the Nats responded immediately with a run of their own.  Lincoln walked Roger Bernadina, who would eventually score on Ryan Zimmerman’s fielder’s choice, tying the game 2-2 at the end of the third.

The Pirates took the lead in the seventh inning.  Matt Diaz singled, then moved over to third base on Neil Walker’s single.  Josh Harrison grounded into a double play, but Diaz was able to score on the play, giving the Bucs a 3-2 lead.

Daniel McCutchen nearly gave the lead away in the bottom half of the inning, but after walking Bernadina and Danny Espinosa, he struck out Zimmerman to end the frame.

The wheels fell off the Pirates’ bullpen in the eighth inning.  Entering the inning with a 3-2 lead, the Buccos gave up two runs.  Tony Watson was on the mound for both runs, though all the blame shouldn’t be placed on him.  Brian Bixler attempted to steal third base, and Eric Fryer’s throw to the bag was wild, bouncing off Brandon Wood.  Bixler scored on the play, tying the game.  Ivan Rodriguez broke the tie with an RBI single to shallow right, scoring Ankiel.

Drew Storen came in and shut down the Pirates in the ninth inning to record his 20^th save of the season.  Watson suffered the loss for Pittsburgh, his first of the season.

This was a game the Pirates simply gave away.  While there is certainly plenty of blame to go around in this one, all cannot be placed on Watson.  The Pirates squandered a number of opportunities to stretch the lead in the latter innings.  Garrett Jones left two runners on in the seventh inning.  Neil Walker, while managing one hit tonight, still didn’t look comfortable at the plate.  His .246 batting average, and the fact that Clint Hurdle lowered him to sixth in the lineup, should tell us all something…Walker is struggling mightily.

Brad Lincoln did a pretty nice job for Pittsburgh tonight.  His fastball clocked up to 95 tonight, and he used it consistently throughout his six innings of work.  The three walks were certainly concerning, but he got out of a few jams effectively and kept the team in the game. 

Andrew McCutchen continued his hot streak tonight with three more hits, including a triple, double, and single, along with an RBI.  He was stranded on base all three times he reached.  His batting average now sis at .289 and is by far the team’s biggest threat, although it will be interesting to see if he’ll be in the lineup tomorrow afternoon.

The Buccos drop to one game over .500, and they continue to struggle against the Nationals in Washington.  Tomorrow is a huge game for Pittsburgh.  With a victory, it will secure them another winning road trip, will push them back to two games over .500, and will even things up with the Nationals this season.

Kevin Correia will make the start tomorrow afternoon for the Pirates, while the Nationals will send Jason Marquis to the mound. 

Record Vs. Nationals: 3-4

Record Vs. N.L. East: 9-14

Record On The Road: 23-21

Overall Record: 42-41

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!