Pittsburgh Pirates In 2011: Flashback To A Year Of Improbability

By Chad Carlson

This past year was certainly a memorable one for Pirates’ fans.  We saw the birth of a new regime under first-year manager Clint Hurdle, and the continued emergence of young players in their first exposure to Major League Baseball.  Entering the 2011 season, no one knew what to expect from such a young team with a new manager, and there were certainly highs and lows during one of the most notable seasons in recent Pittsburgh baseball memory.

Upon announcement of his hiring, Hurdle was immediately effective in inspiring and motivating both players and fans.  Still entranced in a record-setting losing streak for North American sports, the Pittsburgh Pirates' community and supporters needed something to give them a reason to be relevant to fans again.  Clint Hurdle served that purpose from the onset.  His awareness of the team's (city's) situation immediately drew in everyone, from casual fans to daily followers of the club.  Of course, there were some who wondered if he would follow those managers before him, acting as no more than mindless puppets for the higher executives in the ownership hierarchy.

The fact is, Hurdle knew this was going to be a challenge…to bring a team and an organization from rags to riches, and it wasn't going to happen overnight.  Still, despite hearing these admittances by the manager, we, as fans, felt inspired that this team was FINALLY headed in the right direction on the field.

As is the case with prior offseasons in the mostr recent past, the Bucs didn't make a lot of moves prior to Spring Training in 2011, but those they did make grabbed Pittsburgh headlines. 

The acquisitions of Lyle Overbay and Matt Diaz seemed like a perfect fit for the club at the time.  After all, a number of the Pirates' projected starting position players, including Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, and Jose Tabata, were young and inexperienced at the Major League level, and could certainly have benefited from the expertise of seasoned veterans.  Insert Overbay and Diaz, two guys who have succeeded at the top level for years, and guide the younger players along, both on and off the field.  Overbay was announced as the team's starting first baseman, while Diaz was inserted to platoon right field along with Garrett Jones.

Prior to Spring Training, this was the projected 2011 starting lineup:

1.  CF Andrew McCutchen

2.  LF Jose Tabata

3.  2B Neil Walker

4. 3B Pedro Alvarez

5. 1B Lyle Overbay

6. RF Garrett Jones/Matt Diaz

7. C Chris Snyder

8. SS Ronny Cedeno

9. Pitcher's Spot

On paper, this looked like a fairly decent lineup, all things considered.  Still, though, there were many questions left to be answered.  Would McCutchen continue to bud as an emerging star? Would Tabata and Walker carry over from their 2010 campaigns? Would Alvarez be the power leader in the middle of the lineup?  Would Diaz and Overbay be the leaders they were brought on board to be? Was Snyder the right choice as starting catcher over Ryan Doumit?

The starting pitching was the major concern, though, for fans.  Kevin Correia was brought on board to lead the staff, while the team was expecting strong rebound years from Ross Ohlendorf and Paul Maholm.  Here was the 2011 projected starting pitching rotation:

Paul Maholm

Kevin Correia

Ross Ohlendorf

James McDonald

Charlie Morton

Wow, how things changed across the board.  As we know, Maholm had a terrible season, Ohlendorf was on the DL the majority of the season, replaced by Jeff Karstens, who had one of the more improbably productive seasons in recent memory.  James McDonald had his ups and downs, while Morton, after an incredible first half of the year, tapered off down the stretch and eventually landed on the DL to end the season.

The 2011 season was an extremely rare one…not in the fact that it resulted in yet another losing season, but that it had perhaps the most drama for a team with only 72 wins in the history of the baseball.  Looking at the season from a statistical standpoint, it apears as though 2011 was just another losing season for the Pirates, one that ended with a 72-90 record, extending their North American sport all-time leading losing record to 19 seasons. 

But for us fans that followed the team through his incredible roller coaster ride of a season, it proved that the flame of passion for baseball can still be ignited in Pittsburgh.  With young players like McCutchen, Tabata, and Walker, along with new acquisitions heading into this year, and as improbable as winning may seem, there will be a relatively brighter glimmer of hope shining on PNC Park when the Bucs take the field in April 2012

And…

As Always…

Let's Go Bucs!

Are The Pirates Interested In Alternative To Alex Presley?

Just yesterday on Fans From The Stands, we discussed the possibility of the movement of the Pirates’ outfielders.  On Monday, Jen Langosch reported that the Bucs may be interested in outfielder Josh Willingham, implying that the team may not be 100% satisfied with their current outfield.

Willingham was one of the players rumored to be of the Pirates’ interest during the 2011 Trade Deadline, during which they eventually acquired Ryan Ludwick.  Josh is 32 years old, and hits for power, not average.  In 136 games last year, he hit .246 with 29 homeruns and 98 RBI’s.  His homerun and RBI totals were higher than those of Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates’ leader in both categories. 

It has been reported that Willingham is looking to sign with a team that will guarantee him regular playing time.  Obviously, given the Pirates’ current situation with players like McCutchen, Jose Tabata, and Alex Presley, as well as up-and-coming prospects Starling Marte and Robbie Grossman, the outfield already seems pretty full.  That being said, rumors have swirled about the possibility of using Presley and Marte as potential trade bait, in such a case a regular-playing gig may be available.

This, of course, circles back to the question of Alex Presley.  He had an incredibly surprising and impressive run this past season after joining the big club in June, but with such a small sampling, it’s difficult to determine whether this was an accurate preview of what he can bring to the table consistently in the coming years.  With McCutchen and Tabata occupying two of the three spots in the outfield, and management clearly eyeing other possibilities, it’s apparent that the Pirates are necessarily sold on Presley being the solution at this point. 

The worst possible scenario, obviously, would be bringing in a guy like Willingham and having a repeat of what we saw this past year at first base with Lyle Overbay.  That being said, Willingham brings power to a lineup that sorely needs it.  It should be very interesting to see where Neal Huntington feels the most significance lies.  For now, though, it seems that Presley is still the third piece to the Pirates’ outfield puzzle.

Stay right here for reactions to the latest rumors involving potential Bucco-moves.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blurb: Future Of First Base?

There’s no denying the fact that the Pirates have a lot of questions to answer and decisions to make in regards to their prospective 2012 roster.  Perhaps the greatest question at this point, though, is who will occupy first base when the Bucs open their season in April?  With the tragedy that was Lyle Overbay in a Pirates’ uniform is a thing of the past, Derrek Lee’s brief stint was incredibly impressive, but factors including his age, salary, and interest level, have raised many doubts as to whether or not he will be a Pirate next year.

That being said, the Pirates have said that one of their priorities is to fill this hole at the corner, and while the free agent market is rather weak compared to previous seasons, there are some options available for the Pirates to acquire a seasoned veteran first baseman.

Yahoo! Sports contributor Lee Andrew Henderson’s November 2 article suggested ten first base options for the Bucs, and in reflection, some appear plausible, others are pipe dreams, while a few are nightmares.

Henderson’s top suggestion, according to the article, is Adam LaRoche?!  As we all know, LaRoche already had some time in Pittsburgh, and was one of the more frustrating Pirates in recent memory.  During his time with Pittsburgh, he hit .270 with 20 homeruns and 80 RBI’s, but for those of us who watched him play, he had no clutch gene, and the majority of his offensive contributions came at times when the game and/or the season was already out of reach. 

Other notables include Josh Willingham and Carlos Pena, two players who were rumors to be in negotiations with the Pirates prior to the trade deadline this past season.  Mark Reynolds was also mentioned, who, despite his incredibly high number of strikeouts, has seasons of 28, 44, 32, and 37 homeruns.  Andrew McCutchen led the Pirates last season with 23 homeruns.  Would the Bucs be willing to tolerate the strikeouts of a guy like Reynolds or Pena in exchange for the power?  They already sent a record last season for strikeouts, but they had no power in their lineup.

James Loney is certainly an attractive option, but, as stated in the article, there may be some bigger market frontrunners in line for him, and the Pirates clearly can’t compete with them.  The mention of Nick Swisher is a laugher. This guy will not end up in Pittsburgh. 

Finally, two of Henderon’s suggestions are players who have most recently worn a Pirates’ uniform:  Ryan Doumit and Derrek Lee.  He’s suggesting that Doumit could platoon first base with Garrett Jones.  We all saw how the platoon strategy worked with Jones in right field…it was horrible.  Doumit isn’t a great catcher, but he’s not the answer at first base either.  As for Lee, he put on a spectacular show in Pittsburgh following his acquisition at the trade deadline.  He is clearly aging but still has some good baseball left in him.  It appears as though the Bucs would be interested in bringing Lee back assuming financial factors are agreed upon and Lee wants to play next year. 

An internal rumor in Pittsburgh that is Pedro Alvarez will make the transition to first base, but after the horrid year he had in 2011, it seems ludicrous to add a position change to Pedro’s list of adjustments.  Regardless, the Pirates are (or at least should be) conscientious not to allow another Lyle Overbay-type situation as they did this past season.  Loney, Pena, Lee?  How about Logan Morrison of the Florida Marlins?  Pena seems to be the most plausible option, and he’s proven to be able to add a serious amount of pop to the lineup, something the Pirates desperately need going forward.

Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands for fan reactions to the latest Pirates’ news and updates.

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!

Phillies Rout Pirates In Series Opener

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Len Redkoles/Getty Images

The Pirates continued their toughest stretch of the season so far tonight against their cross state rivals, the Philadelphia Phillies.  After splitting a highly-competitive series against the wild card-leading Atlanta Braves, and winning the final game of the set Thursday night, Buccos’ fans were hoping that the momentum from the victory would carry over to tonight.  That didn’t happen.

The Phillies lit up the Pirates for eight runs in the first two innings on their way to a 10-3 rout of our Buccos at Citizens Bank Ballpark tonight.

Charlie Morton took the hill for the Pirates tonight.  As has been evident for most of the season, we, as fans, never know what we’re going to get with Charlie.  Tonight, he never stood a chance against the Phillies’ high-powered offense. 

Chase Utley started off the scoring with an RBI-triple in the first inning, and Ryan Howard’s RBI-double and Raul Ibanez’s run-scoring single put the Pirates in an early hole…one they would never be able to crawl out of…and one that would only get deeper.

For Utley, his first inning three-bagger was the beginning of a very good night at the plate for him.  The Phillies’ second basement went 3-5 and 4 RBI’s, including a three-run homerun in the second inning which really blew the game open.

Jimmy Rollins added to the onslaught in the seventh inning with a two-run homerun of his own, increasing the lead to 10-0 at that point.

Morton had a night to forget, giving up eight runs (six earned) on nine hits and walking four batters through four innings.  After Tony Watson had another strong start, throwing two innings of hitless baseball, Jason Grilli came in and gave up two runs on two hits in his pair of innings.

Roy Halladay, who made the start for Philadelphia tonight, was virtually impossible to hit.  In fact, the Pirates were only able to manage just a single hit against the Phillies’ ace, who improved to 13-4 on the season, while lowering his stingy ERA to 2.44

The Pirates were able to put a few runs up on the board late in the game, which only made the score look a little better on paper.  Pedro Ciriaco, who was called back up by the club after the injury to Chris Leroux placed him on the disabled list, smacked a double to shallow left, scoring Lyle Overbay and Michael McKenry.  Ciriaco scored on Xavier Paul’s RBI single.  Paul had two hits on the night.

This was the worst possible outcome of the opening game of this series.  Our starting pitcher threw a horrible game, walking batters, giving up homeruns, and was barely able to get through four innings of work.  Furthermore, our offense continues to struggle.  Don’t let the three runs fool you….they all came late in the game and…well, let’s just say we can’t expect to get too many more two-run doubles off the bat of Pedro Ciriaco.

Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, and Pedro Alvarez combined to go 0-9 tonight, while Overbay’s hitless game dropped his batting average to an embarrassing .228.  Paul was the only Pirate to have a multi-hit evening.

While the Pirates lost tonight, the Cincinnati Reds, St. Louis Cardinals, and Milwaukee Brewers all won, gaining a game in the standings on our Battlin’ Buccos.  Pittsburgh is currently 2.5 games out of first place behind the Brew-Crew.

The Pirates will need to play much better in all aspects tomorrow night in the second game of the series.  James McDonald will start against Philadelphia, who will be welcoming their newest edition, Hunter Pence, who was acquired from the Houston Astros earlier this evening.

Fans From The Stands will be in attendance for game two of the series.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Record Vs. Phillies: 2-2
Record Vs. N.L. East: 12-17
Record On The Road: 28-25
Overall Record: 54-50

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucs Salvage Series, Earn Split With Braves

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

As if a four game series is not long enough, the Pittsburgh Pirates and Atlanta Braves had two games go to extra innings and two delayed by rain.  Tonight’s game was the latter, and like the first game of the series that was delayed by rain, it saw the Pirates come out on top.  Tonight our Battlin’ Buccos won 5-2.

Kevin Correia continued his trend of pitching well on the road tonight as he picked up his 12^th win of the season going 6.1 innings allowing one earned run on nine hits, with three strikeouts and one walk.  Joe Beimel finished off the seventh inning and got the first two outs of the eighth before Joel Hanrahan stepped in and collected four outs to earn his 30^th save of the year.

After Atlanta scored in the bottom part of the first inning, Pittsburgh would tie it in the top of the second, when Kevin Correia singled home Lyle Overbay.  The Buccos took the lead for good in the fifth.  Andrew McCutchen would hit an RBI double and Pedro Alvarez would ground out to first allowing Garrett Jones to score from third.

The Braves inched closer in the sixth when Dan Uggla hit the ball to Ronny Cedeno.  Cedeno made a throwing error to first that allowed Freddie Freeman to score from second base.  Cutch would strike the final blow in the ninth inning by giving the Pirates two insurance runs on a home run to left centerfield.

This was a big win for the Pirates in what ended up being a very grueling series.  The proved that they were able to hang with one of the better teams in the National League and currently sit 1.5 games back of the Milwaukee Brewers.  The level of difficulty is about to get amped up on this road trip as the Pirates head north to take on in state rivals the Philadelphia Phillies in a three game set.  The Phillies maybe at the top of the NL, but they have lost three of their last four and two straight to the San Francisco Giants.  While Pittsburgh did take 2 of 3 from Philly earlier in the year, it will take a complete team effort to have this kind of success once again.  Game one is tomorrow night at 7:05 with Charlie Morton taking on Roy Halladay.

Be sure to check out www.fansfromthestands.com tomorrow night for coverage of the Pirates game and the Washington Nationals vs. New York Mets.  Chad and I will be on location in our nation’s capital giving you an inside look at Nationals Ballpark.

Record vs. Braves:  2-4
Record vs. N.L. East:  12-16
Record on the Road:  28-24
Overall Record:  54-49

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Toughest Stretch Of Season For Bucs Begins Tonight At PNC Park

By Chad Carlson

The Pirates enter tonight’s game against the Cincinnati Reds five games over the .500 mark and a half game back in the N.L. Central standings.  Back in April, those of us who follow the Buccos closely could only dream about the first three months of the season going the way they have thus far.  Still, the Pirates are at the point of the season where they must prove to the critics, the other teams in MLB, the fans, and most importantly, themselves that they belong in this N.L. Central race.  The true test begins tonight.

The Pirates have arguably their toughest stretch of the 2011 season ahead of them in the next couple weeks.  Their home-stand, which kicks off tonight, includes a three game set against the Reds, one of the more underachieving teams in Major League Baseball to this point in the year.  Unable to find any type of consistency between their pitching and offense on a regular basis, the Reds find themselves one game under .500 and 3.5 games back in the division.  Still, with the likes of Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips, and Jay Bruce in the lineup, this team is more than capable of putting some big numbers up on the scoreboard.

Do we even need to talk about how important the series this weekend against the St. Louis Cardinals is to the Pirates?  The two clubs are tied in the standings right now, just a half game back of the Brewers (ugh).  The Red Birds will travel to New York for a three-game series with the Mets.  Depending on how that series goes, and considering the fact that the Mets are about as inconsistent as fair-weather Pirates’ fans, the upcoming weekend series could be a battle for first place in the division.  It’s still strange to think that way about our Buccos…especially in July.

You think the home-stand is tough?  Next week’s road trip is even worse.  Following a brutal four-game set in Atlanta against the wild-card leading Braves, Pittsburgh will travel to Philadelphia for a three-game series against their cross-state rivals.  Considering the fact that the Pirates took two of three from the Phillies earlier in the season at PNC Park, they will certainly be out for revenge.

And there it is, the next 13 games for the Pirates will be the toughest stretch of the 2011 season, at least to this point.  Ronny Cedeno and Steve Pearce are expected to possibly be ready for the Cardinals’ series this weekend, which will hopefully provide more offense that the Pirates certainly need.  The Buccos are going to face some outstanding pitching over the next couple weeks, which means they are going to need to match those performances on the mound.  Kevin Correia and Charlie Morton need to pitch better than they have the past few starts, and Jeff Karstens needs to continue his outstanding season.  Neil Walker needs to continue to hit well, and Andrew McCutchen needs to return to where he was before the All-Star break.  Lyle Overbay needs to become the doubles-machine he was a few years ago, and Alex Presley needs to continue to play out of his mind on both sides of the ball.

Does this all sound like it’s a lot to ask of this team, a club who wasn’t expected to even be in contention by the end of May?  Well maybe it is…but if they want to be considered in the race for the division along with teams like the Cardinals and Brewers, they need to prove themselves to the rest Major League Baseball over the next two weeks.

Tonight is the first step in a series of 13 in which the Pirates can solidify themselves as a legitimate National League contender.  If they conclude the next two weeks of baseball within reach of the division lead, they’ll be setting up a VERY interesting last two months of the season, one they’ll be playing with the entire city of Pittsburgh in their corner.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

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

by Zane Heiple

Photo By Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

McCutchen, Maholm Lead Pirates to 9-1 Blowout Victory Over Cubs

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pirates entered the final game before the All-Star break this afternoon against the Cubs with a chance to end the day in a three-way tie for the first place.  Considering the expectations for the team by “experts” and fans alike, the Buccos are arguably the best story in Major League Baseball.

After a difficult loss last night, the Pirates and Cubs took the field this afternoon in front of a huge crowd at PNC Park in the rubber match of the series.  Paul Maholm threw 7.2 tough innings and Andrew McCutchen had 5 RBI’s as the Pirates beat the Cubs, 9-1, taking the series and completing a 4-2 home stand.

McCutchen, who was named to the N.L. All-Star team last night, had quite the game this afternoon, blasting a three-run HR deep center in the third inning, scoring Alex Presley and Neil Walker.  Cutch added sacrifices in the first and fifth to add to the Pirates’ lead. 

As for Maholm, who entered the game with a deceiving 5-9 record, pitched over seven innings of shutdown baseball.  In fact, Paul gave up just one run on four hits, lowering his ERA to a very impressive 2.96.  He picked up his sixth victory of the season, along with some minor help from Chris Resop and Jose Veras.

While Cutch certainly led the charge this afternoon, a number of Buccos contributed on the offensive end, teaming up for nine hits on the day.  Walker went 3-4, including a triple and two doubles, scoring twice and driving in a run.  Real Deal Neil’s average has now climbed to .264, and enters the All-Star break riding an eight-game hitting streak.

Presley added two hits to his stat sheet for his limited season.  “Big Al” now has seven multi-hit games in his 13 starts this year.

Garrett Jones also got into the fun with a pinch-hit, two-out, two-run double in the 9^th inning, scoring Lyle Overbay and Brandon Wood.  Overbay, despite his recent struggles at first base, did add a single for Pittsburgh in the eighth inning.

This was a tremendous response by the Pirates today against the Cubs.  After a rather disappointing loss last night, in which they certainly had some opportunities to put more runs up on the board, the offense came out strong this afternoon, led by their stars, Walker and McCutchen.  One of the important things we wanted to do this weekend was carry some momentum into the break, and, after the performance this afternoon, there’s no doubt that Bucco-fever will be running on high when the club resumes play next weekend.

In other news, Kevin Correia has been named to the N.L. All Star team due to the unavailability of Phillies’ pitcher Cole Hamels.  Correia is 11-7 this year with a 4.01 ERA.  Kevin joins McCutchen and Joel Hanrahan as the All-Star representatives for the Pirates.  This marks the first time since 1990 that three Pirates have been named to the All-Star game.

The Pirates now enter the All-Star break with a 47-43 record.  They are the third N.L. team in the history of MLB with a winning record at the break following a 100+ loss season the year before.  The Buccos will enjoy four days off before opening up a three-game series with the Astros in Houston to resume the 2011 season.

Record Vs. Cubs: 6-3

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 20-12

Home Record: 23-22

Overall Record: 47-43

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Correia Continues To Struggle At PNC Park, Pirates Fall To Cubs

by Zane Heiple

Photo By AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates were hoping to carry a bit of momentum from Friday night’s game into Saturday’s contest against the Chicago Cubs.  With eleven game winner Kevin Correia on the mound, fans hoped that with a little production from the offense our Buccos could put the Cubs down for the second straight night.

Correia had a very rough outing tonight as he would only last 3.2 innings tonight allowing five earned runs on nine hits, while walking one and striking out two.  He seemed to have trouble making quality pitches on the night.  With many counts going deep he was forced to throw strikes in the middle of the zone and the Chicago batters had little trouble putting the ball in play.  The loss tonight dropped his record to 11-7 on the year and his ERA is now at 4.01.  Cubs starter Ryan Dempster wasn’t much better in the stat line as his night finished after going five innings allowing three runs on seven hits, but he was able to get the Pittsburgh offense to hit the ball at his defense when it mattered most.

Pregame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_0RPeovpHk

Down 4-0 in the third Pittsburgh cut into the lead after Neil Walker brought in Alex Presley, who tripled, on a ground out to second base.  The Cubs were able to get that run back in the fourth on a Starlin Castro single that brought in Darwin Barney.  The Buccos would make it a two run game in the bottom part of the inning on a Matt Diaz double that would score Garrett Jones and Michael McKenry.  That would be all the closer Pittsburgh could get as the Cubs would add a run in the ninth to take game two of this series 6-3.

Postgame Show:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PBh96vhp02M

The final game before the All-Star break will be a big one as the Pirates look to win another series and home stand.  A win would also keep Pittsburgh at least one game out first place entering the break.  Lyle Overbay was pulled from the game in fourth inning, with trade rumors that Pittsburgh may try to acquire Cubs first baseman Carlos Pena, Overbay’s time in a Pirates uniform may be short.  Andrew McCutchen was named to the All-Star team, replacing Milwaukee Brewers outfielder Ryan Braun.  Sunday’s game is scheduled to begin at 1:35 with Paul Maholm pitching for the Pirates and Ramon Ortiz on the hill for the Cubs.

Record vs. Cubs:  5-3
Record vs. N.L. Central 19-12
Record at Home:  22-22
Overall Record:  46-43

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

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!

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

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Record Vs. Astros: 7-1

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

Home Record: 21-20

Overall Record: 45-41

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

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

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Correia Earns Eleventh Win As Pirates Rout Nationals in Series Finale 10-2

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Rob Carr/Getty Images

The Pirates lost two of the past three games against the Washington Nationals due to the fact that they were unable to score runs late in the game.  Today, they seemed to fix that problem as the offense exploded for 16 hits as they pounded the Nationals 10-2 to earn the series split.

After only tallying nine runs through the first three games at Nationals Park, the Buccos tagged starter Jason Marquis & Co. for ten runs on their way to a rout of the Nats.  Marquis lasted just 1.1 innings, giving up seven runs (six earned) on eight hits, inflating his ERA to 4.11 for the season.

The Pirates jumped on him right away in the opening inning, scoring three runs to take an early advantage that they would never surrender.  Andrew McCutchen, Neil Walker, and Lyle Overbay smacked three consecutive RBI singles to give the Buccos a 3-0 lead.  All three players recorded three-hit afternoons, leading the offensive surge.

Garrett Jones got into the act in the second inning on a two run double, scoring Alex Presley and Chase d’Arnaud.  Jones scored on Cutch’s RBI double to deep right field. Walker added an RBI single, and later scored on Overbay’s RBI double.  When all was said and done in the Pirates’ half of the second, the Nationals found themselves in an 8-0 hole.

That was more an enough insurance for Pirates’ starter Kevin Correia, who earned his 11^th victory of the season in another solid performance.  He gave up two runs on six hits through six innings, while striking out six batters and walking only one.  His ERA sits at 3.74.  His only real blemish came in the second inning when the Nationals’ Wilson Ramos hit a two-run homerun.

Despite Correia’s strong start, most of the attention belonged to the offense.  While Cutch, Overbay, and Walker led the charge, nearly everyone on the roster contributed to the win this afternoon.  Five different Pirates tallied multi-hit games, including Presley and d’Arnaud.  Overbay had three RBI’s on the day, while Cutch and Walker added two a piece, along with Garrett Jones.  Michael McKenry recorded his first Major League RBI with a bases-loaded walk in the sixth inning. 

The bullpen came in and closed out the ballgame for the Pirates in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings.  Daniel Moskos and Chris LeRoux combined to throw three innings of shutout baseball.  As a team, the Pirates limited the Nationals to just nine hits, one fewer than the Pirates had runs today.

This was another strong response to a loss by the Pirates this afternoon.  This was a game that the Buccos needed to win, and the energy and determination of the team were evident from the start.  They earn a split in the series, earn another winning road trip, and return home to PNC Park with a 43-41 record.

The Pirates will return to Pittsburgh for the start of a six-game homestand, which will conclude the first half of the season.  The final homestand before the All-Star break will prove to be a big one for the Buccos, with an opportunity to add to improve their N.L. Central record as they will play host for a pair of three-game series against the Houston Astros and Chicago Cubs.

Fans From The Stands would also like to congratulate Joel Hanrahan on being selected to represent the Pittsburgh Pirates at the All Star Game. 

Record Vs. Nationals: 4-4

Record Vs. N.L. East: 10-14

Record On The Road: 24-21

Overall Record: 43-41

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!