Pitching Falls Apart Against Twins & Orioles This Afternoon

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit:  http://www.hardballtalk.nbcsports.com

The Pirates had a busy Saturday afternoon today, with intra-squad games against the Minnesota Twins and Baltimore Orioles.  Kevin Correia and Erik Bedard started against the Twins and Orioles respectively, and neither, well, exactly propelled much confidence with their performances today.

Kevin Correia will make his first start of the season in a little over a week in the Pirates’ first road game of 2012.  In his final Spring Training game, he (and the rest of the team) was hoping for a strong performance to carry over to the regular season.  Unfortunately, that didn’t happen today against the Minnesota Twins.

Ryan Doumit’s new teams lit Correia up for 10 runs on 12 hits in just 2.1 innings today.  After a routine opening inning, Kevin ran into a world of trouble in the two subsequent innings, and wasn’t able to escape the third frame.  Daniel McCutchen, who will also be apart of the Opening Day roster bullpen, also struggled, as did Tim Wood.  D-Cutch surrendered three runs on three hits in an inning, while Wood was touched up for two runs on four hits in two innings.  Not the kind of performance we want from the pitching staff leading up to the regular season. 

Offensively, Jose Tabata and Michael McKenry were the only Pirates to have a multi-hit game, and McKenry blasted a homerun for the Bucs today.  Pedro Alvarez went 1-4 with only one strikeout, and Matt Hague also homered, his sixth of the spring.  He continues to make a strong case for an Opening Day roster spot, along with Yamaico Navarro, who went 1-4 today.

The Twins won the game, 15-3.

Similar to Correia (but not quite to that extent), Erik Bedard struggled in his start today, giving up four runs on five hits, including two homeruns.  His ERA sits at 5.03 right now, and even though this is just Spring Training, this is not the way one of the top pitchers in the Pirates’ rotation needs to throwing as we approach Opening Day.

Joel Hanrahan gave up a run today, while Chris Leroux had a solid one inning of relief, striking out two batters without giving up a single hit.

Garrett Jones had a homerun (his fourth of the spring) and two RBI’s, while Rod Barajas and Casey McGehee had a pair of hits a piece.  Clint Barmes and Alex Presley each had a hit as well, including Presley’s solo homerun.

The Bucs and Orioles played to a 6-6 tie. 

The Pirates will face the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon before heading to Philadelphia for the final two exhibition games against the Phillies.

Grapefruit League:  8-18-2

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucs Fall to O's Under The Lights

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

The Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Orioles have had many things in common over the past two decades.  The one main thing is that neither has sniffed .500 for the past 15+ years.  While talent has graced each organization, neither had done well in drafting and developing players.  That seems to be changing by the amount of young talent that was seen on the field for each team tonight in the Orioles 4-1 victory.

While the Pirates offense was M.I.A tonight it was a former Oriole on the mound for the Buccos that starred for the Black and Gold.  Erik Bedard, who was named Opening Day starter for Pittsburgh earlier in the week, looked ready for April tonight, as he would go six innings allowing two runs, one earned, while striking out five and walking one.  Pirates fans everywhere would love to see Bedard have games like this throughout the 2012 season.  Jason Grilli performed well tonight in one inning of work as he struck out two batters.  At this point it looks like Grilli is a lock for the bullpen.  Juan Cruz and Tony Watson each worked an inning tonight allowing one run on two hits.

While it may still be spring training, the offensive struggles are still frustrating.  Pittsburgh would only manage one run on two hits.  Neil Walker and Michael McKenry collected the only hits for the Buccos, while Garrett Jones would bring home Andrew McCutchen with a sacrifice ground out to first base.   Would be nice to see a little more consistency out of the offense before the head north for opening day.

The Buccos will head to beautiful Clearwater to take on the Philadelphia Phillies tomorrow afternoon at 1:05.  Starting for the Pirates will be Chris Resop.  You may be asking why Resop, well Jeff Karstens is scheduled to pitch the second game of the opening series, and Clint Hurdle does not want Philadelphia to get a good look at Karstens before then.

Grapefruit League Record:  8-14

And...

As Always...

Let's Go Bucs!

Pirates Fall To Blue Jays In First Spring Training Game Of 2012

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

By Chad Carlson

Well that could’ve gone a little better. 

The Pirates opened up Grapefruit League play today with a 7-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Florida Auto Exchange Stadium in Dunedin, Florida.

Brett Lawrie went 2-3 and had 4 RBI’s for Toronto, while seven of their eight pitchers tossed scoreless innings, giving up only a total of two hits to Pirates’ batters.

It was a tough day for the Bucs on both ends, only tallying two hits the entire afternoon.  Both knocks occurred in the same inning, though, resulting in the only run they’d score all day.  With two outs in the fifth, Gorkys Hernandez singled to right center, stole 2^nd base, and scored on Michael McKenry’s RBI single to right field.  Other than three walks, the two singles by Hernandez and McKenry were the virtually the only offense for the Pirates this afternoon.

Two of the new Pirates, Casey McGehee and Clint Barmes, combined to go 0-2, while Nate McLouth walked in the second inning.  Starling Marte had a double in the ninth inning in his only at-bat.

Overall, it was a disappointing performance by the Bucs’ pitching staff.  After a flawless first inning, starter James McDonald gave up two runs on hits and a walk in the second inning, while Chris Leroux and Daniel McCutchen gave up a run each in the fifth and seventh innings respectively.  However, after giving up a solo homerun in the sixth inning, LeRoux did strike out the side. 

Unfortunately, Tony Watson had the roughest day of all, giving up three runs on four hits in the sixth inning. 

Now the bright sides of the game:  Brad Lincoln, Chris Resop, and Ryota Igarashi each pitched an inning of scoreless ball.  With the injury to A.J. Burnett keeping him out at least two months, there is an opening to be filled, possibly by Lincoln?  We’ll see.  We’ve seen in the past that he has the ability to pitch extremely well, but the longevity and consistency of that quality pitching has been the issue.  Though it’s only an inning in one Spring Training game, it was still nice to see Lincoln pitch well today.

Andrew McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, and Rod Barajas sat out this afternoon, so we’ll have to wait at least another day to see them take their first official at-bats of Spring Training. 

First of all, Pirates' fans, calm down.  It's only one Spring Training game.  Despite the loss today, it’s incredibly exciting to be talking about Pirates’ baseball once again.  As with any Spring Training, this is always optimism from players and fans alike.  Considering the excitement during the first four months of the season last year in Pittsburgh, fans are looking for the team to take the next step and complete a solid season. 

The goal for this Spring Training is progress, in every sense of the word.  While it’s always nice to win games, a Grapefruit League record means absolutely nothing to me.  This is all about the little things right now on individual levels, micro levels.  How does Charlie Morton look in his inning or two of work, and how does Pedro Alvarez look in his pair plate appearances against left-handed pitching?  Keep these in mind as we watch and discuss Pirates’ baseball this Spring Training.

The Pirates and Blue Jays will meet again tomorrow afternoon, this time at McKechnie Field.  First pitch is scheduled for 1:05pm.

Grapefruit League Record:  0-1

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Matt Pagnozzi

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Chris Schneider/AP

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Clinch 19th Straight Losing Season With Defeat To Cardinals

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

After being in the running for the division crown throughout the first four months of the season, fans could see the hopes of a plus .500 season slip out of the Pittsburgh Pirates grasp with their awful 8-22 run during the month of August.  Today’s 3-2 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals clinched that 19^th straight losing season to extend the North American record.

The loss today was like many of the losses that Pittsburgh has suffered throughout the 2011 season.  A great pitching performance and solid defense was wasted by lack of offense.  The Pirates offense mustered eight hits today, one more than St. Louis, but only scored two runs.  The second inning started off as a great opportunity to bust the game open.  Derrek Lee started off with a single, which was followed by a double by Ryan Ludwick.  With runners on second and third, Pedro Alvarez came to the plate and grounded into a fielder’s choice, which resulted in Lee being tagged out at home plate.  Next up was Ronny Cedeno who would hit into a double play to end any threat.  This type of inning sums up much of the season.

The Buccos were able to tie the game in the third inning.  After Michael McKenry double, Alex Presley would hit a one out RBI double.  Unfortunately Neil Walker would ground out and then Andrew McCutchen would strike out to leave Presley at third base.  The fourth inning saw the Red Birds score the winning run, as Yadier Molina would double home Lance Berkman and Allen Craig.  Pittsburgh cut into the lead in the sixth inning as Lee would double home Presley. 

Charlie Morton started the game and would go seven innings allowing three runs on six hits.  He would strike out six and walk three, before being lifted in place of Tony Watson.  Watson would strike out two batters and not allow a hit in his inning of work.  Jared Hughes finished the game off with one inning of work in the ninth.

While it is depressing to see another season come and go with the Pirates continuing to lose.  There have been some upsides to this season, which we will talk about in two weeks.  The Buccos wrapped up this nine game home stand with a 3-6 record.  They will now hit the road for seven games starting tomorrow night with a four game series against the Los Angeles Dodgers.  Ross Ohlendorf will take on Dana Eveland with first pitch scheduled for 10:10pm.

Record vs. Cardinals:  7-9
Record vs. N.L. Central:  36-38
Record at PNC Park:  34-44
Overall Record:  67-82

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Brewers Comeback, Defeat Pirates In Extras

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

S.O.B.  For some us this stands as a phrase to help us deal with a frustrating moment in life.  For Pittsburgh Pirates fans this stands for Same Old Buccos, which is what we were all saying after today’s 2-1 defeat at the hands of the Milwaukee Brewers and another sweep at Miller Park.  This defeat was the 36^th in 39 appearances in Milwaukee for the Buccos.

The Pirates took a 1-0 lead in the first inning when Andrew McCutchen doubled home Garrett Jones.  Charlie Morton made it look like that was all the offense he would need on the day as he would pitch 7.1 innings allowing one run on four hits with five strikeouts and two walks. 

The lone run he gave up came with two outs and Joel Hanrahan on the mound.  With a runner on second, Hanrahan would strike out Nyjer Morgan, but the ball would get away from Michael McKenry, allowing runners to be on first and third.  This led to Ryan Braun hitting a single that would tie the game, and ultimately send it to extras.

This Buccos had the bases loaded in the top of the tenth with two outs, but Brandon Wood would hit the ball an inch in front of home plate for an easy force out at home by Brewers catcher George Kottaras.  It was the bottom of the inning that allowed fans of the Brew Crew to get out their brooms.  After getting the first batter out, Chris Resop would give up a single to Kottaras and then a double to Casey McGehee.  This allowed Morgan to get back at his old ball club with a sacrifice fly to right field for the win.

S.O.B. is just what this game was, great starting pitching wasted by a lack of offense.  A 2-4 road trip was unfortunate, since the Buccos lost the last two games of the trip by one run apiece.  Pittsburgh will head home to begin three game series with the St. Louis Cardinals.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05 with James McDonald starting for the Pirates and Jake Westbrook on the bump for the Cardinals.

Record vs. Brewers:  0-8
Record vs. N.L. Central:  25-23
Record on the Road:  30-31
Overall Record:  56-63

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Brewers Take Down Pirates.....Again

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates are flat out bad when they play the Milwaukee Brewers and Friday night’s game did nothing to prove this statement false.  The Buccos never led in this game and even when they did get close terrible defensive mistakes allowed the Brew Crew to make this another easy win for them.

The Brewers jumped out to a four run lead when they chased Paul Maholm from the game after the fifth inning after allowing three earned runs on seven hits.  He did not walk or strike out a batter which means that Milwaukee was patient at the plate and hit the ball when placed in the strike zone.

The Pirates scored two runs in the eighth inning to give fans a little hope that maybe a comeback was on the horizon.  Michael McKenry would double home Ronny Cedeno.  After a Ryan Doumit strikeout, Andrew McCutchen would bring the Fort home on a ground rule double.  This would be all the offense that Pittsburgh would bring to the park, as the Brew Crew made this a laugher in the bottom part of the inning.

After Jason Grilli pitched two scoreless innings in relief of Maholm, Joe Beimel would come out of the pen and serve up to gifts to the first two batters he faced.  Ryan Braun and Prince Fielder do not need any help hitting home runs, but Beimel was in a giving mood on this night as these two Brewers would hit back to back home runs of Joe, sending him to the showers after facing two batters and not getting an out.  The final run came off of a Jonathan Lucroy single, which gave Milwaukee a 7-2 victory over Pittsburgh.

This was a game that felt like the Brewers were toying with the Pirates just to embarrass them again in the eighth inning.  Pittsburgh will get attempt number two of three to figure out Milwaukee in a nationally televised game this afternoon.  Kevin Coreia will take the hill for the Buccos, while the Brew Crew will send Marco Estrada to the bump.  First pitch scheduled for 4:10pm on FOX.

Record vs. Brewers:  0-6
Record vs. N.L. Central:  25-21
Record on the Road:  30-29
Overall Record:  56-61

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!

Braves, Umpires Beat Pirates In 19 Innings

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

For the second straight evening, the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Atlanta Braves played deep into the night at Turner Field.  After rain delayed last night’s first pitch over two hours, the two clubs faced off tonight it what would turn out to be a marathon battle between two of the best bullpens in baseball…and they proved it tonight.

In what began as one of the more exciting games of the 2011 season, the result would turn out to be one of the biggest letdowns and official blunders in recent baseball memory. 

The Buccos got things started early with two runs in the first inning.  Xavier Paul led off with a single, stole second base, and scored on Neil Walker’s RBI triple.  Pedro Alvarez then knocked Walker in with an RBI single to right field, giving the Pirates the early 2-0 advantage.

Michael McKenry belted his second homerun of the year in the second inning on a blast to deep left field, increasing the lead to 3-0.

The Braves tied the game in the third inning, and all of the damage was done after starter Jeff Karstens had recorded the first two outs.  Brian McCann’s seeing-eye single just past Alvarez got things started.  Freddie Freeman then singled.  Dan Uggla smacked a single up the middle, scoring McCann.  After Eric Hinske walked, Jason Heyward slated another slow single up the middle, scoring Freeman and Uggla, tying things up at the end of the third frame.

Both teams stranded numerous runners on base and squandered opportunities over the middle innings of the game.  The Pirates had a great opportunity to take the lead back in the fifth inning.  With two outs, Walker singled and Andrew McCutchen drew a walk, but Alvarez chased a ball downstairs on a full count to end the inning.

The Braves’ best chance to snag the lead came in the sixth inning as they loaded the bases with only one out against the Bucs’ Tony Watson.  But the Pirates’ left hander worked his way out of the inning, as the bullpen has successfully done over and over this year, by striking out Nate McClouth and getting Martin Prado to ground out to first to end the frame.

This would prove to be somewhat of a preview of what was to take place over the next hours that stretched into the early Wednesday morning hours.  Both teams left runners on base, emptying their bullpens and dugouts, while players stretched their physical and mental limitations.

As Daniel McCutchen entered his sixth inning of relief, Julio Lugo forced a one out walk in the bottom of the 19^th inning.  Jordan Schafer singled, pushing Lugo to third base with the pitcher, Scott Proctor approaching the plate.  Proctor hit a soft single to Pedro Alvarez, who threw home to beat Lugo home by a mile…or at least that’s what everyone thought.  Umpire Jerry Meals called Lugo safe, ruling that McKenry missed the tag, which came as a surprise to everyone at Turner Field, including Lugo and Mckenry. 

Lugo and the Braves quickly ran inside their dugout, while Clint Hurdle barked at the umpiring crew as they left the field.

The game, lasting a Pirates’ record six hours and 39 minutes, ends in a travesty.  Sure, the Pirates had their opportunities to win, but for a historic game like this to end the way it did, it’s a travesty folks.  This is, without a doubt, a heartbreaking loss for Pittsburgh.

The 19 inning game included 28 hits and 39 men left on base.  For the Pirates, Walker and McKenry led the team with three hits, while Paul and Ronny Cedeno added two a piece. 

Following this disastrous loss, the Pirates will now face off against the Braves’ ace Jair Jurrjens in game three of the series.  Pittsburgh will send Paul Maholm to the mound.

Record vs. Braves: 1-3

Record Vs. N.L. East: 11-15

Record On The Road: 27-23

Overall Record: 53-48

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pitching Story Again As Pirates Beat Hudson, Braves 3-1

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Scott Cunningham/Getty Images

Tonight’s game against the Atlanta Braves marked the beginning of the Pirates’ most brutal road trip of the season thus far.  As Clint Hurdle has said on numerous occasions, the Pirates need to take the season one game at a time, and tonight was the first test for the Buccos, who took the field in Atlanta tied for first in the N.L. Central.  The team also welcomed back Pedro Alvarez tonight, who was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis, and was immediately put into the starting lineup, while Alex Presley was placed on the 15-day DL.

The pitching staff was the story of the game tonight for Pittsburgh, in this the 100^th game of the 2011 season, as it has been much of the season thus far, holding the Braves in check as the Buccos took the first game of the four-game set, 3-1 at Turner Field.

James McDonald started for Pittsburgh, giving up eight hits and striking out a career-high nine batters through 5.1 innings, while Chris Resop, Daniel McCutchen, and Jose Veras combined to set the table for Joel Hanrahan to close the door on the Braves to secure his 29^th save of the season.  

While McDonald earned his seventh victory of the season, Braves’ starter Tim Hudson, despite a strong performance, lost his seventh game of the year.  Hudson gave up just five hits and struck out eight batters, but his three walks proved to be detrimental to the Pirates’ success, as all three runners that reached base on a walk scored.

The Pirates jumped on Hudson early this evening.  After Andrew McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez led off the 2^nd inning with walks, Lyle Overbay hit a fly ball to center field, deep enough to move runners over to second and third base.  Ronny Cedeno’s ground out to Chipper Jones scored Cutch, and Michael McKenry’s broken-bat bloop single to left field scored Alvarez.  The Bucs occupied a 2-0 lead.

Pittsburgh tacked on a run in the sixth inning, much to the dismay of the Braves’ fans in attendance who actually began booing their hometown team.  Garrett Jones drew a one out walk, and moved over to second on Neil Walker’s ground out.  McCutchen then hammered a single straight up the middle, scoring Jones and pushing the lead to 3-0.  Cutch advanced to second on Nate McClouth’s fielding error, stole third base, but was stranded as Alvarez struck out to end the frame.

While McDonald struck out a lot of batters, he also had to work his way out of a few jams throughout the night.  In fact, the Braves left a total of eight men on base through the first six innings, including squandering a huge opportunity in the sixth.  With the bases loaded and one out, Hurdle pulled McDonald for Chris Resop, who got McClouth to pop out to McKenry and struck out Alex Gonzalez to end the inning.

Chipper Jones finally broke the silence of the Braves’ offense with a solo HR to right field to lead off the eighth inning.  After D-Cutch gave up the homerun and a walk to Freddie Freeman, Hurdle made the call to the bullpen, bringing in Jose Veras. Despite his recent struggles in his last few appearances, Veras responded well, setting the Braves down in order, including a strikeout of pinch-hitting Brian McCann.

This was a perfect start to a very difficult road trip for the Pirates tonight.  After losing three games in a row, the Buccos have responded the past two days by winning close games against very good teams.  Again, these are the types of games they’re going to have to win if they plan to keep pace with the St. Louis Cardinals and Milwaukee Brewers in the N.L. Central division.

Despite the victory, the Pirates’ offense continued to struggle tonight.  While they faced a very tough pitcher in Hudson, this, as we all know, has been an ongoing trend for the club, and something that continues to raise concerns.  Not a single Pirate have a multi-hit game, and as a club, the team managed just five hits total.  Neil Walker went 0-3 and Lyle Overbay went 1-4, lowering their averages to .267 and .234 respectively.

In his first game since mid-May, Pedro Alvarez went 1-3 with a walk and a run scored, while Andrew McCutchen 1-2 with two walks, an RBI and a run scored.

Still, this was yet another game that the Pirates found a way to win.  It’s extremely inspiring to see the team continue to win games when the offense is lacking as much as it is currently.  With the win tonight, the Buccos improve to six games over .500 and, with the Cardinals’ win, remain tied for the first place in the N.L. Central.  Jeff Karstens will make the start tomorrow night against the Braves’ Tommy Hanson.

Record Vs. Braves: 1-2

Record Vs. N.L. East: 11-14

Record On The Road: 27-22

Overall Record: 53-47

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Cardinals Use Long Ball To Power Past Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

While the Pittsburgh Pirates have improved in many areas this year, the one area that still has much room for improvement is the ability to hit the home run.  The lack of home runs is why the Buccos need to add a bat before the trade deadline if they hope to contend in the N.L. Central.  The St. Louis Cardinals showed what can happen when you have power in the lineup as they would hit three long balls to give them a 6-4 edge over the Pirates.

The first two HR for the Cards came in the first inning off of starter Paul Maholm.  After Garrett Jones narrowly missed a ball at the Clemente wall, Albert Pujols would hit a two run shot to centerfield.  With two outs, Lance Berkman would double and then be brought home on a David Freese homer to right field.

Pittsburgh answered with two runs in the second.  Jones would double and then score when Ronny Cedeno singled.  Maholm would help his own cause by singling home Cedeno.  While the run scored, the first of two costly base running errors would occur as Michael McKenry would be tagged out trying to return to second base. 

St. Louis starter Chris Carpenter was excellent at the plate tonight as he would go 2-4 and drive in a run during the third inning after the batter in front of him, Nick Punto was intentionally walked.   Carpenter would go eight innings allowing four runs on ten hits, while striking out four and walking one.

The Buccos cut into the lead again in the sixth inning when Jones would bring in two runs, but would be thrown out trying to stretch a single into a double.  This proved costly as the two batters after him singled, meaning that the game could have been tied at five, instead of the Cards leading 5-4.

The final home run came in the eighth inning when Yadier Molina went deep off of Pirates reliever Chris Resop. 

This was the second game in a row that the Pirates hurt themselves with costly mistakes.  Tonight it was poor pitch location against a team that has power in their lineup and poor choices on the base paths that possibly cost the team runs.  The loss tonight makes tomorrow night’s game even more important to win so that Pittsburgh has a chance of winning this series on Sunday.  Tomorrow night’s game is scheduled for 7:05.  The Buccos will send Kevin Correia to the bump, while the Cards will counter with Jaime Garcia.

Record vs. Cardinals:  2-2
Record vs. N.L. Central:  24-15
Record at Home:  25-24
Overall Record:  51-46

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!!!

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!

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!!!

Nationals Defeat Pirates With Pinch Hit Single

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

While there has been little for us Pittsburgh Pirates fans to complain about with the 2011 Buccos, considering that it is July and the team is over .500, lack of offense is the one area that the team vastly needs to improve.  Injuries have been a major culprit for the lack of runs over the course of the season, along with the use of bench and AAA players.  Tonight’s lineup was straight out of spring training split squad game, as four position players began the year in the minor leagues and one is a platoon player.  This combination helped make Washington Nationals starter Tom Gorzelanny and the rest of the Nats pitching staff look like all-stars, and waste a decent outing by the Pittsburgh arms.

Charlie Morton was back on the mound tonight after a ten day rest to clear up some issues he was having over his last three starts.  While at times he looked shaky, with getting deep into counts, he was able to go 5.2 innings with only allowing one run on three hits.  The one mistake he made turned into a solo home run in the sixth inning by Washington outfielder Roger Bernadina.  Chris Resop came in during the eighth inning after Daniel McCutchen allowed one batter to single and another to reach on an error by Josh Harrison.  Resop got out of the jam by striking out three Nationals batter to give Pittsburgh a chance in the ninth.

The Bucco bats appeared to be stuck in customs after returning stateside from Toronto.  The only run they managed came in the third inning.  Michael McKenry went from first to third on a poorly fielded bunt attempt by Gorzelanny.  He then came around to score when Alex Presley grounded out to first.  Sadly this was the only run Pittsburgh managed on the night as their offense only managed six hits, left six men on base, and were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position.

Pittsburgh was somehow still in this game when Tim Wood entered in the ninth.  He would give up a single to Michael Morse, who advanced to second on a badly thrown wild pitch.  Clint Hurdle then elected to intentionally walk Danny Espinosa, which was followed by a fly out to right field by Wilson Ramos.  This led to former Bucco Matt Stairs driving a single off of the right field wall to give the Nationals a 2-1 win.

Tonight was a frustrating night again for fans because of the lack of offense.  The Nationals gave Pittsburgh opportunities to score runs tonight, but they did not cash in.  Neither of these teams is good enough to give the other team chances to score runs, but the Nats capitalized when Pittsburgh did.  The offense has to shoulder the blame tonight, as the pitching staff did all they could to lead this team to victory.  Tomorrow will be a tough day for both teams as the rosters will be taxed in a double header.  First game is scheduled to start at 3:35.

Record vs. Nationals:  2-3
Record vs. N.L. East:  8-13
Record on the Road:  22-20
Overall Record:  41-40

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates Head State-side With Series Victory Over Blue Jays

by Zane Heiple

Jeff Karstens has come a long way for the Pittsburgh Pirates since the team left Bradenton, Florida.  Originally looked at to come out of the bullpen for long relief situations and as the occasional spot start, Karstens has become quite possibly the Buccos most consistent starter.  He was at it again tonight as he would out duel Brett Cecil of the Toronto Blue Jays for a 6-2 victory.

Karstens would log seven innings of work tonight, as he would allow two runs on five hits with one walk and two strike outs.  The only two runs he would give up on the night were solo home runs in the fifth inning by J.P. Arencibia and Yunel Escobar.

The Pittsburgh offense had no trouble with Cecil tonight as he would be tagged with six runs on eight hits through 6.1 innings pitched.  The Pirates got to him in the first inning.  Alex Presley would triple and then be brought home on an Andrew McCutchen ground out to third.  The fifth inning saw the Buccos score again after a Josh Harrison double, he would be moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Michael McKenry and then score on a Presley sacrifice fly.

After Toronto tied the game, Pittsburgh broke it open with a three run sixth.  Lyle Overbay would reach third after the Blue Jays short stop, third baseman, and left fielder misplayed a fly ball.  This would allow Ronny Cedeno to bring Overbay home on a double.  Brandon Wood stepped to the plate and smacked a two run homer to left field to give the Pirates a 5-2 lead.  Pittsburgh added one more run for insurance in the seventh, before handing the game over to the bullpen who shut the door on another Pittsburgh victory.

This was a complete victory for our Buccos.  All aspects of the game contributed to the win.  These are the types of games that show what the Pirates are capable of when all cylinders are firing.  Now Pittsburgh is off to our nation's capital for a four game series with the Washington Nationals on Friday.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Record vs. Blue Jays:  2-1
Record vs. A.L. East:  6-3
Interleague Play Record:  8-7
Record on the Road:  22-19
Overall Record:  41-39

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!!!

Pirates' Offense Explodes, Rout Orioles 9-3

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Jared Wickerham/Getty Images

The Pirates entered Tuesday night’s game against the Baltimore Orioles having lost four straight and in danger of falling to three games under .500.  The offense hasn’t been producing, and the pitching has been faltering slightly, which has been immediate cause for concern for Bucco fans.

Tonight, the Pirates’ offense exploded as they blew out the Orioles by a final score of 9-3 in front of 33,000+ fans at PNC Park.  On a night when thousands of fans, former players and their families, local media, and more gathered to celebrate the Pirates’ victory in the 1971 World Series, the current Buccos gave everyone a lot to cheer about tonight.

For the most part this season, the Pirates have relied on their pitching to get them a big win when they really need it.  Tonight, it was just the opposite.  The offense collected a total of 15 hits, while four different players had at least two RBI’s as the Buccos hammered Orioles’ pitching all night long.

The offensive explosion was enough to overpower the mediocre performance from starter James McDonald.  J-Mac gave up three runs on seven hits, while walking four and giving up two homeruns through just 4.2 innings of work.  Clint Hurdle was forced to pull him from the game in the fifth after James had thrown well over 100 pitches.  Chris Resop came in and shut the Orioles down in the fifth and sixth, and would eventually earn his third win of the season.

The Pirates got on the board early tonight.  Garrett Jones crushed a double to deep right center, scoring Jose Tabata and Josh Harrison.  Neil Walker sacrificed Jones home to give the Bucs an early 3-0 lead.

Tabata’s double in the second scored Ronny Cedeno, and Xavier Paul’s sac fly in the third scored Andrew McCutchen, giving the Pirates a commanding 5-0 lead.

The Orioles battled back into the game temporarily in the fifth inning on a solo homerun by J.J. Hardy and a two-run shot by Adam Jones.  These would be the last runs the O’s would score on the night.

The Buccos added a few more insurance runs in the seventh and eighth innings, including a two-run double by Neil Walker.  “Real Deal” had two hits and three RBI’s on the night.

This was a special night at PNC Park.  With many of the players who were a part of that 1971 championship team in attendance, there seemed to be an extra bounce in the step of the Buccos on the field.  After one of the most disappointing performances of the season last night, the Pirates rebounded in a strong way, something they’ve been able to do consistently this season.

While the starting pitching has been less-than-stellar as of late, it is VERY inspiring to see the offense turn a corner tonight.  We see what this team is capable of doing when they get contributions from everyone.  Tonight, we saw strong games from Walker, McCutchen, Jones, Paul, Tabata, Cedeno, as well as Michael McKenry, who had two hits and a run scored.  This is what the Buccos need to do more of on a consistent basis, which will relieve some of the pressure off the starting rotation.

With the victory, the Pirates have now set up a rubber match with the Orioles tomorrow afternoon at PNC Park.  Kevin Correia will get the start for Pittsburgh, with the first pitch slated for 12:35.  The Pirates will look to get back to .500 with a win.

Record Vs. Orioles: 1-1

Record Vs. A.L. East: 1-1

Interleague Play Record: 3-5

Record At Home: 16-19

Overall Record: 36-37

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!