Bucco Blurb: Winter Meeting News & Rumors

By Chad Carlson

Albert Pujols.  Prince Fielder.  C.J. Wilson. Mark Buehrle.  Jamie Moyer? 

While a number of teams take their shot at the major studs of the free agent market, our Pittsburgh Pirates are “at least moderately interested” in Jamie Moyer.  Yes, that’s right…Jamie Moyer, the 49-year old who is attempting a comeback after having Tommy John surgery in 2009.

Now it’s rather foolish to assume that just because they are in discussions that this may actually become a reality.  In fact, it’s highly improbable that the Bucs would make a move like this.  Of course, they would be able to add a left-hand to a starting rotation that certainly needs one, and financially, which is always a factor, Moyer would come very cheap. 

That being said, the Bucs are also interested in another lefty, Jeff Francis.  If you’ll remember, the Pirates were in talks with him last winter, but he ended up signing with the Kansas City Royals for $2 million.  After a 6-16 campaign in 2011, he’s back on the market and is of interest, in addition to Pittsburgh, to the Minnesota Twins and Seattle Mariners.  Francis, of course, Francis pitched for Clint Hurdle when they were in Colorado together.  Maybe some pull?

There has been no further news or even rumors surrounding the Nate McClouth situation.  If there are serious discussions going on, it would appear as though the Pirates are not sold on Alex Presley as being able to fulfill a full season in left field.  McClouth hasn’t exactly made the Pirates regret trading him to Atlanta, and since Presley certainly contributed last season, this comes as a bit of a surprise.  Again, no more news about this, so until we hear more, this is no more than a rumor.

A few third baseman options continue to arise in Pirates’ discussions, but none at first base.  Neal Huntington has been quoted as saying that he’s confident that they’ll be able to fill the hole at first base internally if nothing presents itself from a trade standpoint or on the free agent market.  All indications point in the direction of Derrek Lee NOT returning to Pittsburgh, meaning that the starting job at first base would be between Garrett Jones, Nick Evans, Jake Fox, or a combination of any of the three. 

As for the third base situation, the Bucs appear to be prepared to cover themselves with a corner-man who is also able to play other infield positions.  If Pedro Alvarez struggles, they’ll have another option.  We all hope that’s not an issue.

The same problems remain at this point for the Pirates:  lack of run production.  Despite the signings of Rod Barajas and Clint Barmes, which were more defensive than offensive upgrades, the Bucs are either content with where they were last year (hope not), are overrating Barajas and Barmes, or are expecting significant offensive improves from the likes of Alvarez, Neil Walker, Andrew McCutchen, and Jose Tabata. 

Stay tuned to Fans From The Stands as we continue to learn more about Pirates’ news and rumors surrounding the winter meetings this week.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Fielder's Three Home Runs Power Brewers Past Pirates

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Pirates Take Game Two, End Skid Against Brewers

by Zane Heiple

Photo by Getty Images

After being beaten easily in game one of the doubleheader, the Pittsburgh Pirates had little time feel bad for themselves, as they only had 30 minutes to prepare for game two against the Milwaukee Brewers.  The pitching matchup in this game looked to heavily favor Milwaukee as they would send former Cy Young Award winner Zack Greinke to the mound to take Brad Lincoln, who was making only his second start of the season.

The Brewers did not wait long to get on the board as leadoff batter Corey Hart took the second pitch of the game deep to centerfield.  With one out Nyjer Morgan would score from third when Prince Fielder reached safely on a fielder’s choice.  Pittsburgh answered with a run of their own, when Neil Walker brought home Jose Tabata with a single to left field that cut the Brew Crew lead to only one run.  In the fourth inning, Ryan Doumit tied the game with a solo home run to right center field.

Lincoln held his own tonight against a very formidable Milwaukee lineup.  He would go six innings allowing two runs on three hits with one walk and one strikeout.  Daniel McCutchen would replace Lincoln in the seventh and keep the Brewers off the board in an inning of work. 

The bottom part of the inning saw the Pirates open up the offense.  It all started with a Garrett Jones single and Matt Diaz being hit by a pitch.  With two runners on, Josh Harrison hit an RBI double to shallow left field.  With one out Andrew McCutchen would pinch it for D-Cutch and walk on a wild pitch that scored Diaz from third.  Jose Tabata then doubled home Harrison, which would be followed up by a Xavier Paul single that scored Cutch.  Ryan Doumit kept the hitting going with a bases loaded single that brought home Tabata.  Jones was up again and brought home another run with a sacrifice fly to the warning track to right field.  With Diaz at the plate a wild pitch would bring home Walker to bring home run number seven of the inning and give the Buccos a 9-2 lead heading into the eighth inning.

Recently called up Chris Leroux, who took the place of Kevin Correia on the 25-man roster after he headed to the DL today, finished off the last two innings to give Pittsburgh their first win over the Brew Crew in 2011.  This was a huge win for the Pirates since Milwaukee has owned them over the past few seasons.  It was great to see the Buccos capitalize on another teams mistakes and come up with a big inning like they did during the seventh inning tonight.  That being said though, Pittsburgh has two more games left with Milwaukee in this series and they don’t want to let the Brewers gain any momentum back after this win.  Tomorrow’s game will begin at 7:05pm with the Brew Crew starting Marco Estrada and Pittsburgh sending Ross Ohlendorf to the mound for his first start since early April.

Record vs. Brewers:  1-9
Record vs. N.L. Central:  29-27
Record at PNC Park:  30-36
Overall Record:  60-67

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!!!

Pitching Falls Apart, Buccos Swept By Brewers

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

Well Buccos’ fans, let’s face it; the Pirates stink when they visit the city of Milwaukee.  Today’s series’ finale was no different.  I bet some of you, like me, had a bit of hope coming into today.  Kevin Correia was on the mound, Pittsburgh has been great on the road so far, and the Florida Marlins have been the only team to sweep the Buccos this year.  Once again, hope clouded our own reality.

After a quick 1-2-3 top of the first, the Brewers wasted little jumping on the Pirates’ throats.  Two singles allowed Ryan Braun to hit a three-run homer to right field.  This was followed up by a Casey McGee solo shot two batters later to make it 4-0.  The second inning saw Braun give us more of a reason to hate him (like we needed more) when he hit a two-out RBI triple.

The Brew Crew added another run in the third on a Jonathan Lucroy double that scored McGee from third.  These six runs spelled the end of Correia’s day after four innings.  He gave up six runs on eight hits, walking two and striking out one.  This was by far his worst start of the season as many of his pitches were left up over the plate and drilled into play.

However, just when you think Pittsburgh is out of a game, the offense decided to make an appearance in the fifth inning.  Neil Walker led off the inning with a solo homerun to centerfield.  The next four runs all came with two outs.  Ronny Cedeno doubled home Chris Snyder.  This was followed by a Steve Pearce pinch-hit double that cut Milwaukee’s lead to two.  Andrew McCutchen hit his first triple of the year and then was brought home by a Jose Tabata single to make it a 6-5 Brewers’ lead after 4 ½ innings.

After coming back from a six-run deficit to make it a one-run game, it made sense for Clint Hurdle to bring in a relief pitcher that has been performing well lately.  That’s why his decision to bring in the struggling Chris Resop made me scratch my head.  Chris was able to get two of the first three batters out, but the fourth batter he faced made him pay for a pitch left over the heart of the plate.  With a runner on, Lucroy struck again, this time with a  two-run homerun to give Milwaukee an 8-5 lead.

The Brew Crew added a run in the seventh to give themselves a four-run lead.  The Buccos gave a bit of a fight in the ninth as Pedro Alvarez scored on a Cedeno single.  With the bases loaded, Jose Tabata came to the plate with one out and the opportunity to keep hope alive.  I think we all knew what was going to happen, as Tabata grounded into the game-ending double play, allowing Milwaukee to secure the three-game sweep.

Another rough one for the Pirates, on a day when the offense scored six runs on ten hits, the overall pitching couldn’t keep the Brewers’ lineup in check.  Pittsburgh will visit the cheese state six more times this year and there is a good chance they will lose those games, unless a voodoo doctor comes in and lifts whatever curse has been placed on our beloved Buccos.

Pittsburgh will fly to our nation’s capital for a short two-game set with the Washington Nationals, starting tomorrow.  Hopefully they leave those bad Milwaukee vibes in Wisconsin and are to break out their current funk.  First pitch is scheduled for 7:05.

Record Vs. Brewers: 0-5

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 9-9

Record On The Road: 11-11

Overall Record: 18-22

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bullpen Tagged For Six Runs, Pirates Lose Fourth Straight

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: AP

Here we go again?

Throughout the Buccos’ historic, infamous 18-season long losing streak, there has typically been that one stretch during the year when they drop a significant amount of games in a short period of time, digging themselves a hole they are incapable of recovering from.  In the past, it’s been the pitching at times, the hitting at times, or, in some cases, just plain bad luck.  However the pieces fall into place over the years, there has always been one common theme:  a Pirates’ losing streak.

Unfortunately, that is exactly where the Pirates are tonight:  in the middle of their longest losing streak of the 2011 season thus far.  The Buccos dropped their fourth straight game today after an 8-2 defeat to the Milwaukee Brewers at Miller Park.

Jeff Karstens made the start for the Buccos, and again, put together a nice game, keeping his team alive in the game.  The Pirates’ right-hander gave up two runs on five hits through five innings. Both runs came on solo homeruns by Prince Fielder and Brandon Boggs in the fourth inning.

The Brewers opened the game wide open in the seventh inning with five runs, building an unbreakable lead.  The inning was highlighted by RBI’s from Craig Counsell, Casey McGehee, as well as another from Fielder.  Clint Hurdle was also tossed from the game after arguing over a close play at first base, much to the delight of the Milwaukee crowd.

Lyle Overbay blasted a homerun for the Buccos in the top of the eighth, but that run was cancelled out in the bottom half of the inning when Ryan Braun hit a solo shot of his own, his 11^th of the season.

With the loss, the Buccos have dropped four straight and fall to 18-21 on the year.  The offense isn’t scoring runs, and as of late, the bullpen is getting roughed up.  Again, Karstens pitched a satisfactory game.  Other than giving up the two solo homeruns, he only gave up three other hits through his five innings of work.  The bullpen fell apart tonight.  Daniel McCutchen gave up two runs in one inning, Joe Beimel gave up a run without recording an out, and Jose Ascanio gave up the solo shot to Braun. 

From an offensive standpoint, it was the same old story again today.  Scoring two runs is not going to win too many games in Major League Baseball.  Andrew McCutchen was the only Pirate with more than one hit.  Other than Overbay’s homerun, the Buccos’ only other run came on Jose Tabata’s sacrifice to right in the fifth inning, scoring Ronny Cedeno. 

The Pirates will look to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon at Miller Park in the final game of the series against the Brewers.  It certainly won’t be easy tomorrow for Pittsburgh, as they will face Zack Greinke, who had some of the best pitching numbers in the game two years ago, as still has the best stuff in the game.  Kevin Correia will take the mound for the Pirates.

Record Vs. Brewers: 0-4

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 9-8

Record On The Road: 11-10

Overall Record: 18-21

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Correia Falls Apart In The Sixth, Pirates Shutout By Brewers

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

After last night’s game was postponed and rescheduled to August due to rain, the Milwaukee Brewers and Pittsburgh Pirates began their now two-game series at PNC Park this evening.  Shaun Marcum and Kevin Correia each took to the mound for their respective teams on an extra day’s rest, so both were expected to be that much crisper and on target for the game this evening.  Both teams entered tonight’s matchup with a 5-5 record, and it’s never too early to gain an edge on a divisional opponent.

Both pitchers came out strong tonight, going through the opposing club’s lineup with apparent ease.  Correia and Marcum each pitched near flawlessly through the first five innings of the game. 

Unfortunately for us Pirates’ fans, Correia was the pitcher who broke down in the sixth inning.  After not allowing a single hit through the previous five frames, Kevin was tagged for four runs in the fifth alone. 

Carlos Gomez’s sacrifice fly to shallow right started the scoring for the Brewers, as Jonathan Lucroy tagged and crossed home from third base, giving them a 1-0 lead.  The big blow came from the bat of Prince Fielder, as it so often has in the past between these two teams.  After Marcum and Ryan Braun reached base, Fielder hammered a monstrous three-run homerun to deep center field, increasing the Brewers’ advantage to 4-0.

Milwaukee continued the scoring in the seventh inning.  Yuniesky Betancourt doubled to deep left center, scoring Nyjer Morgan, and then advanced to third base on a throwing error.  Betancourt scored on Marcum’s sacrifice ground out to shortstop, extending the lead to 6-0 in favor of the Brewers.

As for Correia, he pitched five innings of phenomenal baseball, and then had a REALLY bad inning.  His final stat line read six innings, six runs (four earned), five hits, two walks, and one strikeout, raising his ERA to 2.70.  His mound opponent, Marcum, threw seven innings, giving up only four hits and issuing one walk while striking out four batters, lowering his ERA to 2.55.

As a team, the Pirates’ offense was putrid, managing just four hits throughout the entire game.  Matt Diaz had a two-hit evening, while Pedro Alvarez and Lyle Overbay had a hit a piece.  While their opportunities were extremely limited, the Buccos did have a few chances to cut into the Brewers’ lead tonight, but to no avail. 

On a night like tonight, it’s very difficult to find positives.  The Pirates’ bullpen came in and did a solid job.  Mike Crotta, Chris Resop, and Evan Meek each pitched an inning of shutout baseball.  On the offensive side, the only positive note of the night would be Diaz, who went 2-3, starting in place of Garrett Jones in right field.

It’s safe to say the Pirates are reeling at this point.  They have fallen to 5-6 for the season, and after a promising start to the season, the club has struggled to incorporate strong pitching and timely hitting into the same ballgame for the past week.  Jose Tabata, Neil Walker, and Andrew McCutchen were a combined 0-10 tonight, which is completely unacceptable for the top three hitters in the lineup.  Cutch’s average has dropped to a discouraging .231, while Walker’s isn’t much higher at .273.  While one would anticipate these averages coming up soon, it’s still frustrating to see these averages as low as they are right now.  Currently, Tabata is the only Bucco with an average over the .300 mark.

The Pirates will look to avenge tonight’s loss against the Brewers again tomorrow evening.  Paul Maholm will take the ball for the Buccos.  At 5-6 and a rather difficult road trip ahead, this is a VERY important game for the Pirates to hopefully get back on the winning track before leaving Pittsburgh.

Record Vs. Brewers: 0-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 4-3

Record At Home: 1-4

Overall Record: 5-6

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!