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 Salvage Series With Win Over Cardinals In Extras

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates came into Sunday’s game with the St. Louis Cardinals in the midst of a three game losing streak and were a day away from heading on a seven game road trip against the top two teams in the National League.  This game may have not been a must win, but it was very important to notch a win against their Central Division rival.

Charlie Morton had an ok start going 5.1 innings giving up three runs on six hits while striking out three and walking five.  This has seemed to be the trend of the pitching staff lately after they got off to a red hot start to begin the season.  Outings like this have showed how the Pirates lack of offense is of much concern to the team if they hope to remain a contender in the division race.

The offense received some help from some unlikely sources today.  This was important considering the likes of Neil Walker and Andrew McCutchen went a combined 1-7.  Eric Fryer was able to come around and tie the game at one in the third inning.  He would reach base on a single and then while stealing second base, an error by SS Ryan Theriot would allow him to reach third.  Chase d’Arnaud brought Fryer home on a double.

After the Cardinals regained the lead in the top of the fifth, Pittsburgh was able to tie the game when Morton helped his own cause on a sacrifice fly that would score Ronny Cedeno.  St. Louis did not waste any time regaining the lead in the sixth as the first batter of the inning, Colby Rasmus, hit a solo home run to right field. 

The seventh inning looked like it could have been a big one for the Buccos, as Cedeno would lead off with a double and would be followed up by a Fryer single.  Unfortunately, Steve Pearce would ground into a double play, that would score a run, but would put an end to any thought of the big inning occurring.

The Pittsburgh bullpen closed the door on the Cards offense as the combo of Jason Grilli, Chris Resop, Joel Hanrahan, and Joe Beimel pitched 4.2 innings allowing only four hits and not allowing a run.  This type of pitching allowed the team to win it in the tenth inning.  Xavier Paul would single with one out to give the Pirates a sign of life.  He would then steal second and advance to third on a throwing error by Gerald Laird.  This allowed d’Arnaud to be the hero with a sacrifice fly to center allowing Paul to cross the plate and give the Pirates a 4-3 victory.

The Pirates stepped up and avoided the sweep today.  What impressed me the most was that they were able to capitalize on the mistakes made by the Cardinals, and they did it players that no one really knew about before the season started.  With this win and the Milwaukee Brewers loss, the Pirates will head to Atlanta tomorrow in a three way tie for first place.  The four game series with the Braves will begin tomorrow with first pitch scheduled for 7:00.  The pitching matchup will feature James McDonald of the Pirates taking on Tim Hudson of the Braves.

Record vs. Cardinals:  3-3
Record vs. N.L. Central:  25-16
Record at Home:  26-25
Overall Record:  52-47

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Meet Your Bucs: Jason Grilli

By Zane Heiple

Photo by blog.syracuse.com

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

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

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

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

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

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

Meet Your Bucs: Josh Harrison and Dusty Brown

by Zane Heiple

On Monday it was announce that the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Ryan Doumit (fractured ankle) and Steve Pearce (partially torn calf muscle) on the 15-day DL.  In their place, the Pirates called up infielder Josh Harrison and catcher Dusty Brown.

Photo by web.minorleaguebaseball.com

Josh Harrison is a former 2008 sixth round pick of the Chicago Cubs.  Pittsburgh acquired Harrison, along with Kevin Hart, and Jose Ascanio for John Grabow and Tom Gorzelanny on July 30, 2009.  So far this year he has played at AAA Indianapolis.  His stats at the plate read:  .321 batting average, 2 home runs, and 11 RBI in 37 games.  Defensively he has played 8 games at second, 26 games at third, and 1 game at shortstop.  His combined fielding percentage at all three positions is .890.  While in Pittsburgh he will most likely see time at third and shortstop.  He would make his big league debut on May 31, 2011.

Photo by pictures.zimbio.com

Dusty Brown was drafted by the Boston Red Sox in the 35^th round of the 2000 draft.  He made his Major League debut on June 23, 2009 for the Sox.  Brown became a Minor League free agent after the 2010 season and was signed by the Pirates to a Minor League contract.  So far this year he has played in 30 games with Indianapolis where he has hit .263 with 6 home runs and 19 RBI.  In 26 games behind the plate he has thrown out 42% of base runners, something that is needed at the big league level for the Pirates.  While Chris Snyder will catch the majority of games, Brown has big shoes to fill as Doumit has had one of his better seasons before going down with the injury.

Be sure to check back throughout the season for more updates to the Pirates roster at fansfromthestands.com.

Pirates Road Success Continues With 4-2 Victory Over Cubs

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Braves Sweep Pirates In Extra Innings

by Zane Heiple

Photo by AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up a short two game series with the Atlanta Braves this afternoon.  James McDonald was given the start for the Buccos, while the Braves countered with Mike Minor. 

Atlanta jumped on the board in the first inning, when Chipper Jones singled to bring home Jordan Schafer.  The advantage could have been more if it wasn’t for an Eric Hinske double play to end the inning.  McDonald would only allow one other run during the six innings he pitched today.  The Braves took a 2-1 lead, when Hinske homered in the sixth.  James finished the day allowing six hits, striking out six and walking only one batter. 

Unlike the past two games Pittsburgh was able to provide some offense today.  In the third inning, Steve Pearce would bring home Jose Tabata after he singled and stole second base.  They would then tie the game in the seventh when Pearce hit his first home run of the year.  Steve then had a chance to be the game hero in the bottom of the ninth.  With the game tied, there was one out and the bases loaded, Pearce unfortunately would hit a grounder to Jones at third to end the inning on a 5-2-3 double play.

Extra innings would see the Pittsburgh offense go back into a shell as they would go 1-2-3 in both the tenth and eleventh innings.  The Braves however, struck in the top of the eleventh, when Brooks Conrad hit his first home run of the year, a two run shot, to lead Atlanta to a 4-2 victory.

Jeff Karstens was tagged with the loss and was available today, since his next start was pushed back to Sunday because of the day off tomorrow.  The Pirates once again were unable to take advantage of playing at home for the past five games.  Things looked good in the beginning when they took the first two from the Tigers, but three straight losses have us Pirates fans hoping they are able to use that road magic to improve their overall record.

With a travel day tomorrow, the Pirates will resume playing on Friday when they being a three game series with the Chicago Cubs.  First pitch will be at 2:20pm.

Record vs. Braves:  0-2
Record vs. N.L. East 2-7
Record at PNC Park:  9-14
Overall Record:  22-26

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!!!

Offense Explodes For Nine More Runs, Pirates Take Three Of Four From Reds

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP

The Pittsburgh Pirates won their seventh road game and third road series of the year when they defeated the Cincinnati Reds by the final score of 9-3 on Monday night.

Kevin Correia pitched a great game, going nin innings, allowing two earned runs on fourt hits, while striking out five and walking two.  This was the second time this series that a Pirates’ starter went the distance, after Charlie Morton on Friday night. 

Correia’s only mistake of the night came in the ninth when he gave up a two-run home run to Chris Heisey.  The other run of the night occurred when Steve Pearce made a throwing error to first base, which allowed Scott Rolen to score from third.

The Pirates’ offense struck early for the second game in a row.  Jose Tabata scored on a Neil Walker single.  Pearce singled home Matt Diaz, which was followed up by Chris Snyder singling home Walker. The Buccos held a 3-0 lead before the Reds even came to bat.

Pittsburgh then scored five runs in the fourth inning to seal the game.  Andrew McCutchen doubled home Snyder and Ronny Cedeno to give the Pirates a 5-1 lead.  Diaz and Pearce singled home runs before Lyle Overbay doubled home the final run of the inning.  The Bucco bats added another run in the fifth when Diaz was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded.

This was an interesting series for the Pirates.  The dominated two games, won a nail biter, and got killed on Saturday.  What we can take away from this may be obvious, but when the Pirates receive great pitching, defense, and offense, they can compete with any team in the Majors.  If one of these aspects falters, then they are in for a dogfight, and I’m sure if you have followed the team the past 18 years, you know what happens when two of the three aspects forget to leave the locker room.

The Pirates will head to Miami for a three-game set with the Florida Marlins.  I think it’s safe to consider the Marlins an equal foe for the Buccos, so this should be a good series.  Paul Maholm will get the start in game one with the first pitch scheduled for 7:10pm.

Record Vs. Reds: 3-1

Record Vs. N.L. Central: 7-5

Record On The Road: 7-3

Overall Record: 8-8

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Continue to Struggle At The Plate, Lose Again At Home

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images

After going 40-41 at home during the 2010 season, the 2011 home schedule could not have gotten off to a much worse start.  The Pirates wrapped up a rain shortened, six game home stand with a 4-1 loss to the Brewers on Thursday night.

Paul Maholm started for the Buccos and pitched much better than he did a week ago at the home-opener.  He finished his day going seven innings, allowing two runs on four hits, while walking three and striking out six batters. 

Unfortunately for the Paul, he, like his fellow starters, was unable to receive any support from the offense.  The bats were unable to do anything against Randy Wolf, Kameron Loe, and John Axford.  These three Milwaukee pitchers combined for 14 strikeouts, five walks, while allowing only four hits.

The Brew Crew scored two runs in the first inning.  Yuniesky Betancourt singled home Casey McGehee from second base to get things started.  Nyjer Morgan made it a 2-0 game when he doubled home Betancourt.

Joel Hanrahan pitched the ninth inning and looked to be rusty, giving up two more runs in the inning to give the Brewers a 4-0 lead.

It took a wild pitch with the bases loaded for the Pirates to score their first run in twenty-two innings.  Any hope of a ninth-inning comeback was quickly put to rest when Josh Rodriguez struck out to end the game one pitch later.

A 1-5 home stand is a terrible way for the Pirates to greet the home fans to begin 2011.  Fortunately for the Buccos, most of Pittsburgh is distracted by the Penguins in their quest of the Stanley Cup.  I hate seeing that only twelve games into the season, Pedro Alvarez needs to rest so that he can focus on his plate discipline.  At 24 years of age, the so-called future of the team, as an overall number one pick, he needs to be working on his offensive skills during off days and before games.  I don’t see the Pirates winning many games with Steve Pearce at third base.

Pittsburgh begins a seven-game road trip tomorrow as they head to Cincinnati to take on the Reds.  Hopefully the Pirates are able to end this four-game losing streak and find the road magic they had in Chicago and St. Louis.

Record Vs. Brewers: 0-2

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

Record At Home: 1-5

Overall Record: 5-7

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Meet Your Bucs: Part Five-Infielders

By Zane Heiple

Lyle Overbay's Leadership Will Be Key For Bucs In 2011

The final part of our five-part series will focus on the men patrolling the diamond for your Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011.

Ryan Doumit:  It looks like Ryan will once again be behind the plate on Opening Day for the Pirates, due to a back injury to Chris Snyder.  This will be his 7^th season with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  He was drafted by the Buccos in the second round of the 1999 draft.  Plagued by injuries for most of his career, Doumit could play a variety of roles for the Buccos such as catcher, first baseman, right fielder, pinch hitter, or designated hitter.  His days could be numbered in a Pittsburgh uniform due to the depth at the catcher position, though his high salary may cause teams to pass on him.  For his career, he is a .269 hitter with 55 homeruns and 226 RBI.  This spring he has gone .209 with seven RBI.  As  Pirates’ fans, we hope Doumit can perform well until Snyder can come back, not only to help in the win column, but to increase his trade stock.

Jason Jaramillo:  This will be his third season in a Pirates’ uniform since coming over from the Philadelphia Phillies in a trade for Ronny Paulino in December of 2008.  The Phillies drafted him in the second round of 2004.  His time in Pittsburgh has been spent mainly as a backup catcher and filling in for Ryan Doumit when injured.  Jaramillo will once again serve as a backup this year to Doumit as well as Chris Snyder once he comes off the DL.  He’s a career .235 hitter with four homeruns and 32 RBI.  This spring he’s batted .439 with a homerun and seven RBI in 17 games.

Lyle Overbay:  A free agent signing in the offseason, Overbay was brought in to provide leadership, be a big bat in the lineup, and increase the defensive credibility of the infield.  This being his 11^th year in the big leagues, Overbay played the previous five seasons for the Toronto Blue Jays where he averaged a .266 batting average, 17 homeruns, and 67 RBI.  While his offensive numbers aren’t All-Star worthy, his defense over the past five years has yielded a .996 fielding percentage.  To some of us, this may sound like another Adam LaRoche, but hopefully Overbay’s bat will show up in the months of April and may and stay consistent throughout the year.  This spring he has batted .364 with four home runs and 13 RBI.  If he is able to maintain numbers close to these over the course of the season, it will provide the Pirates with the power the lineup has been missing for years.

Steve Pearce:  The Pirates plan to stick Pearce in the corners this season.  Over the course of Spring Training, he has seen time in left and right field, along with first and third base.  A former eighth round pick of the Pirates in the 2005 draft, Steve has spent the past few years going between Indianapolis and Pittsburgh.  2011 will be his first season on the Opening Day roster.  For his career he has a .240 average with eight homeruns and 42 RBI.  This spring he batted .286 and brought about four RBI.  His ability to learn both third base and left field this spring has allowed him to make this roster and will play a key role coming off the bench this year.

Neil Walker:  2011 will mark the first full season for the Pittsburgh Kid to be in the big leagues.  Walker was drafted by the Pirates in the first round of the 2004 draft.  After he was drafted, the Pirates had Neil switching back from playing third base and catching.  It wasn’t until 2010 that Walker was given a chance at second base by former manager John Russell.  Second base is where Pirates’ fans will see him this year and after an impressive season in 2010, it looks like he will only be better in 2011, since he has had the benefit of working all spring with Buccos’ great Bill Mazeroski.  For his career, he has hit .288 with 12 homeruns and 66 RBI.  This spring, he has increased his average to .309.  With Neil slated to hit in the second slot, he will be a major factor in the Buccos’ run scoring ability.

Ronny Cedeno:  2011 will be his third season in a Pirates’ uniform after coming over from the Seattle Mariners along with Jeff Clement, Aaron Pribanic, Brett Lorin, and Nathan Adcock for Jack Wilson and Ian Snell during the 2009 season.  Without much depth in the Minor Leagues at the shortstop position, Cedeno could be here for some time to come.  With an ability to make the spectacular play, Cedeno needs to be able to lower his errors on the routine defensive plays in 2011.  As of now it looks like he will be batting eighth in the lineup, with a .245 career batting average and only batting .200 this spring, he will need to vastly improve this number in order for the Pirates to increase their run output this season.

Pedro Alvarez:  The highest touted Pittsburgh draft pick in over two decades will begin his first full season in the Major Leagues at the hot corner for the Buccos.  The former overall number two pick by the Pirates in 2008 made his debut in a Pittsburgh uniform on June 19, 2010.  After a slow first month, Pedro finished the year strong with a .256 batting average, 16 homeruns and 64 RBI.  This spring he has hit .250 with two homeruns and 11 RBI.  Fans hope to see that with a steady place in the lineup, he will increase his batting average, as well as his homerun and RBI totals.

Josh Rodriguez:  The former second round draft pick of the Cleveland Indians in 2006, Rodriguez will make his Major League debut when he takes the field for the Pirates in 2011.  He has spent parts of three seasons at the AA level and the second part of the 2010 season at AAA.  At the AAA level, he hit .293 in 86 games.  This spring he has hit .289 with one homerun and six RBI.  Labeled as a utility player, he will most likely see most of his playing time at either shortstop or second base.

That concludes our series on the Pirates’ 25-man roster to start the 2011 season.  Please stay tuned to Fans From The Stands throughout the year for any roster moves that the Pirates make.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Morton Pitches Six Shoutout Innings As Pirates Beat Astros

By Chad Carlson

Photo Credit: Peter Diana/Post-Gazette

The Pirates faced off against the Houston Astros this afternoon.  The Buccos were coming off a victory yesterday against the Boston Red Sox, and were looking to continue their winning ways against their N.L. Central Division foes from the lone star state.

Pittsburgh sent Charlie Morton to the mound against Houston’s Ryan Rowland-Smith.  Morton has faced scrutiny and criticism because of his performance during the regular season in past years, but no one can deny his success so far this Spring Training season.  His success would continue today as Morton pitched six shutout innings on his way to earning his first victory of the spring, as the Buccos defeated the Astros, 3-1.

Morton gave up only four hits and struck out five throughout his six innings of work today, lowering his ERA to an impressive 1.29.  Evan Meek and Chris Leroux also pitched scoreless baseball for the Buccos, while Michael Crotta gave up the only run to the Astros in the ninth inning, but held on to close the game out for Pittsburgh.  In all, the Pirates’ pitching staff gave up just five hits to Houston, which allowed them to be in control throughout the game.

While the Pirates’ offense didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard, they did just enough to get the team the victory this afternoon.  Ronny Cedeno blasted a two-run homerun in the second inning, scoring Josh Fields to give the Buccos a 2-0 lead early.  Ryan Doumit added to the lead the very next inning with an RBI triple which was deflected by Houston’s center fielder Michael Bourn, allowing Doumit to reach third base and Andy Marte to score.  That would be all the offense the Pirates would need today, as their pitching did the rest against the Astros.

With the victory today, the Buccos improve their Spring Training record to 10-14.  With another dominating performance this afternoon, Morton continues to make a strong case that he should be added to the starting pitching rotation on Opening Day.  While the opportunity is still there for the likes of Brad Lincoln and Scott Olsen, it appears as though Morton is still the leading candidate for the fifth spot in the rotation.  Regardless, it was a great performance by him today.

Other than Cedeno and Doumit, Steve Pearce had another good day at the plate for the Buccos, going 2/3 and increasing his batting average to .306 for the spring. 

One disturbing fact from today’s game was that the Pirates accumulating half as many errors as they had hits.  Four errors is unacceptable for any team, especially the Pirates as they are going to need to make the routine plays as often as possible to stay competitive with the rest of the N.L. Central and beyond.  Still it was great win for the Pirates, and they’ll look to continue their strong play tomorrow against the Minnesota Twins.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Correia, Beimel Roughed Up As Pirates Lose To Orioles Again

By Zane Heiple

Photo Credit: AP/AP

The Pirates traveled to Sarasota, Florida today to take on the Baltimore Orioles.  Scott Olsen, who was signed during the offseason to be apart of the pitching rotation, but has been injured throughout the spring, made his debut in a Pittsburgh uniform this afternoon. 

This was the third time these two teams met this spring, with the Orioles winning the previous two contests.  Kevin Correia made the start for the Buccos, while Jake Arrieta took to the mound for the O’s.

Pittsburgh scored first in the second inning on Jason Jaramillo’s double, scoring Steve Pearce.  The Bucs took a 2-0 lead in the fourth as Pearce smashed a ground rule double and then scored on Josh Rodriguez’s single to centerfield. 

Things were looking good for Correia until the fourth frame when the Orioles tallied three runs on him.  He finished his afternoon having thrown five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits, allowing one home run and striking out one batter.  Evan Meek came in for the sixth inning and allowed one hit, while striking out a batter.

The game went from bad to worse for the Pirates in the seventh inning when Baltimore scored three more runs to take a 7-2 lead.  All three of these runs would come off of Pittsburgh pitcher Joe Beimel.  The O’s would score one more run in the eighth to make it a 8-2 final.  Olsen was on the mound when the final run was scored.  He pitched one inning, giving up one run on two hits, with one hit being a homerun.

Both teams brought the lumber today as they each accumulated fourteen hits.  The difference was Baltimore was able to get timely hits with runners in scoring position, and had a pitching staff that was able to close the door when Buccos were on base.

The O’s also hit three homeruns on the day, another stat that the Pirates have to contain if they hope to give teams trouble during the regular season.

Pittsburgh will have their first off day of the spring tomorrow, but will return to action on Wednesday when they take on the Toronto Blue Jays from Bradenton, Florida at 1:05pm.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pearce's Hit In The Ninth Wins Sloppy Game For Bucs

Photo Credit:  Pirates.com

The Pirates headed to Port Charlotte, Florida to face the Tampa Bay Rays in Spring Training action this afternoon.  Pittsburgh was looking to find their winning ways after two straight defeats at the hand of the Yankees and Orioles.  This would be the fifth time of the spring that these two teams would meet, having split their previous four meeting.  The Buccos sent James McDonald to the hill and Tampa countered with Wade Davis.

Pittsburgh got to Davis with one run in the first inning.  Pedro Alvarez hammered a two-out double, scoring Andrew McCutchen from second base. 

The Rays’ pitcher was tagged the next inning with three more runs.  With the bases loaded, Jose Tabata grounded into a force out at second base, allowing Josh Fields to score.  Ronny Cedeno later scored to make it 3-0 when Garrett Jones singled to right field.  McCutchen would finish the scoring in the inning with a single to right, scoring Tabata from third base. 

Tampa cut the lead to 4-1 in the bottom part of the inning when Desmond Jennings singled, scoring Felipe Lopez.  The Rays cut the lead in the half in the third inning w hen Casey Kotchman singled to score Sean Rodriguez from second base.  McDonald lasted only two innings, giving up four hits and two runs, one of them earned, and walking two batters.

Brian Burres replaced McDonald in the third inning.  While he didn’t give up any runs, Burres did have control issues, walking four batters in three innings of work, while giving up two hits and striking out one batter.

Both teams found offense life in the sixth inning.  The Buccos struck first, increasing the lead to a commanding 7-2.  All three of the runs came with two outs in the inning.  Josh Rodriguez scored from first on a Dusty Brown double, which was followed by John Bowker’s pinch-hit two-run homerun off of Tampa pitcher Kyle Farnsworth.

The Rays battled back again in the bottom half of the frame.  Like the Pirates, they, too, scored all of their runs in the inning with two outs.  Jose Lobaton singled in Stephen Vogt.  Justin Thomas replaced Daniel Moskos on the mound for the Pirates, who would leave the game with the bases loaded.  The first batter Thomas faced doubled in two runs to cut the Buccos’ lead to 7-5.  After the final out of the inning, the Pirates were only leading by a single run.

Tampa Bay tied the game in the eighth inning on Lobaton’s RBI single.  But the Buccos had the last laugh as Steve Pearce, who is fighting for a spot on the Buccos’ roster, singled Andrew Lambo home to make the score 8-7, which would be the final score.

The win improves the Pirates’ Spring Training record to 7-8, which equals their Grapefruit League win total of 2010.  It was a sloppy pitching performance by both teams.  As Fans From The Stands has said in the past, the Pirates need consistent pitching performances from their starters and bullpen if they hope to show improvement in 2011.  Pittsburgh will play their final split squad scrimmage of the spring when they host the Phillies and travel to Toronto on Saturday.  Both games are scheduled for a 1:05pm first pitch.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!