Pirates Out-Pitch Yankees For Third Victory Of The Spring

Photo Credit:  MLB.com

After a split squad scrimmage on Monday, the Pirates returned as a whole to take on the New York Yankees in Bradenton on Tuesday.  This would be the first of three games that the two storied franchises will play during spring training.  The Buccos sent James McDonald to the hill for his first star of the spring while the Bronx Bombers countered with Phil Hughes.

Both pitchers went the allotted two innings, with McDonald giving up two hits without surrendering a run.  Hughes didn’t allow a run or a hit, but did walk one.

Aaron Thompson of the Pirates pitched the third and fourth innings, allowing two hits while striking out a pair.  Chris Resop followed in the fifth frame, striking out a pair without giving up a hit. 

Daniel McCutchen continued the two-strikeout trend from Bucco pitching in innings six and seven, allowing him to pick up the win on the day.  Ramon Aguero and Daniel Moskos pitched the final two innings, keeping the shutout in tact for the Pirates.

Yankees’ pitching was just as formable through innings three through five, but the Buccos finally struck in the sixth frame.  After Chris Snyder singled, he was replaced with pinch-runner Jeremy Farrell, who was sacrificed over to second base by Josh Rodriguez.  Pedro Ciriaco’s double drove him home, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Unfortunately, as Pirates’ fans have seen in the past, Pittsburgh was unable to capitalize with runners on second and third and two outs, as Matt Diaz would end the inning with a fly out to Yankees’ right fielder Nick Swisher.  

An inning later, however, the Buccos would add to the lead when Josh Fields hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield, scoring Garrett Jones from third.  This proved to be enough as the Pirates defeated the Yankees, 2-0.

While the bats of both teams suffered without the big names of Jeter, A-Rod, Texiera, Cutch, Alvarez, and Tabata, the pitching staffs both performed well today.  Hopefully the confidence that the Pirates’ staff gained today will carry over into the rest of spring training and on to the regular season.

Pittsburgh will be in action again tomorrow when they host the Minnesota Twins in Bradenton with the first pitch at 1:05pm.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

First Split-Squad For Pirates Yields Split Results Against Orioles, Rays

Photo Credit: Elaine Litherland (Herald-Tribune)

The Pittsburgh Pirates participated in their first of two split-squad scrimmages of the spring training season.  While half of the squad was off to Port Charlotte to take on the Tampa Bay Rays, the other half stayed in Bradenton for a game against the Baltimore Orioles.

Pirates Vs. Orioles

Paul Maholm was given the opportunity to be the first pitcher the O’s faced in t heir spring training opener.  Unfortunately for the Buccos, the Orioles would win their opening game of the spring by the score of 6-4.

Maholm was able to get through the two innings he was scheduled to pitch, even though he gave up two runs.  The potential opening day starter for the Pirates allowed four hits and struck out two.

“I felt pretty comfortable,” Maholm said after the game. “I didn’t throw any breaking balls.  I was a little jumpy and left some over the plate, but the first time in spring, that happens.”

Two potential bullpen candidates for the Pirates, Jeff Karstens and Tyler Yates, did not allow a run while on the mound for the Buccos.

Pittsburgh batters were unable to produce against Orioles’ starter Brad Bergesen, who in two innings of work, only allowed one base runner and struck out two.  It wouldn’t be until the fifth inning that the Buccos were able to score a run on Lyle Overbay’s first home run of the spring.  The two teams then traded runs in the sixth inning, as the O’s Craig Tatum singled ina  run off Jeff Locke, while Jose Tabata scored on an error by Baltimore second baseman Brendan Harris.

Pirates Vs. Rays

The Pirates only managed six hits against the Rays on Monday, but it proved to still be enough as timely hitting and impressive pitching down the stretch earned the Buccos their second victory of the spring, 6-5. 

Garrett Atkins, starting at first base for the Pirates, shined on Monday, going 1-3 with 1 HR and 3 RBI.  While not one Pirates’ player had a multi-hit game, Josh Fields made his one base hit count, driving in a run in the 4^th inning.

Buccos’ starter Bryan Morris pitched adequately, giving up one run on two hits, while striking out one through two innings of work.  Unfortunately, the same could not be said about Fernando Nieve, who was lit up in his single inning of work on Monday, giving up three runs on five hits. 

After getting behind early 4-0, the Pirates’ offense exploded in the 4^th inning.  Fields’ RBI single started things off, driving home Neil Walker to get the Buccos on the board.  Then, with Fields and Matt Diaz on base, Atkins hammered the ball to left field and out, tying the game 4-4.  The inning’s festivities concluded with a passed ball by John Jaso, allowing Alex Presley to scamper home, giving the Pirates the lead.

Despite a 6^th inning RBI double by the Rays’ Justin Ruggiano, the Pirates came back again the very next inning.  With Gorkys Hernandez batting, a wild pitch by the Ray’s Jake McGee allowed Chris Snyder to score.

Again, while the offensive firepower wasn’t there for the Pirates on Monday, they did enough to win the ballgame.  Whether it’s hitting the ball out of the yard five times or taking advantage of the other team’s mistakes, which was the case against the Rays today, the Pirates found a way to win.  Even though it’s a Spring Training contest, these are important lessons to learn, especially for a young club like the Buccos.

Pittsburgh will host the New York Yankees on Tuesday at 1:05pm.  James McDonald will make his first start of the spring and is scheduled to throw two innings.  Many of the Pirates’ regular position players will have the day off, which will give players such as Atkins, Andy Marte, and Josh Rodriguez more opportunities to show the coaches they deserve to make the trip to Pittsburgh for the start of the regular season.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

McCutchen Leads Pirates To First Win Of Spring

Andrew McCutchen led the Pirates to their first victory in Spring Training 2011, defeating the Tampa Bay Rays by a final score of 10-3 on Sunday.

The Pirates’ centerfielder went 3-3 with 1 HR and 2 RBI, looking sharp at the plate and in the field.  Garrett Jones, starting in right field on Sunday, also went 3-3 with an RBI.

Unfortunately, the pitching didn’t start out quite as the hitting for the Buccos.  Starter Kevin Correia gave up 2 runs on 2 hits while walking 2 in 1.1 inning of work.  Scoreless innings pitched by Ryan Beckman, Brian Burres, Joel Hanrahan, Jose Veras and Tony Watson kept the Rays in check throughout much of the ballgame.

After surrendering the lead in the top of the inning, The Pirates tied the game in the bottom of the 1^st on McCutchen’s first homerun of the spring.  The scoring continued in the 4^th when Jones doubled in McCutchen to tie the game at the time, 2-2.  Later in the inning, Ryan Doumit doubled Jones home to give the Pirates the lead for the first time in the game.

The Pirates extended their lead in the bottom of the 5^th on doubles by McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, and following Jason Jaramillo’s solo blast in the 8^th inning, the Rays were all but buried.

It’s always nice to see the younger Buccos get into the scoring action and that’s exactly what happened in the late innings on Sunday.  Chase d’Arnaud had an RBI single and Andy Marte smashed an RBI double, scoring Josh Rodriguez and Corey Wimberly.

Despite giving up a run in the final frame, Chris Leroux did eventually shut down the game for the Pirates, earning them their first victory of the spring.

The Buccos will continue their Spring Training schedule on Monday, engaging in two split squad battles against the Rays as well as the Baltimore Orioles.

Be sure to check back here daily for all the latest updates on the Pirates’ Spring Training results!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Open Up Spring Training With Loss To The Rays

Charlie Morton Pitched Wel On Saturday (Courtesy Of Pirates.com)

The Pittsburgh Pirates began their 2011 Spring Training schedule on Saturday in Port Charlotte, Florida against the Tampa Bay Rays.  Unfortunately for the Buccos this game ended like many did in 2010, with a loss. This time, it was the Rays who out-hit the Pirates, 9-5. 

The Pirates started the scoring for the day in the bottom of the 2^nd when Lyle Overbay scored on a force out by Ronny Cedeno.  Later in that inning, Jose Tabata would single in Ryan Doumit to make the score 2-0 going into the bottom of the 2^nd.  The Rays would be the next to strike in the bottom of the 4^th on a solo home run from Evan Longoria, this would be followed up in the bottom of the 5^th with a home run from Rays second baseman Sean Rodriguez.  

The score remained tied until the bottom of the seventh when Robinson Chirinos would hit a bases loaded double to give the Rays a 5-2 lead.  The Pirates would cut into the deficit when Gorkys Hernandez grounded into a bases loaded double play scoring Pedro Ciriaco.  Tampa Bay would then blow the game open in the bottom of the 8^th by scoring four runs to make it a 9-3 lead.  Pittsburgh then got two more runs in the top of the 9^th off of a Garrett Atkins ground rule double, which scored Garrett Jones.  Atkins would later score when Doumit grounded out to second.

The battle for the fifth spot in the rotation began today as Charlie Morton started for the Pirates, pitching two innings for the Buccos while giving up one hit, walking one and allowing no runs.  He was followed by the man he is competing with for this spot, Brad Lincoln.  Lincoln would also pitch two innings allowing one run on three hits, with no walks and one strikeout.  The pitcher who was dealt with the loss was Daniel McCutchen as he would pitch one inning allowing three runs on two hits and two walks. 

The Buccos will be back in action Sunday afternoon when they host the Rays at McKechnie Field in Bradenton, Florida.  Kevin Correia will make his Pirates debut and will be followed on the mound by Brian Burres, Joel Hanrahan, and Joe Beimel.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates Destroy Manatees In Spring Training Opener

In the first organized competitive contest of 2011, the Pirates demolished the State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota on Friday, 21-1. 

Steve Pearce led the Buccos with two doubles, Garrett Atkins blasted a 3-run homerun and a double, and Brian Friday had a solo homerun. 

Bucco left-hander Aaron Thompson had an impressive first inning, striking out the side on only 11 pitches.  Mike Crotta also struck out the side in his one inning of work.

Tomorrow, the Pirates face their first Major League competition of this young season as they travel to Port Charlotte, Fla., home of the Rays, for a 1:05 PM start.  Both Charlie Morton and Brad Lincoln, battling for the fifth spot in the pitching rotation come opening day, are expected to be the first pitchers on the mound on Saturday.

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Pirates' Management Expects More From Fans

While all Pirates’ fans feared this was true, we certainly didn’t expect for it to be admitted openly in passing during an interview. 

In an interview with piratesprospects.com, Pirates’ President Frank Coonelly was asked if the team would be able to afford a $70 million-$80 million payroll, in present-day worth, if this current group of players were competitive enough to merit additional outside free agents.

Here was Coonelly’s response:

“Today, no, but we will be able to support that payroll very soon if our fans believe that we now have a group of players in Pittsburgh and on its way here in the near future that is competitive.  We need to take a meaningful step forward in terms of attendance to reach that payroll number while continuing to invest heavily in our future, but I am convinced that the attendance will move quickly once we convince our fans that we are on the right track.”

This is incredible…almost unbelievable.  Pirates’ fans have wanted to know the answer to this question for years.  Will ownership upgrade payroll to support a winning team?  Pirates’ management has neglected to respond to questions similar to this over the years, including Coonelly as well as owner Bob Nutting.  Finally, fans got an answer from the Buccos’ President…and it’s utterly disappointing.

James Krug of isports.com had a response to Coonelly’s statement that accurately puts the situation into an appropriate perspective:

“Sadly, Coonelly does not place the immediate onus on the Pirates themselves to build a better, more competitive team that fans would WANT to see.  Rather, as he has been a consistent message from Pirates’ ownership, they desire to see a significant increase in attendance PRIOR to the team actually getting good!  It’s maddening.  From a purely business perspective, it is a backwards approach.  You could liken it to a car company telling its customers:

‘We really want to build better cars for you.  But before we do, we need you to start buying our lower-quality, underperforming cars in a much higher volume.’”

Major League Baseball is a multi-million dollar business.  Many aspects of corporate businesses are highly complex, but appeasing a fan base is not.  Offer the fans a consistently competitive team, and they will be in their seats come first pitch.  This is especially true for Pittsburgh fans, a die-hard, loyal group of sports-lovers who will follow their team to the end, as long as the feeling is mutual.  With comments like this from the Pirates’ president, it appears as though there’s no such relationship. 

Coonelly has basically said that the team’s payroll, which is usually at or near the bottom among the 30 MLB franchises, will remain there until more fans start coming to games.  Instead of being grateful for the fine support fans give the worst team in baseball, Coonelly is telling them they need to do more.  If they don’t, the not-so subtle message is that there will be more years of low payrolls and more-than-likely, losing teams.

Pirates’ fans don’t need to show their loyalty to the team by showing up to baseball games.  The ownership and management of the Pirates need to show their respect and appreciation for the fans by giving them a competitive team to cheer for on a consistent basis.

Have an opinion on the article?  Send us an email at fansfromthestands@yahoo.com and let us know what you think!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!

Bucco Blast From The Past: Rob Mackowiak

For this edition of Bucco Blast From The Past, we look at Rob Mackowiak.  

Mackowiak played eight Major League seasons for four teams.  His longest stint was from 2001-05 with the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Rob was a utility-man for the Buccos as fans could see him play the outfield, second base, or third base on game days.

Rob Mackowiak was a 53^rd round draft pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1996.  He made his MLB debut on May 19, 2001 for the Pirates against the Milwaukee Brewers.  Eleven days later he would record his first major league home run against the Florida Marlins off of right-hander Braden Looper.  Mackowiak would contine to be a member on the Pirates roster for the next four seasons. His best season as a Bucco was 2004 when he had a career high of 17 home runs and 75 RBI.  Pirates fans may best remember Rob for his heroics on May 28, 2004 against the Chicago Cubs.  During game one of a double header Mackowiak hit a walk-off grand slam, he would follow this up by hitting the game-tying home run in the bottom of the ninth in game two.  What made this an even more memorable, was that it was on the day his son was born.

After 2005, Rob would continue his career with the Chicago White Sox where he continued to be a utility man along with being a designated hitter.  In 2007 he was traded to the San Diego Padres.  His final appearance in the Major Leagues came in 2008 with the Washington Nationals.  He would be released by the team in June and finished his career playing at the AAA level with the Louisville Bats of the Cincinnati Reds organization and the Columbus Clippers who are an affiliate of the Cleveland Indians.

Currently, Rob is getting ready to begin is second season as hitting coach for the Windy City Thunderbolts of the Frontier League. While Rob Mackowiak may not have had a Hall of Fame career, his hard work and play on the field in a Pirates uniform will always be remembered by battlin bucco fans.

Comments on Bucco Blast From The Past?  We'd love to hear from you!  Send us an email at fansfromthestands@yahoo.com

Be sure to check back for our weekly recognition of a former or current Pirate in our Bucco Blast From The Past!

And…

As Always…

Let’s Go Bucs!