PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Prior to the game on Monday, the Pirates optioned right-hander Phil Irwin back to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalled outfielder Alex Presley. The move balanced the roster back to 12 pitchers and 13 position players, but Manager Clint Hurdle elected to bring up Presley, who is an outfielder rather than fill the void of infielder Josh Harrison. "We looked at the schedule and [we are facing] all right-handed pitchers with the exception of [Atlanta Braves starter Paul] Maholm, ... Read More
McDonald exits early after rough outing raising concern about health
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- James McDonald wasn't able to pitch out of the second inning of Monday's start against the St. Louis Cardinals raising concern about his health. The right-hander was charged with eight runs (three earned) on eight hits over just 1.2 innings. It marked his shortest start since April 30th, 2009 with the Los Angeles Dodgers when he allowed three runs on two hits over 1.2 frames with four walks and no strikeouts. After the game either McDonald nor Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle had ... Read More
Steelers have hosted 21 players for pre-draft visits
Prior to the 2013 NFL draft at the end of this month each team can host 30 players for pre-draft visits. They can also meet with an unlimited number of players on campuses or at NFL sanctioned workouts. So far the Steelers have had 21 prospects in for meetings with the team. Surprisingly, for a team that ranked number on in defense in 2012 and seems to have major needs on offense, the Steelers have met with 17 defensive players compared to only four offensive players. Their visits have been ... Read More
Power outage on offense leads to 0-3 start
Usually there is plenty of scoring to talk about in arena football. We here at Pittsburgh Sporting News had plenty of pixel space set aside to talk about the great plays we saw out of the Pittsburgh Power in Chicago. Unfortunately, the Power saw themselves get shutout in the first half. They would score two touchdowns in the third quarter but then got shutout in the 4th. Three scoreless quarters is horrendous no matter how you look at it. The final result is a 45-14 loss to the Chicago Rush and ... Read More
McKenry has multi homer game in Pirates comeback win
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- Being a bench player, and not getting the opportunity to play everyday can be a tough adjustment for a young athlete. But for Michael McKenry, he's made the transission look smooth as the Pirates No. 2 catcher. Sunday at PNC Park was only McKenry's second start of the 2013 season, but he made the most out of that opportunity by blasting two home runs in the 10-7 comeback win. "That's not the easiest position for a young player to be in," Manager Clint Hurdle said. "Second ... Read More
Irwin battles nerves in Major League debut
PITTSBURGH, Pa. -- The first time a player takes the field for their Major League debut, a lot of things race through their mind. Everything slows down. Their heart feels like it's beating through their chest. Raw emotions. Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle remembers that feeling all to well when he stepped onto the grass back in September of 1977 for the Kansas City Royals. "It's one of the best things I've experienced," Hurdle said. "It's a life highlight. It's a priceless memory. For me, it was ... Read More
Pens outmuscle Panthers in 3-1 victory
Before the start of the game, Evgeni Malkin was scratched with an upper body injury. The injury may have been sustained two nights before when Malkin took a huge hit into the boards. With the Penguins forced to play Florida without three of their top skill players, they turned to gritty forwards and punishing defense to grind out a 3-1 win, Saturday night. Pittsburgh outhit Florida 40-25 and ramped up the physicality as the game went on. Brooks Orpik had a crushing hit along the boards, ... Read More
Could women’s hockey be the next thing in Pittsburgh?
With the Frozen Four being held at Consol Energy Center this week, it signifies another step in the hockey renaissance that has taken over the city of Pittsburgh. Forever a football town, Pittsburgh has established itself in recent years as one of the best hockey cities in America. Why else would the NCAA select Pittsburgh to host the Frozen Four? That being said, maybe it’s time to take it a step further. Maybe it’s time to bring women’s professional hockey team to Pittsburgh. Now, ... Read More
Week 4 Preview – Pittsburgh Power at Chicago Rush
There is no way to understate this week’s game for the Pittsburgh Power. If they have any dreams of making the playoffs they have to win on the road on Sunday in Chicago. Pittsburgh is staring down the barrel of an 0-2 start in which they were blown out at home by Utah (64-33) and Jacksonville (61-35). They have to start showing they can compete with teams or else the season is a lost cause. Rookie quarterback Jordan Jefferson has struggled mightily to adapt to the arena game. A 55.4% ... Read More
Yinzer of the Week: Starling Marte
Even though the Pirates have had a rough start to their baseball season, one player on the team is shining. That player is the youngster in the outfield, Starling Marte. So far this young season, Marte is batting .350 with 4 RBI's, 14 hits, 7 runs and two stolen bases. He also has an on-base percentage of .395 and a slugging percentage of .450. He's also hitting .500 with runners in scoring position, and .333 with runners on and two outs. He currently leads the Pirates in batting average, hits, ... Read More