The Pittsburgh Pirates did not arrive in Colorado until 4:10 a.m. Thursday morning for their game against the Rockies, a makeup which broke up a homestand because of a postponed April 28 contest. It was a long flight to Colorado and quite possibly a longer return flight following an 11-5 loss, which left Sean Rodriguez shaking his head back to the clubhouse. Jeff Locke took the biggest hit of all, especially to his Earned Run Average as he allowed 11 runs in 4.2 innings of work. Locke ... Read More
Pirates select Wake Forest’s Will Craig in first round of MLB Draft
With the 22nd overall selection in the 2016 MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates selected Will Craig, an ACC product from Wake Forest. Craig, a junior, was selected as a third baseman, but he's also listed as a pitcher on the university's athletic website. “I would love to thank all the Wake Forest coaches and staff members who helped me get where I am today,” Craig said in a statement. “Without them, I wouldn't be able to enjoy today nearly as much. I want to thank my teammates for being there ... Read More
Short bullpen costs Pirates extra-inning game vs. Mets
Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitchers Mark Melancon and Neftali Feliz have had great seasons, but their success in Tuesday's doubleheader came at a cost: Neither was available for Wednesday's game against the New York Mets. The Pirates' short-handed bullpen flinched, resulting in a 6-5 Mets victory in 10 innings. Cory Luebke (0-1) came in for the 10th inning and needed 21 pitches to get through it, but he allowed the game-winning run. To start, he allowed Yoenis Cespedes and Neil Walker to ... Read More
Jameson Taillon ready for MLB debut with Pittsburgh
Francisco Liriano was scheduled to be Wednesday's starter, but his start was pushed back to Saturday. This meant that someone had to take his place and the Pirates decided that it would be on one of its top prospects, Jameson Taillon. Normally Indianapolis Indians manager Dean Treanor pranks promoted players in front of his teammates but the immediate situation meant that would not happen this time. “My heart was racing," Taillon said to reporters of the call-up. "I gave my parents a call ... Read More
Pirates sweep doubleheader against Mets
Doubleheaders always bring the potential of unique accomplishments, and Tuesday's contests between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets brought some of those into play. Both games ended the same, a 3-1 Pirates victory giving the home team nine consecutive wins over the Mets, the most in franchise history. Often times in doubleheaders, relief pitchers appear in one game, but both Mark Melancon and Neftali Feliz appeared in each of the victories. Feliz allowed the lone run in Game ... Read More
Neil Walker makes return to Pittsburgh
Monday morning, Gerrit Cole had a chance to play tour guide, showing off the sites Pittsburgh had to offer, but his guest was a familiar face. After sleeping in his own bed and swimming in a pool he helped build, Neil Walker made his long-awaited return to Pittsburgh as his new team, the New York Mets, are visiting town for a three-game series. This past off-season, Walker was traded to the Mets, a trade that shocked people and caused anxiety because of several factors. For one, his ... Read More
Watson’s struggles continue in loss to Angels
Tony Watson's struggles continued Sunday afternoon and his two runs allowed in the eighth inning cost the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 5-4 loss to the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The runs came from a familiar source in Albert Pujols' bat. Pujols tormented Pirates fans for years with his power and with this homer, he now has 30 for his career at PNC Park. Watson (1-2) has been known as one of the best and consistent set-up men in baseball but has now given up at least one run in his last ... Read More
Pirates overcome Angels’ rally
The Pittsburgh Pirates appeared to have run away from the Los Angeles Angels after a five-run seventh inning, but the visitors plated four right after, and it was game on once again. Despite this comeback, the Pirates came away with an 8-7 victory Saturday night. Jeff Locke (5-3) helped the Pirates end a four-game losing streak, pitching seven innings and allowing no walks for the second consecutive start. The Angels struck first for the second game in a row as Kole Calhoun hit a home ... Read More
Pirates’ losing streak continues with loss to Angels
A return to PNC Park didn't help the Pittsburgh Pirates, as they lost 9-2 to the Los Angeles Angels. The loss is the Pirates' fourth-straight and fifth in the past six games. Once again, Francisco Liriano (4-5) struggled with command and location. The end result was an early exit — he lasted a season-low 3.1 innings after allowing seven runs (six earned) on 10 hits. The Angels wasted no time setting the tone in the game, as Mike Trout and Johnny Giavotella each had RBI singles in a ... Read More
Pirates lose game, series to Marlins in extra innings
Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost their third-consecutive game to the Miami Marlins, falling 4-3 in extra innings. But perhaps the biggest news from the game came with the injury report: Francisco Cervelli, Andrew McCutchen, David Freese and Jordy Mercer all left the game with various injuries. Cervelli injured his foot and left in the third inning, McCutchen left the game in the sixth inning with general thumb discomfort, Mercer was hit by a pitch on the elbow and left in the ninth ... Read More