The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of a 10-game homestand and tonight will start a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies when the Pirates' Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.05 ERA) takes on the Rockies' Eddie Butler (2-1, 4.74 ERA). The Rockies come to PNC Park on a two-game losing streak but are 6-4 in their last 10 contests. With a 20-20 record, the Rockies are tied for second place in the NL West, three games behind the San Francisco Giants. The NL West has been a recipe of success ... Read More
Column: It’s time for Arquimedes Caminero to be DFA’d
After an unsettling ninth inning, one thing became clear in the Pittsburgh Pirates' 3-1 loss Wednesday night to the Atlanta Braves: Arquimedes Caminero needs to be DFA'd. This isn't an emotional reaction, it's one that has been building. Caminero had a great season last year, but, this season, his pitches are finishing on more of a straight angle, and his quicker pace of play may have created a mental block. And when a player struggles for an extended period of time, bad habits can be hard ... Read More
Assessing pros and cons of Pirates win
The Pittsburgh Pirates led the Atlanta Braves 9-0 after two innings Tuesday night, but that lead was blown. Ultimately the Pirates prevailed 12-9, but there were not many style points that came in this win. As a fan of late night television, perhaps it is best to look at things from a Jimmy Fallon perspective and try to balance good from bad. This time there are no punchlines. Pro Twenty-one hits- It was a performance that proved to be a season-high on the offensive end of ... Read More
Column: Cervelli’s contract well worth it
Normally the Pittsburgh Pirates stick strong to its principles and one of those involves not discussing contract negotiations during the season. It can be a distraction to both player and team alike as each wants to focus on the season, so normally the off-season is when extensions are granted The Pirates already broke this rule once this season when they gave Gregory Polanco an extension and now have done so once more with Francisco Cervelli. This one was more than worth bending the ... Read More
Column: Hurdle’s advice motivates Pirates in win
There is always a saying Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle tells the media after games, and it certainly applied to Monday's 8-5 victories over the Atlanta Braves. "So what? Now what?" There was the classic debacle for a Pittsburgh sports fan about whether to watch this game or the Penguins-Lightning Eastern Conference game, and the Pirates attempted to make the decision easier. After three innings, the Pirates led 5-0, and the game appeared over. The Braves have won nine games ... Read More
Cole, Kang shine in Pirates win
It was just less than two weeks ago that Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole had a start against the Chicago Cubs in which he did not get out of the fifth inning. The Pirates needed him to come through in a big way in order to avoid a sweep. This task became harder when Jon Lester was matching him pitch for pitch, but Cole was not going to let up. His eight-inning performance was one of the main keys to a 2-1 victory. Cole (4-3) had not thrown more than six innings this season, and ... Read More
Column: Simple mistakes cost Pirates
Jake Arrieta appeared mortal. At least that was the case early on, but a Josh Harrison grounder that appeared destined for a single ended that. Arrieta clearly was not pitching his best in the fourth inning and paid the price for it. In that fourth inning, Arrieta allowed two earned runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time since Sept. 13, 2013 and with Francisco Cervelli on third base after a wild pitch, seemed destined for a third run. That third run never came, and the ... Read More
Pirates earn split in Cincinnati
Wednesday was supposed to be Josh Harrison's day off, but a Starling Marte ejection quickly changed things. Marte was ejected along with manager Clint Hurdle when a call was reversed by replay in the sixth inning. Marte was ruled out at second base on a stolen base attempt as a result. Harrison turned around and hit one of four Pittsburgh Pirates home runs on the game in a 5-4 victory against the Cincinnati Reds. This Pirates win puts the team at 18-15 on the season while earning a ... Read More
Pirates’ Jonathon Niese an easy target but not solely to blame
At the end of Monday night’s game, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jonathon Niese's record stood at 3-2, but that doesn’t tell the story of the game. In the loss to the Cincinnati Reds at the Great American Ballpark, a place where he hasn’t fared well, Niese allowed three solo home runs, but each barely cleared the wall. Those home runs are outs in practically any other ballpark. Is it alarming that a ground ball pitcher surrendered three long fly balls? Sure. At the same time, though, ... Read More
Pirates get much-needed win over Cardinals
The Pittsburgh Pirates needed to rebound after being swept by the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates were flat-out embarrassed by the Cubs, so when Pittsburgh crushed the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 on Sunday to secure a series win, it provided a little vindication. Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (3-3) had a 33-pitch first inning — 12 pitches more than should have been necessary after he failed to locate a strikeout pitch to Matt Holliday. On that play, Pirates' catcher Chris Stewart couldn't block the pitch, ... Read More