Pittsburgh Pirates fans held their collective breaths as Ed Easley came to the plate in a bases loaded bottom of the ninth situation. His fly out which ended the game with an ultimate cliffhanger. Friday was Spring Training baseball at its finest as the Pirates and Minnesota Twins battled to a 2-2 tie. Liriano faces former team Francisco Liriano may have felt as though he was seeing double facing the team whose uniform he once wore. It would have been hard to notice as Liriano ... Read More
Pirates pitching allows 10 runs in loss
Two of the Pirates free agent pitching acquisitions both took to the mound for the first time and delivered mixed results in a 10-8 loss Thursday to the Toronto Raptors. For a second consecutive game the Pirates starting pitcher in the game was unable to find success. This time it was Jonathon Niese who allowed four runs on five hits in two innings. Niese was acquired in the trade which sent Neil Walker to the New York Mets. He also walked one batter and struck out two. Ryan Vogelsong ... Read More
Pirates fall to Tigers, 10-3
Skepticism would be a good way to describe how fans feel about Jeff Locke projecting to be a part of this season's Pittsburgh Pirates pitching rotation. Locke did himself no favors allowing four runs in his two innings of a 10-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage has worked with Locke to try to correct things which could allow him to find more consistent success and this could very well be a byproduct of making the adjustment. It also could be the same old ... Read More
Pirates win Spring Training opener
Last season was a frustrating one to say the least for Jordy Mercer. The Pirates shortstop, known for his defense, could not match that intensity to the offensive side of the game and missed significant time with a left leg injury. Tuesday's Spring Training opening game against the Detroit Tigers shows that Mercer has moved on from last year as he hit one of two Pirates home runs on the day. The Pirates also took the victory winning by a 4-2 score. Francisco Cervelli hit the other ... Read More
Pirates play Black-Gold Scrimmage
The Pittsburgh Pirates held its Black-Gold intrasquad game Monday afternoon and it was the gold team which won by a 4-3 score. This game served as the first time many fans have seen Jameson Taillon on a mound since he underwent Tommy John surgery in April of 2014. His outing was a mixed bag as he faced nine batters, striking out three of them, but also allowing a run. Taillon's mound opponent in this game was Tyler Glasnow, the Pirates top prospect pitcher who many fans wanted to see as a ... Read More
Early NL Central Predictions
Pitchers and catchers start reporting Feb. 17 with other teams doing the same later in the week. This means that baseball season is fast approaching. With that in mind, it is time to offer up an early look at how I expect the National League Central to shape up. Will the St. Louis Cardinals continue its dominance atop the division? 1. Chicago Cubs 88-74 Key additions- Jason Heyward (FA), John Lackey (FA), Ben Zobrist (FA), Adam Warren (trade/Yankees) Key departures- Starlin Castro ... Read More
Allderdice defense overwhelms New Castle
Allderdice assistant coach Andy Pakler could finally admit that his now 20-1 Dragons team had one game in mind and it was Monday's contest against New Castle, which came in as one of two undefeated WPIAL teams. Those expecting a close game would leave the Allderdice gymnasium disappointed as the Dragons came away with a 75-49 victory.The contest was billed as "the game of the year" and showcased the top WPIAL Class AAA team in the Red Hurricanes and top class AAAA team and 58th ranked high ... Read More
Pirates offseason analyzed: So long
In part two of analyzing the Pirates offseason, take a look at the guys the Pirates parted ways with. Good-byes: Oct. 20 Baltimore Orioles claim Vance Worley off waivers - Worley was a likable guy and very pleasant in the dealings I had with him, but it was clear that the Pirates were done waiting for him to show consistent promise as a starter. Worley had a trying season and saw his time as a starter with the Pirates end in Philadelphia, site of where he had some of his best pitching ... Read More
Pirates offseason analyzed: New additions
It has been a busy time all around baseball as the 2015 season is over and teams are trying to find the right pieces to make a run toward the 2016 World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates are no different and have welcomed some faces, while saying goodbye to other ones. Hellos: Oct. 24 Pirates acquire Trevor Williams - This was a bizarre acquisition as this was later revealed to be compensation for the Pirates losing their "pitching guru" in Jim Benedict, someone whose opinion had high ... Read More
2015 most valuable Pirates player: There’s only one
By process of elimination, it should be fairly clear who the top player on this list is. A debate can be made for positioning on this list, but ultimately this was the final determination. Really, if any of the players on this top-10 list was on another team, a case may be made for them to get the top spot. The Pittsburgh Pirates were a very talented team and this makes the list difficult to compile. #1 Jung Ho Kang- Let's forget about what Jung Ho Kang did for a second and look at how the ... Read More