Prior to Monday's Pittsburgh Pirates game it was revealed that Jung Ho Kang was named National League Rookie of the Month. Kang batted .379 in July with an OPS of 1.064. He batted .379 with 33 hits and a .443 on-base percentage. The voting for this category took place over the weekend. Gerrit Cole [Sept. 2013] was the last Pirates player to accomplish this feat and Pedro Alvarez [Sept. 2010] was the most recent position player. He has continued this hot streak into August as he has ... Read More
Pirates pregame 8/3: Pirates return home; face Cubs in game with wild card implications
Following a four-game split against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates return home for six games first with a National League Central series against the Chicago Cubs. The Cubs come in tied for second place with the San Francisco Giants in the NL Wild Card race and four games behind the Pirates for first. “We’ve been playing some really good baseball lately and I think we have a really good shot," Kris Bryant said. "Our team has really good chemistry and overall we’re excited about ... Read More
Burnett season, career not over
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will not see his career cut short by injury. Jon Morosi of Fox Sports has reported that the right-handed pitcher has a strained flexor tendon and his UCL is intact. “Anytime you’re not on the field it’s frustrating, but of all of the news that came this was the most positive," Burnett said. "I did a PRP shot today after the MRI and we’ll go from there. It’s a matter of resting and healing. We’re shooting for four weeks and waiting for the pain to go ... Read More
Pirates earn split; Morton wins for first time since June
Charlie Morton had not won a start since June 27 and a road contest since June 5. Both of those changed as the Pittsburgh Pirates won 3-0 against the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates victory means that both teams split the four-game series. Morton [7-4] set the side down in order on six pitches in the first inning and struck out the side in the second. He allowed two base runner, Ivan DeJesus Jr. in the third inning and Eugenio Suarez in the seventh inning to reach scoring position. He ... Read More
Pirates defense falters; can not complete late comeback in loss
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole was looking for his first career win against the Cincinnati Reds. Cole left the game still looking for his first victory against the Reds. The Pirates fell 4-3 to the Reds Saturday evening. Cole [14-5] has defeated every other National League Central opponent at least once. He has gone six innings in 17 of his 21 starts this season and the lone four he has not reached that mark are all against the Reds. "They have confidence when they go up against ... Read More
Defense shines in Pirates victory
Joakim Soria was making his Pittsburgh Pirates debut and loaded the bases while loading the bases. He then fell behind Brayan Pena 3-0 before making hard contact on a 3-1 offering. The Cincinnati Reds appeared poise to tie or lead the game on the play, however Soria stuck his glove out and ended the inning to Pena's surprise. Following a 10-run loss Thursday, the Pirates came back and tied the four-game series with a 5-4 victory. The Pirates finish the month at a National League best 17-9 ... Read More
Pirates place Burnett on DL; recall LaFromboise
A disappointing second half, one which he claims is the last of his career continued for Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher A.J. Burnett as he was placed on the 15-day disabled list with elbow inflammation. Burnett will be replaced in the rotation by J.A. Happ who was acquired earlier Friday afternoon in a trade with the Seattle Mariners. Bobby LaFromboise will take Burnett's 25-man roster spot. Earlier in the day when meeting with assembled media manager Clint Hurdle stated that he had a ... Read More
Pirates DFA Guerra; outright Hernandez to Indianapolis
The Pittsburgh Pirates designated Deolis Guerra for assignment making Joakim Soria able to come onto the major league roster. Soria was acquired by the Pirates from the Detroit Tigers Thursday. Guerra appeared in 10 games and pitched 16.2 innings while posting a 2-0 record. His -0.4 WAR and 6.48 ERA were largely due to a 9.26 ERA in July. Prior to Guerra's call-up, he was in the minor leagues for nine seasons. His changeup was his biggest pitch and he showcased it in his first ... Read More
Pirates acquire J.A. Happ from Mariners
Pittsburgh Pirates fans thought the trade deadline was gone, however just a few minutes after the Mike Morse trade was reported it was also revealed that J.A. Happ had also been acquired by the Pirates. The Pirates represent Happ's fifth major league team. His previous stops were with the Philadelphia Phillies, Houston Astros, Toronto Blue Jays and the Seattle Mariners which were the team that traded him. Happ has appeared in 185 games and has started 160 of them. He owns a career 55-59 ... Read More
Pirates acquire Morse; say good-bye to Tabata
It was a rather quiet trade deadline day for the Pittsburgh Pirates however shortly after 4 p.m. ET the team traded Jose Tabata to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for Michael Morse and cash. Earlier in the season Pirates general manager Neal Huntington stated that he did not think Tabata would make the major league club this season and that they were looking for other ways to find him a starting opportunity. Tabata did appear in 27 games this season with the Pirates though sparingly ... Read More