Neal Huntington met with reporters prior to Sunday's Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Milwaukee Brewers. Here are some highlights of said press conference. On Neftali Feliz: "Feliz feels better today. It’s more muscular than connective tissue. That is our read right now. On Jake Brentz and Pedro Vasquez, the relievers the Pirates picked up in Caminero trade: “We had a list of players we agreed to when we traded Caminero there. We tracked them with multiple scouts and took different ... Read More
Pirates base running gaffes costly in loss to Brewers
Less than a week after earning a four-game road sweep against the Milwaukee Brewers, the Pittsburgh Pirates fell to the same Brewers 1-0 Friday night at PNC Park. This loss comes after a 1-5 mark during the team's last homestand, and now the Pirates fall to 67-65 on the season which is 2.5 games behind St. Louis for the second and final National League wild card spot. The Pirates did out-hit the Brewers in this game by a 7-3 margin, but it was what was done on the base paths that did the ... Read More
Pirates recover from early deficit, defeat A’s 7-3
This game had “loss” written all over it for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates trailed the Oakland Athletics 3-0 through two innings, and Jeff Locke was starting on the mound in a road contest. As good as Locke has been at home — posting a 2.96 ERA — he's struggled mightily on the road; he has a 7.36 ERA (36 earned runs allowed in 44-plus inning pitched) to show for it. And, tonight, after three innings Locke was already at 72 pitches. It had the makings of a short outing. But, after a ... Read More
Breaking down pitch adjustments from pitcher, catcher and hitter POVs
It seems so simple: a pitcher throws a pitch, and a batter either looks at it or swings. But, in reality, it’s much more complicated than that. It’s this game of cat-and-mouse game between a pitcher, catcher and hitter that determines success, wins and so much more. So you wanna be a pitcher? The pitcher has the most control in an at-bat — after all, the ball is in his hand. He dictates the pitch, and he relies on a variety of different things to determine what he should throw. “The ... Read More
Pirates’ key to success? Having fun
Forgive the Pirates for having a rather somber clubhouse more often than not this month. That's why the last three days have been special for the Pirates. Not only have they been getting wins, but they've been doing so in spectacular fashion. “Our starters gave us quality starts, and our offense came through with big hits and scoring runs,” said catcher Chris Stewart. “That’s our typical type of baseball we like to play. The goal is to keep that momentum going and play (like that) the rest of ... Read More
In MLB debut, Chad Kuhl bests Clayton Kershaw, 4-3
In the fifth inning, a pitch skipped off Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Chris Stewart's glove, and he immediately went into panic mode. “‘Oh no,’ that was my first thought,” Stewart said. If Stewart couldn't react quickly, Los Angeles Dodgers third baseman Justin Turner would score. Immediately, Stewart scrambled to the wall, correctly read the bounce and dove. As this was going on, Pirates starting pitcher Chad Kuhl made a beeline for home plate, and Stewart threw a ball right at his ... Read More
Kuhl, Pirates prepared for big test against Dodgers
Tonight, against the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Pittsburgh Pirates are attempting to win a series after dropping four straight. Pitcher Chad Kuhl will make his Major League debut, and on the other side of the mound will be none other than one of the best pitchers in the game, Clayton Kershaw (11-1, 1.57 ERA). Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle said he thinks Kuhl will do well tonight on the biggest stage of the 23-year-old's career. “(Kuhl's) electric early, and we’re trying to fine-tune ... Read More
Pirates move Gerrit Cole to DL, Jameson Taillon recalled
The Pittsburgh Pirates officially put pitcher Gerrit Cole on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to June 11 with a right tricep strain. In his place, they called up pitcher Jameson Taillon. Taillon (0-0, 4.50 ERA) will start Tuesday night's game against the New York Mets and Jacob deGrom (3-2, 2.80 ERA). Cole was injured in the third inning of Friday night's game against the St. Louis Cardinals, and he was lifted from the game as a precaution. Over the weekend, Pirates general manager Neal ... Read More
Much-needed rest on the way for Pirates
It has been 31 consecutive days where the Pirates have been required to be inside a major league clubhouse,and that streak will come to an end tody. Today, the Pirates flew to New York for a series against the Mets. "It's not something we're used to," Chris Stewart admitted. "We're used to a mental and physical break every once in a while. It seems like the entire last month, we've been in the field or traveling or some sort of baseball activity. It's definitely been a grind but each day ... Read More
Catcher Erik Kratz returns to Pirates after Cervelli placed on DL
It happened innocently enough. Erik Kratz was standing in the on-deck circle at 7:30 PST Friday night in Fresno, CA, prepared to take his first at-bat. What wasn't normal was what came next: The catcher got called back into the dugout. He wasn't injured — far from it. He had just been acquired from the Los Angeles Angels by the Pittsburgh Pirates for $20,000. The mad dash began. He boarded three flights — one from Fresno to Salt Lake City, another from Salt Lake City to Minneapolis and ... Read More