Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington met with reporters Sunday. Here's what he had to say. On prized prospect Josh Bell: “Defensively, he continues to be a work in progress and is getting better, but there is still work to do. With Josh, we are talking about an outfielder moving into the infield, and that takes more time. It's more game situation and awareness and where he needs to be and what he needs to do. Offensively, the power is beginning to show. He'll learn how to work ... 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: Bullpen surprisingly Pirates’ weak link early on
The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has been rock solid under manager Clint Hurdle, but early on this season, it can be a big thing holding the team back from winning. I will preface this by saying 10 games is way too early and way too small of a sample size, but still the current body of work needs to be judged and that is where relief pitching has fallen short. This season, the normally good Pirates bullpen has a 5.11 Earned Run Average through 10 games. I know what you're thinking: What ... Read More
Nicasio’s stellar performance leads Pirates to sweep Cardinals
Just a season ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates put themselves in a large hole with a poor month of April. Now, the Pirates have gotten off to a strong start in April with an opening series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, following a 5-1 victory Wednesday night. The Pirates are now 3-0, but they are doing their best not to make too much of this sweep. “I don’t think we’ll ever surprise ourselves when we play well, we’re past that point,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “We expect to play well. We ... Read More
O’Flaherty traded to Braves
With Opening Day, a week away, the Pittsburgh Pirates elected to trade Eric O'Flaherty to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations. The story was broken by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and confirmed by the Pirates. O'Flaherty is a left-handed relief pitcher who was in the conversation for a bullpen spot, though this trade translates into the fact that he would not have made the team. In 10 Spring Training games, O'Flaherty was 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA. This included allowing 15 hits ... Read More
McCutchen continues producing in loss
Andrew McCutchen openly admits that he was not 100 percent at the beginning of last season. His leg injury was especially difficult because that is where he gets his power from. This season McCutchen made it a point to work on his legs in the off-season and it has served him well. McCutchen struck again in the first inning of Sunday's game against the Toronto Blue Jays hitting an opposite field home run. He has now homered in three consecutive games and four of the past five. That would ... Read More