The Pittsburgh Pirates never had a runner in scoring position in Wednesday night's game — yet it still took 12 innings for the Boston Red Sox to get the 3-0 win. With one out in the bottom of the 12th, Boston catcher Sandy León drilled a ball 359 feet to deep left center, scoring Jackie Bradley Jr. and Pablo Sandoval, both of whom got on base via walks given up by Pittsburgh reliever Antonio Bastardo. León made a base running error in the third inning that could have had the game ended ... Read More
Column: Great, now what?
Mercifully, the Pittsburgh Pirates' season (78-83) ended Sunday afternoon after a 10-4 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals. Let's be honest for a second, what reason is there for you to waste your time with another recap about how the bullpen didn't hold up their end of the bargain? None? That's what I thought, too. So, let's take a look at what needs to change for next season. This season has been over for some time now, arguably when the offseason ended and both Jeff Locke and Jon ... Read More
Pirates lose three-run lead, fall to Cardinals
The Pittsburgh Pirates had a chance to play spoiler for the St. Louis Cardinals' playoff hopes — they'd be eliminated with a loss and a San Francisco Giants win — but, despite a 3-0 lead before a Cardinal even stepped to the plate, Pittsburgh lost Saturday's game 4-3 at Busch Stadium. This defeat puts the Pirates at 78-82 on the season. Michael Wacha started for the Cardinals and pitched all of one inning. He threw 29 pitches and allowed the three runs on two hits. Those runs came when ... Read More
Sixth inning keys Pirates’ 5-3 win vs. Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jordy Mercer turns 30 Saturday, and he decided to give himself an early birthday present: a grand slam, which came in the six inning off Milwaukee Brewers starter Matt Garza. It was Mercer's 10th homer of the season. Mercer's blast helped the Pirates (65-61) secure a 5-3 victory over the Brewers. Garza (4-6, 4.89 ERA) had Mercer in an 0-2 count before the grand slam. This season, Alex Dickerson, Seth Smith and Adam Eaton are the only other Major League players ... Read More
Back-and-forth game vs. Marlins doesn’t end Pirates’ way
Reliever Felipe Rivero hadn't allowed a run in 8.2 innings for the Pittsburgh Pirates (62-57), but that all changed Friday night. Up 5-3 heading into eighth inning, Rivero gave up a home run to the Miami Marlins' Miguel Rojas and a game-tying RBI single to Christian Yelich. An inning later, Robert Andino hit an RBI single off Pittsburgh reliever Neftali Feliz that proved to be the game-winning run. The Marlins (63-59) won the game, 6-5. It was a back-and-forth game, one the Pirates were ... Read More
Sean Rodriguez’s home run leads Pirates to victory
It was a short night for Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ross Ohlendorf. At PNC Park, Ohlendorf's outing Friday night lasted all of four pitches — on a mound that previously served as home. This time, though, it wasn't so kind. The Pittsburgh Pirates' Sean Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a game-winning home run on a 2-1 fastball to secure the 3-2 victory over the Reds (44-64). Pittsburgh is now 54-53 on the season. The homer was Rodriguez's 11th of the season, and he's now ... Read More
Four-run sixth highlights Pirates’ win vs. Braves
A day after the Pittsburgh Pirates made some tough decisions at the trade deadline, the team gave fans something to cheer for. For the first time since last Wednesday, the Pirates (53-51) found themselves in the win column with a 5-3 road victory Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves (37-69). Tony Watson made his debut as the Pirates' closer and pitched a scoreless inning to earn his first save since April 22, 2015 (and his sixth career save). He struck out one batter and walked another ... Read More
Why timing was right for Mark Melancon trade
Here's a memo to Pittsburgh Pirates fans upset about closer Mark Melancon being traded: Relax. The Pirates' management is very aware of what it is doing and, under general manager Neal Huntington, they're not wrong by making this move. First of all, Melancon is going to be just fine. He's heading to a Washington Nationals team that leads the NL East by five games. Those who question whether Melancon can handle being outside PNC Park because he doesn't strike enough batters out should stop ... Read More
Here’s what Neal Huntington had to say about the Melancon trade
After almost three years with the Pittsburgh Pirates organization, closer Mark Melancon will be heading to Washington, D.C. On Saturday, it was announced Melancon was traded to the Washington Nationals in return for reliever Felipe Rivero and prospect Taylor Hearn. Pirates General Manager Neal Huntington said it was a “very difficult decision” to trade Melancon, especially “given the person that (he) is … he’s poured his heart and soul into this organization.” Melancon has had a phenomenal ... Read More