Sunday was an important day for Pittsburgh Pirates fans as it was their first chance to see Gerrit Cole on a mound in game action. Cole suffered a rib inflammation and it delayed the start of his throwing program. He was able to throw his two scheduled innings as the Pirates won 9-5 over the Detroit Tigers in front of a sold out crowd at McKechnie Field. 8,771 fans attended Sunday's game, the third-largest crowd in McKechnie Field history. Cole was able to use all of his pitches in the ... Read More
Liriano gets opening day nod
Clint Hurdle told reporters Friday that because of Gerrit Cole's injury, it will be Francisco Liriano gets the opportunity to pitch opening day Sunday for the Pittsburgh Pirates April 3 against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cole has not yet appeared in a game because of right rib inflammation. As a result his first Spring Training appearance has been delayed and will be Sunday against the Detroit Tigers. Hurdle further told reporters that while Cole is now healthy Cole did not start his ... Read More
COLUMN: Forward-thinking Pirates cannot abandon that approach
As reported by the Tribune Review, tensions recently flared between Gerrit Cole and the Pirates' management. As a quick primer, Cole was upset at the club's offer for his 2016 salary. While the initial offer was for $538,000, general manager Neal Huntington later admitted that figure to be a mistake. The final offer, signed by Cole, is for $541,000. For those who may not know, any MLB player with 0-3 years of service (or, "Pre-Arbitration") is subject to the league minimum salary of ... Read More
2015 most valuable Pirates player: Part 2
Part two of the Pirates most valuable player list will highlight players ranked fifth through second. This list includes all-stars, consistent play and an MVP award. Let the debate and countdown continue. #5 Starling Marte- This is the second outfielder to appear in the countdown. Marte is the best two-way outfielder on the team and arguably in the league. Though he showed a couple of defensive lapses this season with not hitting the cutoff man in a timely manner, Marte's arm is the most ... Read More
Pirates lose in Wild Card again
The crack off Kyle Schwarber's bat made it perfectly clear that the Chicago Cubs meant business in their 4-0 Wednesday night Wild Card game victory the Pirates. His 449-foot home run sailed over the right field seats, completing a dramatic turnaround for Schwarber. A year ago, the Cubs sent Schwarber to the Instructional League. Schwarber and Dexter Fowler, the top two hitters in Wednesday's Cubs lineup had five of the team's six hits with the remainder of the team batting 2-for-32, good ... Read More
AM Joe: And now, we wait
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Monday, October 5, 2015. What's on tap for today: At the craziest part of the year's sports calendar, there will be two days of nothing but anticipation, as the Pirates, Steelers, Penguins and local college teams are all off until Wednesday's Wild Card game between the Bucs and the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. At noon, Pitt (3-1. 1-0) head coach Pat Narduzzi will discuss his team's big road win over Virginia Tech and look forward to ... Read More
Pirates select Cole to start Wild Card Game
In a move that will not surprise many Pittsburgh Pirates fans, manager Clint Hurdle announced Saturday afternoon that Gerrit Cole will be the team's starting pitcher for Wednesday's Wild Card game against the Chicago Cubs. “We pretty much scripted it out when we scripted the entire rotation three weeks ago," Hurdle said. For Cole this will be his first time starting game one of a wild card game, an opportunity he is looking forward to. “It’s special," Cole said. "[Hurdle] continues to ... Read More
Cervelli’s slam helps Pirates division dreams stay alive
Pittsburgh Pirates fans gave a standing ovation when Francisco Cervelli stepped to the plate in the sixth inning of Wednesday afternoon's game. In what manager Clint Hurdle called a "must-win game," Cervelli's fourth inning grand slam helped the team defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-2, and kept the Pirates division chances alive. “The understatement of the day would be that was a great swing," Hurdle said. "It’s been a while since he hit one.” Gerrit Cole [19-8] pitched seven innings ... Read More
Pirates pregame 9/30: Let’s play two part deux
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in must-win situation if it wants to keep its National League Central hopes alive. The St. Louis Cardinals defeated the Pirates by a 3-0 score Monday night and reducing its magic number to two meaning a win in either doubleheader game would result in the NL Central title. “We’ve been in a footrace the entire year, and I don’t think we’re scared of who’s behind us, we just go out and play hard," Cardinals closer Trevor Rosenthal said. The Pirates are not panicking ... Read More
AM Joe: Pirates face must-win twinbill with Cardinals
Good morning, Pittsburgh. Here's your day in sports for Tuesday, September 29, 2015. What's on tap for today: A lot will be decided between the Pirates (95-62) and Cardinals (99-58) in their doubleheader today at PNC Park. A pair of Cardinals wins would clinch the division for the Redbirds, while a Bucco sweep would leave the Pirates down only a game with three to play. The Pirates will move Gerrit Cole up to the early game at 1:35 p.m. to square off against Lance Lynn. Charlie Morton and ... Read More