All offseason, there's been talk of moves regarding Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen. Now, it appears McCutchen is indeed being moved — just to a different position. Pirates outfielder Starling Marte told MLB Dominicana that he would be playing center field next season, moving over from left field. This means McCutchen and Gregory Polanco will be Pittsburgh's corner outfielders for the 2017 season. El OF @Starlingmart confirma que jugará en la pradera central para la próxima ... Read More
Five best Pittsburgh sports moments from 2016
Farewell, 2016. You won’t be missed. (But we will miss you, The King.) But as much as 2016 sucked, there were some great sports moments in the Steel City. Here, we look at the top-5 Pittsburgh sports moments from 2016. 5. Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco come into their own Andrew McCutchen had a pretty bad season — there’s really no way to sugar coat it. But fellow outfielders Starling Marte and Gregory Polanco both came into their own this season, which promises big things for ... Read More
Column: No clear answer for team MVP
In many respects, it's hard to name an MVP for this year's Pittsburgh Pirates team. There isn't one name that truly sticks out — for once, center fielder Andrew McCutchen won't be topping this list. So, where does that leave us? The following had good seasons, but they still weren't the team MVP, so apologies to: David Freese: On the surface, this appeared to be a desperation signing by Pittsburgh. At the very least, it was a concession that third baseman Jung Ho Kang wouldn't be able ... 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
COLUMN: Pirates season doomed from the start
Heading into Tuesday night's games, the Pittsburgh Pirates had a magic number of two and were able to secure their fate for the 2016 season. Unfortunately for the Pirates, that magic number was what it took for them to be mathematically eliminated from playoff contention. First the Pirates fell 6-4 to the Chicago Cubs and the San Francisco Giants defeated the Colorado Rockies, 12-3. This sequence ends a streak of three consecutive seasons with playoff berths. Now the Pirates fall to ... Read More
Stallings’ 11th-inning hit propels Pirates over Nationals
Jacob Stallings has been a known commodity among Pittsburgh fans because his father Kevin Stallings coaches the Pitt Panthers men's basketball team, but Friday night he was able to provide a more formal introduction where it was his bat that did the talking. With each remaining game turning into essentially a must-win scenario to keep any very, very slim playoff hopes alive, the Pirates returned to PNC Park following an 11-game road trip and beat the Washington Nationals 6-5 in 11 innings ... Read More
Cole’s return lasts two innings in loss
Gerrit Cole's return lasted two innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates dropped a 6-2 game to the Philadelphia Phillies. This extends their losing streak to four games and 12 of the past 14 with 10 consecutive road games to go. Cole (7-10) needed 55 pitches to get through those two innings and was erratic walking four batters and allowing four hits. Though the damage all came in a five-run second inning, Cole was actually given a 1-0 lead when Gregory Polanco reached base on a force play when ... Read More
Pirates drop series finale to Reds, 8-0
The Pittsburgh Pirates were trying to salvage what was a disappointing homestand but instead lost 8-0 Sunday afternoon to the Cincinnati Reds. This was a game in which Ryan Vogelsong struggled through four innings and the offense stranded the bases loaded on two separate occasions. The loss puts the Pirates at 69-72 with 21 games remaining. This loss put the Pirates at 2-8 in their 10-game home stand. "My vision is to get us playing better," manager Clint Hurdle said. "I’m not going to ... Read More
Kang’s blast ends Pirates’ 8-game losing streak
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang will admit that this season has been a very disappointing one, but an eighth-inning home run ended the Pirates' eight-game losing streak and secured a 4-3 victory against the St. Louis Cardinals. Kang entered this Wednesday night contest having hit two home runs the night before against the Cardinals, and he added another, blasting a 1-2 pitch left in the upper-middle portion of the strike zone for his 17th home run of the season. Equally as ... Read More
Cubs, Hendricks blank Pirates, 3-0
Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Kyle Hendricks has the lowest Earned Run Average among qualified pitchers and Tuesday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates found out why. All Hendricks (13-7) did was allow three hits in seven innings lowering his ERA to 2.09 as the Cubs bested the Pirates, 3-0. This victory put the Cubs at 21-6 in August, and the 21 wins is the most in a month since May 1977. Meanwhile, the Pirates now fall to 3-11 against the Cubs this season. All the runs needed for Kendrick ... Read More