It took extra innings, but the Pittsburgh Pirates took the first of a three-game road series by a 9-7 score Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds. The game was tied at six heading into the 10th inning, when the Reds brought in closer Tony Cingrani. A total of eight Pirates batters would step up to face him. Cingrani (2-5) started the inning with a four-pitch walk to Jung Ho Kang, which was followed by a Sean Rodriguez single and a Francisco Cervelli bunt single that was upheld after a ... 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
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
Has Josh Bell’s debut been pushed back by Jaso, Rogers?
Going into 2016, the first base position was one of great uncertainty for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Less than a month into the season, that uncertainty has given way to a new unknown: Has the team's production at first changed the timeline of prized prospect Josh Bell? Bell has been not-so-quietly faring well against International League pitching for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians, culminating in Bell, yesterday, being named IL Hitter Of The Week. On the season, Bell is slashing ... Read More
Pirates offseason analyzed: New additions
It has been a busy time all around baseball as the 2015 season is over and teams are trying to find the right pieces to make a run toward the 2016 World Series. The Pittsburgh Pirates are no different and have welcomed some faces, while saying goodbye to other ones. Hellos: Oct. 24 Pirates acquire Trevor Williams - This was a bizarre acquisition as this was later revealed to be compensation for the Pirates losing their "pitching guru" in Jim Benedict, someone whose opinion had high ... Read More
Pittsburgh Pirates acquire IF Jason Rogers from Brewers
The Pittsburgh Pirates dealt from a position of strength to fill a position of need in a trade consummated late Thursday night. The team announced the acquisition of Jason Rogers, first baseman with the Milwaukee Brewers, in exchange for outfielder Keon Broxton and starting pitching prospect Trey Supak. Rogers comes to the Pirates having had his first real taste of the majors last season. The 27-year-old appeared in 86 games for Milwaukee last season, collecting 169 plate appearances. In ... Read More