Andrew McCutchen did not want to see his Pittsburgh Pirates get swept by the Minnesota Twins, so he took matters into his own hands. His eighth inning home run tied the game and eventually sent the game in to extra innings. On a night where the Pittsburgh Steelers trademark song Renegade was played in a tribute to Troy Polamalu, the Pirates pulled off their version of a fourth-quarter comeback but fell in overtime, by a 4-3 score in the 13th inning. “You keep trying to find a way to ... Read More
Pirates pregame 5/20: Mercer back in lineup, Polanco gets day off
The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to earn a split in their two-game series against the Minnesota Twins tonight. An 8-5 victory was a result in favor of the Twins in last night's game. Francisco Liriano pitched two innings and allowed seven runs. The Pirates attempted to rally, however they stranded 10 base runners which limited the damage they could cause. Pedro Alvarez connected for his seventh home run of the season, a homer that ended up being the third ball to land in the Allegheny ... Read More
Pirates win series behind Kang’s bat
Jung-ho Kang accounted for two Pirates runs including the game-winning run as part of a 4-3 Mother's Day victory in front of 34,036 fans. “We feel we’re playing better baseball," manager Clint Hurdle said. "That's what we’ve talked about and that’s where our focus needs to stay. We’re definitely competing in the batter’s box which gives you more opportunities throughout the game.” The Pirates struck first for a fourth game in a row. Kang recorded a one out home run over the left field ... Read More
Rob Scahill overcoming mental hurdles
Yogi Berra once started a famous quote by saying that 90 percent of the game was mental. This is something Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Rob Scahill can certainly relate to. "Physically the tools were always there, mentally I had to get over a hump," Scahill said. "I think I’m getting to the top of that mental hump and trying to get over it.” Scahill has translated this into success to the tune of one earned run allowed in 13.1 innings of work, good for a 0.68 ERA. "He’s pitched all ... Read More
Pirates can’t find bats in loss to Reds
Michael Lorenzen made his second ever major league start, however Pittsburgh Pirates fans may be unable to tell after allowing one run on three hits in Tuesday night's 7-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds. “We’ve still got to keep working on having manageable at-bats, that’s the one thing we continue to talk about, making sure that we’re getting the pitch we want early in the count," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We missed some pitches we probably could have hit tonight, we’ve just got to do what ... Read More
Pirates pregame 5/5: Harrison out of lineup, Cole’s honor discussed
The Pittsburgh Pirates have returned to PNC Park after a nine game road trip and will begin a three game series tonight against the Cincinnati Reds. This is the second time these teams have met as the Reds swept the first series with happened to be the opening series to the season. Both teams enter this game with a 12-13 record. Tonight’s starters: Tonight's pitching match-up will feature Pirates left-handed starter Jeff Locke [2-1 4.76 ERA] and Reds right-handed starter Michael Lorenzen ... Read More
Top 10 Pirates moments of April
The Pittsburgh Pirates have completed its first full month of regular season play and came away with a 12-10 record. Naturally with each team, there are successes and failures, however this month is a definite improvement over last season's 9-14 mark in April. While there were some hitting inconsistencies and Mark Melancon's velocity decline was spotlighted, there was a lot to like, and these are some moments that stuck out. 10. Andrew Lambo Opening Day pinch-hit appearance- The Pirates ... Read More
Cubs early-inning scoring sinks Pirates
For the second time this season, the Chicago Cubs took the opening two games of its series with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Cubs won Tuesday night's game by a 6-2 score. Jeff Locke [2-1] did not make it into the fourth inning. Locke pitched 3.2 innings allowing eight hits, six runs [five earned runs], three walks and five strikeouts. Locke threw 86 pitches and had 53 strikes. The Cubs scored three runs in the third inning off Locke. Addison Russell brought home the first with his third double ... Read More
Polanco’s hit propels Pirates to win
Gregory Polanco had a .170 average batting 15-for-88 against left-handed pitching. That did not matter. “He held his ground, got some good looks, took some pitches," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Basically he got a pitch and just went with it, he didn’t do too much and stayed within himself. It was a really good at-bat.” Polanco's single off Phil Coke provided the go-ahead run in a 5-4 victory against the Chicago Cubs which ensured the Pittsburgh Pirates a series split. “It arguably was ... Read More
Pirates pregame 4/23: Marte, McCutchen out of lineup
The Pittsburgh Pirates are attempting to earn a series split after a 4-3 victory against the Chicago Cubs last night. The Cubs won the first two games 5-2 and 9-8. In the victory, Tony Watson earned his first save of the season getting the last six outs of the game. Gregory Polanco hit his first home run of the season. Today’s starters: In this afternoon's game, Jeff Locke [2-0 1.93 ERA] will face Kyle Hendricks [0-0 6.10 ERA]. Locke was a 6-2 winner over the Milwaukee Brewers in his ... Read More