The Pittsburgh Pirates needed to rebound after being swept by the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates were flat-out embarrassed by the Cubs, so when Pittsburgh crushed the St. Louis Cardinals 10-5 on Sunday to secure a series win, it provided a little vindication. Pittsburgh's Gerrit Cole (3-3) had a 33-pitch first inning — 12 pitches more than should have been necessary after he failed to locate a strikeout pitch to Matt Holliday. On that play, Pirates' catcher Chris Stewart couldn't block the pitch, ... Read More
Pirates lose extra-inning affair to Reds
It took 11 innings, but the Pittsburgh Pirates saw its comeback attempt come to an end. This game came down to a bullpen battle, and Ryan Vogelsong was the last to flinch as he fell to 1-1 on the season. Here are some takeaways from the game. Locke not to blame Jeff Locke has always been the easy target to blame, but his seven innings of work in which he allowed three runs on four hits should not draw ire. Every start, fans automatically appear to want Locke to fail. When he ... Read More
Pirates beat Reds to match April wins record
Getting outs on three pitches or less has always been a staple of the Pittsburgh Pirates, and starting pitcher Francisco Liriano found success accomplishing this Saturday night. He pitched 6.2 innings in a 5-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at a rainy PNC Park. Liriano (1-1) had three three ball counts, and the zero walks he allowed was perhaps just as important — he came into this start leading National League pitchers with 17 walks, one behind the Major-League-high held by Felix ... Read More
Pirates pregame 4/30: Jared Hughes returns
Following a 4-1 victory Friday night against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates will look for a series victory as Francisco Liriano (1-1 4.64 ERA) takes on Alfredo Simon (0-2 16.39 ERA). Liriano has a 1-5 record with a 3.96 ERA in 13 regular season starts against the Reds. One of those starts came this season, and he allowed three runs on five hits in five innings. Liriano threw 90 pitches in that appearance and struggled with control all night, having to consistently battle through ... 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
John Jaso has been a surprise success batting leadoff for the Pirates
John Jaso is not supposed to hit leadoff. He’s not a great runner. He’s not a threat to steal at any given moment. He won’t land that perfectly placed drag bunt. Jaso even plays first base. First basemen aren’t supposed to lead off; they’re supposed to hit home runs. In Jaso’s case, none of that matters. The leadoff hitter’s main goal is get on base. And Jaso knows how to get on base. While he might be the most unconventional leadoff hitter the Pittsburgh Pirates have had in years, ... Read More
Pirates unable to capitalize on opportunities in season’s first loss
The fifth, sixth and seventh hitters in Saturday's Pittsburgh Pirates lineup went 7-for-10 at the plate, but, outside of John Jaso hitting leadoff, the rest of the lineup couldn't deliver. It was that middle of the order that was responsible for the lone run scored in the Pirates' first loss of the season, a 5-1 defeat against the Cincinnati Reds. This game mirrored Friday's win in many ways, but it was missing the big, crucial, timely hit. There were times in Saturday's game where the ... Read More
Nicasio’s stellar performance leads Pirates to sweep Cardinals
Just a season ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates put themselves in a large hole with a poor month of April. Now, the Pirates have gotten off to a strong start in April with an opening series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, following a 5-1 victory Wednesday night. The Pirates are now 3-0, but they are doing their best not to make too much of this sweep. “I don’t think we’ll ever surprise ourselves when we play well, we’re past that point,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “We expect to play well. We ... 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
Face off Friday: Pirates roundtable
If there's one thing Pittsburgh Pirates fan love, it's debating the team's move during the off-season. The signing of John Jaso and acquisition of Yoervis Medina gave fans plenty of chances to do so. We here at the Pittsburgh Sporting News are no exception. Fellow Pirates contributor Jose Negron and I went back and forth via email on a few key hot stove topics, and that exchange is recounted for you here. On the First Base position... JASON: Jose, it seems as if the Pirates have ... Read More