For a second time this season, Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Ryan Vogelsong was down on the ground after not getting a bunt attempt down. This time the result was not as dramatic as Vogelsong fouled a ball on the bunt and was immediately checked on by head athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk and manager Clint Hurdle. "I asked him at the plate if he was good to put it down, and he said he would get it down," Hurdle said. "He's been gritty ever since he's shown up. He's a tough ... Read More
GM Huntington: “Triple-A is a place no one wants to be”
Predictably, prospect Josh Bell and pitcher Gerrit Cole were popular topics when Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington spoke to media Sunday. Below are some highlights of said press conference. On whether Bell's promotion had been planned or was in reaction to Kang's injury: “David Freese is now going to be the third baseman, and that opens up some at-bats at first base. Clint will make the decision on a daily basis with what gives him the best lineup to win that night. We ... Read More
Defensively, Pirates’ Bell a continued work in progress
Sunday afternoon against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Miami Marlins will be looking for their first sweep of the season since July 7-9 against the Cincinnati Reds. In Game One of this series against the Pirates, the Marlins prevailed in a seesaw game by a 6-5 score. And Saturday, Miami won again 3-1 behind six innings of shutout baseball from starting pitcher David Phelps. Sunday's game concludes a seven-game road trip for the Marlins — while the Pirates are looking to end this skid going ... Read More
Phelps golden against Pirates
Miami Marlins starting pitcher David Phelps was too much for the Pittsburgh Pirates' offense to handle, and the road team came away with a 3-1 victory Saturday night at PNC Park. Phelps, who tied a career-high with nine strikeouts, allowed two hits in six scoreless innings, good for a game score of 77. Phelps' strong pitching meant, for the first time, that the Pirates (62-58) lost a game started by Chad Kuhl. He had 10 ground ball outs while allowing three runs (two earned) on five hits ... Read More
MLB Trade Rumors: What should Pirates do at trade deadline?
The 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates (52-48) find themselves in a tough position with the trade deadline fast approaching and the team's position in the standings a bit different than in the past three years. Currently, the Pirates are third in the NL Central and trail the division-leading Chicago Cubs by 8.5 games; Pittsburgh is an additional two games out of making the playoffs as a wild card. So, at the trade deadline, should the Pirates be buyers or sellers — or should they simply stand ... Read More
Pirates fall to Nationals 5-1 in first game after All-Star break
Prior to the All-Star break, the Pittsburgh Pirates (46-44) fought hard to get back into contention for not just a National League playoff berth, but an NL Central spot, making Friday night's 5-1 loss to the Washington Nationals (55-36) all the more disappointing. Nationals pitcher Stephen Strasburg has had a 2016 season of historic proportions, and this victory boosts his record to 13-0 on the season. He's the second pitcher in the last 30 years to start a season that way. And despite how ... Read More
Huntington will use All-Star break to Pirates’ advantage
For the final time before the second half of play begins, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington met with reporters to discuss various topics. On pitcher Gerrit Cole's health and ideal return date: “We'll see how he responds and bounces back. Ideally, we'll get him back soon after the All-Star break if he can, but if he needs another one we'll get him another one.” On pitcher Jameson Taillon's health: “He's doing great. We had planned on giving him 10 days around the All-Star ... Read More
Pirates look to sweep Cubs heading into All-Star break
The Pittsburgh Pirates battled to a comeback 12-6 victory Saturday evening over the Chicago Cubs. Josh Bell had the big hit, a grand slam in his second Major League at-bat. “We were having a blast,” said pitcher Arquimedes Caminero. “It was a fun time playing baseball, playing as hard as we could to win the game. That’s what we try to do when we go out there.” https://twitter.com/Jedidiah412/status/751958240980787200 This afternoon, the Pirates will try to earn a series sweep of the ... Read More
Hell’s Bell: Bell’s grand slam helps provides Pirates win
There already were fireworks by the fifth inning celebrating Pittsburgh's Bicentennial, but in Saturday's Pittsburgh Pirates game against the Chicago Cubs, Josh Bell was not satisfied. In his second major league game, Bell took a swing at a 1-1 Adam Warren (3-2) pitch and when he saw it in the air, gave a jump and fist pump all while screaming "let's go" as he rounded the bases for his first career home run. Bell had hit a grand slam 107 miles-per-hour off the bat and was the first ... Read More
Pirates solve Cubs’ Arrieta in big win
In the sixth inning, Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman David Freese's committed a costly error, allowing the Chicago Cubs to take a lead for the first time all night — something that's considered a cardinal sin when Cubs' ace Jake Arrieta is on the mound. Yet the Pirates got away with it, winning 8-4. This win allowed the Pirates to snap an eight-game losing streak to NL Central opponents, and the division-leading Cubs have now lost eight of their past nine games. In Friday's game, the ... Read More