The Pittsburgh Pirates are 76 games into the 2016 season, and they aren't exactly in an ideal position. The Pirates, who are 37-39 this year, sit 12 games behind the Chicago Cubs for first place and three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for second place in the NL Central. The team has endured an abundance of issues; however, it's not time to completely write off the Pirates just yet. Young rotation help arriving When it comes to the starting rotation, it's no secret they've struggled this ... Read More
Patience is key for Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are just 7-20 since May 27. But losses are one thing; how a team reacts to those losses tells the story. “When you’re not getting the results you want, I think maybe it leads to trying harder than you need to,” Pirates pitcher Kyle Lobstein offered. ”I guess when you’re talking about patience when things aren’t going well, it’s more of a mindset of finding yourself. When things are going well, it’s easy to be patient and things fall into place, so you don’t really have ... Read More
Gerrit Cole’s off night costs Pirates
An 87 mile-per-hour fastball was the only thing needed to confirm that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are indeed in a rivalry. The game was long decided when Pirates pitcher Kyle Lobstein hit Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist with a pitch in the seventh inning of a 7-2 Cubs win. An inning earlier, Starling Marte was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season, a mark that ties Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer for the Major League lead. After Zobrist was hit, home plate umpire ... Read More
COLUMN: Bullpen surprisingly Pirates’ weak link early on
The Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen has been rock solid under manager Clint Hurdle, but early on this season, it can be a big thing holding the team back from winning. I will preface this by saying 10 games is way too early and way too small of a sample size, but still the current body of work needs to be judged and that is where relief pitching has fallen short. This season, the normally good Pirates bullpen has a 5.11 Earned Run Average through 10 games. I know what you're thinking: What ... 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
O’Flaherty traded to Braves
With Opening Day, a week away, the Pittsburgh Pirates elected to trade Eric O'Flaherty to the Atlanta Braves in exchange for cash considerations. The story was broken by Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports and confirmed by the Pirates. O'Flaherty is a left-handed relief pitcher who was in the conversation for a bullpen spot, though this trade translates into the fact that he would not have made the team. In 10 Spring Training games, O'Flaherty was 0-1 with a 2.89 ERA. This included allowing 15 hits ... 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 LHP Kyle Lobstein for cash
Today the Pittsburgh Pirates announced via Twitter that they have acquired LHP Kyle Lobstein from the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. Lobstein is a 26-year old left handed pitcher who has spent parts of the last two seasons with the Tigers. Lobstein has made 17 starts over that time as well as appeared in three games in a relief capacity. He has posted a 5.33 ERA over that span, with a 1.59 strikeout-to-walk ratio. At first glance, Lobstein's performance thus far can be considered ... Read More