As the Pirates season comes to an abrupt end after 98 win, we take a look at what the players did to get them there and what is next for them. Today, we take a look at the starting lineup for most of the season: The Starters Francisco Cervelli (C): The Season: Acquired in the offseason from the New York Yankees, Cervelli was a rock behind the plate for the Pirates this season. The backstop hit .295 in 130 games slugging .401 with an on-base percentage of .370. Defensively speaking, ... Read More
Arrieta matchup similar to 2013 Wild Card game
Life just isn’t fair for the Pittsburgh Pirates. They had a terrific season in which they won over 90 games; but just by sheer geographical coincidence they were stuck in the division with the team with the best record in baseball. And what is their reward? They get to play in a winner-take-all Wild Card game against another National League Central opponent. Oh, and they have to face a pitcher that dominated them all season. Sounds like the situation the Pirates will be in against ... Read More
Pirates have big decision to make with Happ
Disclaimer: Obviously the Pirates are not done playing baseball yet in 2015, and their focus should be on winning the World Series. But it doesn’t hurt for us to take a peek at what may happen with Happ once the season is over while we wait for the Wild Card game. J.A. Happ discovered in early August skipping a start can be a good thing. After getting roughed up by the Chicago Cubs in his first Pirates start on August 4 to the tune of nine hits and four runs given up over 4.1 innings, Happ was ... Read More
Biggest regular season series ever at PNC Park?
When the Pittsburgh Pirates take the field Monday to start a three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals, huge playoff implications will be on the line. First place in the NL Central, and not having to face Chicago Cubs pitcher Jake Arrieta in a one-and-done playoff game is the prize, and will go a long way to the Pirates’ World Series chances. With the Cardinals three games above the Pirates with six games left, the Pirates still control their own destiny to winning the ... Read More
Subtle celebration shows Pirates have bigger aspirations
The Pittsburgh Pirates do take clinching a playoff berth for granted, but they have also bigger goals. Players did not pop champagne after securing their third straight playoff berth Wednesday in Colorado. No plastic covered the locker room. No goggles were needed, nor were players wildly jumping in celebration with the fizzing, white bubbly drink spraying all over. Instead it was just their usual postgame high-fives on the field after beating the Rockies 13-7, followed by a low-key ... Read More
Broxton adds speed to Pirates bench, outfield
Keon Broxton wasted little time in making an impact during his first Major League appearance for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Donning a No. 60 gray Pirates’ jersey, the outfielder made his debut Monday – the same day he was called up from Triple-A Indianapolis – when he trotted to first base to pinch-run for Aramis Ramirez in the top of the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies, and promptly reached second base on a Neil Walker groundout that scored Andrew McCutchen. Broxton took his lead ... Read More
COLUMN: Kang injury leaves Pirates with big shoes to fill
A hush fell over PNC Park on Thursday. Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Jung-Ho Kang dropped head first to the dirt near second base after Chicago Cub Chris Coghlan slid into second base, swept his outstretched legs under Kang’s, who was on the bag with the ball in hand about to throw to first to complete a double play, and his right knee collided into Kang’s left knee. It was not hard to see Kang was injured, as he was rolling side-to-side on the ground while clutching his left knee with his ... Read More
4-run eighth leads Columbus over Indy in Governor’s Cup
The Indians of Indianapolis took on the Triple-A affiliate of Major League Baseball's Cleveland Indians, the Columbus Clippers, in Game 1 of the Governors' Cup Championship Series in Columbus. Indianapolis advanced to the championship series by way of sweeping in the Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders 3-0 in a best-of-five game semifinal series. The Clippers earned their opportunity to face the Indians by defeating the Norfolk Tide 3-2 in their best-of-five series. Sharing identical records ... Read More
Florimon finds niche as pinch-runner
Pedro Florimon had one job in the first game of the Pirates’ split doubleheader Tuesday: Score the game-winning run for Pittsburgh. With the score tied at four, Florimon ascended the stairs of the third base dugout and headed toward first base in the bottom of the eighth inning to serve as a pinch-runner for Pedro Alvarez, who had just hit a lead-off single. The speedy Florimon was called on to replace the lumbering Alvarez with the hope that he would have an easier time rounding the bases to ... Read More
West Virginia Black Bears capture New York-Penn League title
On the road for Game 2 of a best-of-three-game New York-Penn League Championship, the West Virginia Black Bears had the Staten Island Yankees on the brink of elimination. The Black Bears, coming of a walk-off win in their first ever New York-Penn League Championship game Monday night, looked to put the Baby Bombers away in Game 2. West Virginia was able to do just that via late inning heroics and the long ball in a 3-1 victory. The Black Bears went down early as a result of a Jhalen ... Read More