A day after the Pittsburgh Pirates made some tough decisions at the trade deadline, the team gave fans something to cheer for. For the first time since last Wednesday, the Pirates (53-51) found themselves in the win column with a 5-3 road victory Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves (37-69). Tony Watson made his debut as the Pirates' closer and pitched a scoreless inning to earn his first save since April 22, 2015 (and his sixth career save). He struck out one batter and walked another ... Read More
Why timing was right for Mark Melancon trade
Here's a memo to Pittsburgh Pirates fans upset about closer Mark Melancon being traded: Relax. The Pirates' management is very aware of what it is doing and, under general manager Neal Huntington, they're not wrong by making this move. First of all, Melancon is going to be just fine. He's heading to a Washington Nationals team that leads the NL East by five games. Those who question whether Melancon can handle being outside PNC Park because he doesn't strike enough batters out should stop ... Read More
Pirates bench the difference in win
Pittsburgh Pirates reserve Adam Frazier had seen Philadelphia Phillies reliever Edubray Ramos during the Arizona Fall League baseball season and used this knowledge to his benefit. Frazier was able to hit his first career home run, a solo shot over the Clemente Wall in right field, to help lead the Pirates to the 5-4 win over the Phillies on Sunday. "It was up and in," he said. "I figured he was going up and in with a fastball after missing with two off-speed pitches, so I just tried to ... 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
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
Pirates sweep doubleheader against Mets
Doubleheaders always bring the potential of unique accomplishments, and Tuesday's contests between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the New York Mets brought some of those into play. Both games ended the same, a 3-1 Pirates victory giving the home team nine consecutive wins over the Mets, the most in franchise history. Often times in doubleheaders, relief pitchers appear in one game, but both Mark Melancon and Neftali Feliz appeared in each of the victories. Feliz allowed the lone run in Game ... Read More
Column: Patient approach leads to another Pirates win
Sometimes it is not what about what is done when a team fails to score a run in any given inning, but there are occasions in which that does not tell the full story. While David Freese's three-run home run will be the talk of this game, perhaps more eyes should be turned to the opening three innings of the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 victory Wednesday night over the Arizona Diamondbacks. In those first three innings, the Pirates came away with three hits. No big deal, right? Wrong. The ... Read More
Pirates’ 10-game homestand continues tonight vs. Rockies
The Pittsburgh Pirates are in the middle of a 10-game homestand and tonight will start a three-game set against the Colorado Rockies when the Pirates' Gerrit Cole (4-3, 3.05 ERA) takes on the Rockies' Eddie Butler (2-1, 4.74 ERA). The Rockies come to PNC Park on a two-game losing streak but are 6-4 in their last 10 contests. With a 20-20 record, the Rockies are tied for second place in the NL West, three games behind the San Francisco Giants. The NL West has been a recipe of success ... Read More
Locke not at fault for Pirates’ 8-4 loss to Milwaukee
Forgive me if you have heard this script before: The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense comes together and solves a pitcher in the seventh inning, only to immediately blow the momentum. It happened against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, just over 24 hours from when the same thing happened against the Detroit Tigers. Predictably, the outcome was similar, and the Pirates lost to the Brewers, 8-4. This defeat drops the Pirates to 5-6, their first time under .500 in 2016. The losses have ... Read More
Pirates offense, Cole return in win
Sunday was an important day for Pittsburgh Pirates fans as it was their first chance to see Gerrit Cole on a mound in game action. Cole suffered a rib inflammation and it delayed the start of his throwing program. He was able to throw his two scheduled innings as the Pirates won 9-5 over the Detroit Tigers in front of a sold out crowd at McKechnie Field. 8,771 fans attended Sunday's game, the third-largest crowd in McKechnie Field history. Cole was able to use all of his pitches in the ... Read More