The Pittsburgh Pirates met their match Friday night in Philadelphia Phillies 22-year-old rookie pitcher Zach Eflin, who is known for his ability to pitch to contact. As he pitched, the Pirates exhibited little contact, and Eflin recorded his second career complete game as the Phillies shut out the Pirates, 4-0. Eflin (3-3, 3.40 ERA, 1.05 WHIP) threw exactly 100 pitches and allowed only three hits on the night. He got eight ground ball outs and five flyball outs in addition to six ... Read More
Liriano exhibits control, power in win
A day after the Pittsburgh Pirates (49-46) walked nine batters, starting pitcher Francisco Liriano didn't allow any free passes, and three relievers followed his lead to give the team the series win against the Milwaukee Brewers (40-53) after a 5-3 victory Thursday night. Liriano's (4.96 ERA) 13 strikeouts was his highest total since Aug. 19, 2013, against the San Diego Padres. But what remained eye-catching was the fact that Liriano allowed zero walks. This season, Liriano leads all Major ... Read More
Pirates pitching lacks command in loss
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jeff Locke started and ended his 3-plus inning start Wednesday night against the Milwaukee Brewers the same way - with a walk. In fact, Locke combined with four Pirates relievers to allow nine walks in a 9-5 loss to the Brewers. Locke (8-6) came into the start on a five-game winning streak when pitching at PNC Park and had not lost since June 16. He allowed five runs on seven hits, while also walking five batters. After surviving the first inning, ... Read More
Pirates take advantage of Brewers’ miscue in 3-2 win
For eight innings in Tuesday night's Pittsburgh Pirates' contest against the Milwaukee Brewers (39-52), the Pirates led. Then, in the ninth inning, Pittsburgh (48-45) handed the ball to closer Mark Melancon, who allowed the first two Brewers he faced to reach base (issuing a walk to Ryan Braun and giving up a single to Jonathan Lucroy). Melancon seemed to find his rhythm and get things together, striking out the next two batters he faced. But, needing one final strike to close out the game, ... Read More
Pirates top Nationals in 18 innings
On the surface, it was only two runs, but that was enough for the Pittsburgh Pirates to defeat the Washington Nationals in a season-high 18 innings while also avoiding a series sweep. Though the game was long and each of the team's relievers were used, Monday is an off day allowing for everyone to get some rest. The winning hit came from Starling Marte off former Pirate Oliver Perez with two outs in the 18th inning. Marte swing at the first pitch and hit it deep into the left field ... Read More
Column: Three strikes eliminate Pirates chances of win
Baseball is a game where several elements can change the outcome of a game at any time. Saturday was one of those cases where the Pittsburgh Pirates did not do much right falling 6-0 to the Washington Nationals. This series loss is the first since June 20-23 against the San Francisco Giants and it was poor play all around which cost the Pirates. Strike one: Indifferent fielding/base running The image I will take from this game came in the fourth inning. By that point, this game had ... 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
Bonnett, Johnson quietly ensure Pirates have good All-Star experience
The MLB All-Star Game is commonly referred to as three or four of the busiest days in a baseball season, so when Pittsburgh Pirates left fielder Starling Marte and closer Mark Melancon were named to the National League All-Star team, there was a lot of work to be done. Work that doesn’t actually even happen on the field. When Marte and Melancon were named to the All-Star team, clubhouse manager Scott “Bones” Bonnett and traveling secretary Greg Johnson had to immediately go to work, ... Read More
Short start proves too much for Pirates to overcome
The Pittsburgh Pirates have been finding ways to come from behind and win games but another short start, this time from Jonathon Niese forced a frequently used bullpen into action early leading to a 6-5 defeat to the Chicago Cubs. Niese lasted a season-low 3.2 innings a day after Chad Kuhl pitched and threw 76 pitches. He allowed five earned runs on eight hits with four of them coming in a two-run first inning. "I think it's just the consistency of the angle," manager Clint Hurdle said. ... 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