The Pittsburgh Pirates fell 3-2 Wednesday night to the Miami Marlins ensuring at best a series split. In the game, it was setup man Tony Watson (1-1) who allowed the game-winning run on an Adeiny Hechavarria double that scored former Pirate Miguel Rojas. The Marlins had a 2-0 lead Christian Yelich batted in a run with a fielder's choice and Jonathon Niese had a wild pitch to plate Martin Prado. Niese had a no-decision allowing the two runs on six hits in five innings. He did not have ... Read More
Cole outpitched by Fernandez in Pirates loss
Normally highly anticipated pitching match-ups do not live up to their billing, but for six innings, Gerrit Cole and Jose Fernandez battled zero for zero. It was Cole who flinched first in a 3-1 Pittsburgh Pirates loss to the Miami Marlins Tuesday night. After Cole (5-4) retired his mound opponent, Ichiro Suzuki recorded a single on a 1-1 offering. On the next pitch, Marlins catcher J.T. Realmuto singled putting a runner in scoring position. This brought Christian Yelich to the plate. ... Read More
Liriano lacks command in Pirates loss to Rangers
Control has been an issue for Francisco Liriano of late and because of this, his success as a pitcher has hit a snag. With the Pittsburgh Pirates looking for a series win against the Texas Rangers, command and control once again eluded Liriano in a 6-2 defeat. Liriano (4-4) was given a 2-0 lead which in the past has allowed for him to get into more of a comfortable mindset. Jordy Mercer led off the game with his seventh double of the season and immediately was batted in by Andrew ... Read More
Nicasio struggles as Pirates fall to Rangers
The lone time the Pittsburgh Pirates faced Yu Darvish was Sept. 9, 2013. That date was when the Pirates clinched their first winning season since 1992. It also was the last time Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister (then the Pirates bench coach), saw Darvish pitch until Saturday night. Darvish was making his return from Tommy John surgery and last pitched Aug. 9, 2014. The Rangers fed off the return with a 5-2 win. Darvish (1-0) allowed a run on three hits in five innings and was on a ... Read More
Pirates’ pitcher Jonathon Niese continues good form in win
With Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jonathon Niese throwing well lately, people wondered whether his good form could continue at the Texas Rangers' hitter-friendly Globe Life Park. On Friday night, the answer was a resounding "yes," as Niese (5-2) allowed just one run on seven hits in six innings of work and helped the Pirates resoundingly beat the Rangers, 9-1. Lately, Niese has been able to get ground ball outs with more regularity, and this was once again the case Friday — he had 10 ground ... 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
Column: The future is now with Pirates’ Polanco
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Gregory Polanco dominated in just about every facet of Tuesday night's game. Polanco's 3-for-5 night at the plate came with a career-high five RBIs as part of a 12-1 Pirates win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park. Really this should be no surprise, as through the first quarter and change of this season, you could easily make the case for Polanco being the team's MVP. Perhaps Starling Marte is the lone competition standing in the way of the outright ... Read More
Bizarre ninth seals Pirates loss
It appeared that the ninth inning would be a quick one with Pittsburgh Pirates closer Mark Melancon on the mound. He threw the first five pitches for strikes and struck out Mark Reynolds and Carlos Gonzalez looking then Gerardo Parra came up. Parra hit a swinging bunt with two strikes on him that barely stayed in fair territory and gave Francisco Cervelli a seemingly automatic throw to first to keep the game tied heading into the bottom of the ninth inning. Instead, his fifth error of the ... Read More
Pirates pregame: The one where defense wins championships
While rain has fallen all day in Pittsburgh, there will still be a baseball game at PNC Park as the Pittsburgh Pirates play host to the Colorado Rockies for the second of a three-game series. This afternoon, Jonathon Niese (4-2, 5.28 ERA) will pitch against Tyler Chatwood (5-3, 3.20 ERA). Niese is 3-3 with a 5.64 ERA in 10 career starts against the Rockies. This season hasn't been kind to him — he's tied for third in the National League in home runs allowed (11) and ranks among NL leaders ... Read More
Starling Marte leads defensive effort in Pirates’ win vs. Rockies
Starling Marte knew his Pittsburgh Pirates were up by one run, and — when the Colorado Rockies' Charlie Blackmon singled and Dustin Garneau was waved home — Marte knew it was up to him to keep it that way. "I knew when I threw the ball he was out," Marte said. That was just one of several spectacular plays in Friday's game, and the Pirates put on a defensive clinic in their 2-1 victory over Colorado. You may want to rethink running on Starling. https://t.co/5hFca6fCvv ... Read More