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
Starling Marte’s grand slam powers Pirates’ comeback win
Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Jeff Branson gave Starling Marte some last minute advice as the right-handed cleanup hitter prepared to face J.J. Hoover with the bases loaded. It was a simple message, really: Keep your foot down. For three games and 7.2 innings on Friday night (the fourth game of the season), the Pirates hadn't connected on a home run, but all of that was about to change. Hoover made a mistake and threw a pitch right down the middle of the plate, and Marte made him pay. ... Read More
Nicasio’s stellar performance leads Pirates to sweep Cardinals
Just a season ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates put themselves in a large hole with a poor month of April. Now, the Pirates have gotten off to a strong start in April with an opening series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals, following a 5-1 victory Wednesday night. The Pirates are now 3-0, but they are doing their best not to make too much of this sweep. “I don’t think we’ll ever surprise ourselves when we play well, we’re past that point,” said manager Clint Hurdle. “We expect to play well. We ... Read More
Pirates pregame: Bullpen effective at changing speeds
Last night, Jordy Mercer took a changeup to the opposite field for the game-winning hit in the 11th inning as the Pittsburgh Pirates outlasted the St. Louis Cardinals, 6-5. Tonight, the Pirates will attempt to make a statement with an opening series sweep against the Cardinals, a team coming off a season-high 100 wins last season. Pittsburgh righthander Juan Nicasio will get the start for the Pirates, and his mound opponent will be Mike Leake. Nicasio is coming off a spring training ... Read More
Three Takeaways from Jon Niese’s debut
As Neil Walker launched his first home run of the season for the New York Mets, his counterpart in the December trade that sent him to the Big Apple was laboring through his first start with the Pittsburgh Pirates. To be sure, Jon Niese did not have an overtly memorable night for his Pittsburgh debut. In five innings, Niese allowing four earned runs and struck out seven, giving the hometown crowd a mixed bag. However, looking deeper into his start, there are several takeaways. Niese is a ... Read More
Jordy Mercer’s 11th inning single gives Pirates 6-5 win over Cardinals
Jordy Mercer had been fooled twice by Seth Maness’ changeups, so Mercer wanted to make sure the third time was a charm. After all, he and his Pittsburgh Pirates teammates had been huddled by the PNC Park dugout heater for over six innings in a game that was deep in the 11th inning. So when Maness (0-1) took the bait and fired a third changeup, Mercer made him pay with an opposite field single that sailed past St. Louis Cardinals first baseman Matt Adams’s outstretched glove. Mercer’s ... Read More
Pirates Pregame: Polanco contract sets positive tone
The Pittsburgh Pirates will look to start the season 2-0 and lock-up a series win against the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. The game’s starters will be Jonathon Niese and Michael Wacha for the Pirates and the Cardinals, respectively. Niese is 4-3 with a 3.10 ERA in nine career starts against the Cardinals. Tonight’s game already has something in common with Sunday’s home opener, as Niese, like Francisco Liriano, is a left-handed starting pitcher. This is the first time the Pirates ... Read More
COLUMN: Pirates continue trend as early deciders
In signing Gregory Polanco to an extension yesterday, the Pittsburgh Pirates continued to beef up their reputation as early deciders. In identifying talent early and then deciding on how that talent might develop, the club prides itself on manufacturing certainty. Make no mistake, Polanco’s extension is a matter of cost control. In locking up the right fielder while he is still pre-arbitration eligible, general manager Neal Huntington has a level of certainty in his outfield that breeds ... Read More
Liriano fans 10 in Pirates Opening Day win
It's hard to believe, but the most important at-bat came two batters into the bottom of the second inning. Josh Harrison was facing St. Louis Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright, with Gregory Polanco on second base after a lead-off double that hit off the Clemente Wall in right field. Harrison took a 2-1 offering and hit a ground ball, which allowed Polanco to advance to third base. Not only did this move a runner forward, something which was not done in the first inning when the Pittsburgh ... Read More
Daily Fantasy MLB Picks: Top DraftKings plays from Cardinals vs. Pirates, April 3
The wait is finally over as Opening Day is upon us. That also means the wait is over for Daily Fantasy Baseball players. With that in mind, let's scratch that itch and give you my top plays around the league with a focus on the Pirates and Cardinals matchup. With only a three-game slate, there aren't going to be many value plays around and with prices pretty low on Opening Day not many should be needed. Here's a look at my top plays for April 3. Biggest Favorite- Pirates ... Read More