Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Gerrit Cole was named to the NL All-Star team on Monday, and Friday he showed why in a 5-2 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. The right-handed Cole [13-3 2.30 ERA] threw seven innings and recorded three strikeouts with his only blemish coming from a Matt Carpenter two-run home run in the top of the third. He is the first Pirate pitcher to win 13 games before the Mid-summer Classic since Dock Ellis in 1971. Offensively, Neil Walker was the hero of the night for the ... Read More
Pirates Pregame 7/10: Gerrit Cole discusses the Bucs starting pitching success
35,183 Pittsburgh Pirates fans packed PNC Park hoping to see a victory against the St. Louis Cardinals, however after a 4-1 loss Thursday night left disappointed. The Pirates hope to reverse their fortune while also avoiding the rain, something that has not happened as of late tonight. Tonight Gerrit Cole will face off against Lance Lynn. Cole is making his 18th start of the season and his 12 wins are a major league best total. It was a tale of two starts for Cole in his last start, a win ... Read More
Unheralded pitchers helping ease loss of pitching depth
Similar to the phoenix from the Harry Potter series, the once strong Pittsburgh Pirates pitching depth may be rising from the ashes a bit after appearing to flame out. Coming into the 2015 season, the team’s pitching depth was considered a strength, as pitchers like Jameson Taillon, Nick Kingham, Brandon Cumpton, Casey Sadler and Clayton Richard were expected to be the team’s top pitching depth options. Instead, the former four players are now unavailable due to injury, while Richard was sold ... Read More
Speed kills: Is a steal more on a pitcher or a catcher?
It all innocently started in Detroit when Tigers manager Brad Ausmus discussed whether pitchers or catchers were more accountable for a stolen base. Ausmus, a catcher for 18 years in Major League Baseball, provided the opinion that it was all on the pitcher. "It’s how much the pitchers vary their holds, delivery time to the plate, how deliberate they are with their delivery," Ausmus said. "There’s all types of things, but base stealers steal off the pitcher.” Accountability on stolen bases is ... Read More
Locke falters after rain delay in Pirates loss
The St. Louis Cardinals used a four-run fifth after a 36-minute rain delay to defeat the Pittsburgh Pirates by a 4-1 score. Jeff Locke [5-5] allowed two hits through four innings before the four-run inning. Randal Grichuk led off the inning with a single and Xavier Scruggs reached after a Jordy Mercer error. Carlos Martinez [10-3] moved both runners over with a sacrifice bunt and then Matt Carpenter's single put the first two Cardinals runs on the scoreboard. Yadier Molina was responsible ... Read More
Pirates pregame 7/9: Cardinals arrive for highly anticipated series
In the series some are calling "the main event", the Pittsburgh Pirates will begin a four-game series tonight against the St. Louis Cardinals. This is a match-up between the lone two teams to win 50 games this season. The Pirates are coming off their first sweep of the San Diego Padres in Pittsburgh since 1994 and won each of the three games in come from behind fashion. The Cardinals meanwhile were down to their last strike in last night's game before Jhonny Peralta hit a two-run home run that ... Read More
Pirates bats come through in eighth inning to secure sweep
Andrew Cashner was nearly unhittable for seven innings. A night after driving in the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eight, Gregory Polanco did it again in a 5-2 Pittsburgh Pirates victory over the San Diego Padres. With the win, the Pirates earned their first sweep of the Padres since April 12-14, 1994. “Cashner was tough and we weren’t getting a lot of good pitches to hit," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We took it professional and didn’t take it personal and we kept showing up and ... Read More
Pirates pregame 7/8: Don’t Stop Believin’
The Pittsburgh Pirates stopped holding onto that losing feeling against the San Diego Padres after a 3-2 victory Tuesday night. Gregory Polanco recorded the game-winning hit, a triple of Joaquin Benoit. In tonight's game, Charlie Morton will face Andrew Cashner. Morton is 4-1 with a 2.65 ERA in six career starts against the Padres. Morton won his start against the Padres earlier this season. He lost his last start against the Cleveland Indians. Morton surrendered three runs on four hits ... Read More
Polanco triple helps snaps Pirates home skid against Padres
A Gregory Polanco triple in the bottom of the eighth inning allowed the Pittsburgh Pirates to take a 3-2 victory against the San Diego Padres. "It was a pretty swing and he had a lot of good swings all night," manager Clint Hurdle said. The victory ends a 14-series losing streak to the Padres at PNC Park. "We can knock this one off our to-do list," said Hurdle. "It's a long time coming." Francisco Liriano had a ball deflect off his right arm and dealt with a long rain delay, however ... Read More
Pirates pregame: Bucs can clinch elusive series win over Padres tonight
The Pittsburgh Pirates won its series opener against the San Diego Padres in dramatic fashion as Pedro Alvarez hit a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth to take the game by a 2-1 margin. Though manager Clint Hurdle tried to quiet a reporter when talks of a series win against the Padres came up it is hard to ignore that the past 14 series played at PNC Park have not gone in favor of the home team. “We’re due," Hurdle said. "It’s not the law of averages, it’s just that we’re due. ... Read More