Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Neftali Feliz was in a jam when he allowed the first two Cincinnati Reds to reach base with Billy Hamilton at the plate. Hamilton hit a ball on a short hop that Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang quickly fielded. He got the out at third base and threw to Josh Harrison to get the out at second base. Kang did not have any chance to react until the 88 mph hit bounced into his glove but he quickly formulated a game plan. "I was thinking of throwing the ball ... Read More
Tony Watson closes to his own tune
When a new closer is named, there are a number of changes that need to be made. When the Pittsburgh Pirates' Tony Watson was named the team's closer after the departure of Mark Melancon, those changes included new walk-up music and a new video package. Watson chose “Sweet Emotion,” an Aerosmith song off the band's 1975 “Toys in the Attic” album. “The song was by default,” Watson said. “I wanted ‘When the Levee Breaks,’ but Jamo's got that one, and I'm not going to take it from him. We ... Read More
Ivan Nova set to make PNC Park debut
Tonight, the Pirates take on the Cincinnati Reds in Game Two of a three-game series. The game also serves as pitcher Ivan Nova's Pirates debut. With the New York Yankees this season, Nova was 7-6 with a 4.90 ERA in 21 games, 15 of which were starts. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle offered a checklist of what he's looking for in Nova's start. “He needs to follow the glove, display sinker command, have the ability to use some secondary pitches if need be and possess rhythm and pace,” Hurdle ... Read More
Sean Rodriguez’s home run leads Pirates to victory
It was a short night for Cincinnati Reds pitcher Ross Ohlendorf. At PNC Park, Ohlendorf's outing Friday night lasted all of four pitches — on a mound that previously served as home. This time, though, it wasn't so kind. The Pittsburgh Pirates' Sean Rodriguez led off the bottom of the ninth inning with a game-winning home run on a 2-1 fastball to secure the 3-2 victory over the Reds (44-64). Pittsburgh is now 54-53 on the season. The homer was Rodriguez's 11th of the season, and he's now ... Read More
Column: Something needs to change for Pirates — and fast
What do the Milwaukee Brewers and the Atlanta Braves have in common? This isn't a trick question, and there isn't punchline — unless you consider the Pittsburgh Pirates (53-53) one for losing to both during this road trip, a fact secured with the team's 5-2 loss Thursday night to the Braves. It's a shame because Ryan Vogelsong pitched his heart out. The fact that Vogelsong even was on a Major League mound is beyond commendable. In late May, while in the batter's box, Vogelsong was hit ... Read More
Four-run first not enough for Pirates
The Atlanta Braves own Major League Baseball's worst record, yet it was hard to tell in their 8-4 victory Wednesday night against the Pittsburgh Pirates. In this game, the Pirates were out-hit 15-4, and thus far in the two games this series, the Braves have 25 hits to the Pirates nine. After allowing the Pirates to have a four-run first inning, the Braves scored at least one run in six consecutive frames. Early on it appeared the narrative would be the Pirates victimizing a starting ... Read More
Four-run sixth highlights Pirates’ win vs. Braves
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
Pirates swept again in Milwaukee
There was more to Sunday afternoon's 4-2 loss by the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Milwaukee Brewers. Not only were the Pirates swept this weekend, but they never had a lead at any point. Additionally, the Pirates have lost nine straight contests to the Brewers at Miller Park and are 17-64 there since the 2007 season. In each of the three games this series, the Brewers scored first. Friday and Saturday, the Brewers hit two-run home runs in the opening inning, but this time the run was ... 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
Base-running gaffes cost Pirates in 5-3 loss to Brewers
When five consecutive batters reached base in the fourth inning, it seemed like Saturday night's game could be big for the Pittsburgh Pirates (52-50). But the opportunity was squandered, and only one baserunner scored. As such, manager Clint Hurdle couldn't even force a smile in a 5-3 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers (46-56). Even the play where the run scored, a Jung Ho Kang single, didn't have the desired impact as Starling Marte was thrown out at third base. This came after Marte was also ... Read More