Six Pirates pitchers combined for a seven-hit shutout and Russell Martin provided the big blow as the Bucs defeated the Red Sox 4-0 on Tuesday night. Charlie Morton made his first start in a month due to a "sports hernia" and looked like his 2013 self as he went five shutout innings against the World Champs. Morton allowed minimal damage through the first three innings before getting into some trouble in the fourth. Yoenis Cespedes double to start the inning and Mike Napoli followed by ... Read More
Cubs break out bats in 6-4 win over Pirates
The Cubs capitalized on Jeff Locke's third inning control problems and the Pirates offense was stagnant against Felix Doubront as Chicago evened up the three-game series with a 6-4 victory over the Bucs on Saturday night. Locke was messy with his location in the third inning allowing the Cubs (65-83) to take the lead. Arismendy Alcantara led the inning off with a single. Javier Baez followed hitting a changeup into the left field bleachers to make it 2-0. Luis Valbuena then doubled and later ... Read More
Power and speed lift Pirates past Phillies
The speed of Andrew McCutchen and the power of Russell Martin helped push the Pirates past the Phillies 6-3 Wednesday night to keep their 1 1/2 game lead in the National League Wild Card race. With the Pirates (76-69) trailing the Phillies 3-2 in the fifth inning, Andrew McCutchen showed everyone his rib injury isn't affecting him as he hit a deep fly that hit off of the heightened wall in left-center field. The ball took an odd bounce towards center allowing McCutchen and his speed to ... Read More
Locke shuts down Marlins in Pirates 7-3 win
Jeff Locke went seven strong innings and the bullpen did it's job as the Pirates defeated the Marlins 7-3 on Wednesday night. Locke had a rough start to his night against the Marlins (55-58) allowing a run on three hits in the first capped by a Jeff Baker RBI infield single and two more runs in the second on a Christian Yelich 2-run home run. From there, Locke shut things down allowing one hit over his final five innings of work while striking out four. Locke retired the final 13 batters he ... Read More
Volquez shaky in first start after break in Pirates 5-2 loss
Edinson Volquez couldn't pick up where his first half ended as he allowed ten hits in five earned runs in a Pirates 5-2 loss to the Dodgers on Monday night in front of 28,255 at PNC Park. Volquez didn't have his stuff allowing at least one baserunner in each inning he pitched -- 13 total baserunners. An 11-day layoff didn't help him out,either, as it was the longest non-injury layoff between starts during a season he's had in his career. "I think I had too many days in between starts," ... Read More
Pirates Hold Off Rays 6-5
Jeff Locke took a strong start into the eighth inning as the Pirates defeated the Rays 6-5 to at least earn a road series victory. Locke was given a good cushion before allowing his first run of the game as the Pirates (39-38) led 4-0 after three innings. Andrew McCutchen started the scoring in the first with a RBI groundout. Cutch helped add to the lead in the third. Starling Marte and McCutchen recorded RBI singles and Neil Walker -- in his first game off of the DL -- hit a sac fly. Locke ... Read More
MLB Releases Statement on Wednesday’s Home Plate Review
Joe Torre, MLB's executive vice president of baseball operations, issued a statement regarding the overturned umpires review of Rule 7.13 during Wednesday's game against the Reds. It was a play where Pirates catcher Russell Martin fielded a throw from Stolmy Pimentel while his foot was on home plate to complete a force out at home. The umpires went to a review and the officials in New York City ruled Martin was in violation of Rule 7.13 (The illegal blocking of home plate). Because Martin's ... Read More
Pirates Salvage a Game From Reds in Extras
Pittsburgh-- Russell Martin worked a bases loaded walk in the twelfth inning as the Pirates played walk-off to salvage a game from the Reds 4-3. Jeff Locke played the role of stopper for the Pirates (35-37) as he allowed two runs on three hits in six strong innings of work. The Reds (35-36) got a run in the first when Billy Hamilton again hurt the Bucs with a leadoff double. He then stole third and scored on a sacrifice fly. They did the same in the fourth when Joey Votto started the inning ... Read More
Locke, Pirates Lose Tough One 1-0
Pittsburgh -- An Aramis Ramirez groundout in the seventh inning proved to be the only run the Brewers needed as bad luck bit the Pirates and Jeff Locke in a 1-0 loss on Sunday afternoon. Locke had a stellar day on the mound allowing the one run on three hits. He started off the game by retiring the first fourteen batters he faced before giving up two tough luck infield singles in the fourth. He then got Ramirez to fly out to end the inning. More bad luck struck the Pirates (29-33) in the ... Read More
Pirates Blow by Brewers 15-5
Pittsburgh -- The Pirates used an eight-run sixth inning to pull away from the Brewers 15-5 on Friday night at PNC. The Pirates (29-31) got two runs on the board right off the bat with RBI by Andrew McCutchen and Russell Martin. McCutchen would add a solo-home run in the third to push the lead to 3-0. The Brewers (36-26) bounced back off of Pirates starter Brandon Cumpton in the fourth. Jonathan Lucroy singled with one out and Carlos Gomez followed with a double setting up second and ... Read More