Within minutes during Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians on Sunday, the Pirates lost, and then gained an outfielder. Starting left fielder Starling Marte left the game in the bottom of the fourth with discomfort in his side. He injured himself during a swing and, after consulting with athletic trainer Todd Tomczyk and manager Clint Hurdle, his day was finished prematurely. He was replaced in the lineup by Gregory Polanco. Just moments later, during the top of the fifth inning, the ... Read More
Pirates Get to Lincecum Early, Take Series from Giants
Gerrit Cole followed Charlie Morton's lead by going eight strong innings on Wednesday afternoon following Morton's eight strong last night. Cole also recorded the teams first starting pitching win in 20 days as the Pirates (14-20) defeated the Giants (21-13) 4-3 to take the three-game set. Cole didn't get off to the start he wanted when Brandon Belt took a belt-high fastball into the right-centerfield seats with two outs in the first. He wouldn't be trailing long as the Pirates struck back in ... Read More
Marte Walks-Off on a Replay Reversal
The Pirates and Giants made history in the oddest way as an overturned replay gave the Bucs their fifth walk-off of the season in a 2-1 victory on Tuesday night. With two outs in the ninth, Starling Marte hit a Tim Hudson fastball off of the Clemente wall for an apparent triple. The relay throw went to third, but went past third basemen Pablo Sandoval. Marte then took off towards the plate and slid head-first at catcher Buster Posey. Posey applied the tag and home plate umpire Quinn Wolcott ... Read More
Pirates Blow 8-2 Lead, Lose in Extras 11-10
A Jared Hughes throwing error on Jean Machi's sacrifice bunt allowed the Giants (21-11) to get by the Pirates (12-20) 11-10 in 13 after trailing 8-2 heading into the sixth inning. With the Giants leading 2-0 in the third after a shaky start by Pirates starter Jeff Locke, Josh Harrison, Neil Walker (RBI) and Andrew McCutchen all singled. Pedro Alvarez then came up and looked to have walked on four pitches, but home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi called ball four a strike. Alvarez took the next pitch he ... Read More
Pirates Gameday 5/5: Lineups, DL Update, Hurdle Discusses Giants Starter
Good afternoon from PNC Park where today the Pirates (12-19) open a three-game series with the San Francisco Giants (20-11). Jeff Locke will make his 2014 Pirates debut against Yusmeiro Petit (2-1, 2.61 ERA), who is starting in place of injured starter Matt Cain. To make room for Locke on the 25-man roster, the Pirates have optioned Casey Sadler to AAA Indianapolis where he should resume duties in their starting rotation. Sadler threw four innings of work allowing no runs on two hits while ... Read More
Giants one game from title
Giants 2 – Tigers 0 The Giants pitching staff is for real. They are the first team to post back-to-back shutouts since 1966. The Giants tandem of Ryan Vogelsong (5 H, 0 ER, 4 BB, 3 K’s), Tim Lincecum, and Sergio Romo (Save) held the Tigers to no runs and only one scoring threat which came in the fifth inning when Alex Avila and Omar Infante singled before an Austin Jackson walk to load the bases with one out. Vogelsong, would then get Quintin Berry to strike out and Miguel Cabrera to pop out ... Read More
Giants play complete game, roll to game one victory
Giants 8 – Tigers 3 It is a manager’s dream; stellar pitching, timely hitting, and a performance only The Babe and two others could equal. That’s what the Giants had going for them in game 1 of the fall classic. Barry Zito shut the Tigers down to the tune of one run on seven base runners (one walk) in 5 2/3 innings pitched while the bullpen allowed two runs on two hits in 3 1/3 to help the Giants to an 8-3 victory. Justin Verlander, on the other hand, did not have a good night as Pablo ... Read More
Giant Comeback Completed – San Francisco advances to World Series
San Francisco will be back in the World Series for the second time in three years thanks to three straight wins over St. Louis in elimination games. The Giants are 6-0 in elimination games this postseason, something the Cardinals had done last year on their way to the title. The Giants put this game out of reach early and with the help of Matt Cain and his fellow bullpen teammates as they were able to keep the Cardinals from pulling off another deciding-game comeback. Cain went 5 2/3 innings ... Read More
Playoff Preview: San Francisco Giants
The Giants, surprisingly, had an easier route to the NL West title than people thought. Everyone had the Dodgers as the favorite after acquiring Adrian Gonzalez and Josh Beckett at the trade deadline which was supposed to solidify a strong lineup. It didn’t, and the Giants pulled away to take the crown while LA missed out on the playoffs altogether. The Giants pitching staff, which consists of five starters that started 30+ games and won at least 10, is anchored by Matt Cain, who took over as ... Read More
Who Says Cheaters Never Win?
I’m sure you’ve all heard the phrase “Cheaters Never Win.” Apparently that’s not always the case. Major League Baseball has announced that Melky Cabrera, who is currently serving a 50-game suspension for using a banned substance, will in fact be eligible to win the NL batting title. One player of local interest, Andrew McCutchen, currently trails Cabrera by seven points (.346 to .339) and doesn’t have much longer to make up the ground. If Cabrera wins, he will have done it despite missing ... Read More