Twenty straight years of losing. Two straight epic collapses. All the fans wanted was one winning season, and maybe a trip to the playoffs. That's it. Was that too much to ask for? For years — even up until February — it seemed like it was. When Adam Wainwright struck out Pedro Alvarez on the final pitch of the NLDS, sure there was frustration and sadness. Although I think it's safe to say that fans everywhere woke up this morning with a smile on their face. Their team made it. The ... Read More

As the Pirate and Cardinals head into a winner-take-all Game 5 tonight to see which of them are destined to face off with the Dodgers in the NLCS, much has been made of the pitching matchup between a seasoned veteran and an untested phenom, and for good reason. It should make for one of the most highly-anticipated postseason pitching matchups in recent memory and will likely be decided by one or two runs. On one side, there is Cy Young award contender Adam Wainwright, who has already been on ... Read More

Ever since A.J. Burnett came over to Pittsburgh from New York, he has been the leader of the team and a fan favorite. His demeanor on the mound, ability to pitch and the way he speaks his mind made him seem like a Pittsburgher at heart. One of the lasting memories of his tenure with the Pirates is his fist pumping while coming off the mound last year to a standing ovation, and him telling Hanley Ramirez to "STFD" after he struck him out, following Ramirez showing him up in his previous at ... Read More

Follow @TBerardi_OVA Matt Holiday hit a two run homer off of a tiring Charlie Morton (0 - 1) in the sixth inning of game four of the NLDS to lift the Cardinals to a 2 - 1 victory to force a deciding game five in St. Louis on Wednesday. The homer came directly after a Morton four-pitch walk to Carlos Beltran to lead off the sixth for the Cardinals. Beltran, who was walked in his previous at-bat, had come into the game batting .333 in the series with two homers and 6 RBI. Morton than ... Read More

When A.J. Burnett came to the Pirates via a trade with the New York Yankees in February 2012, Pirates fans and those around Major League Baseball weren't sure what to expect.  Would the Pirates be getting the Burnett who went 34-35 with a 4.79 ERA in three very tumultuous seasons with the Yankees, or would they get the pitcher who once led the National League in shutouts (2002) and once lead the American League in strikeouts (2008)?  Things got off to a rocky start as Burnett hurt his cheek bone ... Read More

Pedro Alvarez and the Pirates kept that Jolly Roger flapping high above Pittsburgh. Alvarez hit a tiebreaking single in the eighth inning and the Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-3 on Sunday to take a 2-1 lead in best-of-five NL division series. Alvarez pulled a grounder into right field that scored pinch-runner Josh Harrison from second base. Russell Martin followed with a sharp RBI single against reliever Kevin Siegrist, who took over after Carlos Martinez (0-1) faltered. The ... Read More

As the Pittsburgh Pirates head into a Game 3 showdown with the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park today, they find themselves in a very rare position indeed. While many would still call the Bucs the underdogs against one of the most hallowed franchises in the history of baseball, they have the momentum going forward in this series, and could conceivably win the next two games to play for the NL pennant. The offense seems to be coming together at just the right time, as the team followed up the ... Read More