Vance Worley's six-inning start had some peaks and valleys in the Pirates 7-5 loss to the Atlanta Braves Thursday. Worley threw six innings allowing seven hits, five runs and striking out three batters. The vast majority of the damage came in the first inning in which the Braves scored five runs. The highlight was a Chris Johnson two-run homer, his first of the spring. Jace Peterson, Christian Bethancourt and Kelly Johnson also registered RBI in the frame. The Braves opened the game with four ... Read More
Pittsburgh March Madness: North Side Region Sweet 16
From 64 to 16, the field has shrunk down exponentially. Now, the match ups will get more and more interesting, as the fans will have tough choices from this point forward. The final 16 athletes in the Pittsburgh March Madness are: Ben Roethlisberger Starling Marte Cam Heyward Maurkice Pouncey Monica Wignot Marc-Andre Fleury Kelly Johnson Francisco Liriano Antonio Brown Neil Walker Josh Harrison Le'Veon Bell Sidney Crosby Gerrit Cole Gregory ... Read More
Middle-infield looks solid for Pirates
There were questions going into the 2014 season about the lack of offense at the middle-infield positions for the Pirates. At second base, Neil Walker had shown glimpses of power, but injuries plagued him forcing him to sit when things seemed to be coming around. At shortstop, there wasn't much to look forward to. Clint Barmes could barely keep his head above the Mendoza line and a young Jordy Mercer looked to be at least a full year or two away from being a solid starter. To the surprise ... Read More
Pittsburgh March Madness: Station Square Round of 32
Twelve athletes have made the Sweet 16, as there were no real upsets yesterday. Today, however, will be interesting, as there are numerous matchups that could go either way. As usual, it's up to you to vote the last four athletes into the next round. Let's take a look at who is up today. #1. Sidney Crosby (Penguins captain) vs. #9. Jordy Mercer (Pirates shortstop) [poll id="110"] #5. Tony Watson (Pirates All-Star setup man) vs. #4. Gerrit Cole (Pirates ace of the future) [poll ... Read More
Pittsburgh March Madness: Mt. Washington Round of 32
It's getting real in here, folks. A day after Cam Heyward defeated Blake Comeau by a single vote, No. 16 Monica Wignot continued her epic run, as she knocked #8. Ryan Shazier in this round to advance to the Sweet 16. Remember, in the opening round, she pulled an amazing upset over No. 1 seed Andrew McCutchen. As you can see, a single vote can make the difference. Let's take a look at the Mount Washington region for the Round of 32. #1. Antonio Brown (Steelers All-Pro receiver) vs. #9. Chad ... Read More
Pirates 11 hits not enough in Spring Training loss
The Pittsburgh Pirates fell to 10-9-3 in Spring Training play with a loss Tuesday to the Baltimore Orioles. Jared Hughes allowed six hits and five earned runs in one-third of an inning losing his first Spring Training game. Radhames Liz started the contest for the Pirates and pitched three innings allowing four hits however kept the Orioles off the scoreboard. Liz, a former Oriole, is in the running for a potential bullpen spot. It was not until the fourth inning that the Orioles ... Read More
South Side Region: Round of 32
It's day two of the round of 32, as we look to advance four more to the Sweet 16. Let's take a look at today's bracket, which include three underdogs that advanced from the field of 64. First, Pitt's Monica Wignot did something that no No. 16 seed has ever done in the NCAA Tournament, as she knocked off a No. 1 seed in Andrew McCutchen. Then, No. 11 seed Kelly Johnson made a late push to upset No. 6 Brianna Kiesel. Finally, No. 10 Francisco Liriano, who was under seeded to begin with, knocked ... Read More
Burnett, Cervelli have on-field reunion in victory
The Pittsburgh Pirates used three home runs to power a 7-6 Spring Training victory Monday against the Tampa Rays. The game was the first time A.J. Burnett and Francisco Cervelli, both former New York Yankees, played together since 2011. Burnett received a no-decision throwing 4.2 innings while allowing three hits and five runs. Two of those runs came in the first inning on an RBI ground out from Asdrubal Cabrera and a run-scoring single from James Loney. "I told him [Cervelli] where I ... Read More
Pittsburgh March Madness: North Side Round of 32
Sixty-four local athletes made the Pittsburgh March Madness Tournament, and after four days, just 32 remain. Now, in four days, the field will be cut in half again, as only 16 will remain standing entering the weekend. Just like last week, we start with the North Side region, where three underdogs made their way to the round of 32. Can they continue their Cinderella run? That's up to you, the readers. #1. Ben Roethlisberger (Steelers quarterback) vs. #9. Heath Miller (Steelers tight ... Read More
Morton has rough outing in Pirates loss
Charlie Morton had a start to forget in Sunday's 14-2 Spring Training loss to the Houston Astros. Morton allowed seven runs on nine hits in his 4.1 innings pitched and as a result lost his first game of the spring. The Pirates are now 7-8-3 in Spring Training. The highlight of the game for the Pirates was Jordy Mercer's second home run of the spring. The blast came in the sixth inning and was hit off Dan Straily. Mercer is 7 for his last 11 at the plate and is hitting .294 this ... Read More