The 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates (52-48) find themselves in a tough position with the trade deadline fast approaching and the team's position in the standings a bit different than in the past three years. Currently, the Pirates are third in the NL Central and trail the division-leading Chicago Cubs by 8.5 games; Pittsburgh is an additional two games out of making the playoffs as a wild card. So, at the trade deadline, should the Pirates be buyers or sellers — or should they simply stand ... Read More
Pirates take advantage of Brewers’ miscue in 3-2 win
For eight innings in Tuesday night's Pittsburgh Pirates' contest against the Milwaukee Brewers (39-52), the Pirates led. Then, in the ninth inning, Pittsburgh (48-45) handed the ball to closer Mark Melancon, who allowed the first two Brewers he faced to reach base (issuing a walk to Ryan Braun and giving up a single to Jonathan Lucroy). Melancon seemed to find his rhythm and get things together, striking out the next two batters he faced. But, needing one final strike to close out the game, ... Read More
Injuries and a birthday set stage for Saturday’s Pirates game
After a big comeback win Friday against the Chicago Cubs, the Pittsburgh Pirates hope there's another win in store when they take on the Cubs for the second game of the series. Saturday, Pirates rookie Chad Kuhl (1-0. 4.09 ERA) will face Chicago's Jon Lester (9-4, 2.67 ERA). The game will be Kuhl's third career Major League start. In his first, he defeated Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw; Kuhl tossed five innings and allowed three runs. In his most recent start, Kuhl battled ... Read More
Pirates extend win streak to six with comeback victory
Eric Fryer donned the Pittsburgh Pirates catching gear for the first time since Sept. 10, 2012, and put forth his most effective offensive performance in the Major Leagues in five years as he helped his team come from behind to defeat the St. Louis Cardinals 5-2 Tuesday night. This victory is the Pirates' sixth in a row and the fifth during the streak that's happened in come-from-behind fashion. The Pirates are now 43-41 on the season. Fryer burned his former team with a career-high three ... Read More
Breaking down pitch adjustments from pitcher, catcher and hitter POVs
It seems so simple: a pitcher throws a pitch, and a batter either looks at it or swings. But, in reality, it’s much more complicated than that. It’s this game of cat-and-mouse game between a pitcher, catcher and hitter that determines success, wins and so much more. So you wanna be a pitcher? The pitcher has the most control in an at-bat — after all, the ball is in his hand. He dictates the pitch, and he relies on a variety of different things to determine what he should throw. “The ... Read More
Is it too early to write off the Pittsburgh Pirates?
The Pittsburgh Pirates are 76 games into the 2016 season, and they aren't exactly in an ideal position. The Pirates, who are 37-39 this year, sit 12 games behind the Chicago Cubs for first place and three games behind the St. Louis Cardinals for second place in the NL Central. The team has endured an abundance of issues; however, it's not time to completely write off the Pirates just yet. Young rotation help arriving When it comes to the starting rotation, it's no secret they've struggled this ... Read More
Pirates’ season hinges on next few weeks
In the eyes of many Pittsburgh sports fans, there's a bit of an empty feeling. The Penguins' season is over, and the Steelers' season hasn't started yet — so what now? Over the past three years, the strong play of the Pirates has tided fans over during the sports lull, but a stretch of poor play has some fans feeling blasé. Prior to Monday night's 1-0 victory over the San Francisco Giants, the Pirates had lost their last five games and 10 of their last 11. They are currently one ... Read More
Pirates’ GM Neal Huntington: ‘I need to do some things better this summer’
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington had a busy week in Bradenton, FL with the MLB Draft but flew back into town to meet with some reporters and answer some questions. On the temptation to trade given pitching inconsistencies: “If you want to get involved now, there is a dramatic over-price, so our challenges have been all-over-the-map, which has made it so difficult. Any one of our five starters have had a good stretch and a not-so-good stretch. Almost all of our relievers have ... Read More
Cervelli, Cole injuries create concern for Pirates
It was a game that the Pittsburgh Pirates appeared to be on the losing end of for almost the entire game. When the game was over, though, it was not the 9-3 12 inning loss that mattered. As the Pirates prepare to face the St. Louis Cardinals Saturday, they do so with the worry about both Gerrit Cole and Francisco Cervelli's health. Cole left in the third inning of Friday night's loss with right tricep tightness and Cervelli left with left hand pain. MLB on FOX's Ken Rosenthal reported ... Read More
Pirates lose game, series to Marlins in extra innings
Thursday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates lost their third-consecutive game to the Miami Marlins, falling 4-3 in extra innings. But perhaps the biggest news from the game came with the injury report: Francisco Cervelli, Andrew McCutchen, David Freese and Jordy Mercer all left the game with various injuries. Cervelli injured his foot and left in the third inning, McCutchen left the game in the sixth inning with general thumb discomfort, Mercer was hit by a pitch on the elbow and left in the ninth ... Read More