The lone time the Pittsburgh Pirates faced Yu Darvish was Sept. 9, 2013. That date was when the Pirates clinched their first winning season since 1992. It also was the last time Texas Rangers manager Jeff Banister (then the Pirates bench coach), saw Darvish pitch until Saturday night. Darvish was making his return from Tommy John surgery and last pitched Aug. 9, 2014. The Rangers fed off the return with a 5-2 win. Darvish (1-0) allowed a run on three hits in five innings and was on a ... Read More
Column: Cervelli’s contract well worth it
Normally the Pittsburgh Pirates stick strong to its principles and one of those involves not discussing contract negotiations during the season. It can be a distraction to both player and team alike as each wants to focus on the season, so normally the off-season is when extensions are granted The Pirates already broke this rule once this season when they gave Gregory Polanco an extension and now have done so once more with Francisco Cervelli. This one was more than worth bending the ... Read More
Pirates extend Cervelli’s contract through 2019
Was Francisco Cervelli going to be the next Russell Martin? For a while, it looked that way, as there were no talks of an extension between the Pirates and Cervelli in his contract year. That all changed on Tuesday afternoon, as the Pirates announced they have agreed to terms with Cervelli on a three-year contract extension that would keep the fan-favorite catcher in the city through 2019. The deal is believed to be for $31 million, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo! Sports. Sources: ... Read More
Column: Simple mistakes cost Pirates
Jake Arrieta appeared mortal. At least that was the case early on, but a Josh Harrison grounder that appeared destined for a single ended that. Arrieta clearly was not pitching his best in the fourth inning and paid the price for it. In that fourth inning, Arrieta allowed two earned runs to the Pittsburgh Pirates for the first time since Sept. 13, 2013 and with Francisco Cervelli on third base after a wild pitch, seemed destined for a third run. That third run never came, and the ... Read More
Viva la amore: Cervelli’s love advice spreads to fans
For anyone wondering who came up with Francisco Cervelli's "That's Amore" Pirates scoreboard segment, you have Chris Martin to thank. No, not that Chris Martin. This one is a production coordinator for game presentation. Game presentation manager Matt Zidik challenged his staff of four that included Martin, Paul Denillo, Jon Cofer and Martin Corbett to come up with creative new ideas. This one was the adventure of a lifetime that ended up with the final product titled "That's Amore" in which ... Read More
Gerrit Cole’s off night costs Pirates
An 87 mile-per-hour fastball was the only thing needed to confirm that the Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are indeed in a rivalry. The game was long decided when Pirates pitcher Kyle Lobstein hit Cubs second baseman Ben Zobrist with a pitch in the seventh inning of a 7-2 Cubs win. An inning earlier, Starling Marte was hit by a pitch for the sixth time this season, a mark that ties Tampa Bay Rays outfielder Brandon Guyer for the Major League lead. After Zobrist was hit, home plate umpire ... Read More
Cervelli’s plate discipline becoming infectious
Francisco Cervelli is a player who came in with the Pittsburgh Pirates and made an impact that certainly exceeded fans expectations. He came in as a leader of the team and led all catchers in framing runs above average. But perhaps his patience was the biggest reason for success. "I just try to keep it simple and not do too much that way I can recognize pitches a little better," he said. It sounds very simple, especially when you can back it with a .290 batting average while playing in a ... Read More
Locke not at fault for Pirates’ 8-4 loss to Milwaukee
Forgive me if you have heard this script before: The Pittsburgh Pirates' offense comes together and solves a pitcher in the seventh inning, only to immediately blow the momentum. It happened against the Milwaukee Brewers on Friday night, just over 24 hours from when the same thing happened against the Detroit Tigers. Predictably, the outcome was similar, and the Pirates lost to the Brewers, 8-4. This defeat drops the Pirates to 5-6, their first time under .500 in 2016. The losses have ... Read More
Pirates keeping options open with Cervelli
Francisco Cervelli’s future with the Pirates is at a crossroads. Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported Thursday that the Pittsburgh was listening to offers on all seven players with one year left on their deal with the club, including the Pirates’ catcher. Heyman also said the Pirates are considering signing Cervelli to an extension. The Pirates appear to be considering all options with Cervelli. And they should. Heyman’s rumor did not specifically address Cervelli’s availability other than ... Read More
2015 most valuable Pirates player: Part 2
Part two of the Pirates most valuable player list will highlight players ranked fifth through second. This list includes all-stars, consistent play and an MVP award. Let the debate and countdown continue. #5 Starling Marte- This is the second outfielder to appear in the countdown. Marte is the best two-way outfielder on the team and arguably in the league. Though he showed a couple of defensive lapses this season with not hitting the cutoff man in a timely manner, Marte's arm is the most ... Read More