A 12 inning 6-4 victory for the Pittsburgh Pirates that a win today or a Chicago Cubs loss, would secure home field advantage for the NL Wild Card Game. With manager Clint Hurdle's announcement that Gerrit Cole will get the Pirates and the Cubs equally slam dunk decision in starting Jake Arrieta for Wednesday's game, the location is one of the few things left to determine. A.J. Burnett hopes to be able to solve the puzzle with his 10th win of the season when he faces Brandon ... Read More
Cervelli’s slam helps Pirates division dreams stay alive
Pittsburgh Pirates fans gave a standing ovation when Francisco Cervelli stepped to the plate in the sixth inning of Wednesday afternoon's game. In what manager Clint Hurdle called a "must-win game," Cervelli's fourth inning grand slam helped the team defeat the St. Louis Cardinals, 7-2, and kept the Pirates division chances alive. “The understatement of the day would be that was a great swing," Hurdle said. "It’s been a while since he hit one.” Gerrit Cole [19-8] pitched seven innings ... Read More
Pirates set to battle Cardinals pivotal NL Central series
Following an 8-2 road trip, the Pirates return home for a six-game homestand to conclude the regular season. An important three-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals is on tap first. Recalling the road trip, despite a setback Sunday, Tony Watson was pleased with the team's overall body of work. “It’s never easy going to the West Coast, especially this time of year and we faced some good arms, some Cy Young candidates obviously," Watson said. "We’ve had and will continue to have tough ... Read More
Pirates get solid from Liriano in win
Francisco Liriano threw 7.2 innings and reached 200 strikeouts as the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Chicago Cubs, 4-0. Hitters came in batting .100 with two strikes against Liriano [12-7], and in this game, Cubs batters were 0-for-16. By reaching 200 strikeouts, Liriano is one away from tying a career-high set in 2010 with the Minnesota Twins. The victory secures the Pirates a series win and a 5.5 game lead for the top spot in the National League Wild Card race over the Cubs. Much of the ... Read More
Pirates put up 10 runs against the Brewers
Jeff Locke made it through 6.1 innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates won 10-2 Saturday night against the Milwaukee Brewers. The difference-maker for the Pirates in this game was a five-run third inning. Gregory Polanco led off with a walk to reach base for the 48 of his past 59 games. Josh Harrison then added a single and Andrew McCutchen did the same, recording his 91st RBI in the process. This placed the Pirates in front by a 1-0 score. Aramis Ramirez then hit a double, which brought home ... Read More
Pittsburgh welcomes back Burnett
A.J. Burnett has thrown a no-hitter, has won a World Series ring and by all accounts has had an established major league career, however a moment from Wednesday's Pittsburgh Pirates game caught his eye. The downtown Pittsburgh buildings were prepared for A.J. Burnett's return as three separate Batman signals were lit up on downtown buildings from a bank of lasers stationed near the riverwalk in PNC Park. “That’s by far the coolest thing that’s happened to me in my career," Burnett said. "I ... Read More
Cole, Cervelli finally show chemistry
Gerrit Cole was not all smiles in the dugout. The Pittsburgh Pirate ace rarely shows emotion on the mound, and that didn’t change when he exited the field at Busch Stadium after the seventh inning Sunday night. But manager Clint Hurdle and Cole’s teammates couldn’t stop high-fiving the young pitcher. High-fives in the dugout usually signal that a pitcher is done for the game, and Cole earned every hand slap after he exited a game where he blanked the St. Louis Cardinals through seven ... Read More
Happ dominant in Pirates victory
The last time the Pittsburgh Pirates traveled to face the St. Louis Cardinals, J.A. Happ's turn was skipped in the rotation. This was partially because of past performance against the Cardinals, but also recent struggles at the time. Friday night, Happ struck out eight batters in seven scoreless innings as the Pirates won by a 9-3 score Friday night. Happ [4-1] was 1-8 with a 6.79 ERA in 10 career starts against the Cardinals coming into the start. His appearance tonight marked the first ... Read More
Bucs are back home for three-game series with the Rockies
The Pittsburgh Pirates return home for a three-game homestand against the Colorado Rockies. In tonight's game Francisco Liriano will face Jon Gray. Liriano is 1-2 with a 5.48 ERA in four career starts. In his last start he won against the San Francisco Giants allowing two runs [neither earned] on seven hits in 5.1 innings of work. The Pirates have won each of Liriano's last 10 starts this matches their second-longest in the last 44 years in games started by a particular pitcher. The ... Read More
Cervelli’s health has been key for Pirates
When Francisco Cervelli was traded from the New York Yankees to the Pittsburgh Pirates, expectations immediately rose. He was, after all, replacing Russell Martin. Martin was a clear leader of the Pirates and was well-liked by his teammates and fans as well as the media. Martin was known for having a tireless work ethic and was always willing to put his teammates needs above his own. "It’s been so much fun to see him thrive in this environment, take charge, learn and get better," catching ... Read More