Gregory Polanco had a .170 average batting 15-for-88 against left-handed pitching. That did not matter. “He held his ground, got some good looks, took some pitches," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Basically he got a pitch and just went with it, he didn’t do too much and stayed within himself. It was a really good at-bat.” Polanco's single off Phil Coke provided the go-ahead run in a 5-4 victory against the Chicago Cubs which ensured the Pittsburgh Pirates a series split. “It arguably was ... Read More
Pirates, Melancon lose lead, game in ninth
The Pittsburgh Pirates could not hold an 8-5 lead and Mark Melancon blew his first save of the season falling 9-8 to the Chicago Cubs Tuesday. It was the Cubs that scored first in the top half of the opening inning. Francisco Liriano walked Dexter Fowler and hit Anthony Rizzo with a pitch putting the first two batters on base. Kris Bryant picked back up where he left off Monday with a double that scored Fowler. The Pirates got the run back in the first inning scoring in the frame for the ... Read More
Burnett, Pirates on wrong side of pitchers’ duel
A.J. Burnett toed the rubber against Nick Castellanos and the Detroit Tigers. With runners on second and third base in the fourth inning this was Burnett's first test all game, and 31,755 Pittsburgh Pirates fans knowing this started to cheer the home pitcher in an effort to fire him up. The result was the first fist pump from Burnett this season and a strike out to end the inning. “Anytime you’ve got guys in scoring position, it’s big but it was a big pitch at a big time," Burnett said. ... Read More
Pirates win home opener in front of largest ever regular season crowd
The 39,933 fans that sold out PNC Park already were excited to see their Pittsburgh Pirates return for the first time since a Wild Card loss, but a Josh Harrison first pitch home run in addition to Gerrit Cole's pitching provided the ingredients to a 5-4 home opener victory over the Detroit Tigers Monday. Harrison's home run came in the bottom of the first after Cole pitched a hitless 13-pitch first inning. Anibal Sanchez [1-1] gave up his first run of the season on the homer and it came on a ... Read More
Pirates sign Josh Harrison to long-term deal
The Pittsburgh Pirates obviously believe that Josh Harrison's 2014 season wasn't a fluke, as the two parties have agreed to a long-term contract that will keep Harrison in Pittsburgh through 2018, with club options for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. "We are pleased to make this commitment to Josh and that Josh has made this commitment to the Pirates," said Pirates general manager Neal Huntington in a team-issued press release. "Josh is a very talented, well-rounded player who helps our team win ... Read More
Pirates battle fall short late against Reds
Francisco Liriano allowed two hits in seven innings but came away with a no-decision after a 5-2 Opening Day loss to the Cincinnati Reds. “It’s great for Opening Day to come and it's just as great when it gets by you," Manager Clint Hurdle said to assembled media. "We always are challenged when we see Cueto… We made him pitch that was the one upside. I thought our guys went up there and battled. We showed some resiliency to come back and get two late.” Liriano, who was starting his second ... Read More
Alvarez, defense keys in Pirates tie
The Pittsburgh Pirates saw its first two pitchers on staff have good outings in a 3-3 extra inning tie Wednesday evening against the Baltimore Orioles. Francisco Liriano was the first to pitch and threw three innings while allowing his first run of Spring Training. Liriano now has a 0.75 ERA. He allowed three hits and struck out two batters in his time on the mound. Liriano was replaced by Gerrit Cole who threw three scoreless innings allowing one hit and one walk while striking out three ... Read More
Pirates will start Harrison at hot corner
Pittsburgh Pirates fans are very excited about the prospects of the third base position in 2015 as Pedro Alvarez has moved across the diamond. Alvarez played himself off the hot corner with a cold bat and also the most errors in all of Major League Baseball. It became a mental issue and this combined with Josh Harrison's dependability led to a switch. Now Harrison goes into 2015 as the clear starter although Jung-ho Kang and Sean Rodriguez will serve as back ups. Harrison likely will be ... Read More
Pirates ‘obviously’ win with Tomlin in town, send down Holdzkom
On a day that Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin visited McKechnie Field, it was the Pirates that put up football type numbers as part of an 18-4 victory. The Pittsburgh Pirates [14-10-3] defeated the Philadelphia Phillies for its fourth consecutive victory. In the game the Pirates had 16 hits and six home runs. Mark Melancon [1-0] got the start allowing one hit but striking out two batters. Tony Watson and Arquimedes Caminero each followed with an inning of work and zero runs allowed. ... Read More
Worley continues to make starting case; Pirates lose
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