Skepticism would be a good way to describe how fans feel about Jeff Locke projecting to be a part of this season's Pittsburgh Pirates pitching rotation. Locke did himself no favors allowing four runs in his two innings of a 10-3 loss to the Detroit Tigers. Pirates pitching coach Ray Searage has worked with Locke to try to correct things which could allow him to find more consistent success and this could very well be a byproduct of making the adjustment. It also could be the same old ... 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 1
Many Pittsburgh Pirates contributed to the team's third consecutive playoff appearance, so it is no wonder why the list for placement when it comes to the most valuable player for 2015 is long. PSN's list will be a three-part series as honorable mention through 6 in this first part, 5-2 in the second part and the best will get their own separate entry. Unfortunately, Ray Searage was not up for consideration, or else this would not have been a contest. Honorable mention Jared Hughes- Hughes ... Read More
Have Alvarez, Melancon and Walker played their last games as Pirates?
Previously, we’ve taken a look at who the Pittsburgh Pirates’ impending free agents as well as their players arbitration-eligible players. The latter story did not cover Pedro Alvarez, Neil Walker or Mark Melancon, since their situations are worth a closer look. All three will be eligible for free agency after the 2016 season, and Walker and Melancon are already 30, with Alvarez being 28. So, here is a closer look at all three’s off-season situations. Pedro Alvarez – It is hard to remember ... Read More
Pirates fail to cash in; lose to Cardinals
It was a familiar sight for Pittsburgh Pirates fans as the team gave itself opportunities against the St. Louis Cardinals, but could not convert. The Pirates stranded 16 runners and left the bases loaded four times in a 3-0 loss Monday night. "We didn’t meet the demands of the game tonight," manager Clint Hurdle said. J.A. Happ ended his outing retiring the last 11 batters and faced the minimum amount of Cardinals through six innings. He threw 56 pitches, 43 of which were ... Read More
Cole’s gem pushes Pirates winning streak to seven
The Pirates are getting hot at the right time. They stormed into Wrigley Field on Friday afternoon on a six-game winning streak and ace Gerrit Cole kept things rolling as he and the bullpen held the Cubs to just two runs in a 3-2 series-opening victory for the visiting Bucs. Cole gave up just four hits and one run while striking out eight over seven innings of work. He helped his own cause with some offensive work in the top of the third inning. Jordy Mercer set the table with a ... Read More
Pirates use two-out scoring, bullpen to earn victory
Aramis Ramirez slid safely into third base for his first triple since Aug. 2, 2014 and his Pittsburgh Pirates teammates were grinning ear-to-ear. Why were they smiling? For one Ramirez is not known for his speed, and secondly, the Pirates scored all of their runs on two-out hitting, with this fourth inning triple being one of those runs. The Pirates used this to defeat the Colorado Rockies by a 6-3 score Tuesday night reducing their magic number to one game. If the Pirates win Wednesday or ... Read More
Pirates maintain wild card lead; Melancon makes history
The pressure was on the Pittsburgh Pirates as a loss would result in a drop to third place in the National League Central. Instead, the Pirates defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday night by a 3-2 score. It has not been an easy week for the Pirates as the team lost four in a row and could not defeat Jon Lester, Jake Arrieta and Zack Greinke. Saturday, the Pirates drew Clayton Kershaw. An eighth inning Aramis Ramirez double, allowed for the Pirates to defeat Kershaw [14-7]. Kershaw ... Read More
September call-ups make difference in Pirates Game 1 victory
20-plus media members and five camera lined up by Gerrit Cole's locker following the Pittsburgh Pirates 5-4 victory over the Chicago Cubs Tuesday afternoon as part of a doubleheader. Jordy Mercer observed the scene and was surprised by the growing amounts of media that pay visits to the clubhouse. "They're focused daily and that's one of the reasons why we've been so successful," manager Clint Hurdle said. "We can't control the externals. There's more people that are going to come, more ... Read More
Kang’s grand slam leads Pirates over Reds
The Pittsburgh Pirates game into Wednesday night's game, the 138th of the regular season, without a grand slam. One swing of Jung Ho Kang's bat in the sixth inning changed that, and his first career grand slam led the Pirates to victory over the Cincinnati Reds. On the mound, J.A. Happ also continued his string of success, allowing two runs over six innings while striking out a season-high 10 batters. It was the first time he struck out 10 or more batters since Aug. 7, 2014. Despite all of ... Read More