This week was bleak to say the least for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The team went 2-5 over the past week. One of the bright spots as of late, though, has been Neil Walker. Since returning from an injury on July 27th, Walker is batting .395. He had about a good a week as any Pirate this past week. Here's how he fared. 8/10: 1-5, 1 RBI 8/11: 1-4 8/13: 2-7, 1 2B 8/14: 2-4, 1 Run, 1 2B 8/15: 0-5, 1 RBI 8/16: 1-3, 2 Run, 1 2B, 1 RBI For the week, Walker went 7-28 with a .250 AVG. He registered a ... Read More
Pirates Extend Playoff Lead In 6-2 Victory Over Arizona
PNC Park - Gerrit Cole pitched six innings of five hit, two run ball and the top of the Pirates order continued to remain hot as the Pirates defeated the Diamondbacks 6 - 2 on Friday night extending their lead over Arizona to 9 1/2 games and their NL Central lead over the Cardinals to three. Cole went through the Arizona lineup once easily before experiencing trouble in the fourth. He would pitch around Paul Goldschmidt to start the inning before walking Aaron Hill. A wild pitch would then ... Read More
Pirates Sign Farnsworth to Minor League Deal
The Pirates have agreed to terms with right-handed pitcher Kyle Farnsworth on a minor league deal. Farnsworth has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 37-year-old Farnsworth went 2-0 with a 5.76 ERA (29.2ip/19er) and 19 strikeouts in 39 relief appearances with Tampa Bay this season before designated for assignment and released on August 9. Farnsworth was originally selected by the Cubs in the 47th round of the 1994 First-Year Player Draft. Since breaking into the big leagues in 1999, he ... Read More
Pirates Gameday: Wandy Update, Hurdle Talks Cole’s Innings Limit
The Pirates (71 - 49) look to straight the ship after a 1 - 5 road trip that has dropped their NL Central lead to two games. Another team chasing them for a playoff spot, The Arizona Diamondbacks (62 - 57) invade PNC Park for a 3-game set starting tonight. Gerrit Cole (5 - 5, 3.95 ERA) will face Brandon McCarthy (2 - 6, 4.73 ERA). Leading Off The Diamondbacks trail the Pirates by 8 1/2 games going in to tonight's contest. A series victory by the Bucs could go a long way to locking up their ... Read More
Burnett, Bucs Must Bounce Back From Tough Losses
The Pirates lost another heartbreaker Thursday, this time in 12 innings, as the St. Louis Cardinals closed to within 2 games of the NL Central leaders after their 5-4 victory. In the rubber match between the two division rivals, it looked like it would be a pitcher’s duel early on with AJ Burnett taking the mound for the Bucs against Lance Lynn. Both starters had it going through the first four innings, with Burnett allowing just an infield single and a double. Following disastrous fifth ... Read More
Holliday helps Cards walk-off again over Pirates
For the second time this series, the Pittsburgh Pirates and St. Louis Cardinals played bonus baseball. And for the second time, the Cardinals won on a walk-off single. With runners on the corners and one out in the bottom of the 12th, Matt Holliday delivered a game-winning single, scoring Matt Carpenter on the play for a 6-5 win The loss cut the Pirates (71-49) lead over the Cardinals (69-51) back to two games in the NL Central. Even with the eleven combined runs in the game, today’s matchup ... Read More
Liriano plays stopper, goes distance in 5-1 win
ST. LOUIS — Pirates manager Clint Hurdle didn't personally relay the story of A.J. Burnett getting roughed up in St. Louis last year to Francisco Liriano before Wednesday's start against the Cardinals, but Hurdle had a feeling someone had recounted the tale to the left-hander. Burnett pitched May 2, 2013, at St. Louis, was shelled for 12 runs in 22⁄3 innings, then gave up two runs in eight innings in his next start — and didn't lose again until July 15. On Wednesday, Liriano rebounded from ... Read More
Let’s talk about leverage, shall we?
In baseball, there are things that managers do without hesitation. When setting the lineup card, you want to have your best hitter bat third and your most powerful hitter hit cleanup. When you have a pitcher up with a runner on first with less than two outs, you have him sacrifice bunt. If there is a runner on first with two outs on a 3-2 count, you start the runner. All of these are things that every manager will do day in and day out. All are understandable and all things I agree with. There ... Read More
Marte’s blunder costs Pirates, Cardinals win in extra’s
With one out in the top of the ninth and Cardinals trailing 3-2, Daniel Descalso lifted a can of corn pop fly to left field. Instead of the Cards being down to their final out of the game, Pirates' left fielder, Starling Marte, nonchalantly took his eye off the ball a fraction too soon, allowing the ball to trickle out of his glove and Descalso advancing to second on the play. Pirates’ closer Mark Melancon did his best to put his teammates miscue behind him. After striking out Matt Carpenter ... Read More
Time for the Pirates to win on the road
The Pirates may be 29-27 on the road this season, but they are just 4-8 as the visitors since the All-Star break including a three game sweep to the fourth place Colorado Rockies. That needs to change. Pittsburgh has 45 games remaining to their magical regular season that has seen them hold a first place standing in the NL Central Division. Of those games, there are 20 at PNC Park and 25 on the road. Their biggest test will come Tuesday night at Busch Stadium where the St. Louis Cardinals ... Read More