The Phillies invaded Pittsburgh looking for some revenge on the three-out-of-four that the Pirates took in Philadelphia and they got off to a good start as they stifled a couple prime offensive chances for the Bucs in a 3 – 1 victory on Tuesday night. The Pirates had something going in the third with two out. Marte reached on a fielder’s choice and stole second. Russell Martin would then work a walk and Andrew McCutchen would hit a shot up the middle. Phillies second baseman, Chase Utley, ... Read More
A guide to being a Pittsburgh Pirates fan
It is at the midway point in this MLB season that the perennial fans of the Pittsburgh Pirates find themselves surrounded on all sides by folks that they have never seen before…well, not since 1998 or thereabouts, anyways. Or maybe last year at this time was the last they had been together at PNC Park. Regardless, there seems to be some animosity on the part of these more regular Pirate game attendees toward these other, less seasoned folks. I am here to clear the air between these two ... Read More
Pirates Win In 14, Sweep Brewers 2 – 1
In a game that went 6+ hours and included a 2 hr 20 min rain delay in the second inning, The Pirates battled their way to a 14-inning victory thanks to a Russell Martin pinch-hit walk off single against the Milwaukee Brewers to complete a 3-game sweep by the score of 2 - 1. Charlie Morton and Kyle Lohse started the game at 1:35pm and lasted only two innings each as a storm system slowly came through causing a 2 hour, 20 minute rain delay. Before the delay, Morton and the Pirates allowed an ... Read More
Pirates HAND Brewers 2 – 1 Defeat
PNC Park -- Francisco Liriano led another stellar start by Pirates pitching as they rode two solo shots by Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones to a 2 – 1 victory over Donovan Hand and the Milwaukee Brewers on Saturday night. It marks the 15th straight time that Pirates starters have allowed three runs or less in their starts. “It (pitching) can be contagious in so many areas and our starters are very disciplined,” said manager, Clint Hurdle. “They understand, more so than ever, the responsibility of ... Read More
Pirate of the Week: Starling Marte
This past week, the Pittsburgh Pirates took over the top spot in all of baseball. No one can argue that Starling Marte has had one of the biggest impacts on the team this past week, and for that, Marte is our Pirate of the Week. For the week, Marte racked up 9 hits in 26 at-bats for a .346 batting average. He also registered 5 RBIs and scored6 runs on the week. On Friday night, Marte was just a home run away from hitting for the cycle. He tallied multiple hits in every game except for two games ... Read More
Pirate Bats Stay Hot In 10 – 3 Victory Over Brewers
PNC Park -- The Pirates continued to break out the bats and Gerrit Cole recovered from a shaky first inning as the Buccos continued to exercise their demons against the Brewers 10 – 3 on Friday night. It was Gerrit Cole’s fourth victory in as many tries to start his ML career. It ended an eventful day that saw the organization introduce Austin Meadows earlier that afternoon. The Brewers got to Cole fast in the first as Nori Aoki walked on four pitches to start the game off and Jean Segura and ... Read More
Determining the fifth starter for the Pirates
When AJ Burnett and Wandy Rodriguez went down with injuries, the general consensus around Pittsburgh was "uh oh". Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates have gone on a tear, going 7-2 on a nine game road trip thanks to a six game winning streak. Now, Rodriguez and Burnett are close to returning, with Wandy already on a rehab assignment in AAA Indianapolis. He could be back within a week while Burnett's status is still unclear. Nevertheless, the Pirates should get both of these pitchers back ... Read More
Go West Young Man: Pirates Sweep Mariners, West Coast Trip
Who says going out West is a bad thing? After sweeping the Angels in Anaheim, the Pirates traveled up north to take on the Mariners in a two-game series. For the second time on the season, the Pirates would have to face arguably the best pitcher in baseball, Felix Hernandez. While Hernandez held the offense at bay for the most part, some late game heroics (are you surprised?), allowed the Pirates to sweep the West Coast trip and the Mariners, 4-2. "It's what you have to do. You follow a ... Read More
Ban the DH….or not?
If you've watched the Pirates in the past couple of years, you've heard ROOT Sports announcer Bob Walk utter the phrase, "Ban the DH." He's of course referring to the designated hitter position that is so prevalent in the American League. Since 1973, pitchers don't bat in the game played at an American League park, but there is a player that is, well, designated to hit. Depending on who you talk to, you'll get different opinions on the topic. Some, like myself, prefer the traditional style of ... Read More
Locke shines again, bats power Pirates over Mariners
SEATTLE - On the shoulders of an early offensive explosion, and another fantastic outing from Jeff Locke, the Pirates knocked off the Mariners tonight by a score of 9-4. The game started off with a bang, as the first hitter of the game, Starling Marte, lead the game off with a triple. He scored on a Jordy Mercer ground out, and the Pirates finished the inning up 1-0. The second inning was a huge one for the Bucs, as three players hit home runs. Russell Martin hit a solo shot to lead off ... Read More