When Francisco Liriano left the Minnesota Twins, mostly everyone had counted his career as "over". In 2006, Liriano won 12 games and had an ERA of 2.16. He's never really gotten back to that form it seems. But now with the Pirates, he's seemingly starting his career over again. This past week, Liriano made his first two starts for the Buccs, picking up a win in each outing. With a 2-0 record, he has an ERA of 1.64. He also has 16 strikeouts through two games. He hasn't went extremely deep in a ... Read More
Pirates win 5-4 over Astros on walk off error
The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Houston Astros 5-4, Friday night, on one of the most bizarre and embarrassing ways to end a game. Russell Martin reached on an error when Jimmy Paredes dropped a fly ball with the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth and two outs. For the Astros, it was the third error of the game but it was also the 31st loss of the season, tied with the Marlins for the most in the Majors. Houston had a 4-1 lead, at one point, but squandered it when they allowed ... Read More
Bucs blowout Brew Crew to take four-game series
Francisco Liriano gave the Pirates another solid start, holding the Brewers to one run over 5 1/3 innings while striking out seven, and the offense gave the pitching staff more than enough runs as the Pirates defeated the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1, Thursday night. The Pirates have made a habit of losing the opening game of a four game series, only to come back and win the last three. Against a struggling Milwaukee Brewers team, this was no different. "There's no explanation for it," Clint ... Read More
Growing Up in the Steroid Era
As a kid in the 90s and a teenager in the 2000s, I got to watch a lot of great players for most, or all, of their careers. My personal favorites were probably Ken Griffey Jr. and Greg Maddux. There were tons of great players though, Bonds, Clemens and Ripken, just to name a few more. There were a few problems with this era however. One of these problems is determining what was “real” and what wasn’t. Most people think that Bonds and Clemens took PEDs and that Griffey, Maddux and Ripken ... Read More
Pirates led by Walker en route to victory
PITTSBURGH -- It's early: Clint Hurdle's favorite caveat. Even the season's quarter-pole is still a few innings away. However, make no mistake, the tables have turned. For years, the word around the National League was: Stay close to the Pirates, and, in the end, they will give it up. Too green, too thin, too insecure to know better. That line, and the attitude and approach that go with it, now belongs to the Pirates. They wait for an opening for the upper cut, then they stick it to ... Read More
Pittsburgh Pirates: McKenry vs. Sanchez
Let me start off by saying I know this is a very hard thing to debate because Michael McKenry is one of the most likeable players on the team. He is a scrappy old school player who gives everything he has on the field. He also does charity work in the city that includes bringing injured veterans to PNC Park to watch the Pirates. But I think it is time to consider bringing up Tony Sanchez to back up Russel Martin. But what McKenry is doing behind the plate is hurting the team. Out of 24 ... Read More
McCutchen’s 12th inning blast bests Brewers 4-3
Andrew McCutchen took a 2-2 pitch into the right-centerfield seats in the bottom of the 12th inning to walk off the Pirates to victory, Tuesday night. The win snapped a five game home losing streak to the Brew Crew who have tortured the Pirates both at PNC Park and Miller Park over the last five years. "It just seems like everything goes their way every time we play them. Being able to fight and being able to win is definitely a plus," said a relieved-looking Andrew McCutchen. Jean Segura ... Read More
Pirates drop series opener to Brewers by score of 5-1
The Pirates opened up a seven game home stand against the Milwaukee Brewers. No team has more success against the Pirates than the Brewers, and they continued their dominance over the Pirates on Monday night. A.J. Burnett got the nod for the Pirates and had an average start. He pitched seven innings, struck out six, and allowed four runs (three earned). He didn't get much help from his defense, as the Pirates finished the game with three errors. Above all that, Michael McKenry had an awful ... Read More
Pirates beat phenom Harvey to take series over Mets
NEW YORK -- The Pirates were introduced to the latest New York City pitching phenom Sunday afternoon. From 60 feet, six inches, they shook hands with Matt Harvey and proceeded to treat him as if he were a degree or two short of phenomenal. They bruised him but didn't beat him. Instead, they scored once against the Mets' bullpen in the eighth inning and won, 3-2. The victory, the Bucs' third in four games here, put their record five games over .500 for the third time this season. A two-out ... Read More
Liriano shines in debut; Tabata and Mercer pace the offense in 11-2 win
To say that the Pirates had its most satisfying win of the season Saturday is an understatement. It's not just that they dominated the Mets 11-2, it's the way they got there. One of the biggest acquisitions in the offseason, Francisco Liriano, made his long-awaited Pirates debut on Saturday. If this is a preview of things to come, Pirates fans will be quite happy. Liriano, who missed spring training due to injury, came out looking like the pitcher that threw a no-hitter for the Minnesota ... Read More