Approaching the midway point of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates once again find themselves as legitimate playoff contender. The club’s 45-33 record is the second best in the National League, and third in the Majors. After a rough start, the Pirates appear to have hit their stride and barring injuries or setbacks, should find themselves in a push for a third straight Buctober. They still trail the St. Louis Cardinals by 6.5 games in the National League Central, but are still firmly ... Read More
Pirates earn first-ever sweep in Motor City
On the menu for the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday afternoon in Detroit: their ninth sweep of the season, which they earned with an 8-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was the first sweep ever for the Pirates in Detroit. The Pirates totaled 64 base runners and 49 hits in three games against the Tigers, which is a season high. According to the Elias Sports Bureau the Pirates most recently had 49 hits in a three game series against the Chicago Cubs from Aug. 28-30 2006. They also are ... Read More
Pirates pregame 7/2: Rojas, Guerra connect in Venezuela; Neil Walker: Mr. July?
From the first crack of the bat to Detroit Tigers fans booing reliever Joba Chamberlain for allowing three home runs in two-thirds of an inning, it was a long night for the home faithful. The Pittsburgh Pirates offense cranked out 21 hits and won 9-3 securing its 13th series victory in the process. A.J. Burnett earned his seventh victory of the season and of the 28 batters he faced 24 saw first-pitch strikes. “He navigated through a very tough lineup," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He made ... Read More
Pirates offense overwhelms Tigers
Fans at Comerica Park were treated to a hit parade as the Pittsburgh Pirates put together 15 hits on Detroit Tigers starter Alfredo Simon and had 21 on the night in a 9-3 victory. This was the first 21-hit game for the Pirates since May 13, 2004, a road game against the Colorado Rockies. The 15 hits off Simon [7-5] are the most off a single pitcher for the Pirates since Apr. 17, 1974. The 15 hits also are the most given up by a Tigers starter since Scott Sanders gave up 16 in 1998. “We ... Read More
Pirates pregame 7/1: Martinez blasts Bucs; a look back at June
It was another extra inning game last night for the Pittsburgh Pirates and this one lasted 5.5 hours. In the end the Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 5-4 in 14 innings. Neil Walker's RBI double ended up being the game-winning hit as it brought Josh Harrison home from second base. In tonight's game A.J. Burnett will face Alfredo Simon. Burnett is making his 16th start of the season and his 6-3 earned a no-decision in his last start after allowing two runs [one earned] in six innings ... Read More
Pirates’ Guerra gets first win in 14th inning
The Pittsburgh Pirates are now 3-0 on the road in Interleague play this season however, it took way longer than they bargained for. A Neil Walker double in the 14th inning proved to be the game-winning run as Josh Harrison scored from second base to give the Pirates a 5-4 victory over the Detroit Tigers. “ [Tom] Gorzelanny’s throwing sinkers and living on the outer half and I was just trying to fight him and drive the ball," Walker said. "Fortunately he left a pitch up in the zone.” The ... Read More
Pirates pregame 6/30: Cole compares to Verlander; Hurdle flashes back
The Pittsburgh Pirates make a return to Interleague play and will face the Detroit Tigers for three games on the road. The Tigers won two of three games that were played at PNC Park. Gerrit Cole will start for the Pirates against Justin Verlander. Cole is 6-1 with a 2.81 ERA in eight career starts against American League opponents including two victories this season. He pitched six-plus innings allowing a run against the Tigers this season. The outing was on the Pirates home opening day ... Read More
Pirates need to beat division foes to get over hump
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Jared Hughes knows wins never come easy against fellow National League Central teams, and so far the Pirates have had a hard time getting those wins. The Pirates have been a woeful 14-20 against fellow National League Central teams this year. Breaking it down, the club is 2-4 against the Cardinals, 4-6 against the Cubs, 6-3 versus the Milwaukee Brewers and a dreadful 2-7 vs. the Cincinnati Reds. “There are a bunch of good teams in the NL Central,” Hughes said. ... Read More
Braves hold off Pirates’ rallies to prevent sweep.
After being shut down all day by Atlanta Braves starting pitcher Alex Wood [5-5], the Pirates finally got on board with a two-out ninth inning double by Jordy Mercer that scored Francisco Cervelli, but former Pirates closer Jason Grilli struck out Gregory Polanco to secure a 2-1 Atlanta victory. The Pirates were looking for their first sweep against the Atlanta Braves since 1994. The Braves scored single runs in the fifth and seventh innings. With two outs in the fifth, Cameron Maybin ... Read More
Pirates GM discusses roster moves; team health
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington always meets with the media on Sunday home games to delve into a series of topics. Not surprisingly, the two roster moves fresh in the mind were the central topics of today's session. Huntington broke each move down to better explain the reasoning, starting with the Steve Lombardozzi call-up, which resulted in pitcher Chris Volstad being designated for assignment. “The first move was to re-balance the 12 pitchers and 13 position players," ... Read More