Starling Marte stepped into the batter's box and for a second consecutive game connected on a home run to left field as part of a Pittsburgh Pirates 6-2 victory Saturday against the Milwaukee Brewers. The three-run home run doubled the Pirates run total, and also provided the first runs since a 27-minute first inning. In that first inning, the Brewers which went with a different lineup sent Ryan Braun up to the plate. It was the first time Braun has ever led off in a Major League Baseball ... Read More
Pirates pregame 4/18: Walker hopes to continue success against Lohse
The Pittsburgh Pirates offense and baserunning reemerged in a 6-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. The Pirates have a chance to win its first home series tonight as Kyle Lohse [0-2 11.17 ERA] takes on Jeff Locke [1-0 3.00 ERA]. Tonight’s starters: Jeff Locke starts for the Pirates. The left-hander won his starting role in Spring Training and is 1-0 on the season winning 6-2 April 10 against the Brewers. In 90 pitches, Locke pitched six innings allowing seven hits, two runs, one walk ... Read More
Sofield, baserunning key in Pirates victory
Pittsburgh Pirates third base and baserunning coach Rick Sofield saw his catcher Francisco Cervelli running toward third and had to make a decision. It was the fourth inning of Friday's game, the Pirates were down 1-0 and Gregory Polanco had singled to right while Ryan Braun cleanly fielded the ball. Sofield thought for a second and both both hands up. Cervelli stayed at third. While anxious fans had been waiting 22 innings for a Pirate to cross home plate, Sofield did not think this was the ... Read More
Pirates aggressive on base paths in win
Earlier in the day, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Clint Hurdle told the media that the team did not have many chances to be aggressive. That changed Friday. The Pirates took the extra base and the aggression helped propel them to a 6-3 victory against the Milwaukee Brewers in front of 25,664 fans. Vance Worley [1-1] got the win nearly a week after getting roughed up for six runs in a loss to these same Brewers. Worley pitched six innings allowing six hits, walking four [two of which were ... Read More
Pirates pregame 4/17: Sanchez sent down; Rodriguez starts at second
After a series loss the Pittsburgh Pirates look to start anew against the Milwaukee Brewers. These two teams met a week ago with the Pirates holding a 2-1 season series advantage. Last game out: The Pirates were shutout as Alfredo Simon and Joakim Soria combined to allow two hits in a 1-0 Tigers victory. The Pirates offense struggled to get base runners as evidenced by the 13 consecutive batters Simon retired to end his outing. The Pirates have not had a walk since Saturday and Andrew ... Read More
Jared Hughes embraces return to longer outings
Jared Hughes remembers when he got first got called up to the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2011. Hughes made 11 appearances as a September call-up and posted a 4.09 ERA in 11 innings of work. The former Long Beach State Dirtbag made the transformation from hard thrower to sinker ball pitcher while working on his pitch effectiveness. Now however, Hughes had the challenge of proving that he belonged in the major leagues. "I had a chance to prove myself going out there and struggling at first but then ... Read More
Pirates bats silent in series-clinching loss
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Francisco Liriano threw six innings and surrendered one run. It was not enough. The Pirates offense was held to two hits in a 1-0 loss against the Detroit Tigers Wednesday and losing the three-game series, 2-1. “We’ve got some pitches to hit and get into offensive counts but we haven’t been able to get the at-bat that we need," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Right now, we’ve got work to do on the offensive end.” For the second consecutive game, former ... Read More
Pirates pregame 4/15: Marte returns to lineup; Hurdle reflects on Jackie Robinson
Tonight is the conclusion of the first three game series to be played at PNC Park as the Pittsburgh Pirates [3-5] take on the Detroit Tigers [7-1]. The Pirates won the series opener 5-4 Monday and lost 2-0 Tuesday. Last game out: The Pirates were a part of a three-hit shutout losing 2-0 to the Tigers Tuesday night. Shane Greene and Joakim Soria did not allow a base runner to pass first base in the process. Tigers Manager Brad Ausmus got the win on his 46th birthday despite A.J. Burnett ... Read More
Pirates players reflect on first home opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates had its 129th home opener Monday and won 5-4 against the Detroit Tigers. The game was played in front of a regular season high attendance total of 39,933. It was a special moment for all in attendance and even more so for five Pirates — Arquimedes Caminero, Jung-ho Kang, Andrew Lambo, Radhames Liz and Rob Scahill — who got to toe the base line and have their names called with the rest of the team's 25-man roster for the first time. Caminero has waited nine years for ... Read More
Burnett, Pirates on wrong side of pitchers’ duel
A.J. Burnett toed the rubber against Nick Castellanos and the Detroit Tigers. With runners on second and third base in the fourth inning this was Burnett's first test all game, and 31,755 Pittsburgh Pirates fans knowing this started to cheer the home pitcher in an effort to fire him up. The result was the first fist pump from Burnett this season and a strike out to end the inning. “Anytime you’ve got guys in scoring position, it’s big but it was a big pitch at a big time," Burnett said. ... Read More