Pirates Loss Close Game

Hey All,

After spending most of the week with the Houston Astros, who kept scoring first then had no retort, the Pirates on Friday night ran into someone who punched back.

The Bucs, the shocking leaders of the National League Central, and the NL West-contending Giants, shocked by three straight losses in Washington, D.C., exchanged volleys to the entertainment and ultimate disappointment of many in a sold-out PNC Park who watched San Francisco hold on for a 6-5 victory.

"To jump out early, have them jump back, and for us to continue to chip away ... that's the way we're playing now," said Pirates manager Clint Hurdle, disappointed by the result but certainly not by the effort as his crew suffered only its second loss in 10 games.

The Pirates' last salvo went a long way: Pedro Alvarez led off the eighth with a 457-foot homer off lefty reliever Javier Lopez, but all that did -- besides awe witnesses -- was cut into the final margin.

The loss ended the season's fourth four-game winning streak by a team that has yet to make it to five. That might reflect the unavoidable fact of always having a weak link in the five-man starting rotation, which at the moment is Erik Bedard.

"We'll look at some tape, try to help him figure out some things over the [All-Star] break," Hurdle said of the veteran lefty, who for the fourth time in seven starts could not make it through five innings. Asked whether he might already have some idea of what those things are, the manager admitted, "I do have some thoughts, which we'll share with him first."

Bedard on Friday was quite charitable with the 3-0 lead the Pirates had presented him.

The Giants thus attempted to tighten up two races, the one they trailed by a game and a half and the one the Pirates led by two games.

The small picture was as compelling. After shadowing each other atop the NL batting charts for weeks, Pirates center fielder Andrew McCutchen and Giants left fielder Melky Cabrera got some face time.

Although the averages of both players officially rounded off to .356, the two began the night at a ridiculous .00011 apart; McCutchen lead at .35593 and Cabrera at .35582.

The Bucs won that battle, if not the war.

After a 3-for-5 night that included two RBIs, McCutchen was at .360.

Cabrera also drove in two, but had "only" two hits in four at-bats to finish at .358.

McCutchen's teammates appear as stunned and impressed by his performance as are outside observers. Pick a context -- batting .550 in July after earning June Player of the Month honors, 17 hits in his last seven games, 27 hits in his last 52 at-bats against left-handers, a dozen games with three-plus hits -- and McCutchen is in his own orbit.

"Me and McCutchen are from the same class [of 2005] out of high school, and to see where he's at is pretty outstanding," said Alvarez, who tied McCutchen for the team lead with his 16th homer. "I just hope that he can keep going, because we're feeding off his energy. It's been a lot of fun to play alongside him."

Before pulling their first-inning punches, the Bucs pushed across a quick run for a 1-0 lead. They began the game with three consecutive singles, by Josh Harrison, Drew Sutton and McCutchen -- the last good for his 55th RBI.

Harrison, getting a start at short and atop the lineup, lit the fuse again in the third. He led off with a walk and, one out later, scored when McCutchen's drive found the 410-foot nook in left-center for a triple. Neil Walker's double delivered McCutchen for a 3-0 lead.

Bedard entered the fourth with a no-hitter -- having retired nine straight after a game-opening walk of Justin Christian -- but never got out of it.

"We saw him really improve after the leadoff walk," Hurdle said. "The second and third were very crisp. The fourth was bad all around."

Precisely what the Giants did -- bat around. Ryan Theriot sent an RBI double to right-center and scored on Cabrera's game-tying homer, which cleared the bases but not Bedard's plate.

"Rod [catcher Barajas] was going down to block it; it was going to go in the dirt," Bedard said of the 1-and-0 curve to Cabrera. "But he hit a home run on it."

Bedard had a slightly different evaluation of that pitch than did his manager, who had said that breaking pitch was something the pitcher "probably wanted lower."

"They're not just cashing it in and sitting back, waiting for something to happen," said the beneficiary of the rally, southpaw Barry Zito. "They're making it happen. That home run Melky hit was a huge lift for the team, and everyone else added in their spots."

A run-scoring single by Hector Sanchez gave the Giants their first lead at 4-3, and they added to it when Harrison let Joaquin Arias' grounder carom off his glove and into left for an error.

"The guys bounced back good," said Giants manger Bruce Bochy. "They got an early lead, but the club did a great job of putting together a big inning."

Bedard retired Zito on a sacrifice bunt, then his 3 2/3-inning start was over. He needed 37 pitches just to get through two-thirds of that fourth inning.

Casey McGehee's sixth homer in the fifth reduced Zito's lead to 5-4 but, after 2 1/3 hitless innings by Chris Resop, Juan Cruz surrendered Theriot's sacrifice fly in the seventh to reset the San Francisco lead at 6-4.

All in all, the Pirates are surging and need to keep this momentum up well past the [All Star] break, and cruise into the playoffs. They need to keep using McCutchen's "energy" and hope that the pitching stays where it's at, and they will be just fine. I can't wait to see what they do this afternoon against the Giants in the heat at PNC Park as they try and keep the lead in the NL Central Division.

Until next time
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Pirates In First

Hey All,

The Pittsburgh Pirates are unstoppable right now as they just had a sweep of the Kansas City Royals. The Buccos have done nothing but win since they hit the .500 mark, and haven't looked back since.

Ever since the Bucs have won the series against the Reds with a 2-1 victory in that series, the Buccos have moved themselves into a tie for first place in the Central Division with the Reds. This is the hardest part of the Buccos season, and they have gone on a rampage through this part of their schedule.

No one counted the Pirates in this season, like they do every season, but the Bucs are proving everyone wrong. With their new motto "finish" they have seemed to have new life. Now I know they had a good season last year around this time, but they were never in the first place spot. I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Pirates don't need to make any trades. Their team is where they want it to be, and the bats are coming alive. The pitching along with the defense are outstanding this season.

All the Pirates need to do is keep this momentum up well past the All Star break. I feel if they don't make any changes, they keep playing like they are, and "finish" the games like they are they will be in solo ownership of first place and making a run for the postseason.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

MLB Update

Hey All,

 As we enter the third month of the season, here are some notes on the current Major-League Baseball standings that struck me as interesting.

There are 19 teams that are .500 or better right now. That sounds impressive, but it's not as impressive as it sounds. According to the Elias Sports Bureau, the last time 19 teams were .500 or better at this point in the season was after games were finished on July 31, 2010.

There are 8 teams with 30 or 31 wins, but only two (Texas Rangers and the Los Angeles Dodgers) with more than 31 wins. There are 14 teams either in the Wild Card lead or within 3 1/2 games of a Wild Card spot, not including 6 division leaders.

There are 3 teams on pace to lose at least 100 games this season. They are: Minnesota Twins, Chicago Cubs, and the San Diego Padres. The Twins have a current record of 20-33 and if they keep this pace up they will end with a record of 61-101. The Cubs have a current record of 18-35 and are on pace to finish with a record of 55-107, and the Padres are only a few games behind them at 18-37 and will finish with a record of 53-109, if they keep this pace up.

The only time in the last 25 seasons that 3 or more teams finished with at least 100 losses in a season was 2002, with a record  4 teams had 100 + losses.

At this point in the season all of the teams in the AL and NL East are .500 or better. This is the latest into the season that every team in those division are .500 or better. But as every baseball fan knows, it's not how you start the season, it's how you finish. Would you like some proof? The Detroit Tigers started at 9-3, they have since gone 16-26. The Kansas City Royals started at 3-14, they have since gone 20-15. Finally the Boston Red Sox had a start of 12-19 and have since gone 16-7. Each of these teams have picked it up since they had a terrible start to the season, and have got their seasons back on track.

Now to talk about a team that is probably surprising every in the Marlins. The Miami Marlins have more wins in the month of May, then the Cubs, Twins and Padres have all season. They also have as many wins as the Royals, A's, Astros and Rockies do all season with 23. They are playing some hot baseball and if they can keep this pace up, they will be a tough team to beat come playoff time.

One of my favorite teams the Pittsburgh Pirates are over .500 with a record of 27-26. The Pirates haven't had a winning season since 1992, and last season they were over .500 as late as August  1st with a record of 54-53. The Pirates have been on a good run as of late and had this same type of run last season. If they can keep up this winning thing past the All Star break, and they might be able to make a run to the playoffs and have a winning season. The Pirates, Indians and Mets are above .500 but are being outscored on the season. Last year, the only team to finish with a winning record and a negative run differential was the San Francisco Giants (86-76, -8). Let's hope it doesn't come to this for the Pirates, Indians and Mets.

The last couple of teams we will talk about are the Orioles, Yankees and Rangers. They are the only AL teams over .500 at home and on the road. Last year 6 AL teams had winning records both at home and on the road. This can only mean good things for these teams. With the bats coming alive for the Rangers and Yankees and the Orioles just playing good ball all around, these three teams are going to be the teams to beat for a long time this season.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

A.J. Burnett Getting It Done

Hey All,

Last night the Pirates took on the Reds in a tied series at 1-1. The winner would win the series and become that much closer to taking the division. The Buccos won the game by a score of 2-1 and took another series, and are back to the .500 mark.

The Bucs did so off of the pitching of A.J. Burnett who, like James McDonald, is getting it done on the mound. In Burnett's 5 starts he is 3-0 and hasn't given up more than 2 run in those 5 starts. His ERA is an outstanding 1.57 and has been the best pitcher that the Bucs have picked up since J Mac.

Burnett's streak, of only giving up 2 or fewer runs, matches his longest streak of his career.

If Burnett can keep this streak up and keep giving the Bucs quality starts, as he has done, the Pittsburgh Pirates will be a contender to take the division and make a run to the postseason.

The Pirates GM has mentioned that the Bucs will be looking for a big time trade like they did last year to bring new life to the Bucs line up. I personally think this is a dumb move. The Bucs are having yet another great start to their 2012 season, and shouldn't hinder that success by trying to make a trade. The team is starting to jell at the right time. They are getting production from Harrison, Hauge, McCutchen, Alveraz, and Walker and that's just with the bats. They also have what I would consider 2 aces on their team with Burnett and McDonald. Why would you want to change something that's working? I've always said, "If it ain't broke, don't fix it!".

All in all the Bucs are impressing a lot of people these days, and need to try and keep the success up. I like they way they are looking, and hope they can take this momentum well past the All Star break.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Pirates Fall To Reds

Hey All,

For two months, Pirates pitchers have been rationalizing their offensive brothers' quiet by citing baseball's see-saw. There will be days, they said, when the pitcher doesn't have it and will have to be picked up by the hitters.

As A.J. Burnett said a few days ago in a moment of extreme hyperbole, "We'll have games where we give up an eight-spot, and [our hitters will] come up with nine."

The pitchers haven't had many of those days. Maybe Charlie Morton wanted to give that theory a try on Tuesday. Not a good idea. And not a good night. The game wasn't any better than the weather that had delayed it, and the Bucs couldn't do anything about either.

They couldn't out-hit a late (1-hour, 54-minute rain delayed), staggering start by Morton, who lasted only the first four innings of the 8-1 loss to Cincinnati at PNC Park.

The only possibly memorable part of it was the Major League debut of Jordy Mercer, which lasted all of two pitches. As an eighth-inning pinch-hitter, he grounded out on an 0-1 pitch from the Reds' Homer Bailey.

Morton had a lot of relief accomplices as the Bucs' four-game winning streak came to a crashing halt, but he unwittingly set the tone for the late evening.

He couldn't reprise his 2011 form against the Reds (3-0 with an 0.93 ERA), but his mound foe stayed true to his history with the Pirates. Bailey brought a lifetime 5-0 record and 1.94 ERA in seven starts against them to work, and put in a complete-game shift. Just to be an even bigger nuisance, Bailey also went 2-for-3 with an RBI at bat.

The Pirates could get to Bailey only in the fifth, on three consecutive one-out singles by Matt Hague, Rod Barajas and pinch-hitter Casey McGehee. The run-scoring hit improved McGehee in the pinch to 4-for-8, with a pair of RBIs; Pittsburgh's other pinch-hitters are a combined 5-for-50.

Morton allowed six hits and four runs. The hits off him included three doubles and a triple. Morton failed to register a strikeout for the second time in his last four starts. As a sinkerballer, even at his best he doesn't need swing-and-miss stuff. Still, a mere five strikeouts in the 23 innings of his last four starts could be a red flag for his pitches' lack of movement.

Doug Slaten was the first man out of the Bucs' bullpen, the left-hander working a 1-2-3 fifth in his first Major League appearance since last Sept. 27, when he was with the Nationals.

It was a milestone game for Barajas: No. 1,000 behind the plate, the third active catcher into four figures (A.J. Pierzynski 1,474 and Ramon Hernandez 1,414).

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports

Pirates At .500

Hey All,

 Today the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Cincinnati Reds in a battle to get to the .500 mark for the first time this season. The Bucs did just that today as they were able to RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER! with a win today by a score of 4-1.

The Buccos got the bats going, and they got them going early scoring 2 runs in the bottom of the first inning. This was off of a Alvarez double, off the small wall in left field, bringing Walker around to score the games opening run. After that Jones was able to single to right field bringing around Alvarez.

In the second inning the Buccos were able to tack on another run after James McDonald reached base off of a fielders choice. Walker came up to bat and was able to bring J Mac around with his own double to right field and moved Tabata to third. That would be all the scoring in the 2nd inning, making the score 3-0 in favor of the Buccos.

The last score for the Bucs came in the bottom of the third inning. Barajas singled to center field and brought Alvarez around again for his second run scored this game. The score would look this way until the top of the 9th inning when the Reds were able to get their only run across the board. Heisey singled to right, bringing Votto around to score, making the score 4-1. That would be the end as the Hammer came in to close the deal and pick up another save on the season.

Speaking of the pitching for the Pirates, J Mac pitched yet another beautiful game. J Mac went 8 innings, gave up only 5 hits, walked 1 batter, and stuck out 5 on 103 pitches. McDonald has been the Pirates best pitcher as of late, and has only gotten better with every game he starts.

The Buccos were able to make it back to the .500 mark this season on a 4 game win streak as the were able to sweep the Cubs in the last series. The Reds are a very good Baseball team. They lead the Division with a record of 27-21, as the Bucs try and claw their way back up from the 4th position with a record of 24-24. Pittsburgh needs to keep this streak going well past the All Star Break, which is where they crumbled last season. Their Motto this season has been "Finish", and they've done just that thus far into the season. Let's see how long they can keep the win streak going as they get ready to face the Reds yet again tomorrow. I can't wait to see the outcome of this game, and will be posting as soon as the last pitch is thrown.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Pirates Fall Short

Hey All,

 Tonight (May 22, 2012) the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the New York Mets and try to come back like they did in game one of this three game series. The Bucos fall 3-2 to the Mets after a strong pitching performance from starting pitcher James McDonald.

Before we get to the pitching battle between the two starters in tonight's game, let's take a look at how the scoring went down.

The Mets got the scoring going in the second when Nickeas singled to left, Dan Murphy scored and former Buc Cedeno moved to third. That would be it for the scoring until the bottom of the 6th inning when Andrew McCutchen hit a sacrifice fly to right fielder Duda scoring Josh Harrison. This was after Harrison hit his 2nd triple of the season. The most exciting inning scoring wise would have to be the entire 8th inning. The Mets got the bats going once McDonald came out of the game in the top of the 8th. Duda hit an infield single scoring Baxter and moving Nieuwenhuis to third. After this a bit of history was made. The Pirates have not committed an error at home in 72 innings, until the top of the 8th inning when Dan Murphy was safe at first on an infield single to Padro Alvarez Nieuwenhuis scored and Duda moved to second. That would end the scoring for the Mets. In the Bot of the 8th after a center field double by Tabata, McCutchen singled to center scoring Tabata from second. That would be the last run that would be scored in this game. When closer Francisco got his 10th save of the season for the Mets, Cruz would get the lose for the Pirates, and Dickey would get the W for the Mets.

Now to the Pitching for the Pirates. James McDonald has slowly showing that he is the Ace of this team. He went 7 innings, gave up only 4 hits, 1 Earned Run (ER), walked 2, and struck out 8 on 104 pitches. McDonald was pitching lights out, like he has been all season. He has the lowest ERA of the Pirates with a 2.68, he's struck out  50 batters this season in 8 starts(now 58 with tonight being his 9th start of the season), and have only given up 15 runs which is also the lowest on the team. McDonald just knows how to get it done in clutch games but only has a 3-2 record with 3 No Decisions (ND) this season. If McDonald could get a little bit of offense behind him, I think he would be undefeated this season. He is pitching way to well, been getting better, and has been able to increase his Pitch Count with each game he pitches. I feel that good ol' J Mac could get the saving grace, pitching wise, for the Pirates this season and for many seasons to come.

James McDonald was not the only one who was pitching a Gem tonight. The Knuckle-baller Dickey also went 7 innings, gave up 5 hits, 1 ER, and stuck out 11 on only 88 pitches, which is really low for a knuckle-baller. Dickey seems to give the Pirates trouble every time he faces the Buccos. The Pirates just seem to struggle against the knuckle ball, the Mets knew that, and gave it took them tonight. Dickey picks up another win against the Pirates, and I'm looking forward to see how the Buccos respond to this close lose tomorrow (May 23, 2012) when they try and take a split series against the Mets.

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports.

Raise The Jolly Roger!

Hey All,

 Today the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Huston Astros at PNC park. It was a low scoring affair, but was still a good one. The Pirates won in extras 3-2 with a walkoff double by Harrison in the 12th.

The Pirates got off to a quick start with Walker hitting a double, followed by McCutchen bringing him in with a double of his own. All of this happened in the first inning alone. A.J. Burnett was on the mound for the Buccos today, and pitched a pretty solid game. Burnett went 8 innings, gave up 2 runs on 6 hits, and struckout 4. All in all a good way to start creeping that ERA down to where he wants it to be. However, even though Burnett pitched as well as he did, he still got the no decision and Watson was able to pick up the win.

This was a pitching battle for sure. Both teams could only score a handful of hits, with the Pirates at 7 and the Astros at 6. The game was at the score of 2-1 in favor of the Astros from the 7th inning all the way till the Bottom of the 9th when Pedro Alverez hit a sac fly with the bases loaded to bring home the tieing run and send it into extra innings. From here the pitching would be outstanding and until the 12th neither team could do much of anything.

The Pirates have been starting to play very well together and are coming ever so close to the .500 mark. At 16-18 that puts the Buccos in 3rd in the central division, and they travel to Florida tomorrow to take on the Miami Marlenes, a very beatable team. Well see how that one turns out tomorrow, and hope the Pirates can win another series, and as always LETS GO BUCS!

Until next time,
You keep doing what you do, and I'll keep you up to date with everything sports. 

Pirates Fighting Off A Sweep?

Hey All,

The struggling Pirates faced the Brewers this afternoon in game three of this three game series, and it was one for the pitchers. Charlie Morton was on the mound for the Bucs and did a fantastic job with the Brewers lefty's, who Morton has struggled with this season. Pittsburgh, who is 12 games back in the division, need to pick up a win against the division leader Milwaukee Brewers to try and start a amazing come back. The Pirates have all the chances in the world to try and make another run at the division and the post season with the schedule they have coming up. The Bucs have the NL Central teams the next few series on the schedule. Since they finished their series with the Brewers, they now have the Cardinals at home for a 3 game set, then face the reds for a 3 game set right after that. This couldn't have came at a better time for Pittsburgh. Since they went into the slump they are in, being 12 games back and only going 3-3 in the past six games, the Pirates need to have wins in the next 2 series coming up. If the Pirates can and get out of the mouth of August, they can cut down on the lead that the Brewers have over them in the division.

In the game Vs. the Brewers, Charlie Morton went 7 1/3 innings and struck out 5, and only gave up 1 ER. This is what the Pirates have been lacking since they've been on the losing streak. The only thing I would have done differently in game was leave Varas in, when he came in to relieve Morton. I know what Hurdle was thinking bringing in the The Hammer with one out in the 8th to try and close the inning out, but it back fired on them. Joel Hanarhan picked up his 2nd blown save this season when he struck out Morgan, but it was a wild pitch that went into the dirt and Morgan made it to first safely. This put runners on the corners for the Brewers and not what the Bucs wanted to see because that drove in the lead off man that Morton gave up while he was in. Pittsburgh fought back in the 9th inning though after the first man up struck out, the Pirates then put 2 on in Ludwick, and Cedeno. Ludwick reached with a sharply hit ball up the first base line and through the legs of Fielder. After being down to their last out the Bucs Steve Pearce on a 2-2 pitch stuck out swinging leaving the game 1-1. The Pirates just couldn't seen to produce any offense since the 1st inning when McCutchen drove in a run on a fly ball to center field. Since then no one could score a run until last in the game in the bottom of the 8th. In the bottom of the 9th, with Hanarhan still in the game, the Pirates were still fighting. Everyone thought this game was going to go to the Bucco's; because when they've had a lead through 8 innings they are 50-0 this season, but when they were tied after 8 innings they are just 5-7. The Hammer came through in the 9th inning with a fly out and 2 strike outs to end the inning and send the game into extras. The Pirates in the top of the 10th inning had a base runner in Paul, who was moved over by a sacrifice bunt by Josh Harrison. This brought McCutchen to the plate, who has had a lot of swing and misses this game. McCutchen worked a full count and eventually struck out swinging. This brought Neal Walker to the plate who was intentionally walked with 2 outs. I didn't understand this because it brought Ryan Ludwick to the plate who has pick up a couple good hits in game, even thought they were recorded errors. Plus, Walker an this road trip has not hit well at all for the Pirates. The Brewers walked Ludwick as well, not intentionally though, loading the bases. Brandon Wood was up next who chopped a ball that went maybe a foot in front of the plate which made the last out easy for the catcher to touch home plate for the force out. Everyone, including myself, did not want this to be another marathon game like the 19 inning game the Pirates had earlier in the season. This would not be the case, the Brewers would end the game in the bottom of the 10th inning of a sacrifice fly by Morgan to score the winning run in walk off fashion. The Pirates just can't catch a break here late in the season, let's hope for a better outcome in the series against the Cardinals at PNC Park.

Pirates V. Giants

Hey All,

The Bucco's are back to the winning side of things in their series with the San Fransisco Giants. The Pirates picked up with first win of a series since mid July. This series got a bit dicey once Pittsburgh shut out last years World Series Champs 5-0. In game two it was the Pirates turn to get shut out 6-0. In today's game with the Giants the Pirates had everything going right for them today; the hitters were hitting, the pitching was on fire, and the defense was outstanding. Pittsburgh has made some necessary changes to their line up before the deadline, which seemed to back fire a little bit. Once Pittsburgh added Lee, Ludwick, got Doumit and Alvarez back, is when they went on the 10 game losing streak. I think that they needed to put Doumit on situation only, and kept the young guys who were hitting and winning them games . That formula was the winning one, and the one they need to bring back. They should keep Doumit out of the mix, keep McKenry in at catcher, and get back to winning. They need to figure this out and fast, the games they have coming up against the Brewers and Cardinals can help get them back into the pennant race. If they can keep the momentum up going into the next 2 series they can get back into the race for the division title.

Struggling Pirates

Hey All,

The Pittsburgh Pirates are on a 8 game losing streak, and compared to their amazing run to first in the division, this is down right sad. They have moved to third in the division and 8 games back from first. Tonight the Pirates gave up 4 HR in this game which lead to their 15-5 loss to the San Diego Padres. A team that doesn't have a good record, and doesn't hit a lot of HR. The sad thing is that the Pirates down fall these past 8 games has not be solely to blame on the offense, but the pitching of the Pirates has died. One of the element of their game that I said was the strongest part of their offense. Something needs to happen, and happen fast if the Pirates want to get back at making a run at the pennant race. I guess you can't really be too surprised at what is happening to the Pirates, at this point in time in the season. They always seem to crash and burn near the end of the season. When looking at their schedule coming up, it doesn't get any easier for the Pirates. They have the hardest part of their schedule coming up, with Milwaukee, St. Louis, and San Fransisco, last years champs. Pittsburgh needs to get on a different type of run, and that would be a winning run, and they need to do it fast. With how their schedule works they have to play Milwaukee twice, and St. Louis twice, so they can make a strong run back to first in the division by winning all of those series. I'm hoping and looking forward to the month of August for the Pittsburgh Pirates. It should be exciting and fun to watch. Once the Pirates regain their pitching staff, and get it back to where it was in the beginning of the season, up until these past 8 games. If this happens they will once again make a strong run at the pennant.

Pirates Get Swept

Hey All,

Today the Pirates had their third game against the Phillies, in Philadelphia. The Pirates seemed to have a new string of hope with the new deal to get Derk Lee from Baltimore. It just wasn't enough to give the Bucco's the win. They Played strong all game long, and seemed that they were going to hold off the sweep, which they've done all year. The Phillies seemed to know the perfect time to strike a come back. After a two run shot by Overbay, the Pirates took a 5-3 lead going into the 8th inning. This looked like it would be it, and the the Buc's would hold off the sweep. Ibanez hit a 2 run shot to tie the game going into the 9th inning. The bull pen pulled through for Pittsburgh once again and took the game into extra's. As of late extra innings seems to be Pittsburgh's kryptonite, and history repeats itself. With a huge shot to right field by Ibanez drove in Hunter Pence, who hit a double earlier in the inning. Ibanez, by himself, beat the Pirates, with 2 HR and the walk off in the bottom of the 10th, the Pirates had no answer for him today. Let's hope that the Buc's can turn it around once they get home tomorrow against the Cubs, with new addition Lee, and Ludwick who I'm not sure when he will report to the team, get to the ball club. I think adding these two power hitters will bring new light to this offense which has been struggling as of late. It's just what Pittsburgh needed, but I think it came too late. They should have tried to acquire these players before they got into the meat of their schedule. Maybe have him come in late in the Atlanta, and before this series against the Phillies for sure. But what is done is done, and these two should bring the winning back to Pittsburgh.

Worst Call Ever!

Hey All,

I am really upset about the umpiring at the Atlanta Pittsburgh, in game one of the series. The game went into extra innings and should have been the Pirates game, but a call that will bring out more talk about instant replay to the Majors, screwed up the Pirates chances for a win. Home plate umpire Males, missed one of the easiest calls that an ump can make. A chopper hit to third, was played well, the toss to home was perfect, and beat the runner by a mile was called safe at home when he was tagged three feet in front of the plate. This wouldn't have been that big of a call, if the game wasn't in the bottom of the 19th inning. A 19 inning game decided by a missed call doesn't give the fans their moneys worth. If he would have made the right call and called the runner out, Mckenry could have made a throw to first to get the batter out, who fell coming out of the batters box. This would have brought the game to the top of the 20th, which is unheard of for a game to go that far into extras, but it would have given the Pirates a chance to bat again which I'm sure they would have won the game from here.

What blows my mind is that in the second game of the 4 game series went into extras again. I think the Braves have found their match in the Pirates. Neither team can seem to finish the game in regulation. I am really looking forward to seeing how game three tonight turns out, and if it will go into extras like the first two did. Lets all hope that the Bucco's can pull it out in this one and pick up the win, which they desperately need to stay in the race for the division. Also lets hope that the umps don't screw things up for them again.

Pirates Trying To Avoid A Sweep

Hey All,

The Pittsburgh Pirates have had a tough time trying to beat the St. Louis Cardinals. They have lost the past 2 against the Cards and are facing a sweep this afternoon at PNC park. After last night embarrassing lost night 9-1 Pittsburgh will be looking to redeem themselves and pick up a win. The Bucs put Morton on the hill, who has a record of 8-5 and his ERA is 3.62 very close to his competitor on the hill for the Cards Lohse who is 8-7 with a ERA of 3.45. I think this is going to be a tough battle for the win tonight, but I think if the Pirates can pull off a win if they get the bats moving. The Cards have a reat pitching staff and their bats are really hot. With Pujols stronger than ever after coming back after his broken wrist, Morton will have be on top of his game. I can't wait to see if the Bucs can pull off a big win and close on in to the lead in the division once again.

Raise The Jolly Roger!!!!!!!

Hey All,

The Pittsburgh Pirates have picked up their 51st win last night against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC park. The Pirates didn't pick up their 51st this early last season, it took them 104 games to complete that feat. Now the Bucco's have new life under the leadership of Clint Hurdle who has turned this team into a division leader, from the worst team in the league last year. Pittsburgh picked up a big win over division rival in the Reds 1-0, and pitching was key in the Pirates win last night. It wasn't just about starter James McDonald, but the bullpen picked up the slack when J Mac was running out of steam in the 7th inning. The Bucs bullpen pitched out of a bases loaded 1 out jam and didn't give up a run. This is not to say that McDonald didn't pitch well, he pitched very well, picking up 7K and gave up 8 hits, with 2 errors. Pirates are now showing that they aren't going to make it easy on anyone, and showing that they are for real. I think that the Pittsburgh Pirates, provided they get a hitter before the trade deadline, will make a run for October and make the postseason. If they don't get a hitter I think it will be tough, it could go either way. If they pick up Carlos Beltran from the Mets and it's a done deal and the Pirates will be in the post season.

How About Them Bucco's

Hey All,

This is an exciting moment for all you Pirates fans out there. Your Pittsburgh Pirates are a half game above the Cardinals and the Brewers after the All Star break. This is just unheard of for the past couple decades. The Pirates were one of the worst teams in the majors as of late, but this year they have turned up the heat and are bringing it to the competition. Now I know most will say that the Pirates are in one of the worst divisions in the majors, and I would probably agree with you. The National League Central has been weak, and all the teams in that division, no one has talked about, Until now. The Cardinals, thanks to Albert Pujols, have been hot and making a name for themselves the past few years. The Milwaukee Brewers have been that team that just kind of fly's under the radar, and the only time you hear about them is when Prince Fielder has a big night. Now to the Pittsburgh Pirates, no one has been talking of them unless they have a big name team beats them. Also people have called them the farm team for the rest of the majors. They have traded away all their good players to the Red Sox and the Yankees, and then wonder why they can't win games. This year is different, they have not traded any of their "good" players and gotten nothing. They are a small market team, in terms of player names and money spent for them. The Pirates have been finding a way to win games with players that no one really knows about. They've brought players up from the minors, and they've produced. They've had players get hurt, and other have filled their shoes nicely. The only "big name" player that they have is Andrew McCutchen, and they are still winning. The Pirates haven't been in first in the their division, after the All Star break, since 1921. The only problem with this stat is, that year the Pirates failed to make the post season. Times are changing for the city of Pittsburgh. I think very soon that Pittsburgh will be known once again as the "City of Champions". The only missing piece of this puzzle was the Pirates, and now they are winning games. Lets just hope this trend keeps up and they can go deep into the post season, and make the World Series.

Breaks Over

Hey All,

Today marks the end of the All Star break as the Pittsburgh Pirates get back to action for the second half of the season. If all goes well, and the Bucs have as good of a second half and they did in the first, then they will be a contender at the end of the season. The Pirates had an amazing first half to their season, going 6 games above the .500 mark, and only a game out of first place in their division. If the Bucco's can make a few moves, maybe with their minor leaguers, to pick up a power hitter, they will fair well in the second half of the baseball season. The Pirates are showing the major league that you don't have to be a large market team, in terms of money, to have a good season and make a run at your division. The Pirates do not have many "big named" players. Instead they relay on heart, the love of the game, and the will to win. The only really "big named" player that they had is Andrew McCutchen. He constantly produces for them, his bat stays hot, and he does pretty well on the defensive side of the ball with his speed.

I don't think that the Pirates should get rid of any of their players on their line up. However; they will need to make a move of some sort to pick up that power hitter to move themselves into a better position to make a run at the division. I think the Bucco's have turned a lot of heads in the baseball world, not many people know what to say about the way they are playing. All I know is that this is making for some exciting baseball as of late. Today the Bucs go into Huston to face the Astros, a team that is one of the worst in the league right now, and at the bottom of their division. Pittsburgh should have an easy task to pick up the win in this one with ease. The one thing they will have to watch out for is the hitting of the Astros. Most think that just because they are in last place in the division that they simply just can't hit. Well, I would have to tell those people, you are wrong. The Astros can hit, it's their pitching staff that needs the work. They have probably the worst pitching rotation in the majors, in my opinion. Pittsburgh needs to take advantage of this tonight and move themselves even closer to that all important 1st place in the NL central. The only thing people are going to be wondering, myself including is; can the Bucco's do it?

Pirates Going for the Sweep

Hey All,

The Pittsburgh Pirates have not done well when going for the sweep of any team this year. With the Huston Astros in town, one of the worst teams in the majors, it's looking like the Bucco's might have it in them to pick up the sweep right before the All Star break. The Pirates two previous wins against the Astros has been by healthy margins, 5-3 in the first meeting and 5-1 in the second. With Chris Morton on the mound for the Bucco's, I feel that they have a good chance to pick up the sweep tonight at PNC park. Morton, with a 7-4 record coming into tonight's game, should be able to pick up another win against a relatively strong hitting team in the Huston Astros. I feel that the only reason for the poor season that the Astros are having is because simply they have no pitching. This will play well into the hands are the hot bats of the Pirates. Morton is very capable of putting away the Astros hitters, he just needs to go right at them like they have in the past two games. Hopefully for the Pirates that they can bring out the brooms tonight and "RAISE THE JOLLY ROGER!" Be looking for another post shortly after tonight's game.