Clint Hurdle goes for the jugular
The Pirates are Cubs have a 12:35 getaway game this afternoon, but Clint Hurdle is not messing around with the typical "afternoon getaway game after winning the first two games of the series" blowoff lineup; with the exception of Mike McKenry starting for Russell Martin, Hurdle's got all of his regulars on the field today.
That's good. The Pirates have had...
Andrew McCutchen Interviewed Anthony Bourdain And It Was Pretty Great
At 26-years old, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen is one of the best young stars in baseball, and I hate that he plays in the National League Central, because he’s probably my favorite non-Cardinal to watch play, so I hate to have to cheer against him when he plays St. Louis. A lot of people believe that Cutch is one of baseball’s best 5-tool players, and they...
Gerrit Cole Links: Two Reports Have Cole As A Number Two Starter
Two reports list Gerrit Cole as a number two starter.
Two different reports went up this morning about Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Gerrit Cole. Both reports were similar, possibly seeing the same start from the right-hander, and the takeaway from both reports could challenge the idea that Cole is the top prospect in the system.
**Mark Anderson of Baseball Prospectus scouted Cole...
First Pitch: Do the Pirates Need to Make Any Trades This Year?
Earlier this week Jon Morosi of Fox Sports wrote that the Pirates needed to add some depth at the trade deadline, especially for their over-worked bullpen. It’s probably too early to talk about deadline strategies, since the deadline is over two months away, and most trades don’t start happening until late June. But considering the article, I thought I’d look at the state of...
Francisco Liriano shuts down Cubs in 1-0 win
Final: Pirates 1, Cubs 0 (box)
WP: Francisco Liriano (3-0, 1.00 ERA)
LP: Jeff Samardzija (2-6, 3.25 ERA)
SV: Mark Melancon (1, 0.72 ERA)
Francisco Liriano isn’t known to be the most efficient of pitchers, but that’s exactly what he was tonight. The lefty, in his third start of the year, tossed seven shutout innings while giving up just two hits. He struck out nine and walked...
Francisco Liriano Digs Up A Gem In 1-0 Pirates Win
Slider. Changeup. Slider. Slider. Slider. Slider. Slider. Changeup. Changeup. Slider. Changeup. Slider. Slider. Slider. Changeup. Slider. Slider. Fastball! Slider.
Francisco Liriano has won each of his first three starts for the Pirates.
Those were the pitches Francisco Liriano threw to get Cubs batters to swing and miss en route to nine strikeouts. In the Pirates’ 1-0 win over...
Prospect Watch: Gregory Polanco and Alen Hanson Combine For Eight Hits
TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be...
Draft Notes: Jim Callis Draft Chat Recap and News
Jim Callis over at Baseball America held a draft chat today and had an interesting quote about the Pittsburgh Pirates options with their #9 and #14 pick, bringing a new name into the equation. When asked about the possibility of taking one pick with signability in mind to save for later overslot picks, Callis mentioned that he didn’t see the need in doing that. His quote was ...
Pirates Notebook: Snider’s Slam Swing Sustains Strong Start
Travis Snider could regress a bit from his .346 BABIP, but the power is there. (Photo Credit: David Hague)
Maybe Brad Lincoln hits a pinch-hit home run if you give him a chance.
Travis Snider did so to lead the Pirates to a 5-4 victory Tuesday, all a part of a successful 2013 campaign with the Pirates after being swapped for Lincoln.
His approach has been strong this season: swinging...
This is your annual reminder that Andrew McCutchen is really good even when you don't notice
In both 2011 and 2012, Andrew McCutchen got off to a bit of a slow start. In his first 25 games of 2011, he only hit .202/.318/.348. In 2012, he got off to a more rounded start, but he didn't hit a home run until his 28th game of the season. In both seasons, I pointed out encouraging signs from McCutchen's start and wrote a post that amounted to, "If he gets hot, he...
Prospect Notebook: Jerry Sands Could Be a Good In-Season Addition For the Pirates
Jerry Sands has three homers in his last four games.
A few weeks ago I wrote about how Jerry Sands was struggling all around, and how there were no silver linings to his game. He wasn’t hitting right-handers or left-handers. He wasn’t hitting for power. It wasn’t a home/road split, or a situation where you could point to the most recent games with hope that he was turning things...
Locke is locked in for Pirates
25-year-old Jeff Locke has found something this year and he has locked down his spot in the Pirates rotation. The lefty is 4-1 with an earned run average of 2.73, along with an impressive WHIP of 1.158. PiratesDugout.com's George Von Benko caught up with Locke recently.
First Pitch: Jeff Locke and the Defense of FIP
I’m a big Louis CK fan. I’ve mentioned this at times on the site, or on Twitter, and especially on Facebook. Although I don’t really make my Facebook page public, so you’ll just have to trust me on that one. I think I’ve grown to like Louis CK even more in the last year because of his comments on divorce. His comments about pretty much any subject are extremely hilarious...
Prospect Watch: Stetson Allie Homers Twice; Sands, Sanchez, and Herrera Also Homer
TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be...
Travis Snider grand slam powers Pirates over Cubs
Final: Pirates 5, Cubs 4 (box)
WP: Wandy Rodriguez (5-2, 3.40 ERA)
LP: James Russell (1-1, 1.04 ERA)
SV: Jason Grilli (18, 1.31 ERA)
Wandy Rodriguez started off shaky by giving up three runs in the second inning, but finished things up nicely going six innings allowing just those three runs. He struck out five and didn’t walk a batter. Rodriguez has given up three or less runs...
Snider’s Grand Slam Explodes Twitter, Or Does It?
I think one of the great things about the way we use technology to follow sports is the ability to take a step back and observe the way the masses react to memorable moments. In the case of Travis Snider’s grand slam in the sixth inning of the Pirates’ 5-4 win against the Cubs on Tuesday, my observation is that there was smoke coming off my Twitter feed in the moments following...
Travis Snider’s Grand Slam Lifts Pirates to 5-4 Win
On a night that was hot, then rainy, then blustery, Travis Snider’s swing was the real force of nature.
Travis Snider hit his second home run on the season, a grand slam and eventual game-winner. (Photo credit: David Hague)
With the bases loaded in the 6th, Snider turned on a change-up that reliever Shawn Camp left elevated in the strike zone. The ball just enough lift to fly 389...
Pirates Activate Right-Handed Reliever Jose Contreras
The Pittsburgh Pirates have activated right-handed reliever Jose Contreras from the bereavement list Tuesday. To make room for him on the active roster the Pirates have decided to option right-handed reliever Jered Hughes from Triple-A Indianapolis. Hughes will serve as relief depth for the organization and most likely will get another shot at the majors sooner or later in 2013....
Vic Black Leaves Game With Unknown Injury
Vic Black left today’s game with an unknown injury.
Vic Black left today’s Indianapolis Indians game with an unknown injury today. Al Skorupa of Bullpen Banter has the details.
So Victor Black came in. Looked pretty sharp. 93-97. SL mid 80s. Left after two batters with an injury (unclear what. Maybe groin?) #Pirates
— Al Skorupa (@alskor) May 21, 2013
Black came on in relief...
Sorry, Jeff Locke, You Won’t Keep Dominating
Jeff Locke says he has “gotten much better” over the last two years.
Jeff Locke, let’s talk.
Heh. Rhymes.
Jeff, your pitching has played a role of significance in the Pirates’ 26-18 start and a spot in the playoffs if Bud Selig took ether and ended the season on May 21. You have pitched five quality starts in your last six outings in the last month, allowing an average of...
First Pitch: Some Tough Questions to Answer in the Upcoming Prospect Rankings
A question I get a lot these days is “why isn’t Stetson Allie in your top 20?” The answer is that we don’t update the top 20 until after the MLB draft. The rankings that we display on the Prospect Watch each night are the pre-season rankings.
There have been a few changes. Stolmy Pimentel was added when Justin Wilson made the majors at the start of the year. Pimentel wasn’t...
Minor League Schedule: Morton Makes Rehab Start In Altoona
For Altoona today, Charlie Morton makes his sixth rehab start, trying to work his way back to the majors from Tommy John Surgery last June. Indianapolis has an early afternoon game today. The Pirates two Dominican Summer League affiliates begin their schedules on June 1st. The team referred to as Pirates1, won the DSL title last year. For a look at the possible starters over the...
Prospect Watch: Pimentel Gets Hit Again, Bell and Allie Lead West Virginia Offense
TOP OF THE SYSTEM
A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today. Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup can be...
Pirates fan jumps into river for Pedro Alvarez home run ball (Video)
A Pittsburgh Pirates fan named Bobby Zappala jumped off a boat into the Allegheny River fully clothed to grab a home run ball hit out of PNC Park by third baseman Pedro Alvarez during last Friday night's game.
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The 2-run HR by Alvarez tied the Houston Astros at 4-4 in the bottom of the eighth, and the Pirates won the game in the bottom...
John Sickels Releases His Latest Draft
Over at Minor League Ball, John Sickels has released version two of his mock draft. He has many of the same players listed in the top 15-20 as everyone else recently, though he has a new name attached to the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Sickels has Georgia HS outfielder Clint Frazier going to the Pirates with the ninth overall pick. Frazier has been in the top six for almost all of the...
THE PIRATES HOT 25
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