PITTSBURGH -- Jeanmar Gomez is Josh Harrison's new best friend. That's one offbeat way of looking at Gomez's stellar emergency pitching Tuesday night, when he blanked Seattle for the first five innings of the Pirates' 4-1 Interleague victory at PNC Park. The Bucs again pushed a veteran pitcher to a first-inning cliff -- this time, righty Aaron Harang -- only to let him regain his footing. Unlike Sunday against Washington's Gio Gonzalez, however, they survived the clemency, as Gomez and ... Read More
Archives for May 2013
Islanders will be force to be reckoned with for a long time
If this opening playoff between the Penguins and the New York Islanders has not said anything about the parody in the NHL, then people must not be watching the same series. The Penguins have found themselves in a tighter battle than they might have expected but many do not seem to be surprised. The New York Islanders have been the forgotten franchise in not just the Atlantic Division but the whole New York sports scene. A franchise that has four Stanley Cups in their history and great Hall ... Read More
“Mean” Joe Greene Retires From Player Personnel
One of the most beloved Steelers legends, Joe Greene, or ‘Mean Joe’ as other players called him during his playing days, has chosen to retire from the Pittsburgh Steelers organization. Greene was a member of the Steelers’ player personnel department for nine years as a special assistant to General Manager Kevin Colbert. In 1984, Greene was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame after a stellar career with the Steelers as one of the best defensive tackles in league history. His time with ... Read More
Vokoun over Fleury? No way
The Penguins have had a lot of trouble with the New York Islanders through the first three games in this series. What was expected to be a quick stroll through the first round of the playoffs has turned into a major struggle for the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Pittsburgh's problems stem with poor puck management in their own end, undisciplined play, and lack of composure. When Douglas Murray is your best puck-moving defenseman through three games, you should be in trouble. When ... Read More
Penguins win overtime thriller to go up 2-1
The Penguins beat the New York Islanders, 5-4, in overtime today at Nassau Coliseum to take a 2-1 lead in the teams' first-round playoff series. Chris Kunitz scored off of a feed from Sidney Crosby at 9:44 of overtime for the winner. The Islanders got a quick start, getting several bats at the puck from the crease before Matt Moulson pushed it in for a 1-0 lead at 1:43 of the first period. Casey Cizikas made it 2-0 at 5:41 on a shot from the left circle. The Penguins came back thanks ... Read More
Pirates waste first inning in loss to Nationals
PITTSBURGH -- On Marathon Day in the city, the Bucs came out of the PNC Park gate like racecourse rabbits, setting a blistering pace. But they couldn't run away from Gio Gonzalez, who used his second wind to knock the wind out of the Bucs. The story of the 6-2 loss to the Nationals was written early, long before Tyler Moore's three-run homer off Bryan Morris in the eighth ended any suspense. The Bucs' best chance to avoid losing consecutive home games for the first time this season came ... Read More
Power Provide A Familiar Storyline in Loss To Predators
The media meal for tonight’s Pittsburgh Power game at Consol Energy Center consisted of some tasty fajitas and tacos. I’m thinking the Power (1-5) offense had some of it because they played like they had indigestion throughout much of tonight’s 52-38 loss to the previously winless Orlando Predators (1-5). The problem with that theory is that this team has played like this the entire season. Jordan Jefferson was missing wide open receivers, sailing passes high, and even when he did manage to ... Read More
Pirates fall victim to Murphy’s Law in loss to Nationals
The Pirates have been one of the better teams in baseball so far this season. There's really no denying that. Unfortunately, every good team will have its bad days. The Pirates fell victim to Murphy's Law as they walked eight and hit three batters as a team, en route to a loss to the Nationals by the score of 5-4. "We've played very good ball to this point. Every once and awhile you have a game where you're not in sync," Pirates Manager Clint Hurdle said. "All of those walks and hit batters ... Read More
McKenry jumps at the chance to give back to the community
When you think about athletes, some of the words that you'll associate with them right away are rich, gifted and celebrities. I think all three are accurate, fair assessments. There is one major one, though, that I have to disagree with. Too often, the word hero gets thrown around when an athlete hits a game-winning home run or scores the winning goal. With the recent events that took place in Boston, the true heroes are the first responders and the police of the city. True heroes are the ... Read More
Orlando Predators Vs. Pittsburgh Power Preview
Two teams struggling early in the 2013 season will square off Saturday night at the Consol Energy Center as the Pittsburgh Power (1-4) host the Orlando Predators (0-5) Both teams have seen their share of struggles offensively, especially at the quarterback position and have made roster moves heading into this game. Power quarterback Jordan Jefferson remains the starter although backup Shane Austin got into the game late last week and led the Power on two straight scoring drives. Austin ... Read More