With the Pittsburgh Steelers set to begin training camp at Saint Vincent College on July 26th, there will be plenty of intriguing story lines to follow. One of the best might be Alejandro Villanueva's battle to find a way onto the Pittsburgh Steelers roster as an offensive tackle. For Villanueva, the challenges that await him in Latrobe are nothing compared to what he has faced off the field. That's because Villanueva is more than just a football player. He's a West Point grad, and a ... Read More
Archives for June 2015
Penguins re-sign Tom Kuhnhackl
The Pittsburgh Penguins have re-signed right-winger Tom Kuhnhackl to a one-year, two-way contract, general manager Jim Rutherford said in a statement on Monday.Kuhnhackl, 23, will play in his fourth professional season this fall. In 2014-15, he played in 72 of 76 games for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League, posting career bests in goals (12), assists (18) and points (30).His renaissance was fueled by forming a productive combination with linemates Dominik Uher and Carter ... Read More
Checking in on Travis Snider
When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded Travis Snider to the Baltimore Orioles for two minor league pitchers in February, many questioned why the Pirates traded a Major League player for prospects. The 27-year-old Snider looked like he was finally coming into his own last year, as he had a post All-Star line of .288/.356/.524 and added nine home runs after the Midsummer Classic. He looked like a challenger for the right field starting job in 2015, or at the very least be a strong contributor ... Read More
Dugout advice saves Hughes’ career
It was the middle of another long season in the minor leagues, and in the Altoona, Pa. dugout, Jared Hughes was talking with his catcher Kris Watts. Hughes was frustrated with his progress in Altoona and was struggling to find answers. Watts decided this was the time to approach his teammate and motivate him to become the fearless pitcher he remembered. "We've got half a season left, let it all out on the table. Don't worry about mechanics or anything, just have fun, play hard and play any ... Read More
Penguins 2015 draft preview
The Pittsburgh Penguins have just four picks in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft on June 26-27. They have #46 overall in the second round and then #137, #167, and #197 in the final three rounds. Their first-round pick was traded to the Edmonton Oilers in the deal that saw Rob Klinkhammer exchanged for David Perron. Their third-round pick went to the Florida Panthers in exchange for Marcel Goc at the trade deadline in 2014. Their fourth-round pick was sent to the Toronto Maple Leafs in the move in which ... Read More
Wild Things home woes continue
The Washington Wild Things dropped to 4-14 at CONSOL Energy Park in 2015 as they dropped a doubleheader to the Frontier Greys on Sunday afternoon. Game 1 Kyle Vazquez (0-1) started off on the wrong foot in the first game of the twin-bill allowing three runs on two hits while walking two batters in the first inning. His command didn't improve over his final three innings of work as the right-hander allowed two more runs on four hits which inflated his ERA to 9.58 on the season. The ... Read More
Nationals sweep punchless Pirates
Sunday afternoon's game against the Washington Nationals [36-33] would end up a game to forget for pitcher Charlie Morton and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates [39-29]. Coming into the final game of this three-game series, Morton sported a 1.62 ERA and five wins in six starts. He would end up lasting only two thirds of an inning and gave up nine runs in a 9-2 loss. The Nationals took advantage of an erratic Morton, who was leaving balls on a tee for hitters. He gave up two home runs, a ... Read More
Riverhounds shake off rain; shutout Montreal
A damp and rainy Highmark Stadium hosted Montreal F.C. [1-8-2] tonight as the Pittsburgh Riverhounds [4-4-4] matched up against a team that was placed in the basement of the Eastern Conference. A fatigued Riverhounds team showed a lot of resilience as they were able to find a way to squeeze out a close 1-0 win. The Hounds were coming off a mid-week loss to MLS side D.C. United, where they played better than most expected. Tonight, Pittsburgh looked tired and for good reason. Playing even with ... Read More
Scherzer no-hits Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered a no-hitter Saturday evening in the 6-0 loss to the Washington Nationals at Nationals Park. Washington pitcher Max Scherzer pitched the second no-hitter in Nationals history, striking out ten Pirates in the process. Scherzer pitched his second straight complete game and the third of his career. The Pirates entered the game on an eight-game winning streak. Prior to Saturday, Pittsburgh has scored one run in the 18 innings played in D.C. Scherzer’s only ... Read More
Wild Things drop wild extra-inning affair
The Washington Wild Things one-run woes continue as they blew a late 1-0 lead on Friday night only to fall to the Frontier Greys 2-1 in 12 innings at CONSOL Energy Park. Matt Sergey put in a solid effort for the Wild Things (12-19) keeping the Greys off the board through eight innings while only allowing three hits and striking out nine. Sergey returned for the ninth and recorded a quick first out, but then gave up a pinch-hit home run to Jhiomar Veras to tie the game. "Sergey should ... Read More