MILWAUKEE -- The Locke Ness Monster was at it again. As with his mythical lake-dwelling namesake, people don't know whether Jeff Locke is for real or just a fascinating apparition. What they do know is that the left-hander's legend continued to grow on Saturday, when he threw six innings of three-hit shutout ball against the dreaded Brewers in the Pirates' 5-2 win. The Pirates had a splashing-good time in Miller Park. When the Locke Ness Monster was back in dry dock, the Shark Tank took ... Read More
Pirates Can’t Solve the House of Horrors; Lose 2-1 to Brewers
If the Milwaukee Brewers could pick one opponent to play for an entire season, it likely would be the Pittsburgh Pirates considering the latter’s lack of success at Miller Park. The latest example came in this game, a 2-1 loss to the Brewers. Following a rocky second inning, A.J. Burnett settled in retiring 10 straight Brewers hitters. Burnett would last seven innings allowing two runs and striking out six batters while using 99 pitches. The hiccups came in the second inning when Burnett ... Read More
Pirates sweep Cubs to go to 11 over .500
Remember last offseason when Pirates fans started the hashtag, #EJaxtoBucs on Twitter? Pirates fans made it their mission to get Edwin Jackson in black and yellow. Jackson instead opted to sign with the Washington Nationals and signed a huge deal with the Chicago Cubs in the offseason. If Pirates fans could, they would probably take away the day that hashtag was born as Jackson has been horrible. Jackson entered play with a 1-6 record and a 5.76 ERA. While the Pirates have a history of making ... Read More
Smelling blood in the Shark Tank
Much criticism has been given to the job that General Manager Neal Huntington has done with the Pirates since he took the position. A lot of it has been warranted, but one thing that you can't criticize Huntington for is the job that he has done with building the bullpen. The Pirates 'pen, or the aptly nicknamed Shark Tank, has been dominate once again this season. Much of the success can be directed towards Huntington and the moves he has made over the past few seasons. Let's take a look, ... Read More
Travis Snider is hitting his stride
When Travis Snider was quickly making his way through the minor leagues, scouts raved about his raw power. One of the more known scouting reports said he was “dripping with power.” Yet, in the Major Leagues, he has yet to produce the long ball. But that might be starting to change. Snider was drafted out of high school by the Blue Jays. He hit double digit home runs in his first two minor league seasons. Then in 2008, he crushed 23 home runs between high A, AA, and AAA. This led to his major ... Read More
Pirate of the Week: Francisco Liriano
When Francisco Liriano left the Minnesota Twins, mostly everyone had counted his career as "over". In 2006, Liriano won 12 games and had an ERA of 2.16. He's never really gotten back to that form it seems. But now with the Pirates, he's seemingly starting his career over again. This past week, Liriano made his first two starts for the Buccs, picking up a win in each outing. With a 2-0 record, he has an ERA of 1.64. He also has 16 strikeouts through two games. He hasn't went extremely deep in a ... Read More
Pirates drop series opener to Brewers by score of 5-1
The Pirates opened up a seven game home stand against the Milwaukee Brewers. No team has more success against the Pirates than the Brewers, and they continued their dominance over the Pirates on Monday night. A.J. Burnett got the nod for the Pirates and had an average start. He pitched seven innings, struck out six, and allowed four runs (three earned). He didn't get much help from his defense, as the Pirates finished the game with three errors. Above all that, Michael McKenry had an awful ... Read More
Pirates beat phenom Harvey to take series over Mets
NEW YORK -- The Pirates were introduced to the latest New York City pitching phenom Sunday afternoon. From 60 feet, six inches, they shook hands with Matt Harvey and proceeded to treat him as if he were a degree or two short of phenomenal. They bruised him but didn't beat him. Instead, they scored once against the Mets' bullpen in the eighth inning and won, 3-2. The victory, the Bucs' third in four games here, put their record five games over .500 for the third time this season. A two-out ... Read More
Liriano shines in debut; Tabata and Mercer pace the offense in 11-2 win
To say that the Pirates had its most satisfying win of the season Saturday is an understatement. It's not just that they dominated the Mets 11-2, it's the way they got there. One of the biggest acquisitions in the offseason, Francisco Liriano, made his long-awaited Pirates debut on Saturday. If this is a preview of things to come, Pirates fans will be quite happy. Liriano, who missed spring training due to injury, came out looking like the pitcher that threw a no-hitter for the Minnesota ... Read More
Pirates bats come to life in win over Mets
NEW YORK -- The Pirates followed a vexing loss in the opener at Citi Field with a blueprint 7-3 victory against the Mets on Friday night. Left-hander Wandy Rodriguez disposed with the Mets' lukewarm batting order for six innings, and cleanup man Garrett Jones started one three-run rally with a double and ended another with a replay-reviewed three-run home run. The result was the Bucs' second victory in six games. The victory could have been more easily achieved, but Jose Contreras allowed ... Read More