Pirates Jared Hughes Reinstated From the 15-Day Disabled List

The Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated right handed pitcher Jared Hughes from the 15-day disabled list today. The right hander had a break out year with the Bucs last season going 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA and 36 strikeouts in 67.0 innings of work.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently on a five game winning streak and today they got some more good news. Right handed pitcher Jared Hughes is ready to be reinstated from the 15-day disabled list and join the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen. Hughes was placed on the DL back on March 25 with a left side strain that he suffered during this year's spring training.

In his rehab assingment in Triple A Indianapolis, he pitched in four games totaling 6.0 innings of work giving up five runs on seven hits while striking out five and walking three. In spring training this season, he only pitched in four games and struggled mightily giving up eight runs on 11 hits in just 3.2 innings of work.

Last season, Hughes was considered a rally killer for the Pirates. He came in in some very high leverage situations and shut the opponent down and limited the damage. Hughes was very effective ending with a record of 3-1 with a 2.28 ERA in 67.0 innings of work. He tied his strikeout total from 2014 with 36 and walked 19 in 67.0 innings of work.

Hughes's claim to fame last season was his ability to strand inherited runners on base. In 2015, he inherited 56 runners coming out of the bullpen. Only 16% of those inherited runners came across to score under Hughes's watch. He was among the league leaders in this last season and looks to be a stopper again in 2016.

One key reason he was able to strand so many runners was thanks to the double play ball. Hughes's primary pitch is the sinker, and it helped him collect 11 double plays last season. With an infield defense that is as good as the Pirates are this season, Hughes will be able to rely on the sinker and get opposing batters to hit into ground ball outs.

One thing Hughes has been plagued with throughout his career is walking a lot of batters. In 2015, he walked 19 batters in 67.0 innings of work. He also had a strikeout to walk ratio of 1.89 which is not very good for a MLB pitcher. If he can work on his control this season, he could take that extra leap forward and become a high impact pitcher in this Pirates bullpen.

With Hughes being reinstated on the active roster, Rob Scahill was sent down to Triple A Indianapolis. During his time with the Pirates, Scahill pitched in eight games throwing 6.0 innings and giving up four runs on six hits while walking three and striking out five. He pitched to a 6.00 ERA and will be back in Indianapolis as reserve in case the bullpen is faced with another injury.

Jared Hughes and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates will be back in action tonight for game two of a three game series with the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will send right hander Alfredo Simon (0-2 16.39) and the Pirates will oppose with left hander Francisco Liriano (1-1 4.64). First pitch for tonight's game is 7:05 p.m.

Pirates Cruise Past Reds in Victory

The Pittsburgh Pirates were lead by home runs from both Josh Harrison and Matt Joyce in their 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds yesterday. Juan Nicasio threw 7.0 strong innings only giving up three hits in the victory.

After losing two of three to the Cincinnati Reds in a three game series in Cincinnati, the Pittsburgh Pirates bounced back in the series opener in Pittsburgh against the Reds last night winning by a score of 4-1. They were lead by the strength of two home runs and great starting pitching in the victory.

Juan Nicasio struggled last time out and was able to bounce back last night against the Reds turning in his best start of the season. He threw 7.0 innings giving up no runs on three hits while walking one and striking out eight. He is only the second Pirates starter this season to pitch into the seventh inning of a game.

Nicasio had been wild and inefficient in his last few starts and that lead to him giving up a lot of runs. In his last start in Arizona, he was only able to pitch 5.0 innings in a loss. He only gave up two runs in the contest but it wasn't enough for the Pirates to pull out the victory.

Nicasio only walked one on The evening and was very efficient, allowing the Pirates offense to score him enough runs to win the game. He threw 95 pitches in 7.0 innings of work. If he can do that start in and start out the Pirates will have a great number five starter.

Both starting pitchers sent back and forth in the first two innings of work before the Pirates were able to break through in inning number three. Jordy Mercer started the inning with a single and John Jaso walked to give the Pirates first and second with two outs. Then David Freese came through with a two-out RBI single to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

The Pirates would respond again in the bottom of the fourth when Josh Harrison hit his first home run of the year, a solo home run, to increase the Pirates lead to 2-0. Harrison has had a good offensive season to this point hitting .333 in his first full season as the team's starting second baseman.

Reds starter Dan Straitly pitched very well in the loss but, like Nicasio's last start, was very inefficient. He went 5.0 innings giving up two runs on five hits while walking three and striking out five. The Pirates have been known to make starting pitchers work extra this season and it proved effective again last night.

The Pirates added two insurance runs in the bottom of the seventh. After two quick outs, Mercer singled and set the Pirates up with two outs. Then Matt Joyce hit a two-out pinch hit home run to put the Pirates up 4-0. It was Joyce's second pinch hit home run of the season and he has been thriving in a pinch hitting role.

The Reds scored their only run of the game in the top of the ninth against Arquimedis Caminero. After a single by Joey Votto and two quick outs it looked like the game was over. Then Tucker Barnhart doubled in the Reds only run of the game making the score 4-1.

Mark Melancon came in to get the final out of the game getting Scott Schelber to fly out to right field to end the game. Melancon picked up his sixth save of the season in the victory and showed how he can come in and shut down a dangerous situation.

The Pirates and Reds play game two of this three game series tonight at PNC Park. The Reds will send Alfredo Simon (0-2 16.39) to the mound and the Pirates will oppose with Francisco Liriano (1-1 4.64). First pitch for today's game will be at 7:05

Pirates Outlast Rockies in 12 Inning Victory

The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to outlast the Colorado Rockies last night in 12 innings to pick up a 9-8 victory. Jordy Mercer drove in the game winning run with an RBI double to clinch the victory for the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Coors Field in Colorado is known to host many offensive showdowns. Well, in the last two games of this four game series that has held very true. Last night it took 12 innings to find a winner, but in the end, Jordy Mercer drove in the game winning run with a two-out RBI double to give the Pirates a 9-8 victory. With the win, the Pirates have now taken the first three games of this four game series.


Jon Niese started the game for Pittsburgh and pitched a lot better than what his final line says. In total he pitched 5.0 innings giving up five runs on 10 hits while walking two and striking out five. However, he cruised through the first three innings of his start and was able to locate the ball effectively.


Niese has been arguably the most consistent pitcher in the Pirates rotation. Coming over in the trade that sent Neil Walker to the New York Mets, Niese has gone out in every start and left the Pirates with a good chance to win the baseball game. He has been getting good offensive support as well as the team scored him seven runs tonight and eight runs his last time out. Don't let the high ERA fool you, Niese has had a very good start to the 2016 season.


The Pirates started the scoring in the top of the second after singles by Francisco Cervelli and Josh Harrison gave the Pirates first and third with only one out. Then Mercer, the man who ended the scoring, drove the in the first run of the ball game on a fielder's choice play that got Harrison thrown out at second and allowed Cervelli to score giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead. The Rockies would challenge the slide at second base, but it proved unsuccessful as the run still counted.


The Pirates would add to their lead in the top of the third when they put a three spot up on the Rockies. The inning started on singles by John Jaso and Andrew McCutchen to set the Pirates up with runners at first and third with no outs. Then David Freese singled to score Jaso giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. The Pirates would add two more in the inning on a Gregory Polanco sacrifice fly and a Harrison RBI single to give the Pirates a 4-0 lead.


In the top of the fourth, the Pirates thought they has put the game out of reach for good. A single by Niese followed by a popout and a strikeout gave the Pirates a runner at first with two outs. Then Freese drove in his second run of the ball game with a double that scored Niese and gave the Pirates a 5-0 lead. Starling Marte hit an infield single to give the Pirates first and third with two outs before Francisco Cervelli hit a two-RBI double to give the Pirates a 7-0 lead.


Many people thought the game was out of reach, but if we learned anything in this series no lead is safe in Colorado. The Rockies put together a big fourth inning against Niese putting up a four spot. Niese was bitten by the home run bug as both Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado hit home runs to cut the deficit to 7-2. Then Mark Reynolds doubled and Ryan Raburn tripled on a ball that almost left the yard to cut the lead to 7-3. An RBI single by DJ LeMahieu finished the scoring for the Rockies and left the score at 7-4 Pirates.


Niese had a painless bottom of the fifth, but things started getting to him again in the sixth. He allowed three straight singles to start the inning by Raburn, Nick Hundley, and LeMahieu to load the bases with one out. At this point, manager Clint Hurdle pulled Niese in favor of right handed pitcher Ryan Vogelsong.


Vogelsong came in and worked masterfully only allowing one run in the inning. Mercer made a very heads-up play throwing out Hundley at third base on a ground ball that was ticketed for centerfield. However, Raburn scored on the play to cut the deficit to 7-5. Vogelsong finished the inning by getting Gerrardo Parra to line out and Story to strikeout.


The work by Vogelsong in that sixth inning saved the game for the Pirates. If he had come in and let all of those runners score, we would be talking about a Pirates loss rather than a Pirates win. Vogelsong has been a very valuable piece for the Pirates this season stepping up and performing in whatever situation the Pirates ask him to.


The Pirates added another run on a Polanco solo home run in the top of the seventh to give the Pirates an 8-5 lead. Then the unusual happened as both Neftali Feliz and Tony Watson struggled on the evening. Feliz gave up a two-run home run to Mark Reynolds to cut the lead to 8-7 in the bottom of the seventh. Watson came into relieve Feliz in the seventh and was able to get out of it.


However, Watson ran into his own problems in the eighth inning as he gave up the game tying home run to Parra and the game was all tied up at eight. Watson did work his way out of that eighth inning by striking out Arenado to end the inning.


In extra innings Kyle Lobstein came in and did what he has done all season and was an effective long relief man for the Pirates. He threw 3.0 innings giving up no runs on three hits and striking out two. Lobstein has also been a great pickup for the Pirates and has proved very effective out of the bullpen this season.


The final run was scored by the Pirates in the top of the twelfth inning. A Polanco walk set up the Pirates with a runner on second and two outs. The Mercer stepped up and cracked a ball into the right field gap for the game winning RBI double giving the Pirates a 9-8 lead. Mark Melancon came in and collected his fifth save of the year securing the victory for the Pirates.


The win gives the Pirates the chance to sweep the series this afternoon as they play game four of the four game series. The Rockies will send Tyler Chatwood (2-2 3.47) to the mound. Last time out, Chatwood struggled against the Los Angeles Dodgers giving up three runs in just 4.0 innings of work. The Pirates will counter with former Rockie Juan Nicasio (2-2 4.50). Last time out Nicasio pitched well but did not go deep giving up two runs in 5.0 innings of work. First pitch for this afternoons game is scheduled for 3:10 p.m.

Can Andrew McCutchen Be Considered as One of the Pirates All-Time Greats?

Andrew McCutchen has been the face of the Pittsburgh Pirates since his call-up to the big leagues in 2009. He has been named a National League MVP, a five-time all-star, and a four time silver slugger award winner. However, is he able to be named among the greats like Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell?

Andrew McCutchen is coming off a night against the Colorado Rockies where he went 3 for 5 with three home runs and five RBI. He became only the fourth Pirate to have multiple games in which he hit three home runs joining the likes of Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Ralph Kiner. With his name among these great Pirates players, can we consider McCutchen one of the Pirates all-time greats?

The 2016 season is the eighth year that McCutchen has been in the big leagues. He was called up following the Nate McLouth trade in 2009 and ever since has taken the Pirates and the MLB in general by storm. He is a career .297 hitter with 156 home runs and 568 RBI. He has won four silver sluggers in his career, has been a five time all-star, and was named the National League MVP in the 2013 season.

How do these numbers add up to Pittsburgh Pirates legends like Clemente, Stargell, and Honus Wagner? Each of these three players had a big impact on the teams they played on. Wagner played in a time where stats were limited and accolades were few, but numbers don't lie. Clemente and Stargell were staples in the Pirates organization from the 1950's through the 1970's and led three world series championship teams.

Wagner, also known as "The Flying Dutchman", was one of the most prolific hitters of the early 20th century. He played 21 seasons in the major leagues, 18 of those with the Pirates, and was a career .329 hitter with 101 home runs and 1,732 RBI. He was inducted into the major league baseball hall of fame in 1936 and his jersey number was retired by the Pirates in 1956.

Wagner consistently played 130-150 games a year at the short stop position and led the league in average eight times throughout the course of his career. His ability to get on base was second to none as he had a career OBP of .392 and an OPS of .858. Wagner played in an era where power was not a staple, yet he was in the top 10 in the league in home runs 10 times throughout the course of his career.

Through his first eight years of his career, Wagner hit .346 with 41 home runs and 750 RBI. While McCutchen has more power through his first eight seasons at the professional level, that is all he has on Wagner. Wagner is considered the upper-tier of the Pirates all-time greats. While McCutchen doesn't stack up to "The Flying Dutchman" not many players can say that they can.

Moving through the 20th century we come to the next tier of Pirates greats in Willie Stargell and Roberto Clemente. These two players were the cornerstones of the Pirates teams in the late 1950's all the way through the 1970's. Stargell has pop unlike any other batter of his time and Clemente was a hitting machine collecting 3,000 hits in his career.

Clemente could do everything that could be done on a baseball diamond and he did all of it well. His career was cut short when he died in a plane crash following the 1972 season. In his career, he hit .317 with 240 home runs and 1,305 RBI. Clemente, much like Wagner, had an ability to get on base like no other in his time as he had a career .359 OBP and a .834 OPS.

Clemente was named NL MVP in 1966 and was the World Series MVP in the 1971 series against the Baltimore Orioles. He was a 12-time all-star throughout his time in the big leagues and lead the league in hitting four times throughout his career. He collected his 3,000 career hit on September 29, 1972. Unfortunately he could not build on that number as he died in a plane crash on his way to provide aid to Nicaragua.

Stargell was on the other end of the spectrum. He was a power hitter who mashed the baseball and could turn the game around with one swing of the bat. Stargell was a career .282 hitter with 475 home runs and 1,540 RBI. Stargell was a feared hitter at the plate and had 937 career walks and that led to his .360 OBP.

Stargell was a seven time all-star and was named both the NL MVP and World Series MVP in the 1979 season. He led the league in home runs in the 1973 and 1971 seasons and was in the top ten in home runs 10 times over the course of his career. While he was not the hit collector that Clemente was, he certainly new how to hit home runs and drive in runs for the Pirates teams he played on.

Over the course of his first eight seasons, Clemente hit .300 with 75 home runs and 494 RBI. McCutchen has a similar average as Clemente and more RBI. However, McCutchen is playing in an era that is more offensively driven than Clemente's era back in the 1970's. Clemente is what you think of when you think of historic Pirates and it is good to see McCutchen on a similar track as he was.

Stargell through his first eight seasons in the league shows a lot of production. He hit .275 with 196 home runs and 651 RBI. Stargell clearly has more power and production than McCutchen but the average isn't as high as that of McCutchen. Stargell was one of the most prolific power hitters of his day and was a big run producer for the Pirates in a time where power numbers werent as high as they are today.

While McCutchen is on track with what Roberto Clemente did throughout his first eight seasons, it would not be right to put McCutchen on his level right now. If McCutchen's current production can be sustained then there is a possibility, but as of now he is still below "The Great One." 

Willie Stargell meant so much to the Pirates teams he was on much like McCutchen has throughout his career. The leader of the "We Are Family" teams, Stargell had the ability to turn a game around with one swing. He was a great guy in the clubhouse and helped the Pirates win two World Series Championships over the course of his career.

I would personally compare McCutchen to a less powerful version of Willie Stargell. Both were key players on their respective teams and were the big run producers for the Pirates. Each used their primary talents to their advantage and helped their teams win ball games. Only time will tell if McCutchen can continue his success at the major league level and transfer that into a hall of fame career, but for now he will go out day in and day out and do the best he can to produce for the current Pittsburgh Pirates team.

McCutchen Powers the Pirates Past Rockies in 9-4 Win

The Pittsburgh Pirates used the home run ball to their advantage last night as they hit five home runs on their way to defeating the Colorado Rockies 9-4. Andrew McCutchen provided most of the pop hitting three home runs on the evening.

Andrew McCutchen had the best night of his season for the Pirates last night as he went 3 for 5 with three home runs and five RBI in the Pirates 9-4 win over the Colorado Rockies. With his average sitting at a measly .211 coming into the game, many fans were asking when we would see the breakout numbers we are used to from McCutchen.

Well that happened last night as he got the best of Rockies starter Jorge De La Rosa hitting two of his three home runs off the starter. The Pirates added two more home runs and some clutch hitting to get the 9-4 victory. They pounded on De La Rosa and reliever Christian Bergman for seven runs on eight hits through a combined 5.2 innings pitched.

Gerrit Cole did not have his best stuff going on the day, but did just enough to pick up the victory in the ball game. He went 6.0 innings giving up four runs, two earned, on eight hits while walking two and striking out three on the night. In the early going, Cole has not been the dominant pitcher he was last season, but the offense has scored him some runs as of late and it has helped him tremendously.

The scoring started right away with McCutchen's first home run of the night, a solo shot that gave the Pirates an early 1-0 lead. That was followed up quickly as the next batter, David Freese, hit his first Pirates home run and cushioned the lead to 2-0 Pirates. The Pirates hit back-to-back home runs for the second time this season as Gregory Polanco and Sean Rodriguez went back-to-back in the first game against Arizona.

The scoring would continue in the first as after a walk to Francisco Cervelli and Jason Rogers getting hit by a pitch, the Pirates had first and second with two outs. Josh Harrison would come through in a big way with an RBI single that scored Cervelli and gave the Pirates a 3-0 lead. The inning would end on a strikeout by Polanco as the Pirates sent eight men to the plate in the first inning.

The scoring would continue for the Pirates in the top of the second inning after a strikeout by Cole ad a groundout by Jordy Mercer gave the Pirates two outs. Then McCutchen stepped up and hit his second home run of the night, a 430 foot blast to left center field, that gave the Pirates a commanding 4-0 lead.

The Rockies would respond in the bottom of the second as Ben Paulson singled and moved up to second on a passed ball by Cervelli. A ground out by DJ LeMahieu moved Paulson up to third and he later scored on an RBI single by Brandon Barnes to cut the Pirates lead to 4-1. The Rockies would add another run in the bottom of the fourth as Nolan Arenado hit his eighth home run of the season to cut the lead to 4-2.

The Rockies almost crawled back into this game as they threatened again in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Bergman and Gerrardo Parra singled and Christhian Adams walked to load the bases for Colorado. Cole almost got out of the inning as he struck out Carlos Gonzalez for the second out, but Arenado singled to left scoring Bergman and cutting the lead to 4-3. The Rockies almost tied it at four but Starling Marte threw Parra out at the plate. The play was challenged and upheld and the Pirates kept their 4-3 lead.

That would all change the very next inning as a Polanco double and a Mercer walk set-up McCutchen with one out and runners at first and second. McCutchen proceeded to hit his third home run of the night, a three-run blast to right field, to extend the Pirates lead to 7-3. Then Starling Marte capped off the inning with a solo home run of his own to give the Pirates an 8-3 lead.

Each team would score one more time in the contest to make the final score 9-4. The Pirates bullpen has been struggling as of late, but last night pitched very well. Arquimides Caminero, who picked up his first major league save in his last outing, pitched a scoreless inning while walking two batters on the night.

He was followed up by Neftali Feliz, who blew a save his last time out. Feliz rebounded last night with a scoreless inning of work while walking one and striking out one. The game was finished by Rob Scahill who had a bounce back outing himself throwing 1.0 inning giving up no runs and walking a batter. The victory improved the Pirates record to 12-9 on the season and has them in second place in the National League Central.

McCutchen's special night landed him in exclusive company in Pirates baseball history. He now joins Roberto Clemente, Willie Stargell, and Ralph Kiner as the only three Pirates players with multiple three home run games. The first time McCutchen hit three home runs in a game was back on August 1, 2009 when he accomplished the feat against the Washington Nationals.

The Pirates and Rockies will play game three of their four game series tonight at Coors Field. For the Rockies, Jon Gray (0-0 9.00) will take the mound. Last time out Gray faced the Los Angeles Dodgers and gave up five runs on seven hits over 5.0 innings of work while walking two and striking out 10. The Pirates will oppose with Jon Niese (3-0 4.24). Niese has had a good season so far and looks to continue that tonight. Last time he took the mound he went 5.1 innings against the Arizona Diamondbacks and gave up four runs on 10 hits while walking two and striking out two. First pitch for game three of this series is scheduled for 8:40 p.m.

Locke Fabulous in Pirates 6-1 Win

Jeff Locke gave the Pirates 6.0 shut out innings in yesterday's 6-1 win over the Colorado Rockies. Locke was helped out by a late inning three run bomb from Matt Joyce that put the Pirates ahead for good.

Normally, Coors Field is a launching pad for baseballs as it is one of the best hitters parks in all of the major leagues. Well last night that was not the case as both starting pitchers dominated on the mound and forced the offenses to scrap for runs. In the end, a three-run home run by Matt Joyce put the game out of reach and gave the Pirates a 6-1 victory.

Things started out great for the Pirates as Jeff Locke turned in his best start of the season so far. The left-handed three 6.0 innings of shut out ball giving up only five hits while walking two and striking out eight. The key to Locke's success was his ability to use the inside and outside corners effectively.

It appeared in the beginning of the game that the strike zone was widened by the home plate umpire. However, Locke knew what he could get called a strike and he used that to his advantage collecting a season high eight strikeouts on the night. While he still couldn't go more than six inning his effectiveness all but made up for it.

The first run of the game wasn't scored until the fifth inning when the Pirates struck first. The inning started off with Josh Harrison being hit by a pitch, followed by a Jordy Mercer single and a sacrifice bunt by Locke to set the Pirates up with second and third and one out. Then John Jaso grounded out to the second baseman allowing the first run of the game to score and giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

The Rockies would get out of the inning on the next play as Matt Joyce grounded out to end the inning. It was the first instance that the Pirates were able to break through against Rockies starter Chad Bettis, who pitched very effectively on the day.

Bettis threw 6.2 innings giving up four runs on six hits while walking two and striking out three. The numbers don't look too good, but through the first five innings of this contest, he was pitching stride for stride with Locke and causing the Pirates offense a lot of trouble.

The Pirates were finally able to break through against Bettis in the seventh inning. The inning started out pretty routine for the Rockies as Gregory Polanco singled, Harrison flew out, and Mercer grounded out to set the Pirates up with a runner at third with two outs.

Then the flood gates opened for the Pirates offense.  A wild pitch scored Gregory Polanco giving the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Then Bettis walked two straight batters in Jason Rogers and Jaso giving the Pirates runners at first and second with two outs. Then the big hit happened, as Joyce launched an opposite field home run to give the Pirates a 5-0 lead. It was Joyce's second home run of the year and put the game out of reach for the Rockies.

The Rockies scored their only run of the game in the bottom of the seventh. Dj LiMaheui and Chrsthian Adams singled to start the inning. Then Gerrardo Parra hit into a fielders choice that brought in LeMaheui and cut the lead to 5-1. That was the only run The Rockies could score on the night.

Rob Scahill struggled only throwing 0.2 innings giving up that one run on two hits and had to be pulled with two outs. However, AJ Schugel came into replace him and pitched very well throwing 2.1 innings giving up two hits and striking out one. Since Schugel pitched more than two of the last innings of the game he picked up his first major league save in the contest. It was really special for him because the Colorado native got the chance to pitch in front of his friends and family.

Josh Harrison singled in the last run of the game as he drove in Gregory Polanco and gave the Pirates a 6-1 lead. It was refreshing to see a great outing by a starting pitcher for the Pirates. They hadn't had a good starting pitching outing since Cole's start in the third game of the San Diego series so it was nice to get good pitching combined with a lot of offensive production.

The Pirates are back in action tonight as they play game two of the four game series tonight at 8:40 p.m. The pitching matchup will be Jorge De La Rosa (1-2 9.87) for the Rockies taking on Gerrit Cole (1-2 2.70) for the Pirates.

Pittsburgh Pirates Week In Review: Pitching Struggles But Offense Keeps Rolling

The Pittsburgh Pirates finish this week just where they left off last week going 3-3 while facing the San Diego Padres and the Arizona Diamondbacks. Pitching was not very good this week, with a few exceptions, and the offense has kept on the hot streak that it has been on throughout the season.

Three weeks into the season and the Pittsburgh Pirates currently sit one game above .500 at 10-9 and are currently in third place in the National League Central. This week, they faced off against both the San Diego Padres, losing two out of three games, and the Arizona Diamondbacks, winning two out of three games.

Pitching in general was definitely a problem this week and as a result the offense had to pick up the slack and score a lot of runs. The one thing the Pirates have been missing this year is a dominant start from one of their pitchers. They have had glimpses of success from all five of their starters, but none of them have been able to put it together and go seven to eight innings consistently.

As a result, the bullpen has been taxed and the effects are starting to show as the entire shark tank has been bit by the wildness bug. Command has gone down and it is allowing the other team to take advantage and score a lot of runs. The Pirates are currently in the midst of a 16 games in 16 days stretch, and for them to be successful the starters are going to have to go deeper into ball games.

In the San Diego series, starting pitching was very shaky in what is known to be a pitchers ball park in Petco Park. Francisco Liriano started game one and was really shaky giving up four runs in just 4.1 innings pitched. The Pirates had a 3-0 lead early on in the game, but saw it fall through as Liriano struggled and Arquimedes Caminero gave up a run in his inning of work as the Pirates fell 5-4.

Game two, the starting pitching got worse. Jeff Locke took the mound and got obliterated by the San Diego offense. He gave up eight runs in just three innings of work putting the Pirates down big early. The Pirates offense was stifled in this game by left-hander Drew Pomeranz as they were only able to score one un-earned run off the lefty. The bullpen did a great job in this game however as Kyle Lobstein and AJ Schugel combined to throw 5.0 innings of shut out baseball giving up one hit and striking out four. However, it was not enough as the Pirates fell in game two by a score of 8-2.

Game three, finally saw the first good starting pitching of the week for the Pirates. After two rough starts, Gerrit Cole took the hill and was able to give the Pirates 6.0 strong innings giving up no runs on four hits and striking out seven. The offense jumped on San Diego pitching scoring 11 runs including an eight run seventh inning. That was more than enough offense for the Pirates pitching as they cruised to an 11-1 victory.

The series in San Diego was kind of a disappointment especially on the pitching front. Two of the three Pittsburgh starters got knocked around and it caused the Pirates to have to try and score more runs then they are used to. If you are asking your team to score six or more runs a game, it is not going to turn out well for you in the end. However, nothing will top the offenses showcase by both teams in the series against the Arizona Diamondbacks.

Game one was the first of two back and forth affairs as the Pirates took it by the score of 8-7. Jon Niese had an ok start at best going 5.1 giving up four runs on 10 hits. The offense was lead by three of the longest home runs the Pirates have hit all season as Jordy Mercer, Sean Rodriguez, and Gregory Polanco each hit solo shots that went more than 420 feet. The Diamondbacks rallied late off of Tony Watson scoring three runs, one earned, but it was not enough as the Pirates pulled out the victory.

In game two, Juan Nicasio was very inefficient with his pitches on the mound as he only threw 5.0 innings giving up two runs on three hits while walking four and striking out four. AJ Schugel got knocked around out of the bullpen giving up five runs, four earned, in 1.1 innings of work. The Pirates were met by great staring pitching by Ruby De La Rosa as they could only muster a Rodriguez home run in what would turn out to be a 7-1 loss.

The final game of this series was a wild one going 13 innings. Both offenses scored a lot of runs and fought back and forth all afternoon. The deciding blow came in the top of the thirteenth inning when a Rodriguez double and a Niese pinch-hit single put the Pirates up for good with the final score being 12-10. The bullpen was very shaky and Rodriguez saved the game in the tenth by throwing out what would have been the winning run at the plate to extend the game. It was a wild one, but in the end the battling buccos pulled through.

The Diamondbacks series showed what this Pirates offense is capable of run production wise. It showed that they can battle with the bets of them and can score a lot of runs when they need to. While the pitching needs some improvement it was overall a good series win for the Pirates in Arizona.

Play of the Week: Sean Rodriguez Cuts Winning Run at the plate

The play of the week has to go to Sean Rodriguez's game saving play in yesterday afternoons contest. With the infield drawn in and runners at first and third a sharp ground ball was hit to Rodriguez, and he quickly back handed the ball and threw a strike to Chris Stewart for the out at home saving the game. The game would evetually go thirteen innings before the Pirates pulled out the 12-10 victory.

Hitter of the Week: Jordy Mercer (.454, 1 home run, 3 RBI)

Jordy Mercer had a great week for the Pirates hitting .454 and getting on base consistently for Pittsburgh. He got his first shot at the top of the lineup this week and produced against left-handed pitching. He also hit the longest home run of the season for the Pirates with a 466 foot blast in Arizona. He raised his average from .227 to .303 in the course of a week. This has been one of Mercer's hottest starts of his career and if he can keep it up he will be a very productive member of this Pirates lineup.

Pitcher of the Week: Kyle Lobstein (5.0 innings, 0 runs, 2 hits, 2 walks, 2 strikeouts)

Kyle Lobstein has been very effective out of the Pirates bullpen so far this season and came through for the Pirates in a big way this week. He threw 5.0 shut out innings out of the bullpen and in both cases was tasked with keeping the opposing team off the board. He had to do it both in a blow out and a high pressure situation and came through both times. Lobstein has been a reliable member of the Pirates bullpen and looks to continue it into the fourth week of the season.

Up Next:

The Pirates start the first of a four game series with the Colorado Rockies tonight at 8:40 p.m. The Rockies will have right hander Chad Bettis (2-0 3.33) on the hill. Last time out, Bettis threw 6.0 innings giving up three runs against the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates will counter with Jeff Locke (0-2 7.24) who is looking to rebound after a rough start in San Diego where he gave up eight runs in just three innings of work. Going into a hitters ball park like Coors Field, Locke will have to be on his game if he wants to win and the offense will look to pile on the runs as they did against Arizona.

Pirates Win Wild Extra Inning Game Against Diamondbacks

The Pittsburgh Pirates won a wild affair in which 42 players saw action and the Pirates won 12-10. Starting pitcher Francisco Liriano was sharp, but the bullpen blew two save opportunities before the Pirates came back to win.

The one word I would use to describe the Pittsburgh Pirates 12-10 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks today is "wild." The Pirates and Diamondbacks combined to use 42 players in the contest and every position player from each team was used. At the end of the game, there was even a pitcher playing the field for the Diamondbacks.

Both offenses had great days going back and forth all afternoon. The Pirates collected 12 runs on 20 hits while the Diamondbacks collected 10 runs on 15 hits. The Defense in the field was very good as well with only two errors being committed, both by the Diamondbacks. However, on the mound for both teams was a different story.

The Pirates and Diamondbacks combined to have 15 pitchers work in the game and gave up a combined 35 hits. On the Pirates side, the home run ball was a problem as the Diamondbacks had four home runs on the day, two of which coming from first baseman Paul Goldschmidt. The offense was abundant and the pitching left little to be desired on the afternoon.

Francisco Liriano started the game for the Pirates and was shaky at first, but sharpened up by the end of the game. In total, he threw 6.0 innings giving up four runs on five hits while walking three and striking out six. Early on, Liriano had trouble with his command and allowed a lot of base runners. However, as it got later in the game, Liriano found his command and was able to keep the Diamondbacks offense at bay.

The scoring started way back in the first inning when a two-out solo home run by Goldschmidt gave the Diamondbacks an early 1-0 lead. The ball just got over outfielder Gregory Polanco's out stretched glove and was Goldschmidt's fourth of the year. The Diamondbacks scored their first five runs via the home run ball and added one late that was a big play in the game.

The Pirates responded in the top of the third inning as David Freese led off with a double followed by a Starling Marte single. Then Jason Rogers produced his first hit as a Pirate, a two-run triple that put the Pirates ahead 2-1 in the early going. Sean Rodriguez would follow that up with an RBI single of his own to give the Pirates a 3-1 lead going into the bottom of the third.

This is where the back and forth started as the Pirates lead did not last for long. With two outs, a walk to Goldschmidt followed by a single to left by Yasmany Tomas gave the Diamondbacks first and third with two outs. Then Wellington Castillo hit a three-run home run to give the Diamondbacks a 4-3 lead.

The Pirates punched back in the top of the fourth throwing a five spot on the Diamondbacks to take the lead. After singles by Jordy Mercer and Andrew McCutchen and a walk to David Freese loaded the bases for the Pirates, Marte hit a single to move everyone up 90 feet and tie the game at four. Then John Jaso grounded into a fielder's choice, but a throwing error by Goldschmidt gave the Pirates a 5-4 lead. The Pirates would wrap up the scoring with RBI singles by both Gregory Polanco and Chris Stewart to take an 8-4 lead.

Then both offenses quieted down for the only time on the night. Liriano settled down for the Pirates and Randall Delgado and Andrew Chafin held down the fort out of the bullpen for the Diamondbacks. The middle of the Diamondbacks bullpen pitched very well on the afternoon keeping the Pirates scoreless from the fourth inning all the way to the twelfth inning. During that time period four pitchers combined to keep the Pirates off the board over 7.0 innings of work.

The Diamondbacks tied the game on two late home runs by Tomas and Goldschmidt. Tomas's solo shot came off of Tony Watson in the eighth to cut the deficit to 8-5. An RBI triple by Chris Owings made the score 8-6 Pirates going into the ninth inning. This gave closer Mark Melancon a two-run lead to work with in a save situation. He got the first out fairly quickly but a single by Brandon Drury set up Goldschmidt for the game tying shot and sent the game into extra innings all tied up at eight.

The game almost ended in the tenth inning when the Diamondbacks had a runner at third with one out. However, a heads up play by Rodriguez cut the winning run at the plate and kept the game tied as the Pirates went into the eleventh inning of play. Each team was held scoreless in the eleventh until the Pirates finally broke through in inning number 12.

Francisco Cervelli lead off the inning with a pinch hit single and Mercer sacrificed him over to second base with just one out. Then a David Freese two out double drove in Cervelli and gave the Pirates a 9-8 lead. The Pirates would score another run in the inning on an RBI single by Starling Marte, who was thrown out trying to advance to second, giving the Pirates a 10-8 lead going into the bottom of the twelfth.

Neftali Feliz came into pitch the twelfth looking for his first save of the season after Melancon blew one in the ninth inning. However, Feliz was ineffective as a lead-off walk to Jake Lamb and a pinch-hit single by Zack Grienke set the Diamondbacks up with first and second and nobody out. Then David Peralta doubled to center field to drive in Lamb and cut the deficit to 10-9. Jean Segura would follow that up with an RBI single to tie the game at 10 and give the Pirates their second blown save of the night.

The inning also left the Diamondbacks with a dilemma, they had used all of their position players and short stop Nick Ahmed was thrown out of the game for arguing balls and strikes. So, the Diamondbacks were forced to play starting pitcher Shelby Miller in the field as a result of Ahmed's ejection, and this would play a vital role in the Pirates late comeback.

In the top of the thirteenth, the Pirates offense responded again as they did in the twelfth. The scoring got started very quickly as Josh Harrison lead off the inning with a double, and was followed up by an RBI double by Rodriguez to give the Pirates an 11-10 lead. Then after a ground-out and an intentional walk puts runners at first and third the Pirates are forced to pinch hit with starting pitcher Jon Niese. After a nine pitch at-bat, Niese singled to left field in front of Miller to give the Pirates a 12-10 lead.

The score would stay there going into the bottom of the thirteenth as the Pirates had their third save opportunity of the night. This time it was Arquimedes Caminero with the task of saving the game for the Pirates, He was finally able to retire the Diamondbacks pitching a scoreless inning giving up one hit and striking out two while collecting his first save of the season.

In total, the Pirates used 20 of their 25-man roster and all of their position players. Every position player but Matt Joyce collected a hit in the game and five of those were multi-hit efforts. On the pitching side, the only available pitcher that were not used in the game were AJ Schugel and Rob Scahill. 

The Pirates will have a quick turn around as they start a four game series against the Colorado Rockies tomorrow night. The Pirates will send Jeff Locke (0-2 7.24) to the mound asking him to go deep into this ball game. He will be opposed by Chad Bettis (2-0 3.33) for the Rockies. First pitch from Coors Field is scheduled for 8:40 p.m.

Sean Rodriguez Showing Great Power For Pirates Early On

Sean Rodriguez has had his power stroke going for him early in the season. Through his first 17 at-bats he has hit three home runs and is on a hot streak at the plate.

Coming into the 2016 season, if I told you that Sean Rodriguez would lead the Pittsburgh Pirates in home runs at any point of the season you would look at me like I was nuts. Well, 18 games in and that is the case as Rodriguez currently has a team leading three home runs in 14 games played. His approach at the plate has greatly improved and he had driven in a lot of runs for the Pirates off the bench.

Last season off the bench, Rodriguez hit .246 with four home runs and 17 RBI. 14 games into the 2016 season and he has already almost hit the amount of home runs he hit last year and he has half of the RBI. Rodriguez's defense is one of the most reliable on the entire Pirates team, but if this offense production stays consistent it could take him to the next level.

Rodriguez has not been known as much of a power guy throughout the course of his career. His highest home run total came in 2011 when he hit 20 with the Tamp Bay Rays. Other than that he has been anywhere from a 10-15 home run guy which s average for a major league player. The power bat has definitely been out early on for Rodriguez and with it comes some much needed offensive production off the bench.

The only current threat off the Pirates bench is outfielder Matt Joyce. Other than that you have the light hitting Jason Rodgers and backup catcher Chris Stewart, who wont see much time as a pinch hitter. If the Pirates can have two reliable bats off the bench, it will go a long way to success offensively in 2016.

Currently, Rodriguez is hitting .412 with three home runs and nine RBI in just 14 games played. He has been seeing more action recently due to the number of left-handed pitchers the Pirates have faced. It also has given John Jaso some much needed rest from the regular lineup. Jaso only faced a small amount of left-handed pitching last season accumulating four hits in 13 at-bats. As a result, the Pirates want to get a right handed bat in the lineup on the days that a left-handed pitcher is starting for the opposing team.

More than 57% of Rodriguez's hits this season have gone for extra bases (four of seven hits). Each of these extra base hits has produced a run as well with the three home runs and an RBI double against the Cardinals in the first series of the year, Rodriguez has done a nice job of driving in runs for the Pirates and making things happen especially in the late going of ball games.

The numbers on Rodriguez go beyond just home runs however. He has also been a very patient hitter at the plate with six walks this season and only four strikeouts in 17 at-bats. He has averaged 4.00 pitches per at-bat and has really made pitchers work on the mound, This is key when coming off the bench and has been a key aspect of Rodriguez's approach at the plate. He has been waiting for his pitch and has been taking advantage of his pitches when they come across the plate.

As the Pirates super utility man, Rodriguez has appeared at first base, third base, shortstop, left field, and right field. With the ability to play many positions on the field, there is many opportunities for Rodriguez's bat to be a part of the Pirates lineup if he can produce consistently. Rodriguez might just force his way into the Pirates lineup with the offensive production he has put out so far this season.

Rodriguez and the Pirates are back in action this afternoon when they finish up a three game series in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. The pitching match-up will be Robbie Ray (1-0 1.96) for the Diamondbacks versus Francisco Liriano (1-1 4.11) for the Pirates. First pitch from Chase Field is scheduled for 4:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh Pirates Highest Team OBP In the MLB

The Pittsburgh Pirates Lead Major League Baseball in On-Base Percentage. Francisco Cervelli and Gregory Polanco Lead the Team. The Pirates ability to get on base has fueled their offense this season creating many run scoring opportunities.

Pirates Explode for Eight Run Inning In Trouncing of Padres

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored eight runs in the seventh inning of last night's ball game en route to defeating the San Diego Padres by the final score of 11-1. Pitcher Gerrit Cole shined on the mound throwing six shut out innings in the Pirates victory.

Coming into game three of a three game series with the San Diego Padres, the Pittsburgh Pirates offense had struggled to get anything done against Padres pitching. However, that all changed last night as the Pirates exploded for an eight-run seventh-inning last night as they defeated the Padres by the final score of 11-1.

Offensively, the Pirates had five multi-hit performances and five out of the eight position players in the lineup collected a hit. The four through seven hitters went a combined 8 for 19 on the night and lead the Pirates on the night. Josh Harrison had one of his best games of the season offensively going 2 for 4 with two RBI, a walk, and two runs scored.

On the mound, Gerrit Cole also had a bounce back start and helped stop the Pirates current two game slide. He threw 6.0 innings while giving up four hits and striking out seven batters on the night. Last time out, Cole did not get much run support from his offense and it lead to a 7-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers. However, today runs were not a problem and Cole really did not need them.

The scoring started in the top of the second as right fielder Gregory Polanco laced a two-out double into the right field gap to set the Pirates up. Then Harrison followed with the first of his two RBI on the night as he drove in Polanco with an RBI single to left field to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. This would be just the start of a night full of offensive production from the Pirates.

The scoring continued in the top of the fourth after Starling Marte lead off with a single followed by two ground outs by Francisco Cervelli and Gregory Polanco. Harrison would step up and deliver again with another two-out RBI single to give the Pirates a 2-0 lead. Then Harrison would cause havoc on the base paths as he stole second base on the next pitch.

Then Padres starting pitcher James Shields lost his command as he through a wild pitch that allowed Harrison to move up to third base. Then he walked Jordy Mercer and, as Mercer was stealing second, Shields threw another wild pitch allowing Harrison to score and putting the Pirates up 3-0. The Pirates causing havoc on the base paths has been a common theme in this series. It lead to a balk call in game one that was overturned but then recalled and came back tonight in the form of too many wild pitches.

Shields struggled for the Padres throwing only 5.0 innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out five. The Pirates batters really made him work on the evening as he had already thrown 100 pitches by the fifth inning. This seems to be the Pirates recipe for success this season, work the pitch count and get to the bullpen as fast as you can. The Pirates have been pretty successful in that endeavor as they have been getting on base at a high rate and have been working deep into counts.

In inning number seven is when the flood gates opened for the Pirates offense. The inning started out om a rough note as Harrison reached first base on a dropped third strike and Jordy Mercer was hit by a pitch. Cole would be the first out of the inning as he popped out giving the Bucs  runners on first and second with one outs.

Then the scoring started as John Jaso lined a double to left field that scored Harrison and gave the Pirates a 4-0 lead. Then an intentional walk to Andrew McCutchen loaded the bases with one out setting up the double play opportunity for the Padres. Then the Pirates received three straight RBI hits to expand their lead.

David Freese hit an RBI single to left that scored Mercer and Sean Rodriguez, who ran for Jaso. Then Marte followed that up with an RBI double that was just inches from being a home run that scored McCutchen, and finally Francisco Cervelli singled to center field bringing in both Freese and Marte and giving the Pirates a commanding 9-0 lead.

The inning was capped off when the Pirates added two more runs on a force out play by Mercer that scored Cervelli, and a bases loaded walk to Sean Rodriguez that brought in Gregory Polanco giving the Pirates an 11-0 lead. The final out of the inning was recorded by Matt Joyce who grounded out to first base after pinch hitting for Andrew McCutchen.

In total, Padres pitcher Leonel Campos was only able to get one out in the inning giving up seven runs, five earned, on four hits while walking one and striking out another. Reliever Brad Hand had to come relieve Campos and gave up a run of his own on two hits while walking two in his 1.2 innings of work.

The Pirates bullpen did a good job of keeping the Padres offense at bay through the final three innings of the game. Neftali Feliz came in and threw a scoreless seventh inning striking out one. He was followed by Rob Scahill who gave up the only run of the night. Scahill went 1.0 inning giving up one run on one hit while striking out a batter. Mark Melancon finished the game throwing a perfect inning of work and striking out a batter.

The Padres only run of the night came in the bottom of the eighth inning after Adam Rosales was hit by a pitch and Jabari Blash grounded out to third moving Rosales to scoring position. Jon Jay hit an RBI single to right field that scored Rosales and gave the Padres their only run of the game making the score 11-1.

With the win, the Pirates improve to 8-8 on the season and currently sit in third place in the National League Central behind the Chicago Cubs and the St. Louis Cardinals. The Pirates have been playing good baseball early on, their key will be to become more consistent on the mound so that this offense can keep scoring runs the way it is capable of and win a lot of ball games.

The Pirates return to action tonight as they play the first of a three game series against the Arizona Diamondbacks in Arizona. Patrick Corbin (1-1 2.75) will be on the mound for the Diamondbacks coming off of a rough start against the Colorado Rockies where he gave up four runs on eight hits in 7.0 innings of work. the Pirates will oppose with Jon Niese (2-0 3.50). Niese is coming off his best start as a Pirate when he went 7.0 shut out innings against the Brewers last Saturday night. First pitch from Chase Field is scheduled for 9:40 p.m.

Justin Masterson Signing Adds to Pirates Deep Pitching Core

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed veteran right handed pitcher Justin Masterson to a minor league deal last week adding to an already strong core of pitching in the Pirates system.

Last Thursday, the Pittsburgh Pirates added to their already deep core of talented pitching by signing veteran right handed pitcher Justin Masterson to a minor league deal. Masterson is just another piece of an already deep Pirates core of pitchers who can come up and help the major league ball club. Triple A Indianapolis was ranked as the fifth best starting rotation in all of minor league baseball by minor league baseball.com and they have some talented arms ready to make an impact on this Pirates team.

The newest addition to this depth, Masterson, is currently in Pirates City in Bradenton, Florida getting stretched out to become a starting pitcher due to the time he missed in spring training. Last season with the Boston Red Sox, Masterson pitched in 18 games and nine starts collecting a 4-2 record with a 5.61 ERA while walking 27 and striking out 49.

Masterson was once considered the ace of the Cleveland Indians staff being named an all-star in 2013. However, he had been dealing with injuries the last two seasons and it caused him to fall off in terms of stats the last two seasons. He underwent arthroscopic shoulder surgery over the off-season and was quoted as saying "For the first time in a couple of years, I haven't had any pain."

Masterson's two big struggles last season were the number of hits he gave up and the amount og batters he walked. In 58.1 innings last season, Masterson walked 27 batters while only striking out 49. His strike out to walk ratio sat at 1.81. You would like to see that number up around two and a half to three for Masterson to be successful.

Masterson also gave up a lot of hits in 2015. In those 58.1 innings pitched, he gave up a total of 68 hits on the season. As a starting pitcher, if you are giving up that many base hits, you are going to struggle at the major league level. Masterson has to work on his control so he can keep the ball out of the hitting zone and he can put it somewhere where the batter can't get the barrel of the bat on the ball.

Working with Ray Searage should help Masterson regain the dominant nature he had with Cleveland. From 2011-2013 he went a combined 37-35 while keeping his ERA in the mid to low threes. While he will never be the ace of a rotation again, he will fit nicely as a number three or number four guy in the middle of the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation.

Along with Masterson, the Pirates also have some other intriguing options down at Triple A Indianapolis that could come up and help the big league club. The three really intriguing options for the Pirates are Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon, and Chad Kuhl. Each of these players has shown success in the past and are starting off the season on the right note.

For Glasnow, through his first two starts he is 0-1 with a 1.80 ERA. He has allowed only one run in each start, but the most impressive stat is his strike outs. In 10.0 innings pitched, Glasnow has struck out 15 batters on the season. Glasnow has been regarded as a flamethrower in the Pirates minor league system and he looks to continue that reputation in his development. If there is someone in the Pirates rotation who struggles, it is very likely that Glasnow will make his MLB debut at some point this season.

The other power arm in Triple A Taillon is having a good start to the season as well. Through his first two starts, he has compiled a record of 1-0 with a 2.61 ERA. In his first action in two years, Taillon is making a good transition back to baseball and it has really helped his development moving forward. While he doesn't have the speed or stuff that Glasnow has, he has been able to hold his own on the mound striking out 10 batters in 10.1 innings of work.

The other power arm the Pirates have is Chad Kuhl. Through his first two starts, including a victory today against Toledo, he is 1-0 with a 1.86 ERA. Kuhl has struck out 8 batters through 9.2 innings this year while only walking two. Kuhl is one of those guys who could be called up in a pinch if needed to start or come out of the bullpen for the Pirates.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have always been known for their depth at the pitching position both at the major league level and the minor league level. Glasnow, Taillon, Kuhl, and now Masterson will each have a role on this Pirates team either this year or next season. The Pirates have a bright future on the mound, and with all the good young prospects they have, there will be no trouble on the mound for the Pirates for the foreseeable future.

John Jaso's Offensive Tear Has Lead Pirates Offense

First baseman John Jaso has been a welcome addition to the Pittsburgh Pirates linuep in 2016. His ability to get on base at the top of the lineup has helped the Pirates score runs and set up big innings. 

The Pittsburgh Pirates signed left handed hitting first baseman John Jaso this off-season to be a platoon partner with Michael Morse at the first base position. Not only has he taken over the first base position, but he has excelled at it in the early going this season. His defense has been very good for a guy who before this season only played a total of 5.0 inning at the position.

However, the thing that really made the Jaso signing worth the Pirates' while is his offensive production early on in the season. Batting mostly in the lead-off spot, he has done a nice job of making the starting pitcher throw a lot of pitches. Jaso has been known for his ability to get on base, and manager Clint Hurdle has used that to his advantage by having Jaso bat at the top of the lineup this season.

Currently, Jaso is hitting .346 with no home runs and four RBI while having a .417 on-base percentage. Jaso's .346 average is good for the team lead and ranks him 13th in all of major league baseball. He is seeing the ball really well these first couple of weeks and it is paying off at the plate. He hit .363 in the Brewers series and continues to show poise at the plate.

He has also been able to keep his reputation of a guy who can get on base tied for 19th in the league with a .417 OBP. He has a career OBP of .369 which puts him 24 points above the league average of .345. The key to this stat lies in Jaso's patience at the plate. This season he has seen 3.80 pitches per at bat. He makes the pitchers work to get him out and it has been a winning formula for him at the plate.

He has also been using PNC Park's spacious outfield gaps to his advantage as he is currently second on the team in doubles with four and has one of only four triples on the team. While Jaso may not be the fastest guy around he has been able to collect some extra base hits to help set up the Pirates offense this season.

Early on in the season, balls that have been put in play by Jaso are finding holes as Jaso owns a .383 BABIP. The old saying, sometimes its better to be lucky than good, holds true for this stat. If Jaso can consistently find holes and get on base for the Pirates, there is a good chance that the Pirates will be successful.

If there is one bad thing to say about Jaso it is his current strike out to walk ratio. Jaso currently has six walks and six strikeouts on the season giving him a 1:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Jaso likes to work deep in the count and that results in more strikeouts for him. As long as he can keep working the count and turn more of those at-bats into walks than strikeouts, he will be just fine at the top of the lineup.

Coming into the season, many fans were wondering how a guy with limited power like Jaso could come in and replace a big run producer in Pedro Alvarez. Well, at this time last season, Alvarez was only hitting .232 with four home runs and seven RBI from the middle of the Pirates order. Jaso clearly has the better average and is getting on base far more than Alvarez did as a Pirate.

Now as a designated hitter for the Baltimore Orioles, Alvarez is only hitting .143 with one RBI and a .314 on-base percentage. Jaso is a big improvement over Alvarez and it has shown for the Pirates both offensively and from a defensive stand point. Last season, Alvarez was one of the worst first baseman in the league ranking last among eligible first baseman with a .978 fielding percentage committing 23 errors.

Currently, Jaso has not made an error at the first base position in his 100.1 innings at the position. For a guy who coming into the season only played 5.0 innings at first base, he has impressed me so far this season making all of the plays that he needs to and then some. On more than one occasion, he has been able to make sliding and diving plays to take away would be base hits.

Jaso has also made some of the plays that don't show up on the score card at the end of the night. He has gotten some key outs by lunging out and stretching to catch the ball beating the runner to the bag. Those are the types of plays that most people don't see as anything spectacular, but it definitely helps at the end of the day.

Jaso has been arguably the best off-season signing to this point for the Pirates in 2016. He leads the team in average and has been able to get on base at a high rate. His defensive ability has also shone through in the early going. The question with Jaso is will he be able to keep this up as the season goes on. We will have to wait and see, however, in my opinion Jaso will do just fine manning the position for the Pirates.

John Jaso and the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates will be back in action tonight for game two of a three game series against the San Diego Padres. On the mound for the Padres will be Drew Pomeranz (1-1 3.27). Last time out, Pomeranz pitched 6.0 innings giving up two runs on three hits while walking three and striking out eight in a losing effort against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates will oppose with Jeff Locke (0-1 2.53) who is coming off of a rough start against the Milwaukee Brewers where he through 4.2 innings giving up two runs, three earned, on five hits while walking seven and striking out four. First pitch for tonight's game is scheduled for 10:10 p.m.

Wounded Pirates Start Rehab Assignments on Long Road Back

The two injured Pirates Jung Ho Kang and Jared Hughes are set to begin their rehab assignments on the long road back to joining the Pirates. Both players will be much welcomed additions to the Pirates team and will help them be ready for a deep run in 2016.

Last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates experienced one of the scariest sites you can see on a baseball field. Their star player Jung Ho Kang was taken out by Chris Coghlan of the Chicago Cubs and was laying helpless on the infield dirt. It turned out that Kang had torn his ACL and required season ending knee surgery.

That loss of Kang effected the Pirates greatly and before they knew it, a 98-win baseball team had been eliminated from playoff contention in the wild card round as the Chicago Cubs defeated them 4-0 sending them home for the season. The off-season surgery and the rehab has been concluded and for Kang it is time for the final step in the rehab process, the minor league rehab assignment.

Kang along with Pirates middle relief pitcher Jared Hughes are each scheduled to begin their rehab assignments this week and come back to help the Pirates this season. Both players will be sent to Triple A Indianapolis with Kang's rehab starting today and Hughes's beginning tomorrow.

Both of these players were very important parts to the Pittsburgh Pirates team last season. Kang came over from the Korean Baseball league and showed that he belonged in the majors while Hughes became the rally killer for the Pirates becoming one of the top pitchers in the league in terms of stranding runners on base.

At the beginning of the 2015 season, Kang was signed to a four year deal with the Pirates. He was coming over from Korea with an impressive .356 average with 40 home runs and 117 RBI. There were many doubters as to whether or not Kang could produce with consistency at the major league level and play short stop everyday.

While not playing short stop, Kang did hold up the other end of the bargain and became a big run producer for the Pirates over the course of the year. In total, he hit .287 with 15 home runs and 58 RBI in his rookie campaign with the Pirates. It took the rookie some time to adjust to the major league level as he collected just one hit in his first 13 major league at-bats, but he turned it on in the months of May and July and turned out to be a big run producer in the lineup.

Kang brings a power threat to the Pirates lineup that they have been lacking in the beginning part of the season. While the Pirates have a lot of players who can hit you 10-15 home runs, there is no true power threat that can break a game open. When Kang comes back, he provides that pop in the middle of the order that will allow the Pirates to scare a lot of teams down the stretch.

The Pirates lineup currently has five men hitting over .300, and when you add Kang to the mix this lineup is flat out scary. The only problem you face with Kang coming back is who will come out of the Pirates lineup? With so many players having success there is really no one to take out of the picture, which is a good problem to have.

David Freese is currently on a tear for the Pirates with his .306 average and Jordy Mercer has been impressive on defense and is holding his own at the plate as he is tied with Starling Marte for the team lead in RBI. These three players will more than likely go through a turn table of action, which is good because it allows each player to get there fair share of rest.

The other Pirate that will be returning to the team is right handed middle reliever Jared Hughes. Hughes has been one of the more consistent pitchers in the Pirates bullpen the last couple of seasons and his return will give a big boost to the bullpen allowing guys to get some rest. If he is at his best, he also has the potential to shorten the game for opposing teams.

Last season, Hughes was 3-1 with a 2,28 ERA while striking out 36 and walking 19 in 76 games pitched. Hughes has been a part of the Pirates bullpen since 2011. After a break out year in 2013, Hughes was able to continue his success into the 2014 season and help the Pirates win the second most games in major league baseball.

Hughes' call to action last season was getting the Pirates out of tight spots. Last season, Hughes inherited a total of 56 runners last season and only nine of those runners crossed the plate. Hughes consistently used his sinker ball to get out of jams causing 11 double plays over the course of the 2015 season.

Hughes will factor nicely right into the middle of the Pirates bullpen. He will more than likely asked to be the bridge between the starting pitchers and the back-end of the bullpen guys. The key for Hughes will be whether or not his sinker is on. When he is getting guys to hit the ball on the ground, he is very effective out of the pen.

If Hughes can retain his success from the 2015 season into this year, the Pirates could potentially have five inning games on their hands. Neftali Feliz, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon have had a great deal of success this season and adding an effective Hughes to the mix could make the game very short for opposing teams with Hughes taking the reigns in the sixth followed by Feliz, Watson, and Melancon

Both of these players will be welcome sights for this Pirates team. They are already strong contenders in the National League Central and adding these two players could put them over the top. While both these players still need some time to mend, each will come back and play a significant role on this 2016 Pittsburgh Pirates team.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently preparing for a ten game west coast road trip where they will travel to San Diego, Arizona, and Colorado. Tomorrow night the Pirates are back in action as they face off in the first of a three game series with the San Diego Padres. The pitching match-up will be Colin Rea (0-1 5.56) for the Padres taking on Francisco Liriano (1-0 2.45) for the Pirates. First pitch for tomorrow's game is scheduled for 10:10 p.m. 

Pittsburgh Pirates Week in Review: Rough Stretch Drops Pirates But Offense Still Strong

The Pittsburgh Pirates went through a tough week of baseball finishing with a record of 3-4. The pitching struggled, especially early in the week, and it caused for some blow out games. However, the offense was still strong and was able to score runs throughout the week.

The Pittsburgh Pirates hit a little bit of a rough patch this week going 3-4 against the Detroit Tigers and the Milwaukee Brewers respectively. Pitching was a problem for the Pirates in Detroit and it effected the Pirates greatly on the road. However, when the Pirates returned to PNC Park, the pitching improved greatly and helped the Pirates in a big way in the last two games against the Brewers.

One thing has remained consistent through this rough stretch, however, as the offense has continued its tear that it has been on to start the season. Some players got on a roll like Andrew McCutchen and Matt Joyce and others continued the success they had in the first week like Francisco Cervelli. All-in-all this Pirates offense is one of the best in the league and continues to score runs on a consistent basis.

The first series of the week was a home-and-home series with the Detroit Tigers. After the offense struggled to score runs against the Cincinnati Reds, the bats broke out for seven runs and 17 hits to defeat the Tigers in game one. However, things went down hill from their as the Pirates dropped the last three games to the Tigers by scores of 8-2, 7-3, and 7-4.

Aside from Jon Niese's start in game one, the pitching was pretty bad in this series both for the starting pitchers and the bullpen. Juan Nicasio struggled mightily giving up four runs in just 3.0 innings of work and Arquimedes Caminero went through a stretch where he gave up four runs in 1.2 innings pitched in the series.

While the offense was scoring plenty of runs to stay in the ballgame, the fact that the pitching struggled caused the series to go for not. Ryan Vogelsong and Niese turned in the two good starts of the series with Niese giving up four runs, three earned, in six innings while Vogelsong gave up one run in 5.0 innings of work.

The question of who was going to be the Pirates designated hitter in the series was answered when Matt Joyce stepped up and had a very good series hitting .285 from the DH spot and providing some quality at-bats for the Bucs. The biggest problem offensively in the Tigers series for the Pirates was men left on base. In total for the four game series, the Pirates left 64 men on base. They were getting a lot of hits, but were not able to drive in the big runs when they needed to.

The first game of the Brewers series looked exactly like the last three games of the Tigers series. Starting pitcher Jeff Locke struggled giving up three runs, two earned in 4.2 innings pitched. The bullpen did not fair much better giving up two home runs, five runs in total, in the Pirates loss. The only spark of offense in that game was a three-run pinch-hit home run by Matt Joyce.

However, the second two games of the series were a different story as the bats broke out and pretty handedly beat the Brewers by scores of 5-0 and 9-3. Niese turned in the best start of any Pirates pitcher this season in the first game throwing seven shut out innings and Nicasio followed that up with a solid 6.0 inning outing today giving up three runs. The bullpen bounced back as well giving up no runs in five innings of work.

Caminero also had a bounce back in today's game giving up no runs in 1.2 innings of work. Caminero has had consistency issues throughout his time with the Pirates and this week we saw both the good and the bad of Caminero. When he is on he can be a force to be reckoned with, but when he is off it can be a long day for both Caminero and the Pirates.

The offense also showed just what it could do in the last two games against the Brewers. Andrew McCutchen got going as he hit his first two home runs of the year against the Brewers and in total hit .642 in the series (9 for 14) with two home runs and two RBI. Seeing McCutchen heat up is always a good sign for the Pirates and now couldn't be a better time for McCutchen to start producing.

In total, this week showed us both the good and bad of this Pirates team. When the pitching is good, the Pirates are one of the top teams in all of major league baseball, however, when the pitching is down it is a long game for the Pirates. The offense has the capability to score a lot of runs for this team, they just have to figure out how to do it on a more consistent basis without leaving runners on base.

Play of the Week: Starling Marte robs Domingo Santana of a home run

One of the only bright spots of the Pirates loss to the Brewers Friday night, Starling Marte leaped at the wall to rob Domingo Santana of a home-run. Up to that point in the game, there was nothing to really cheer about. Marte was having a big day at the plate and then this acrobatic plate topped off the night for Marte. Unfortunately the Pirates were not able to pull out the victory as they lost to the Brewers 8-4.

Hitter of the Week: John Jaso (.416 (10 for 24) 2 RBI 3 Walks and 2 Doubles)

John Jaso had a big week for the Pirates batting out of the lead off spot hitting .416 this week including a 3 for 5 day in the final game against the Tigers. Jaso has hit safely in each of his last eight games including five multi-hit efforts. Jaso has played a solid first base and has hit safely in all but one game as a Pirate. While he doesn't have the power that Pedro Alvarez had he has brought much more to the position by getting on base consistently and setting up the rest of the Pirates hitters in the lineup.

Pitcher of the Week: Jon Niese (2-0 2.07 ERA, 8 Strikeouts, 4 Walks)

Jon Niese picked up two wins this week against the Detroit Tigers and the Milwaukee Brewers. He turned in the teams best start of the season against the Brewers throwing 7.0 shut out innings while striking out five batters. He was helped out by great defensive play by the Pirates and he has grown as a Pirates pitcher. If Niese can consistently throw like he did the last two games he will be a strong hold in the Pirates starting rotation. This week he showed that he was capable of being dominant on the mound.

Pirates Bats Break Out as Pirates Crush Brewers in Series Finale

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense broke out today collecting two home runs and a total of 17 hits as the Pirates sailed past the Brewers 9-3. Nicasio bounced back on the mound throwing 7.0 innings and allowing three runs in the contest.

The Pittsburgh Pirates bats broke out this afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers collecting 17 hits in the Pirates 9-3 win over the Milwaukee Brewers. Eleven different Pirates players collected hits on the day including four multi-hit games. The offensive struggles were put behind the Pirates in this one as they feasted off of Brewers starter Zach Davies.

Juan Nicasio started the game for Pittsburgh coming off a bad start against the Detroit Tigers where he gave up four runs in only three innings of work. He bounced back nicely this afternoon pitching 6.0 innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking two and striking out six. He had one rough inning in the fourth where he gave up all three runs, but other than that he had a very successful afternoon.

The key for Nicasio was that he was able to hit the target set by Francisco Cervelli. In  that start against the Tigers, he was not able to hit his target and it cost him big time as he allowed six hits in the game and one of them being a big home run. When Nicasio has his control like he did today, he is a very strong starting pitcher in the Pirates rotation.

It helped that Nicasio was pitching with the lead for most of the day as the scoring started in the bottom of the second. A walk by Gregory Polanco and a double by Josh Harrison set the stage for a sacrifice fly by Jordy Mercer as the Pirates scored first and led 1-0. Having the early lead propelled Nicasio on the mound and allowed him to pitch with ease as he retired the first nine batters he faced.

In the bottom of the third the Pirates sent 11 batters to the plate and score five runs as they took control of the game. It started with the Pirates loading the bases after a walk by David Freese followed by singles from Matt Joyce and Francisco Cervelli. Then the Pirates had back-to-back RBI singles from Polanco and Josh Harrison, and a force attempt/fielding error that allowed two runs to score and gave the Pirates a 5-0 lead.

The Pirates would add another run on a Jon Jaso RBI single to make the score 6-0. In total, 11 batters came to the plate for the Pirates and collected six hits in the inning. It was good to see the Pirates put a bunch of hits together to score a lot of runs. It shows that this offense is very capable of exploding at any minute and they proved that once again this afternoon.

The Brewers started to fight back in the fourth inning. With two on and one out, first baseman Chris Carter hit an RBI single to score the first run of the game for the Brewers. A walk to Ramon Flores followed by a pop out by Aaron Hill gave the Brewers the bases loaded with  two out. The Brewers capped their scoring with a two-RBI single by Kirk Nieuwenhuis to make the score 6-3 Pirates.

Pittsburgh added another run in the bottom of the fifth as Andrew McCutchen hit his second home run in as many nights to give the Pirates a 7-3 lead. McCutchen hit six home runs in spring training but ran into a little bit of a power outage early in the season. However, the last two nights he has been able to hit the ball over the wall and produce the way we know he can.

Arquimedes Caminero came into the game next and had a bounce back outing of his own. Coming off a stretch in which he gave up four runs inn 1.2 innings pitched, Caminero came out today and threw 1.2 scoreless innings while walking two and striking out one. Caminero has been a solid pitcher for the Pirates, and when he is on he can be dominant on the mound. Neftali Feliz came in to get one out in the eighth and he struck out the only batter he faced.

The Pirates added two more insurance runs in the bottom of the eighth as Sean Rodriguez hit the longest home run of the year for the Pirates as it traveled 442 feet. The two-run shot scored Gregory Polanco and gave the Pirates a 9-3 lead. Rob Scahill finished out the game for Pittsburgh throwing 1.0 inning giving up one hit and striking out one.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the day off tomorrow, but will return to action on Tuesday when they travel to San Diego to take on the Padres. The Padres will throw right hander Colin Rea (0-1 5.56) who is coming off of a good outing against the Philadelphia Phillies where he went 7.0 innings giving up one run on two hits. The Pirates will oppose with left-hander Francisco Liriano (1-0 2.45) who is returning after missing his last start with hamstring discomfort. First pitch from Petco Park is scheduled for 10:10 p.m.

Pitching Struggles Have Pirates on Losing Streak

Pittsburgh Pirates pitchers have given up seven or more runs in each of the last four games causing the Pirates to be on this current four game losing streak. The home run ball has been a big part of the problem and big innings are causing the Pirates to drop key games.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are currently on a four game losing streak as they dropped the last three games against the Detroit Tigers and the first game against the Milawukee Brewers. Pirates pitchers have given up seven or more runs in each game and the offense has not been able to score enough runs to compensate for the runs given up by the pitchers.

The blame in the last four games has been a combined effort between both the bullpen and the starting pitching. The two bad starts of the week came from Jeff Locke last night and Juan Nicasio on Tuesday afternoon. In each start the starter went less than 5.0 innings and gave up three and four runs respectively. 

Both of these pitchers had major control issues in their starts as Nicasio walked five and Locke walked seven. The Pirates have one of the best defenses in all of major league baseball. However, when pitchers are walking a lot of batters, those defenders are not getting the chance to make the outs that are necessary in the game. Both Nicasio and Locke had very good starts their first time out and in those games they limited the number of walks they gave up. If they can work on their control it could mean a much better Pirates team.

The bullpen has had its struggles as well over the last couple games and it has not helped this team out at all. No matter who the Pirates would call into the game, it seemed like all they could do is give up runs. Kyle Lobstein has pitched in two of the last four games throwing 5.0 innings giving up five runs. Similarly, Arquiemeds Caminero has struggled as well giving up four runs in 1.2 innings pitched in the last four games.

The main problem the bullpen pitchers have been facing is the home run ball. The bullpen has combined to give up five home runs in the last four games. This was a similar problem that the Pirates faced in spring training. They gave up a mass number of home runs and it lead to some losses that could have been avoided if it were not for the home run ball.

In last nights game alone, The Pirates gave up a two home runs to the Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers. In both instances there were two outs and a runner on base and the pitch just happened to be left over the middle of the plate. If the pitchers could have just got the ball on the corner, we are talking about a whole new ball game.

Even though the Pirates are currently in a skid, there are some good things that have come out of this. Ryan Vogelsong had a very good spot start on Wednesday night for Francisco Liriano going 5.0 innings giving up one run on four hits while striking out five. Vogelsong started the year off in the bullpen and was able to step up in a big spot.

The Pirates will be able to climb out of this rough spot and will be fine moving forward. This rough spot will be a spring board for many good things to come as the season moves forward. All five of the Pirates starters have shown the ability to have success at the major league level. It is just a matter of putting it all together consistently and keeping the Pirates in ball games.

Jon Niese (1-0 5.73) will look to right the ship tonight as the Pirates take on the Brewers for game two of a three game series tonight at PNC Park. He will be opposed on the mound by Brewer's righty Taylor Jungman (0-1 11.57).  First pitch for tonight's game is scheduled for 7:05 p.m.

Offense Comes Alive as Pirates Defeat Tigers

After being held to just one run in the last two game against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates offense came alive this afternoon for seven runs as the Pirates defeated the Tigers by a score of 7-4.

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense was on a cold streak the last couple days only scoring one run in each of the last two games. However, the bats came alive today scoring seven runs en-route to defeating the Detroit Tigers by a final score of 7-4. The offense was able to help out starter Jon Niese who started the game out well, but got a little roughed up late in the outing.

In total, Niese threw 6.0 innings giving up four runs, three earned, on five hits while walking one and striking out five. The home run ball was a problem for Niese as he gave up two on the afternoon. However, both were solo shots so the damage was not as great as it could be against the Pirates starter.

One thing Niese has been very good with to start out is his command. He has only walked one batter in each start and currently has a strikeout to walk ratio of 6.00. Last season he had a strikeout to walk ratio of 2.05 meaning for every walk he struck out two batters. If he can continue to show the control he has in the first two starts, it will be a much better 2016 for the left-hander.

The Pirates offense wasted no time providing run support for their starter. The Pirates scored at least one run in each of the first innings of today's game. Before Niese even took the hill he was already staked to a 1-0 lead. The offense jumped on Justin Verlander scoring early and often putting the Pirates out to a big lead.

In the first, Jon Jaso started things off with a double followed by an Andrew McCutchen fly out that moved him to third base. Then designated hitter Matt Joyce singled to left to score the first Pirates run of the ball game. It was questioned coming into the series, as it always is, who would serve as the DH for the Pirates. Joyce got the call today and performed quite nicely for the Bucs.

Joyce finished the day going 2 for 4 with an RBI and a run scored. Making the squad as a non-roster invitee, Joyce had not seen a lot of time in the starting lineup before today. He only had six plate appearances and was 0 for 3 with three walks in a pinch hitting role. Today, he got his shot in the starting lineup and contributed early on.

The Pirates continued the scoring in the second as the Bucs loaded the bases with one out after a Gregory Polanco Double, a Josh Harrison single, and a Sean Rodriguez walk. Then, Jordy Mercer stepped up and lined a two-RBI single to center field scoring both Polanco and Harrison and giving the Pirates an early 3-1 lead.

The scoring would continue for the Pirates in the third and fourth innings as two sacrifice flies by Jon Jaso and Francisco Cervelli put the Pirates up 5-1 after four innings of play. The Pirates would finish their scoring in inning number five as an RBI double by Gregory Polanco and an RBI single by Sean Rodriguez made the score 7-1 Pirates after four and a half innings.

The Pirates bats were able to get to Justin Verlander as he threw 111 pitches in 4.1 innings giving up seven runs on ten hits while walking two and striking out two. Verlander struggled in his first start of the year against the Miami Marlins giving up three runs in six innings in that game. At one point, Verlander was considered one of the best arms in the game, however, the last couple seasons he has been hit hard and it has effected him on the mound.

Niese gave up what would be his second run of the day in the bottom of inning number five when he gave up a home run to Nick Castellanos, the second one he had given up in the game to make the score 7-2 Pirates. They would add two more runs in the bottom of the sixth on an error by Mercer that allowed Jose Iglesias to score and an RBI single by Victor Martinez.

That is all of the offense that Detroit could muster on the day, however, as the back end of the Pirates bullpen came in and shut the door once again. Neftali Feliz, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon each threw scoreless outings in the final three innings of the game to give the Pirates the victory today. The group has combined to give up only one run through the first seven games of the season.

Feliz pitched the seventh and threw a perfect inning striking out one batter. Watson followed with a scoreless inning of his own while walking a batter and striking one out. Finally, Melancon finished the game throwing his 1.0 inning giving up one hit and striking out a batter while collecting his third save of the season.

Overall, the offense combined for 17 hits on the day, which is a season high for the team. The offense wasnt able to cash in on some key situations the last two days, but today they capitalized on the opportunities handed to them. However, they still left 17 runners on base, so this score could have been a lot worse, but the Pirates scored in bunches today and picked up a much needed victory.

The Pirates and Tigers will play game two of their four game home-and-home series tomorrow afternoon at Comerica Park. On the mound for the Tigers will be right hander Anibal Sanchez (1-0 3.60). Last time out Sanchez faced the Miami Marlins throwing 6.0 innings giving up two runs on four hits while walking three and striking out three. The Pirates will oppose with right-hander Juan Nicasio (1-0 1.50). Nicasio is coming off a great Pirates debut in which he went 6.0 innings giving up one run on two hits while striking out seven St. Louis Cardinal batters. First pitch for tomorrow afternoon's game is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

Bucco Bomber Pittsburgh Pirates Players of the Week: Week 1 Francisco Cervelli and Juan Nicasio

Francisco Cervelli and Juan Nicasio are your Bucco Bomber Pittsburgh Pirates Players of the week. Cervelli leads the team in RBI and Average, and Juan Nicasio had an impressive Pirates debut against the St. Louis Cardinals.

Pittsburgh Pirates Week In Review: Hot Start Puts Pirates on Right Track

The Pittsburgh Pirates started the first week of the Major League Baseball season on the right foot with a record of 4-2 against the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cincinnati Reds.

After one week of play, the Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a good start to the 2016 season. They currently sit at 4-2 on the year which is good for third place in the National League Central behind two 5-1 teams in the Cincinnati Reds and the Chicago Cubs. Even though this team has a decline in power from last season, they are still finding ways to score runs when they need to.

In the first series of the year, the Pirates swept the St. Louis Cardinals in a three-game set at PNC Park. They managed to outscore the Cardinals by a combined score of 15-7, and they were able to do it against three quality starting pitchers in Adam Wainwright, Michael Wacha, and Mike Leake. The offense was tested early and showed that they can compete with one of the best teams in all of major league baseball.

Then the Pirates hit a bump in the road losing two out of three games against the Reds at Great American Ball Park. Throughout the course of the series, the Pirates had many opportunities to win every ball game. They took advantage of that opportunity in the first game when Starling Marte hit a grand slam that ultimately gave the Pirates a 6-5 victory. However, they did not take advantage of opportunities in games two and three including leaving 14 runners on base in today's contest.

This offense has shown that it has the ability to score a lot of runs against any team. Manager Clint Hurdle's tweaks to the lineup have proven to pay-off early on. Jon Jaso has done a nice job working out of the lead-off spot, and moving Gregory Polanco to the middle of the order has allowed him more opportunities to drive in runs. This new lineup has been successful early on and looks to continue for the rest of the season.

Another strong suit for the Pirates in this first week was the bullpen. The group combined to throw a total of 21.2 innings and have only given up six runs. They have done a nice job of coming into the game and shutting the other team down when they need to. Their best showing was the second game of the year against the Cardinals when they threw 5.0 scoreless innings and held a very potent Cardinals offense to a total of three hits and allowing the Pirates to score the game winning run in the eleventh.

The best of the bullpen, however, has come from the back-end of the bullpen. Neftali Feliz, Tony Watson, and Mark Melancon have done some very good work out of the bullpen. Melancon is the only one of the trio who has given up a run, but that was on opening day. When these three pitchers are on, the game shortens and forces you to beat the Pirates before the seventh inning.

The starting rotation has both some ups and downs in the first week of the season. Juan Nicasio, Jeff Locke, and Francisco Liriano each had great starts this week in their first victories of the season. Nicasio impressed in his Pirates debut throwing 6.0 innings giving up one run on two hits while striking out seven. Nicasio had a great spring training for the Pirates and carried that over to the regular season.

Locke pitched very well against the Reds in today's game going 6.0 innings allowing one run on seven hits while walking two and striking out one. Liriano struck out ten on opening day and allowed no runs over 6.0 innings of work. However, the rotation also had some bumps this week as Jon Niese and Gerrit Cole each struggled in their season debuts.

Cole only went 4.2 innings in his start against the Reds, and Niese went 5.0 innings while giving up five runs, four earned,in his start against the Cardinals. Both of these guys will be fine moving forward and I am looking for big things from this starting rotation. If they can keep the Pirates in ball games through the first five innings, this bullpen will take over and shut down any offense in the league.

Overall, the Pirates showed flashes of being a great team in this first week of the season. The offense showed that it is capable of scoring runs, and the pitching has shown that it can shut down any offense. It is just a matter of bringing things all together and letting this team mesh as one. Once they do that, this team will be a force to be reckoned with across the MLB.

Play of the Week: Starling Marte Grand Slam Against the Reds

This was not a hard choice as the biggest play of the week for the Pirates had to be the grand slam hit in Friday night's game against the Reds that gave the Pirates a 6-5 win. The Pirates and Reds had been going back and forth all evening and the Reds pulled ahead with a 5-2 lead. The Pirates had loaded the bases the inning before and loaded them again in the eighth. Then Starling Marte hit a 1-0 pitch out to left field to put the Pirates ahead for good and giving them a 6-5 win. It was the first home run of the year for the Pirates and it could not have come at a better time.

Hitter of the Week: Francisco Cervelli (.389 average 4 RBI, 4 Walks, 1 Triple)

The offensive leader for the Pirates this week was Francisco Cervelli. The Pirates starting catcher capped off a first week of the season with a .389 average, four RBI, four walks, and a triple on the week. He leads the team in both average and RBI to start the season and has done a nice job behind the dish as well. He provided a key RBI double in the final game of the series with the Cardinals driving in David Freese and Starling Marte to pull the Pirates away from the Cardinals and ultimately earn them the victory. Cervelli has a break out year for the Pirates last season, and so far in 2016 he has continued his success from last season.

Pitcher of the Week: Juan Nicasio (1-0 1.50 ERA, 7 Strikeouts 0 Walks)

Juan Nicasio had a great Pirates debut in the third game of the season against the St. Louis Cardinals where he threw 6.0 innings giving up one run on two hits and striking out seven batters. Nicasio had a great spring training for the Pirates striking out 24 batters in 15.0 innings pitched. Nicasio's control was much better in his first start of the year then it had been in the past. He looks to continue that this season and bounce back as a member of the Pirates rotation. He is currently tied with Jeff Locke for the team lead in ERA and looks to continue to lead this team throughout the 2016 season.

Up Next:

The Pirates return to action tomorrow afternoon when they travel to Comerica Park to take on the Detroit Tigers. For the Tigers, it will be Justin Verlander (0-0 4.50) on the mound. The Pirates will oppose with left-hander Jon Niese (0-0 7.20) who is looking to bounce back after a rough start his last time out. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.