Marte's Slam Caps Pirates Comeback

Starling Marte smacked a grand slam in the top of the eighth to cap off a Pirates comeback as they defeated the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 6-5 yesterday.

On a cold Friday night, the Pittsburgh Pirates bats could not get going. Through the first 7 innings of the game the Pirates only had six hits and could not get a run across the plate.

Things started out the same in the eighth as the first two batters were retired fairly quickly. Then after Jon Jaso was hit by a pitch, Andrew McCutchen walked, and David Freese singled the bases were loaded for Starling Marte with the Bugs trailing 5-2.

Marte was hitting .187 coming into the game but was 2 for 3 on the night. He takes the first pitch for a ball and then quickly deposits the next pitch over the left field wall for a grand slam to give the Pirates a 6-5 lead.

It was the first home run of the year for the Pirates and it couldn't have come at a better time. The offense has been finding ways to win ball games early on in the season. Whether it's via the home run or small ball they find ways to pull out the victory.

Francisco Liriano struggled on the night throwing 5.0 innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking four and striking out three. Liriano has never done well against the Reds throughout his career.

Coming into the night he was 1-5 career against the Reds. The cold night air didn't help either As rain and snow fell all night long. He wasn't getting any swings and misses on the night like he had been on opening day against the Cardinals.

The Reds struck quickly against Liriano as Brandon Phillips hit a first inning two-run home run to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. Phillips had a great offensive day going 2 for 2 with two RBI and a walk on the day. He was involved in four out of the five Reds runs on the night.

The Pirates responded in the top of the second when Francisco Liriano hit an RBI double that drove in Jordy Mercer to pull the Pirates within one making the score 2-1. Liriano is currently hitting .750 on the season, 3 out of 4, with two RBI. His early success at the plate comes as a little bit of surprise as last season he was one of the worst hitting pitchers on the team with a .169 average.

The Reds got another run back in the bottom of the third when Phillips hit a sacrifice fly that scored Zack Cozart and gave the Reds a 3-1 lead. Liriano got into a couple jams on the night but was able to weasel his way out only allowing three runs on the night.

The Pirates had a big opportunity in the top of the fifth as they loaded the bases with only one out. Francisco Cervelli stepped up with one out. He hit into a force play that scored McCutchen and trimmed the lead to 3-2. The Pirates didn't score another run and The deficit stayed 3-2.

Ryan Vogelsong made his Pirates debut next pitching 2.0 innings giving up two runs, one earned, on one hit while walking two batters. Vogelsong struggled early on but settled down and did well out of the bullpen.

The Reds added runs in both the sixth and seventh innings on an RBI single by Billy Hamilton and a wild pitch that scored Phillips giving the Reds a 5-2 lead.

The Pirates loaded the bases in the seventh inning without getting a hit. Jon Jaso was hit by a pitch, Andrew McCutchen walked, and David Freese reached on a fielding error. Then Marte stepped up and hit the first Pirates home run of the year, a grand slam, that gave the Pirates a 6-5 lead.

Then Neftali Feliz and Mark Melancon came in to finish the game. Each throwing a perfect inning of work. Feliz struck out two in The eighth inning to hold the Reds at bay. Then Andrew McCutchen made a spectacular catch in the ninth robbing Eugenia Suarez of a hit.

Melancon collected his second save of the young season in the Pirates 6-5 victory. The win puts the Pirates at 4-0 on the season and they have scored four or more runs in each contest.

The Pirates are back in action today against the Reds. On the mound for the Reds is Rasiel Iglesias (0-0 3.00). Last time out he faced the Philadelphia Phillies and three 6.0 innings giving up two runs on six hits while striking out seven. The Pirates will counter with Gerrit Cole who will make his season debut for the Bucs. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.

Pirates Offense Locked and Loaded To Start the Season

The Pittsburgh Pirates outscored the St. Louis Cardinals in the first series of the 2016 season by a score of 15-7. Even with the loss of power this season, the offense is still clicking on all cylinders and scoring runs allowing the Pirates to win ball games early on.

The Pittsburgh Pirates have been graced with some good pitching performances to start out the season. Juan Nicasio and Francisco Liriano each threw 6.0 innings while holding the St. Louis Cardinals at bay, and the bullpen came in and pitched fantastic after a rough outing in the Pirate debut of Jonathan Niese.

However, these pitchers have all had some support behind them to start the season. The Pirates scored a combined 15 runs in their three game sweep of the Cardinals and for the most pat played with the lead. The only time they were down was in game 2 against the Cardinals when Jed Gyorko hit a two run home run to give the Cardinals a 4-2 lead.

With the losses of Neil Walker and Pedro Alvarez, many expected the Pirates offense to suffer this season. At least early on, that has not been the case as the Pirates have been able to string together hits and score runs in bunches. All of these runs have been coming with a very conventional lineup by today's standards lead by Jon Jaso who only has 15 career stolen bases in nine years in the MLB. 

Jaso has been key at the top of the lineup for the Pirates. In the series against the Cardinals, he went 3 for 12 with an RBI a triple and two runs scored. Jaso has been known for having a high on-base percentage and working the count throughout his career. So far as a Pirate, he has been having success at the top of the lineup and looks to continue as the season progresses.

He got a hit in each game, two of which coming in key situations. While the .250 average to start the season does not look all that impressive, Jaso has contributed a lot to this team in the short time that he has been a Pirate. Since becoming a full-time major league player, Jaso has never had an OBP under .337. If he can continue this during his time as a Pirate, many good things will come for the Pirates out of the lead-off position.

Andrew McCutchen also had a good series for the Pirates going 5 for 11 with an RBI, two walks, and a run scored. McCutchen will be looked upon to lead this team from an offensive stand-point in 2016. He has won the silver slugger award in each of the last four season and is currently a five-time all star. He is batting in the second spot in the order for the first time in his career and is getting on base to set-up the three and four hitters in the lineup.

As expected, one thing we have not seen from the Pirates yet in 2016 is the home run ball. The closest the Pirates came was last night when both Jaso and Sean Rodriguez hit balls that missed home runs by mere inches. However, a high number of home runs does not necessarily translate into a winning team. According to Forbes magazine, no team that has won the regular season home run title has won the World Series.

Pittsburgh ranked 23rd in the league last year with 140 home runs and still won 98 games and finished second in the National League Central. Home runs are not everything over the course of a major league season. As long as the Pirates continue to hit the gaps and drive in runs on a consistent basis, they will be just fine in 2016.

There have been a couple of surprise faces on the offensive leaderboards early in the season. Gregory Polanco and Francisco Cirvelli have really stepped up at the plate and given the Pirates the run production they have needed. Both players delivered big hits in key situations and helped the Pirates sweep the Cardinals.

Polanco, who just signed a five-year $35 million extension with the club, went 3 for 7 in the series with five walks, three RBI, and four runs scored. Polanco's move to the middle of the order seems to be really helping him this season. Polanco's plate discipline has greatly improved from last season to this season. In total last season he walked 55 times in 120 games played. He already has five walks in three games and drew a big bases loaded walk yesterday after taking a pitch that was just off the outside corner.

Moving to the number six spot in the lineup will allow Polanco more opportunities to drive in runs and contribute in big situations. Polanco looks like a totally different player at the plate in 2016 and it bodes well for the Pirates future. Polanco is currently second on the team with a .429 average and looks to continue his hot streak into Cincinnati this weekend.

Another player who has come through big for Pittsburgh is catcher Francisco Cirvelli. Cirvelli went 4 for 11 against the red birds with two walks, a triple, three RBI, and two runs scored. This included a big two-run double in yesterdays contest that scored David Freese and Starling Marte putting the Pirates ahead 4-1. Cirvelli is another guy who looks locked in at the plate right now with no signs of slowing down.

Cirvelli had a break out year last season with career highs in both average and RBI. The key for Cirvelli will be staying healthy all season. Last season was the first year that Cirvelli caught more than 100 games in a season. If he can continue to stay healthy for Pittsburgh, there is no doubt in my mind that he will once again be a key contributor for this team.

These players alone are not the only contributors to the Pirates early season success. Currently Marte is the only position player hitting below .250. Jordy Mercer came through with the big walk off single on Tuesday night, Josh Harrison has two RBI and has been a productive out at the plate, and David Freese has two multi-hit games in his first three with the Pirates and posseses a .357 batting average. The current offense is firing on all cylinders.

There are no easy outs in this 2016 Pirates lineup. While the threat of the home run is not there as in years past, there is no one person in the lineup that you can look at and say "That's an easy out." Each player poses their own challenges to opposing pitchers. The Pirates can hurt you in a lot of ways with their speed and defense, but do not count out their offensive abilities either. 

The offense will look to continue its hot streak tomorrow in Cincinnati when the Pirates face off against the Reds. They will look to right the ship this year against the Reds as they were a combined 6-11 against them last season. The Reds will have Alfredo Simon on the mound as he makes his season debut. The Pirates will counter with Francisco Liriano (1-0 0.00) as he come off of an Opening Day start in which he struck out 10 Cardinals in a 4-1 Pirates victory. First pitch at Great American Ball Park is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Cirvelli Breaks Things Open as Pirates Sweep Cardinals

Francisco Cirvelli hit a big two-run double that put the Pirates ahead for good in their 5-1 win over the St. Louis Cardinals. Juan Nicasio built off his great spring training throwing 6.0 innings of one run baseball in his Pittsburgh Pirates debut.

The Pittsburgh Pirates are starting the season 3-0 for the first time since 2007 as they swept the St. Louis Cardinals today defeating them by a score of 5-1. The offense continued its hot streak to start the season scoring five runs on the night. That was backed by a great start by Juan Nicasio and all-in all it lead to another Pirates victory.

Nicasio continued what was a stellar spring training into the regular season as he made his Pirates debut tonight throwing 6.0 innings giving up one run on two hits while striking out seven batters. Nicasio used the corners effectively throughout tonight's start and was able to strike out batters at a high rate.

Nicasio has never been known as a strikeout pitcher throughout his career. His career high in strikeouts sits at 119 in 157.2 innings pitched. This season, however, he has already started the year striking out seven batters in 6.0 innings of work. Nicasio has some good stuff on the mound and it showed in tonight's start.

Nicasio only allowed two base runners on the night on hits by Yadier Molina and Kolton Wang. He was able to keep his pitches on the corners and not throw anything in the hitting zone for the Cardinals to capitalize on. He struggled pitching in the very hitter friendly Coors Field, but the move to PNC Park will be beneficial for the right hander.

The Pirates wasted no time getting on Mike Leake. They started the game by loading the bases with two hits after singles by Andrew McCutchen and Starling Marte and a walk by Francisco Cirvelli. That brought up Gregory Polanco who drew a walk on a 3-2 pitch to bring in the first run of the ball game and give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

Leake and Nicasio were both very good the next couple of innings. Leake walked a couple of Pirates batters, but Pittsburgh couldnt bring these runs home. Meanwhile, Nicasio continued his great work retiring the side in order twice between innings number two and four. Nicasio finished up his six innings of work with only a solo home run by Jeremy Hazlebaker to tarnish his day.

The Pirates got back to work in inning number five. It started with Jon Jaso hitting one off of the top of the right field wall for a triple. A throwing error by Wang allowed Jaso to score and gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead. The biggest hit for the Pirates followed as after singles by David Freese and Starling Marte, Francisco Cirvelli stepped up and hit a two-run RBI double to put the Pirates ahead 4-0.

The Pirates would add another run in the sixth inning as Sean Rodriguez hit an RBI double in his first at-bat of the year scoring Jordy Mercer and giving the Pirates a 5-0 lead. The Pirates scored a total of 15 runs in the three games and are a far cry from where they were a year ago when they got swept in the opening series and started the year out 0-3.

The bullpen took over in inning number seven as Arquimedes Caminero came on for his second appearance in 2016. He did rather well pitching 1.2 innings giving up one hit while walking one and striking out two. Caminero got into a little trouble in the bottom of the eighth, so Tony Watson was called upon to get the final out of the eighth by getting Matt Carpenter to ground out to second base to end the inning.

In the ninth, Cory Luebke made his first appearance in a major league game since the 2012 season and all things considered pitched pretty well. He threw 0.2 inning giving up one hit and a walk while striking out one batter. Luebke made the Pirates roster as the final lefty and is looking to prove himself to the Pirates after dealing with elbow trouble and a staff infection that kept him out of major league baseball for the last couple of seasons.

As the game turned to a save situation, the Pirates called on the man who lead major league baseball in saves last season Mark Melancon. Melancon only had to get one out and did so successfully by getting Kolton Wang to ground out to David Freese to end the game. Melancon picked up his first save of the 2016 season in the victory.

After an off day tomorrow, the Pirates return to action on Friday as they travel to Great American Ballpark in Cincinnati to take on the Cincinnati Reds. The Reds will be pitching right hander Alfredo Simon who will be making his season debut. The Pirates will counter with Francisco Liriano (1-0 0.00). Liriano is coming off an Opening Day start against the Cardinals in which he struck out 10 batters in 6.0 innings of work. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m.

Pittsburgh Pirates Defeat Detroit Tigers in Spring Training Opener

The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in today's Spring Training Opener at Joker Merchant Stadium

Pittsburgh Pirates spring training action has officially started as the Pirates defeated the Detroit Tigers 4-2 in today's spring training opener at Joker Merchant Stadium. It was the first chance for manager Clint Hurdle and the rest of the Pirates coaching staff to see what they have in store for the 2016 season.

Today's lineup consisted of a combination of players who have solidified spots on the roster and people who are fighting for their major league lives. On the mound a total of seven Pirates pitchers saw work today and for the most part did a very good job.

Kyle Lobstein started the game for the Pirates and threw 2.0 innings giving up 0 runs on 1 hit while walking 2 and striking out 1. The former Tiger had a solid debut to spring training and he is one of the hopefuls for a long-relief spot or the fifth starter spot on this Pirates team. Last year in 11 starts for the Tigers, Lobstein had a 3-8 record with a 5.94 ERA. Lobstein shows a lot of upside and could be a good option for some starter depth as the season goes along.

Lobstein was followed by non-roster invitee Wilfredo Boscan, who threw two innings of two hit baseball, and Neftali Feliz, who threw a perfect inning of relief striking out 1. Feliz is vying for a spot at the back end of the Pirates rotation to help bridge the gap between the starters and the combination of Tony Watson and Mark Melancon. Feliz's first outing of the spring did not dissapoint and sets him up on the right track in 2016.

In inning number six, Rob Scahill got roughed up for two runs on two hits while walking one. The big blow in that inning came on a two-run home run by the Tigers Victor Martinez, The home run was Martinez's first of the spring. Scahill started the year in the bullpen for the Pirates last season and started off hot. However, as the season went on he wore out and an injury ended his 2015 season. He is looking to bounce back in 2016 and show he can be a reliable arm for the Pirates to use.

The game was finished out on the mound by a trio of non-roster invitees. Curtis Patch threw a scoreless seventh giving up only one hit, Trey Hayley threw a perfect eighth inning striking out two, and Kelvin Marte walked two and struck out two in a scoreless ninth inning. All three players are looking to develop their skills in the minor leagues this season.

Overall, on the mound, the Pirates pitchers looked pretty good in their spring debut. Lobstein had a rough first inning throwing eight straight balls before getting Martinez to ground into a double play, but he was able to bounce back in inning number two and allow no runs to score. The relief pitchers all did their part as well, besides a rough outing from Scahill. The bullpen will be key for the Pirates this season and to see them do well today is a major plus.

On the offensive side the Pirates were lead by two of their everyday starters in Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer. Both players hit home runs in the game and were instrumental in leading the team to victory today.

Mercer finished the day 2 for 3 with the one home run and 1 RBI. Mercer has been known for his defense during his time in Pittsburgh but brought out the bat in today's game and helped the Pirates in a big way. Mercer will be the everyday short stop for Pittsburgh in 2016 and if he is able to hit consistently, he can help the Pirates in a big way.

Cervelli finished his day 1 for 3 with the home run and 1 RBI as well. Pittsburgh's everyday catcher last season, Cervelli had a break out year setting career highs in average and games played throughout the 2015 season. In 2016 he will look to provide a consistent spark to the offense once again and be the emotional leader on the field as well.

The other two runs were driven in by designated hitter Jason Rodgers, who went 1 for 4, and Alen Hanson, who went 1 for 1. The prospects who came into the game late also performed pretty well on the day.

Willy Garcia and Adam Frazier each had extra base hits and Frazier would later score on an RBI single by Hansen. Elias Diaz ended up going 1 for 2 on the day with a single backing up Cervelli. Frazier finished the day 1 for 2 with the triple that he later scored on.

Offensively the Pirates showed that they can put hits together and score some runs. In total they collected 10 hits on the day, two of which being extra base hits. They also showed the ability to hit the ball over the wall with home runs by Mercer and Cervelli. I do not know how much of power we will see from the Pirates lineup this season, but it is intriguing to see the power coming along early on.

There is still a lot of spring training games to be played but as of now the Pirates got off to a good start. The Pirates are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they face the Detroit Tigers again at McKechnie Field. Jeff Locke is scheduled to make his spring training debut for the Pirates as he fights for the fifth spot in the starting rotation. He will be opposed by Tigers right-hander Buck Farmer. First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.