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 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.

Offense Goes Cold As Pirates Fall to Reds

The Pittsburgh Pirates suffered their first loss of the 2016 season falling to the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 5-1. The offense collected a lot of hits but just couldn't come trough with the big hit when they needed it.

The Pittsburgh Pirates couldn't come through in the clutch this afternoon as they fell to the Cincinnati Reds 5-1. The Pirates had many opportunities offensively, but just couldn't get The big hit when needed

There were a lot of mistakes on the base paths including one very costly one in the seventh inning. With the Pirates down 3-1 John Jaso got thrown out on a groundball trying to retreat to second base. He took off thinking that Matt Joyce would break for the plate, but he stayed put and Jaso was a dead duck.

This missed opportunity, along with some others, was the reason Pittsburgh loss this afternoon. Rasiel Iglesias pitched a good game for the Reds going 5.2 innings giving up one run on eight hits while walking two and striking out five.

Gerrit Cole, on the other hand, struggled in his season debut. He went 4.2 innings giving up three runs on five hits while walking three and striking out four. He dealt with soreness in his side and he has been fighting that all spring.

His command just wasn't there today and he suffered on the mound. There is no reason to worry about Cole though. He will bounce back and be the dominant pitcher he was last season. Cole collected 19 wins last season and was named to his first ever all-star game selection.

The Reds offense got going early as RBI singles by Eugenia Suarez and Jay Bruce gave the Reds an early 2-0 lead. The Pirates were down but, like last night they tried to crawl back into the game little by little.

They had an opportunity with two on and no out in the second, but Josh Harrison lined out and Jordy Mercer grounded into an inning ending double play to end the threat. The Pirates collected a plethora of hits with 10 on the day, but missed opportunities like these was ultimately the deciding factor.

The Reds added another run in the bottom of the fifth when Brandon Phillips hit an RBI single that scored Suarez. Phillips has been a Pirate killer over the first two games of this series going a combined 3 for 6 with RBI and two runs scored. He has driven the Cincinnati offense and helped them get the better of the Pirates.

The Pirates scored their one and only run in the game in the top of the sixth. After a Cervelli single and a Gregory Polanco walk, Josh Harrison stepped to the plate with two outs. He was able to capitalize as he hit a 1-0 pitch into center field to score Cervelli and make the score 3-1 in favor of the Reds.

Iglesias got taken out of the game afterwards and reliever Blake Wood ended the threat getting Mercer to pop out in foul territory to end the inning. The Pirates posed another threat in the seventh inning with the same result.

It all started with a Matt Joyce walk follows by a Jon Jaso double to put runners at second and third with nobody out. Then Andrew McCutchen hit a soft ground ball to First base. Jaso took off for third in contact but realized that Joyce had stayed put at third. As Jaso tried to scramble back to second, he was thrown out and the double play was complete. The inning ended the very next batter as David Freese struck out to end the inning.

Archimedes Caminero pitched great out of the bullpen this afternoon throwing 1.1 innings giving up no runs and only allowing one hit on the day. In his first three outings, he has been very good out of the bullpen not giving up a run in 4.0 innings of work while striking out four and only walking one batter.

Kyle Lobstein followed him coming off of his win on Tuesday night in extra innings against the Cardinals. He threw 2.0 innings giving up two runs on two hits while walking one and striking out one.

The big blow to Lobstein came in inning number eight when Eugenio Suarez hit a two run home run that gave the Reds a 5-1 lead and ultimately put the game out of reach for the Pirates. It was a mistake pitch as Lobstein left the fastball right down the middle and Suarez took advantage of the mistake.

The five six and seven hitters in the Pirates order went a combined 7 for 10 on the day, but the struggles of the beginning of the lineup did not help the Pirates cause today. You can't win them all and today just wasn't the Pirates day.

The Bucs conclude their series with the Reds at Great American Ball Park tomorrow at 1:35 p.m. It will be Tim Melville for the Reds versus Jeff Locke for the Pirates as both pitchers will be making their season debuts.

Early Offense Not Enough as Pirates Fall to Orioles

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored three runs in the first inning, but it wasnt enough as they fell to the Baltimore Orioles by the final score of 5-3. Williams started and gave up two runs in five innings of work.

The Pittsburgh Pirates scored early and often, but it wasnt enough as they lost to the Baltimore Orioles by a score of 5-3. They started the game off with consecutive hits and were able to score three runs in inning number one. However, that is all they could muster and the bullpen faltered at the end of the game causing the Pirates to lose.

Minor leaguer Trevor Williams started the game and performed pretty well throwing 5.0 innings giving up two runs on seven hits while striking out five. He was hurt by the home run ball in inning number one as Nolan Reimold and former Pirate Pedro Alvarez each homered the put the Orioles to an early 2-0 lead. Overall, it was a good start for Williams and will definitely be something he can build upon as the season approaches.

Williams has had a good spring training for Pittsburgh appearing in three game and throwing 7.0 innings giving up two runs which is good for a 2.57 ERA. Williams will more than likely start the year in the Triple A Indianapolis rotation, and could be used in a spot start or two with the Pirates during the season.

Last year, Williams split time between Double A and Triple A going a combined 7-10 with a 3.85 ERA. Williams has shown good strikeout numbers throughout his professional years striking out over 100 batters twice in his three years, and he is showing that ability again here in spring training. Williams is someone I am looking for to help the Pirates in the future.

The Triple A starting rotation could be one of the best rotations in minor league baseball this season. As it currently looks you could have a rotation of Tyler Glasnow, Jameson Taillon, Williams, AJ Schugel, and Cory Luebke. All five of these pitchers have great talent and, if needed, could be called up to start a game for the Pirates and would do it effectively. For the Pirates, this back log of pitching talent is a good dilemma to have.

Tony Watson entered the game next and was very efficient in his 2.0 innings of work giving up one hit and striking out 2 batters. Watson has been his normal self over the course of spring training as he is pitching to a 3.86 ERA in six games. Watson will be key in the back of the Pirates bullpen as he will be the set-up man for Pittsburgh. Himself along with Neftali Feliz and Mark Melancon will be tasked with finishing the game for the Pirates.

Then, the bullpen started to struggle as Arquimedes Caminero was up next and pitched 1.0 inning giving up one run on two hits while walking one and striking out one. Caminero has been inconsistent throughout the course of spring training this year. He currently has a 10.00 ERA this spring training.

He was successful his last two times out combining to throw 3.2 innings only allowing one hit and striking out one. However, in the three games prior to that he threw a combined 3.1 innings giving up nine runs and striking out four. For Caminero, consistency has been something that has been bugging him over the last few seasons. If he can become a pitcher who can consistently get batters out, it will bode much better for his career.

Cory Luebke was next and once again he struggled on the mound tonight. Luebke threw 1.0 inning giving up two runs on three hits on the afternoon. Luebke is fighting for one of the final spots in the Pirates bullpen. With Watson the only current lefty in the Pirates bullpen, there is still one lefty spot remaining and two pitchers fighting for it. Luebke did not help his case today with his performance.

Luebke currently has a 5.74 ERA through four games pitched. Luebke is fighting back from a multitude of injuries over the last couple of seasons and this season is a chance to turn things around. With one spot remaining and Luebke and Kyle Lobstein fighting for it, this last week of the season will definitely be an interesting one for both pithcers.

Overall, Williams put out a good start, and the back-end of the bullpen fell out at the end. Williams definitely impressed me on the mound and set himself up for a good start to the year at Triple A Indianapolis. Caminero and Luebke both have things to work on as the season approaches, and both have exactly one week to fix it.

Offensively, the Pirates scored first but couldnt add on. They scored all three runs in the first inning as an RBI Triple by Josh Harrison and an RBI single by Jake Goebbert scored the Pirates runs on the afternoon. However, there were some good performances on the day despite the lack of runs scored on the afternoon.

The offensive star of the afternoon was Harrison, who went 1 for 3 on the afternoon with an RBI, a run scored, and a walk. Moving into the everyday second baseman role, Harrison no longer has to worry about where he is going to play on any given day. He can relax and work on what needs to be worked on at the plate and in the field.

Harrison has been the face of hustle on this Pittsburgh Pirates team and that was apparent again this afternoon. His RBI triple was actually a routine fly ball to left that fell into no man's land. However, no one was covering third base, so once Harrison got to second he turned on the jets and got into third without a contest. This hustle is why I am a huge Harrison fan and why I think he will succeed as the second baseman in 2016.

Jordy Mercer also had a good offensive day going 2 for 2 on the afternoon. Mercer is having a good spring training to this point hitting .289 with one home run and one RBI. A traditionally slow starter at the plate, Mercer is looking to improve with the bat this season. He has been a good defender throughout his career, but the offense has never really come around.

Mercer is slated to be the everyday short stop for the Pirates in 2016 as he was in 2015. Mercer really did not come through with the bat until June last season where he hit .304. prior to that he barely hit .200 in the months of April and May. This fast start for Mercer could be a sign of things to come, and if he can transfer this over to the regular season, we could be in store for a break-out year from Mercer.

John Jaso is the final offensive star of the day going 1 for 2 with a walk out of the leadoff spot. Jaso walked to start the game and hit a double in his second at-bat of the day. Jaso has been solid in the transition to first base and overall is hitting .226 this spring with two RBI. Jaso has been a reliable hitter throughout his career and will be just fine as the Pirates first baseman.

We have noticed this spring that manager Clint Hurdle has not been using the traditional lineup. He has been leading off with Jaso, one of the slower guys on the team, and hitting Andrew McCutchen in the second spot. Jaso's ability to get on base is a plus for having him leadoff. You want your leadoff man to get on base and then be driven in by the three and four hitters. As long as Jaso cam get on base consistently I have no problem with him leading off the game.

The Pirates are back in action tomorrow at McKechnie Field when they take on the Minnesota Twins. The Twins will be throwing righty Tyler Duffy (0-1 6.48). Last time out he threw 4.0 innings giving up one run on five hits while striking out two. The Pirates will counter with righty Gerrit Cole (0-0 9.00). Last time out Cole gave up two runs in 2.0 innings of work against the Detroit Tigers. He has been dealing with a side injury and has thrown a couple of side sessions over the course of spring training. Cole will be testing that side tomorrow to see if it is ready for Opening Day. First pitch for tomorrow is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.

Harrison's Solidified Role Bodes Well for Pirates in 2016

Utility man Josh Harrison now has a defined role on this team as the starting second baseman. That will help him become a more consistent player and produce for the Pirates on a regular basis.

Josh Harrison has played all over the baseball field for the Pittsburgh Pirates throughout his career. He has played games at second base, short stop, third base, right field, and left field. This versatility has made him a valuable asset to the Pirates. He has also produced consistently over the course of his career, and as a result he has a more solidified role for the Pirates in 2016.

With the departure of Neil Walker, Harrison is now slated in as the everyday second baseman for the Pirates this year. Harrison came up through the minor leagues as a second baseman and gets to move back to that position this season. I see the move boding well for Harrison as he no longer has to worry about whether or not his name will be on the lineup card on a consistent basis.

Last season, Harrison hit .287 with four home runs and 28 RBI playing in a bunch of different roles. Over his career with the Pirates he is hitting .284 with 24 home runs and 126 RBI in five years with Pittsburgh. Harrison was not a household name until the 2014 season. This is when he broke out, hitting .315 with 13 home runs and 52 RBI, and showed his versatility on the field. 

One of the pluses on Harrison offensively is his ability to get on base. He does not have a lot of power in his bat, but through extra base hits and walks he gets on base on a consistent basis. Last season he had an on-base percentage of .327, which is just above league average. He also gathered 163 total bases last season in his 120 hits.

Harrison had a total of 34 extra base hits last year including 29 doubles. With Harrison's speed, extra base hits will be a big factor for him this year. If he is able to work the gaps and consistently hit doubles and get himself in scoring position, that will be a big plus for the Pirates this season. He might not have the speed of Andrew McCutchen or Starling Marte, but he can still turn a regular single into a double in the blink of an eye.

When he is not hitting the gaps, he is still getting balls through the infield at a very high rate. His BABIP last season sat at .336, which is way above the league average of .300. When the ball is put in play, Harrison has the ability to make it a base hit both with his bat control and his legs. If Harrison can stay consistent with his career so far, he will be a good player in Pittsburgh's lineup.

I can see Harrison spending most of the year at the lead off position for Pittsburgh. I think Gregory Polanco will be moved down in the lineup, giving Harrison the top spot. This suits Harrison because he is a very patient hitter at the plate. Last season, he saw 3.49 pitches per plate appearance. This patience will suit the Pirates nicely at the top of the lineup and will help wear a pitcher down late in the ball game.

The move to the everyday second baseman role also helps Harrison out offensively. Of the multitude of positions that he plays, his fielding percentage is best at second base, .982. This was his natural position as he made his way through the minor leagues and now he gets to play it everyday at the major league level.

In playing 605.2 innings at the position he has only committed six errors. The move to second will help eliminate some of the throwing errors he committed at third base last season. He commited nine errors at third base last season and that contributed to his poor fielding percentage. The move to second base will help his defense out tremendously.

For the first time in the last couple of years, the Pirates will have a speedster at second base. Neil Walker brought power to the position over his time with the Pirates, but the speed was never there and, although one of the best defenders in the league, there are some balls that Walker could not get to due to a lack of speed. 

Over the course of his career, Harrison has a range factor of 3.37. To put this in to perspective, Pirates great short stop Jack Wilson had a career 4.61 range factor at his position. So, While Harrison is not quite up with the greats at his position, he still has a very solid range factor at second base. This will help the Pirates immensely because Harrison will be able to make some of the plays that Walker, who's range factor is 2.33, was unable to make.

Harrison brings a lot of hustle and heart to the Pirates lineup this season. He showed this back in 2014 when he one the MLBPAA Heart & Hustle award for his on-field play. We have seen Harrison hustle all around the field and show a real passion for the game. This caused the Pirates to sign Harrison to a four-year 27.3 million dollar contract last season that could keep Harrison with the Pirates until 2020. For the Pirates, they will have many more seasons of Harrison ahead and that is a good sign of things to come.

Josh Harrison and the rest of the Pirates are back in action today when they take on the Boston Red Sox at Jet Blue Park. The Red Sox will throw their ace on the mound David Price (0-1 3.86). The Pirates will counter with Ryan Vogelsong (0-1 4.00). First pitch is scheduled for 1:05 p.m.