KHarmo88's Dynasty - Operation Sports

Arena Blog Dynasty Scores Sign Up ☰

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Series Preview: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Cincinnati Reds

Posted on July 3, 2013 at 09:11 PM.

(0)

Series Preview | July 19-21, 2013

Pittsburgh Pirates
(55-39, 25-18 Away)

Cincinnati Reds
(49-47, 23-24 Home)

Team Comparison
.266	AVG	.260
.440	SLG	.409
.277	OBP	.321
2.80	ERA	4.09

Pitching Probables
Cole (3-1, 1.02)	Game 1	Cueto (7-6, 3.23)
Burnett (10-3, 3.19)	Game 2	Leake (4-8, 6.05)
Rodriguez (8-7, 2.74)	Game 3	Arroyo (11-6, 4.07)

Game Notes
- The Pirates, 5-5 in their last 10 games, lead the Cardinals by 5 games in the NL Central. - The Reds, 4-6 in their last 10 games, sit 7 games behind the Pirates in the Central. - Pirates second baseman, Neil Walker has been activated from Indianapolis and will start at second base.

Sunday, June 30, 2013

2013 Pittsburgh Pirates All-Stars

Posted on June 30, 2013 at 10:37 PM.

(0)

Starting Pitcher: James McDonald

Starting Third Baseman: Pedro Alvarez

Starting Center Fielder: Andrew McCutchen

Relief Pitcher/Closer: Jason Grilli

2013 All-Star Game

Posted on June 30, 2013 at 09:59 PM.

(0)

2013 Home Run Derby

Posted on June 30, 2013 at 01:10 PM.

(0)

The Contestants

Pittsburgh Pirates Third Basemen Pedro Alvarez Steps Up to the Plate

Pedro Alvarez's First Round Spray Chart

Pittsburgh Pirates Center Fielder Andrew McCutchen Steps Up to the Plate

Andrew McCutchen's First Round Spray Chart

On to Round 2

Andrew McCutchen's Second Round Spray Chart

Pedro Alvarez's Second Round Spray Chart

Pedro With the Lead Heading Into the Final Round Against Ryan Braun

And the Winner is . . . . . . Pedro Alvarez!!

With His 48 Total Home Runs, Alvarez Now Takes Over the #8 Spot on the HR Derby All-Time Home Runs List

Regular Season Game #94: New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 30, 2013 at 10:52 AM.

(0)

July 14, 2013
1:35PM

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 82�, Clear
Attendance: 29,181

Game #94: New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 14, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (39-55)	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	5	0
Pittsburgh (55-39)	0	0	0	1	0	0	0	1	X	2	7	0
W: James McDonald (9-5) L: Josh Edgin (1-3) S: Jason Grilli (34)

New York Mets
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: I. Davis (25), D. Murphy (16) RBI: D. Murphy (30) SAC: J. Niese GIDP: T. d'Arnaud

New York Mets
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
J. Niese	7.0	5	1	1	0	3	3.68
J. Edgin (L, 1-3)	0.1	1	1	1	0	0	5.35
B. Lyon	0.2	1	0	0	0	0	3.72
PITCHING WP: J. Niese (1)

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING HR: B. Inge (8) RBI: B. Inge (20), G. Sanchez (18) SF: G. Sanchez

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
J. McDonald (W, 9-5)	8.0	4	1	1	0	7	1.61
J. Grilli (S, 34)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0.92

Inge'n for a Win: Inge's 8th Inning, Pinch Hit Home Run Sends Bucs to Victory

PITTSBURGH - The Pirates entered today's rubber match with the New York Mets, losers of three straight and four of their last five. With the All-Star break starting tomorrow, the Pirates look to end the first half of the season on a winning note. Taking the mound for the Pirates is the potential All-Star game starter, James McDonald, opposing lefty, Jon Niese.

Both McDonald and Niese baffled the offenses as they each were perfect through the first two innings. After McDonald stayed perfect through three, he then padded is winning chances by singling for the first hit of the game, be it on two outs. But Alex Presley would follow with a single of his own, putting two on with two outs. Travis Snider looked to get the first run of the game across, but would end up striking out on a 1-2 pitch.

McDonald continued dominating through the 4th inning, continuing his perfect game. Andrew McCutchen led off in the bottom of the 4th with a single, then reaching second on a wild pitch with Pedro Alvarez at bat. Alvarez would ground out, but would get the job done by advancing McCutchen to third. Gaby Sanchez then hit a long fly ball, caught at the warning track, but would sacrifice McCutchen home to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

The Mets were unable to solve McDonald in the 5th, as Davis grounded out, Duda struck out, and d'Arnaud grounded out to end the top half of the inning. Niese made quick work of the Pirates in the bottom of the 5th, keeping the game a 1-0 heading into the 6th. Trouble brewed for the McDonald in the top of the 6th, as Cowgill singled to right with one out, then advanced to second on a sacrifice by Jon Niese. David Murphy then doubled, scoring Cowgill to tie the game at one.

The biggest trouble of the game came in the top of the 7th, as Ike Davis hit a one out double, followed by a single from Lucas Duda to put runners on first and third with one out. But the worse news of all, Andrew McCutchen came out of the game with a hamstring injury. No word yet on the extent of the injury. Pitching coach Ray Searage would come out and talk with McDonald and whatever he said worked, as McDonald got Ruben Tejada to ground into a double play to end the inning.

After the Pirates were held scoreless in the bottom of the 7th, McDonald made quick work of the Mets in the top of the 8th, what looked like McDonald's last inning as he left to a standing ovation from the over 29,000 fans at PNC Park. Little did they know, the man that would replace McDonald in the lineup, would make the biggest impact on the day. After Freddy Sanchez popped out for the first out of the inning, Brandon Inge would step in to pinch hit for McDonald. 2-2 count. 12-6 curve. GONE. Brandon Inge hits a solo shot to center field, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

Tense moments in PNC Park. The Pirates on a three game losing streak heading into the All-Star break. A 2-1 lead hanging in the balance to snap the streak. Clint Hurdle makes the call to the bullpen for closer Jason Grilli. Grilli takes the mound, gets Murphy to pop out for the first out. Ruben Tejada singles with one out. Grilli back on the mound, looks into Martin on a 1-2 count - Wright strikes out looking. Down to their last out, Ike Davis in to bat. Grilli's 1-2 pitch.......

Ike Davis strikes out to end the ballgame and the Pirates have salvaged a win and snapped their losing streak heading into the All-Star break.

Player of the Game:

McDonald may have pitched an amazing 8 innings, but I'd have to give this honor to the trio of McDonald, Inge, and Grilli

All-Star festivities kick off Monday with the Home Run Derby on FOX, with the 2013 All-Star game on ESPN on Tuesday.

After the break, the Pirates head out to Cincinnati for a three game weekend series, with Gerrit Cole opposing Johnny Cueto. First pitch, 7:10PM.

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Regular Season Game #93: New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 29, 2013 at 11:23 PM.

(0)

July 13, 2013
7:15PM

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 71�, Clear
Attendance: 29,845

Game #93: New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 13, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (38-55)	0	0	0	1	0	2	0	0	0	3	10	1
Pittsburgh (54-39)	0	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	2	6	0
W: Zack Wheeler (3-6) L: Wandy Rodriguez (8-7) S: Bobby Parnell (19)

New York Mets
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING HR: I. Davis (14), L. Duda (13) RBI: I. Davis 2 (57), L. Duda (49) SAC: Z. Wheeler GIDP: D. Wright
BASERUNNING CS: T. d'Arnaud (5)
FIELDING E: L. Duda (6)

New York Mets
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
Z. Wheeler (W, 3-6)	7.0	5	2	1	0	7	4.80
F. Francisco (H, 10)	1.0	0	0	0	0	0	3.69
B. Parnell (S, 19)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	4.68
PITCHING WP: B. Parnell (1)

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: F. Sanchez (3) RBI: A. Cabrera (30)

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
W. Rodriguez (L, 8-7)	7.0	9	3	3	0	5	2.74
C. Leroux	2.0	1	0	0	0	4	2.83

Mets Ride Home Runs as Pirates Drop Third Straight

PITTSBURGH - The Mets came into PNC Park dangerously close to being twenty games below .500. Needless to say, not much was going right for them. The Pirates, on the other hand, were playing the best baseball that they've played in years. Johan Santana dominated the Pirates in every facet of their game, allowing only three hits and no runs. But that was game one. Game two showcased Mets rookie Zack Wheeler, going up against the Pirates ace lefty, Wandy Rodriguez.

The 1st inning was a breeze for both pitchers, as neither team got a hit or took a walk. In the top of the 2nd, after getting Davis to strike out and Byrd to ground out, Lucas Duda and Travis d'Arnaud each singled, putting two runners on. Cowgill then grounded out to end the inning. Ater a quick 3rd inning, the Mets got to work in the top of the 4th, as Lucas Duda homered with two outs, giving the Mets a 1-0 lead.

After Wandy got out of the top of the inning, the Pirates were finally able to muster some offense together, as Fredy Sanchez led off with a single, then scoring on a fielding error by Lucas Duda to tie the game at one.

Pedro Alvarez then singled, followed by a strikeout from Garrett Jones for one away. Asdrubal Cabrera then singled, scoring McCutchen to give the Pirates a 2-1 lead.

Travis Snider followed with a single, but would be stranded, as Russell Martin grounded out to end the inning. The 5th inning went quickly for each team, as again, neither team collected a hit or walk. In the top of the 6th, Ruben Tejada grounded out, followed by a single from Wright. Ike Davis then homered to deep center field, scoring Wright, putting the Mets back ahead 3-2.

Neither team could get on the board heading into the bottom of the 9th, as Bobby Parnell came in to close the door on the Pirates. Leading off, Pedro Alvarez reached on a dropped third strike. Then, with two outs, Travis Snider singled, putting runners on first and second. Russell Martin tried to be the hero, but was unsuccessful, as he grounded out to end the game.

Player of the Game:

The Pirates look to at least salvage a game of the three game set, as James McDonald oppose Jon Niese. First pitch, 1:35PM.

Regular Season Game #92: New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 29, 2013 at 08:11 AM.

(0)

July 12, 2013
7:05PM

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 79�, Clear
Attendance: 30,126

Game #92: New York Mets at Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 12, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
New York (37-55)	0	0	0	0	4	0	1	0	0	5	9	0
Pittsburgh (54-38)	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	3	1
W: Johan Santana (6-6) L: A.J. Burnett (10-3) S: N/A

New York Mets
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 3B: D. Murphy (2) RBI: D. Murphy 2 (29), R. Tejada 2 (17), J. Santana (2) SF: R. Tejada SAC: J. Santana 2

New York Mets
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
J. Santana (W, 6-6)	9.0	3	0	0	2	10	3.29

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
FIELDING E: A. McCutchen (4)

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
A. Burnett (L, 10-3)	5.0	5	4	3	1	6	3.19
K. McPherson	3.0	3	1	1	0	3	5.06
M. Melancon	1.0	1	0	0	0	0	3.23

Santana's Complete Game Shutout Sends Pirates to Second Straight Loss

PITTSBURGH - After dropping two of three to the Oakland Athletics, the Pirates welcomed the All-Star hosting New York Mets to PNC Park. Game one was shaping up to be a battle of aces, as A.J. Burnett took the mound to oppose Johan Santana. This series with the Mets would be crucial for All-Star game recognition.

The 1st inning started as many had expected, as A.J. Burnett got Daniel Murphy to ground out leading off, followed by strikeouts of Tejada and Wright to send the game to the bottom of the 1st. Santana took the mound and looked somewhat shaky, walking Starling Marte on a 3-2 pitch. But Santana would let that faze him, as he'd get Presley to strike out, McCutchen to ground out, and Alvarez to pop out to end the inning.

Burnett piled on the strikeouts in the top of the 2nd, as Davis and Duda struck out, followed by a fly out from Travis d'Arnaud to end the top of the inning. Santana looked eerily similar as he did in the 1st, allowing a leadoff walk to Gaby Sanchez to start the bottom of the 2nd. Again, Santana would make quick work to follow, as Cabrera and Martin struck out, followed by a ground out by Freddy Sanchez to end the inning.

The Pirates finally made noise in the bottom of the 4th, as Gaby Sanchez collected the Pirates first hit of the game, a single, followed by another single from Asdrubal Cabrera to put to runners on with two outs. But Russell Martin would strike out to end the Bucco threat.

Burnett ran into trouble in the top of the 5th, as Lucas Duda led off with a single. After d'Arnaud struck out, Byrd singled, putting runners on first and second with one away. Cowgill then struck out, leaving the Mets down to their final out of the inning - but that's all they'd need. Johan Santana helped his own cause with a single, scoring Duda to give the Mets a 1-0 lead.

Daniel Murphy then hit a bases clearing triple, pushing the Mets lead to 3-0.

Ruben Tejada then singled, scoring Murphy to put the Pirates in a four run deficit. Burnett would get David Wright to ground out to end the inning; but the damage would be done. Santana made quick work of the Pirates in the bottom of the 5th, striking out Sanchez, pinch hitter Inge, and getting Marte to fly out to end the inning.

Kyle McPherson took over for Burnett in the top of the 6th and quickly collected to strikeouts and a ground out to send the game into the bottom of the 6th. Santana continued his ruthless aggression, striking out Presley and McCutchen, followed by a ground out from Alvarez. McPherson ran into trouble in the top of the 7th, allowing Cowgill to lead off with a single, who then was sacrificed to second by Santana. Murphy then singled, putting runners on first and third with one away. Ruben Tejada then hit a sac fly, scoring Cowgill to give the Mets a 5-0 lead.

With the score at 5-0 heading into the bottom of the 9th, Santana stayed in the game, looking to collect the complete game shutout. The Pirates would make that feat easy, as McCutchen, Alvarez, and Sanchez each grounded out to end the game.

Player of the Game:

Losing three of their last four games, the Pirates look to even the series with the Mets, as Wandy Rodriguez takes the mound to oppose rookie Zack Wheeler. First pitch, 7:05PM.

Friday, June 28, 2013

Series Preview: New York Mets @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 28, 2013 at 08:15 PM.

(0)

Series Preview | July 12-14, 2013

New York Mets
(36-55, 21-25 Away)

Pittsburgh Pirates
(54-37, 29-19 Home)

Team Comparison
.254	AVG	.269
.371	SLG	.447
.314	OBP	.280
3.96	ERA	2.81

Pitching Probables
Santana (5-6, 3.56)	Game 1	Burnett (10-2, 3.10)
Wheeler (2-6, 5.11)	Game 2	Rodriguez (8-6, 2.68)
Niese (2-4, 3.93)	Game 3	McDonald (8-5, 1.65)

Game Notes
- The Pirates, 6-4 in their last 10 games, currently sit 6.0 games ahead of the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central. - Pirates second baseman, Neil Walker, has been activated from the 60-day DL and has been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis for a rehab assignment. - The Mets, 5-5 in their last 10 games, currently sit 14.0 games behind the Phillies in the NL East.

Regular Season Game #91: Oakland Athletics @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 28, 2013 at 07:51 PM.

(0)

July 10, 2013
7:05PM

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 70�, Clear
Attendance: 28,396

Oakland Athletics at Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 10, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	Extras	R	H	E
Oakland (51-41)	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	6	8	11	0
Pittsburgh (54-37)	0	0	2	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	2	11	0
W: Jerry Blevins (5-2) L: Tony Watson (3-3) S: N/A

Oakland Athletics
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: Y. Cespedes (20), J. Donaldson (6) HR: M. Montero (13) RBI: Y. Cespedes 2 (70), J. Donaldson 3 (16), M. Montero 2 (49), H. Nakajima (31) HBP: B. Moss GIDP: B. Moss

Oakland Athletics
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
B. Anderson	5.0	9	2	2	1	5	3.35
S. Doolittle	2.0	0	0	0	0	2	2.77
J. Blevins (W, 5-2)	2.0	2	0	0	1	0	3.63
G. Balfour	1.0	0	0	0	0	1	1.25

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: A. McCutchen (26), P. Alvarez (20), A. Presley (1) RBI: P. Alvarez 2 (60) GIDP: G. Jones
BASERUNNING CS: S. Marte (8), A. Presley (1)

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
F. Liriano	7.0	4	2	2	0	6	2.61
C. Leroux	2.0	2	0	0	0	1	3.00
T. Watson (L, 3-3)	0.0	3	4	4	1	0	5.68
J. Hughes	1.0	2	2	2	0	1	2.61

A's Take Series as 10th Inning Blunders Doom Pirates

PITTSBURGH - The Oakland Athletics have become quite a powerhouse in the AL, with both dominating pitch and timely hitting. As the Pirates and A's of split the first two games in the series, Francisco Liriano takes the mound to oppose Brett Anderson in the rubber match of the three game set.

In the top of the 1st inning, Francisco Liriano looked to have the A's in check, getting three quick outs as Donaldson struck out, Sizemore lined out, and Cespedes lined out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 1st, Starling Marte led off by reaching first on a ball deflected off of shortstop Jed Lowrie. With recent callup Alex Presley at the plate, Starling Marte was caught stealing for the first out of the game. Presley would then double, giving the Pirates a runner in scoring position. But Andrew McCutchen would fly out and Pedro Alvarez would strike out to end the inning.

In the top of the 2nd, Lowrie singled on a 1-2 pitch. Miguel Montero would then crush a two-run bomb to center field, giving the A's a 2-0 lead.

Liriano would get out of the inning by getting Smith to ground out. Anderson ran through the Pirates order in the bottom of the 2nd, only allowing a single to Freddy Sanchez. After a 1-2-3 inning for Liriano in the top of the 3rd, the Pirates got the offensive gears turning, as Francisco Liriano led off with a single. Alex Presley singled with one out, putting runners at second and third. Andrew McCutchen would then single, loading the bases with only one out. Pedro Alvarez would come up and make the biggest play thus far, double to center, scoring Liriano and Presley; McCutchen would be called out at home.

Anderson and Liriano were locked in for the 4th and 5th innings, as neither pitcher allowed a hit or a walk. In the bottom of the 6th, Andrew McCutchen led off with a walk, followed by a single from Pedro Alvarez to put runners at first and third with no outs. Garrett Jones followed with a strikeout, followed by a fly out by Cabrera and a strike out by Sanchez to end the Pirates threat in the 6th.

Each teams bullpen would take over with the score tied at two heading into extra innings. Tony Watson got the call to pitch the 10th and would be a victim of several blunders. Young led off with a single to second base, followed by two bunt singles by Montero and Taylor to load the bases. Watson would then walk pinch hitter Nakajima, giving the A's a 3-2 lead.

Donaldson followed with a double to deep left, scoring Montero, Taylor, and Nakajima, pushing the A's lead to four. Sizemore reached on a fielders choice, then scoring on a double from Yoenis Cespedes to give the A's a six run cushion. Grant Balfour came on to shut the door in a non save situation. Balfour would get Marte to strike out, Presley to ground out, and McCutchen to fly out to end the game.

Player of the Game:

Following tomorrow's off day, the Pirates welcome the Mets to PNC Park for a three game weekend series, leading up to All-Star week. Game one showcases a matchup of aces, as A.J. Burnett, takes the mound to oppose Johan Santana. First pitch, 7:05PM.

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Roster Moves: 7/9/2013

Posted on June 27, 2013 at 11:19 PM.

(0)

by Tom Singer / MLB.com / July 9, 2013

The Pittsburgh Pirates have announced the following roster moves:

Promoted to MLB

Alex Presley

Optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis

Felix Pie

Regular Season Game #90: Oakland Athletics @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 27, 2013 at 09:25 PM.

(0)

July 9, 2013
7:05PM

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 60�, Clear
Attendance: 27,880

Game #90: Oakland Athletics at Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 9, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (50-41)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
Pittsburgh (54-36)	0	0	0	1	0	1	0	0	X	2	8	0
W: Gerrit Cole (3-1) L: Jarrod Parker (6-4) S: Jason Grilli (33)

Oakland Athletics
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: J. Jaso (15), C. Young (20) HR: B. Moss (19) RBI: B. Moss (46)

Oakland Athletics
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
J. Parker (L, 6-4)	6.0	7	2	2	0	5	2.78
S. Doolittle	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	2.88
R. Cook	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	3.42

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: G. Jones (14), P. Alvarez (19), A. Cabrera (16) HR: G. Jones (25) RBI: G. Jones (47), A. Cabrera (29)
BASERUNNING SB: S. Marte 2 (18)

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
G. Cole (W, 3-1)	7.0	2	1	1	0	6	1.02
D. Welker (H, 7)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	0.35
J. Grilli (S, 33)	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	0.94

Jones' Homerun Backs Cole's Dominant Start as Bucs Take Down A's 2-1

PITTSBURGH - With a two game losing streak heading into game two of the three game set with the A's, the Pirates needed a spark to get them back on track. The spark would come with their starting pitcher, Gerrit Cole, looking for his third win on the season. Cole would oppose Jarrod Parker, who also has been quite impressive thus far this season.

Gerrit Cole quickly sat down the A's in order, as Weeks struck out, Young grounded out, and Cespedes flew out to end the top of the 1st. In the bottom of the 1st, Parker got Starling Marte to pop out to lead off. Freddy Sanchez, heating up as of late, followed up with a single. Andrew McCutchen then struck out, leaving one on with two outs. Pedro Alvarez then doubled to center, advancing Sanchez to third. But Garrett Jones would unfortunately ground out to end the inning.

In the top of the second, for the second day in a row, Brandon Moss hit a solo shot to put the A's up 1-0.

Cole would come back to get three straight outs to end the top of the inning. Parker and Cole ran roughshot through the lineups in the 3rd inning, as neither team could muster a base runner. In the bottom of the 4th, Garrett Jones doubled with two outs, followed by a double from Asdrubal Cabrera which scored Jones, tying the game at one.

After a scoreless 5th inning, the Pirates got back to work in the bottom of the 6th, as Andrew McCutchen led off with a single. Pedro Alvarez would then ground into a double play, putting the Pirates down to their last out. Next up, Garrett Jones. 2-2 count. Gone. Right out of PNC Park. Solo shot. His 25th on the season and the Pirates have taken a 2-1 lead.

Gerrit Cole would head into the 7th inning, getting Cespedes and Moss to strike out, followed by a ground out from Montero for the third out. Doolittle would take over pitching for Parker in the bottom of the 7th, and would retire the side in order. The bullpens would be shut down for the 8th, leading into the A's last shot in the top of the 9th. Jason Grilli came in looking for his 33rd save and would immediately strike out Jamile Weeks for the first out. But Grilli would run into trouble as Young doubled to right with only one out. But Grilli would show resiliency as he'd strike out Cespedes and get Brandon Moss to ground out to end the game.

Player of the Game:

With the A's taking game one and the Pirates taking game two, the series will be at stake tomorrow night, as Francisco Liriano takes the mound to oppose Brett Anderson. First pitch, 7:05PM.

Regular Season Game #89: Oakland Athletics @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 27, 2013 at 07:17 PM.

(0)

July 8, 2013
7:05PM

PNC Park - Pittsburgh, PA
Weather: 71�, Clear
Attendance: 28,370

Game #89: Oakland Athletics at Pittsburgh Pirates
Jul 8, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Oakland (50-40)	0	0	0	0	2	0	0	1	0	3	8	0
Pittsburgh (53-36)	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	0	0	1	5	0
W: Dan Straily (4-2) L: James McDonald (8-5) S: Grant Balfour (21)

Oakland Athletics
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: J. Lowrie (18) HR: B. Moss (17), J. Weeks (4) RBI: B. Moss (45), J. Weeks 2 (29) HBP: D. Straily SAC: D. Straily 2 GIDP: J. Lowrie

Oakland Athletics
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
D. Straily (W, 4-2)	6.2	3	1	1	1	7	4.74
E. Scribner (H, 5)	1.0	0	0	0	0	3	4.88
R. Cook (H, 8)	0.1	1	0	0	0	0	3.50
G. Balfour (S, 21)	1.0	1	0	0	0	1	1.31
PITCHING WP: E. Scribner (1)

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: S. Marte (18), F. Sanchez (2) RBI: S. Marte (15)
BASERUNNING SB: R. Martin (1)

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
J. McDonald (L, 8-5)	6.0	6	2	2	0	6	1.65
K. McPherson	2.0	2	1	1	1	3	7.71
M. Melancon	1.0	0	0	0	0	2	3.34

A's Power Past Pirates for 3-1 Win

PITTSBURGH - After losing to the Cubs, the Pirates returned to PNC park to open a three game set with the AL West, Oakland Athletics. The Pirates haven't gotten much done offensively as of late, but their pitching has held them in the games enough to win ball games. Game one of the three game set was scheduled for James McDonald to opppose Bartolo Colon. However, Colon was scratched for reasons unknown at this time, and was replaced by righty Dan Straily.

James McDonald got off to a quick start in the top of the 1st, as he got Jamile Weeks to strike out, followed by a ground out from Young. Yoenis Cespedes would then single, putting a runner on with two outs. Brandon Moss would then strike out to end the top half of the 1st. Straily would breeze through the Pirates in the bottom of the 1st, getting Cabrera to ground out, Freddy Sanchez to strike out, and McCutchen to strike out to end the inning.

McDonald allowed a lead off single to Montero in the top of the 2nd, but would follow with a strike out by Smith, followed by Lowrie grounding into a double play to end the top of the 2nd. The Pirates would go quickly again in the bottom of the 2nd, as Dan Straily put it on cruise. The 3rd and 4th innings would be much of the same, as neither team got a runner past first base. In the top of the 5th, McDonald allowed a single to Lowrie, who would then score on a two out home run from Jamile Weeks to give the A's a 2-0 lead.

After a scoreless 6th, the Pirates would get the offense going in the bottom of the 7th, as Freddy Sanchez led off with a double. After Andrew McCutchen grounded out and Pedro Alvarez struck out, Starling Marte singled, scoring Sanchez to pull the Pirates to within one.

But the A's would get the run right back, as Brandon Moss hit a solo shot off of Kyle McPherson in the top of the 8th inning, giving the A's another two run cushion.

In the bottom of the 8th, Russell Martin struck out but reached first on a drop third strike. After Brandon Inge and Asdrubal Cabrera each struck out, Freddy Sanchez singled, putting runners on first and third with two outs. Andrew McCutchen stepped up to the plate, looking to give the Pirates the lead of the tie, but flew out at the warning track to end the inning. Mark Melancon made quick work of the A's in the top of the 9th, but Grant Balfour shut the door on the Pirates in the bottom of the 9th, as the A's take game one of the series.

Player of the Game:

The A's and Pirates go again tomorrow evening, as Gerrit Cole takes the mound to oppose Jarrod Parker. First pitch, 7:05PM.

Wednesday, June 26, 2013

Series Preview: Oakland Athletics @ Pittsburgh Pirates

Posted on June 26, 2013 at 11:35 PM.

(0)

Series Preview | July 8-10, 2013

Oakland Athletics
(49-40, 29-18 Away)

Pittsburgh Pirates
(53-35, 28-17 Home)

Team Comparison
.259	AVG	.270
.413	SLG	.450
.335	OBP	.280
3.98	ERA	2.77

Pitching Probables
Colon (9-6, 3.48)	Game 1	McDonald (8-4, 1.57)
Anderson (7-5, 3.33)	Game 2	Cole (2-1, 0.97)
Parker (6-3, 2.77)	Game 3	Liriano (6-3, 2.62)

Game Notes
- The Pirates, 7-3 in their last 10 games, currently sit 5.0 games ahead of the Cardinals for first place in the NL Central. - The Athletics, 7-3 in their last 10 games, currently sit 3.0 games behind the Angels in the AL West, but do hold the top AL Wild Card spot.

Pirates Notebook: Taillon Impresses in Triple-A Debut

Posted on June 26, 2013 at 11:24 PM.

(0)

by Tom Singer / MLB.com / July 7, 2013

Jameson Taillon made his highly anticipated debut for the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians against the Toledo Mud Hens (40-51). Taillon pitched eight innings, alloweing two runs on six hits, while walking four and striking out five. Taillon's ERA is at 2.25.

Regular Season Game #88: Pittsburgh Pirates @ Chicago Cubs

Posted on June 26, 2013 at 11:00 PM.

(0)

July 7, 2013
2:20PM

Wrigley Field - Chicago, IL
Weather: 91�, Clear
Attendance: 33,830

Game #88: Pittsburgh Pirates at Chicago Cubs
Jul 7, 2013	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	R	H	E
Pittsburgh (53-35)	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	9	0
Chicago (37-51)	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	2	5	0
W: James Russell (1-2) L: Kyle McPherson (0-1) S: N/A

Pittsburgh Pirates
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: A. Cabrera (15) RBI: C. Barmes (20) SAC: W. Rodriguez
BASERUNNING SB: S. Marte (16)

Pittsburgh Pirates
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
W. Rodriguez (L, 8-6)	8.0	3	1	1	1	9	2.68
K. McPherson	0.1	2	1	1	0	0	27.00

Chicago Cubs
HITTERS	AB	R	H	BI	BB	SO	AVG
BATTING 2B: S. Castro 2 (18) RBI: A. Rizzo (46), S. Castro (42)
BASERUNNING SB: D. Sappelt (3)

Chicago Cubs
PITCHERS	IP	H	R	ER	BB	SO	ERA
T. Wood	6.0	6	1	1	0	7	4.61
K. Fujikawa	1.0	1	0	0	0	2	4.25
J. Russell (W, 1-2)	2.0	2	0	0	0	3	5.46

Cubs Rally in 9th Spoils Pirates Sweep Attempt

CHICAGO - The Pirates have dominated the Cubs from a pitching standpoint thus far this series, allowing minimal offensive performances to squeeze the Pirates past the Cubbies for another series win. As the Pirates look to sweep the Cubs, a battle of lefties awaits, as Wandy Rodriguez opposes Travis Wood.

In the top of the 1st, after Wood got Marte to ground out, Asdrubal Cabrera doubled to deep center field. Andrew McCutchen then followed with a ground out for the second out of the inning. Unfortunately for Cabrera, Pedro Alvarez would strike out swinging to end the half of the inning. In the bottom of the 1st, Darwin Barney led off with a strike out. Dave Sappelt followed with a single, then stole second to get into scoring position. Starling Castro then doubled, scoring Sappelt to give the Cubs a 1-0 lead.

The Pirates would answer right back in the top of the 2nd, as Michael McKenry singled with one out. After advancing to second on a ground out by Travis Snider, Clint Barmes then singled, giving McKenry just enough time to get around the bases and slide in at home to be called safe, tying the game at 1.

Neither team cracked the hit column until the 5th, when Clint Barmes singled with one out. Wandy then sacrificed Barmes to second, followed by a single from Starling Marte to put runners on first and third. Marte would steal second with Asdrubal Cabrera batting, but it would go for naught as Cabrera struck out to end the inning.

Heading into the top of the 9th with the score still tied at one, Travis Snider singled with one out. After Clint Barmes struck out swinging, Russell Martin pinch hit for Rodriguez, only to fly out at the warning track to end the inning. With Wandy's day done, Clint Hurdle turned to recent call-up Kyle McPherson. Sappelt would bunt out for the first out of the bottom of the 9th, but McPherson would soon after get into trouble, as Starling Castro doubled. Anthony Rizzo then singled, which scored Castro to seal the Cubs win.

Player of the Game:

The Pirates head back to PNC Park for a six game home stand before the All-Star break, starting with a three game set against the Oakland Athletics. In game one, James McDonald opposes Bartolo Colon. First pitch, 7:05PM.