Pirates News

"It's not often that a baseball organization can walk away from negotiations with super agent Scott Boras and say, "Thanks, Scott, thanks a lot." That's the position the Pirates were in due to their good fortune of having Boras as the representative for the player they selected in the first round of the June amateur draft. That's right, good fortune. Once Boras became involved, the negotiations and eventual signing of Pedro Alvarez became a media circus. Never before had so much attention been focused on the signing of the team's first pick. Usually, it's a fairly routine event, even in this age of excessive media hype. Although the prospects of signing Alvarez always were somewhere between ..."

"With no leeway to squander any edge they can find, the Cardinals got another superb start from Braden Looper only to lose it in a lackluster performance that has become habit at home. Pittsburgh starter Ian Snell trumped Looper's seven stout innings with seven shutout innings in the Pirates' 4-1 victory Tuesday at Busch Stadium. Snell struck out eight and sent the Cardinals toward their eighth loss in 11 games at home, this one coming in front of 39,502, the smallest crowd since the Pirates visited in May. Looper held the Pirates to one run, scored in the first inning, only to see it stand as the difference until both starters were out of the game and the ninth unraveled. Looper's fifth ..."

"To say Bob Nutting is pleased with the direction his long-beleaguered and much-maligned franchise is taking would be an understatement. The Pittsburgh Pirates chairman has had a smile on his face all season after jettisoning chief executive officer Kevin McClatchy, general manager Dave Littlefield and manager Jim Tracy last year and replacing them with Frank Coonelly, Neal Huntington and John Russell. Nutting's smile has been even broader the past few days after the Pirates signed 32 of their 50 draft picks for a club-record $9,780,500, including a club-record $6 million signing bonus to first-rounder Pedro Alvarez, the left-handed hitting third baseman from Vanderbilt. The days of the ..."

"One loss at the end of an otherwise spotless trip rarely is cause for concern, but that was the reality for the Mets yesterday. Warning signs abounded for Jerry Manuel's club during a 5-2 setback here yesterday to the lowly Pirates that squelched the Mets' bid to complete a perfect seven-game trek through Washington and Pittsburgh The loss, which included Manuel's fourth ejection as interim manager, ended a six-game win streak and cut the first-place Amazin's lead in the NL East to 1½ games over the idle Phillies. As if questions that popped up about the arm strength of starter John Maine and reliever Duaner Sanchez weren't worrisome enough, the bullpen imploded again while the bats went ..."

"Total team effort." That was reliever Tyler Yates' description of the Pirates' 5-2 flattening of the New York Mets yesterday at PNC Park. And, on an afternoon where Paul Maholm again pitched well, Adam LaRoche went deep, Sean Burnett won for the first time in four years, Steve Pearce broke open a tie with an eighth-inning RBI, and Jack Wilson kept pecking away, one of sports' most worn cliches seemed wholly appropriate. In this case, it might have started with the mindset. The standings glaringly illustrate the irrelevance of the rest of 2008, and the sagging offense during the four-game losing streak leading into this one had the feel of one of those familiar late-season swoons. Except ..."

"John Maine throws five innings and leaves with a 2-0 lead. PITTSBURGH - John Maine hasn't allowed a run in two starts since returning from the disabled list. He can't be fully pleased, either. Maine has lasted just five innings in each appearance because of high pitch counts. After needing 90 pitches to navigate five innings in D.C., Maine required 96 pitches for that length this time while again walking four batters. He turned over a 2-0 lead to the bullpen, but the Mets lost to the Pirates, 5-2, Monday. More ominously, Maine's right shoulder is still sore - not like the pain in Miami that sent him to the DL with a mildly strained right rotator cuff, but still noticeable. "It's not ..."

"On the road, in a city away from home, at the end of a long trip, it is easy to make a wrong turn. Argenis Reyes did this for the Mets early in Monday's game and got tagged out at first base after appearing to be safe because of a wild throw. That proved a symbolic moment for the Mets, who lost, 5-2, to the Pittsburgh Pirates, a defeat which ended their six-game winning streak. They remained in first place in the National League East, a game and a half ahead of the second-place Philadelphia Phillies, who were idle. In the Mets' previous defeat, last Monday at Shea Stadium, also in a day game against Pittsburgh, the bullpen squandered a 5-1 lead and the Pirates won, 7-5. On this sunny ..."

"Steve Pearce's bases-loaded single in the eighth broke a tie and lifted the Pirates to a 5-2 victory against the New York Mets this afternoon at PNC Park, avoiding a four-game sweep. Jack Wilson followed with a two-run double for insurance, each of those hits came off Duaner Sanchez, who gave up hits to all three batters faced. Paul Maholm pitched well again, with two runs over seven innings. Adam LaRoche hit a no-doubt, two-run home run to the top of the seats above the Clemente Wall in the sixth inning, off a John Maine fastball. That tied the score at 2-2, which is where it stayed until Pearce's single. Sean Burnett bailed Tyler Yates out of a bases-loaded eighth-inning jam by retiring ..."

"This was precisely what the Mets had in mind for their $137.5 million. Johan Santana was superb to the point of sublime here yesterday afternoon, proving himself worthy of every penny of that huge contract with a complete-game, 4-0 shutout of the Pirates that extended the first-place Amazin's win streak to six games. The win also helped the Mets maintain a two game lead in the NL East over the Phllies, who defeated the Padres 2-1 last night. It was a showing that practically defined the term "ace." Santana retired the first 10 batters, struck out seven, walked none and tossed an astounding 85 of his 113 pitches for strikes. Sure, the going-nowhere Pirates are notorious free swingers, ..."

"Talk about complete domination. Johan Santana tossed a three-hitter and the Mets won their sixth straight, 4-0, over the Pirates Sunday. Brian Schneider contributed a homer and three RBI and Carlos Beltran also went deep as the Mets continued to bludgeon the National League's doormats. The first-place Mets (68-56), who swept the Nationals in D.C. before arriving here, will attempt just their second perfect road trip of seven-plus games in franchise history when John Maine opposes Paul Maholm this afternoon. The Mets went 7-0 in July 1991 during a trip to Montreal and Philadelphia. Santana (11-7) rolled through his second complete game this season with a 113-pitch effort that included an ..."

"In Johan Santana's masterful 4-0 shutout for the Mets on Sunday, he threw 113 pitches against the Pittsburgh Pirates. The only surprise was that a full 28 of them were called balls. Santana struck out seven Pirates and walked none to raise his record to 11-7, tied with Mike Pelfrey for the most victories on the staff. He allowed only three hits, one an infield single. The Mets have won six consecutive games and 9 of their last 11. After a ragged adjustment to the National League, Santana is now displaying the consistent form that earned him two Cy Young Awards in the American League with Minnesota. It was his second complete game of the season and his first shutout. "He has confidence in ..."

"Pirates left fielder Brandon Moss helped off the field in the seventh inning this afternoon after twisting his left ankle while grounding out against the New York Mets' Johan Santana. On the play, Moss swung at a one-strike pitch and chopped it softly to shortstop Jose Reyes. Reyes muffed the play, but Moss never left the box, twisting and crumpling immediately. After about two minutes, manager John Russell and athletic trainer Brad Henderson helped him to the dugout, with Moss not applying any pressure to the left foot. More details to come. 4:15 p.m.: Moss has an ankle sprain, the team announces. X-rays did not detect a break, but he will have more tests performed tomorrow. 4:19 p.m.: ..."

"Thanks to Pedro Martinez, a Met rotation that already was imposing now looks downright intimidating. The bullpen? Not so much. But at least it seems the Amazin's can count on Martinez, who continued to put his injury-filled first half behind him with another strong outing last night in a 7-4 win over the Pirates that kept Jerry Manuel's club perfect through five games on this trip. In his longest stint in nearly a year, Martinez (4-3) allowed just one run while scattering eight hits and striking out four in seven innings. The result was his first victory since July 12 after a frustrating string of three no-decisions and a loss. "It's starting to come along," Martinez said. "The last ..."

"PITTSBURGH - Pedro Martinez broke down crying in the visitors' dugout of this stadium two seasons ago, as his body betrayed him with a pair of calf-muscle tears. He finally looked like he was back to his pre-injury form Saturday night, in his emotional return to PNC Park. Martinez took a scoreless effort into the seventh and the first-place Mets won their fifth straight, 7-4, over the Pirates. Jose Reyes' game-opening homer to left field set the tone and the Mets survived rookie reliever Eddie Kunz's ninth-inning misadventures to continue a perfect trip against also-rans Washington and Pittsburgh. "The first thing that came across my mind was that. I didn't feel good about coming into the ..."

"Pedro Martínez of the Mets, who is likely to enter the baseball Hall of Fame, is no longer the dominant and intimidating pitcher he was in his prime with the Boston Red Sox from 1998 through 2004. At 36, he has evolved into a crafty artist who gets by on guile and style, using slow stuff to set up a reduced fastball. Perhaps Martínez, idled by injuries much of this season, is merely the fifth-best member of the five-man starting rotation of a first-place team. But, oh, what a show he still can put on, especially against a lower-echelon team like the Pittsburgh Pirates. Before a capacity crowd of 37,506, beneath a full moon on a gorgeous summer night in one of America's prettiest ballparks, ..."

"Pirates left-hander Zach Duke is stuck in a six-week rut. "I've tried everything," Duke said. "I've tried different warm-up techniques, different routines. Nothing's worked." The trouble continued Saturday, when the New York Mets stomped the Pirates, 7-4. Duke went six innings and was roughed up for nine hits, including home runs by Jose Reyes and Ramon Castro. The Mets led 3-0 after the first inning and 4-0 after two. "He was missing his spots and they hit him pretty good," Pirates manager John Russell said. "It's taking him two or three innings to get into any kind of rhythm. By then, the damage has been done." Duke (4-11) has lost a career-high seven straight decisions. He is winless in ..."

"Just six pitches into tonight -- when Mets leadoff hitter Jose Reyes reversed the direction of a thigh-high fastball, planting it into the left field seats -- there was a hint the struggles of Pirates pitcher Zach Duke would continue. The hint quickly transformed into a horrifying reality, as Duke dug his team a four-run hole after the second inning and the Pirates fell, 7-4, against the visiting Mets at PNC Park. It was Duke's seventh consecutive loss, dropping his record to 4-11. He threw 47 pitches in the first two innings, and his night ended after he threw six innings, yielding six runs. All of them were earned. The left-hander hasn't won since June 9, and it was glaringly evident he ..."

"The Mets are finally starting to do what first-place teams do best: beat bad teams. The Amazin's began this seven-game trip with a chance to feast on two of the dregs of the NL, and they did so once again last night in a 2-1 win over Pittsburgh at sold-out PNC Park. A four-game win streak courtesy of the woeful Nationals and Pirates along with holding a one-game lead in the NL East sounded as good to the Mets as the postgame Collective Soul concert after Mike Pelfrey picked up his team-leading 11th victory. "Winning these kinds of games [against also-rans] is what you're supposed to do if you want to be a playoff team, so it's a nice feeling for us to take care of business," Pelfrey said. ..."

"PITTSBURGH - Billy Wagner is scheduled to be on the premises today, but the Mets will have to deal with two more games minus their closer. Seven scoreless innings by Mike Pelfrey, which were aided by fielding gems from Carlos Beltran and Jose Reyes, nearly went for naught Friday night as a bullpen that dominated in D.C. briefly reverted to flammable form. The first-place Mets held on for a 2-1 win over the Pirates, but their difficulty navigating the eighth offered a vivid reminder of a rainout makeup five days ago in Flushing. In that game against Pittsburgh, the bullpen surrendered six runs over the final three innings and Aaron Heilman suffered a blown save. This time, Heilman picked ..."

"The Pirates wasted numerous scoring opportunities tonight against four New York Mets pitchers and dropped a 2-1 decision before a soldout crowd at PNC Park. The Mets, who entered the night with a one-game lead over the Philadelphia Phillies in the National League East Division standings, got seven strong innings from John Pelfrey (11-8) in winning their fourth consecutive game. Jack Wilson's first home run of the year in the eighth brought the Pirates back within a run after Pirates starter Jason Davis (1-2) gave up both New York runs in the first on an RBI single by David Wright and a wild pitch by Davis that allowed the second run to cross. The Pirates, who outhit the Mets, 9-8, have ..."

"The Pirates this afternoon signed their 20th-round draft pick, right-handed pitcher Quinton Miller, to a $900,000 bonus, plus a college education -- many times more than the standard for that round -- according to two sources. Miller, 18, was ranked the No. 1 prospect in New Jersey by Baseball America after going 6-3 with a 2.13 ERA in 21 appearances for Shawnee High School. He had 85 strikeouts and 14 walks in 52 2/3 innings. Among all prospects, he was ranked No. 158. He had signed a letter of intent to play for the University of North Carolina. It was the second signing in as many days of a late-round pick to a bonus approaching that of a first-rounder. Yesterday, the Pirates signed ..."

"It went to the final seconds, but the Pirates signed first-round draft pick Pedro Alvarez before Major League Baseball's deadline at midnight last night -- at 11:59 p.m. -- and they did so with the largest bonus in franchise history: $6 million, plus the remainder of his college tuition. The figure, part of a minor league contract, far exceeded the $4 million they paid to pitcher Bryan Bullington, No. 1 overall in 2001. But it was not the top bonus of the draft. The San Francisco Giants last night signed catcher Buster Posey, the No. 5 pick, to a $6.2 million bonus and minor league contract. And, a month ago, the Tampa Bay Rays signed shortstop Tim Beckham to a $6.15 million bonus. Alvarez ..."

"If Chris Dickerson plays like this every night, people will be saying "Adam who?" before long. But nobody plays every night the way Dickerson did Thursday. He went 3-for-5 with two doubles and a triple in the Reds' 3-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday night before a crowd of 35,439 at PNC Park. (The game was the opening act for REO Speedwagon and a fireworks display.) Dickerson drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out double in the sixth inning. He scored the insurance run after tripling in the ninth. "I'm kind of speechless," Dickerson said. "I felt really comfortable tonight. I think I worked the jitters out. I got good pitches to hit." Dickerson is one of those players who ..."

"There were 35,439 in PNC Park - most of them there to see the postgame REO Speedwagon concert and fireworks. The Cincinnati Reds and Pittsburgh Pirates do not draw 35,439, and what does it say when a 1970s-early '80s rock band nearly packs the place? Back in the 1980s, whenever Reds pitcher Mario Soto recorded a strikeout, the scoreboard flashed: "Mario Speedwagon." Some believe that Reds pitcher Johnny Cueto might eventually morph into a current Mario Speedwagon, if he can figure out how to reduce his pitch counts. One of REO Speedwagon's hits, "Keep Pushin,' " could be Cueto's theme song these days, and that's certainly what he did Thursday night, Aug. 14, to finally get a victory, 3-1. ..."

"It took a rookie in just his third day in the major leagues to help the Cincinnati Reds finally come through against the Pittsburgh Pirates and starter Ian Snell. Chris Dickerson had three hits and broke a sixth-inning tie with a two-out RBI double to help the Reds beat the Pirates 3-1 on Thursday night. "That was a huge at-bat," Dickerson said. With the score tied 1-all, Corey Patterson doubled to lead off the sixth against Snell (4-10) and moved to third on a ground out. Andy Phillips, pinch-hitting for starter Johnny Cueto, hit a grounder to third and Patterson was tagged out in a rundown after breaking for home. Phillips advanced to second on the play and scored when Dickerson lined a ..."

"The opening act for REO Speedwagon on Thursday night at PNC Park didn't rock - or roll. In front of a packed house for Skyblast fireworks and the late-70s pop band, the Pirates wasted many chances and fell to the Reds, 3-1, before an overflowing crowd. "It was one of those games we probably should have won," manager John Russell said. "We had the opportunities. It was one of those nights we couldn't come up with the big hit. It was unfortunate." The Pirates frittered away their best chance in the bottom of the seventh, failing to score with the bases loaded and none out, and the Reds clinging to a 2-1 lead. Beleagured Opening Day starter Ian Snell gave up only two runs, despite walking ..."

"The Pirates have been clutch all season long, their .280 average with runners in scoring position ranking second in the National League. But they never found that lane in stranding 10 runners and falling, 3-1, to Cincinnati last night before a SkyBlast-fueled crowd of 35,439 at PNC Park. They were 2 for 12 with runners in scoring position, with one of those actually driving in a run, and got no extra bases out of any of their eight hits. The last-place Reds took two of three in the series. There was a spectacular chance for the Pirates to tie in the seventh -- down, 2-1, at the time -- when Freddy Sanchez, Jack Wilson and Nate McLouth opened with singles to load the bases. McLouth's came ..."

"It may seem odd to anoint a pitcher with eight wins this season and 29 in his career as the ace of a pitching staff. However, considering the Pirates have the worst earned run average in the National League with a 5.12 mark, left-hander Paul Maholm's 8-7 record and 3.69 ERA through 24 starts this season looks pretty darn ace-like to Pittsburgh catcher Ryan Doumit. Maholm nudged his record over .500 on Wednesday night by pitching eight strong innings in a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park. "I don't think there's any question that he's pitching his way to the type of status where you can call him the ace," Doumit said. "He's been consistently good all year. Mentally and ..."

"Jose Bautista's stock in the Pittsburgh Pirates' organization continued to plummet Wednesday night. Bautista, who began the season as the starting third baseman but had become a seldom-used reserve this month, was optioned to Class AAA Indianapolis following a 5-2 win over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park while first baseman Adam LaRoche was activated from the 15-day disabled list. Bautista ceded his starting job to Andy LaRoche after the younger brother of Adam LaRoche was acquired from the Los Angeles Dodgers on July 31 in a three-team trade that also included the Boston Red Sox. Even when Andy LaRoche missed five games last week because of a bruised thumb, Bautista was in the lineup just ..."

"Let's play Two Questions (20 takes too long). One: Why is Josh Fogg still in the pitching rotation of the Cincinnati Reds when it is obvious that the season has been officially declared irretrievable? Fogg has the same chance of being in the Reds rotation in 2009 as Hillary Clinton has of living in the White House next year. Two: Why isn't Homer Bailey back in the rotation? Right now, his 0-6 record means nothing as far as where the Reds are headed this year and even if he finished 0-12 shouldn't he be wearing a Reds uniform to see if he'll be part of next year's rotation? Nevertheless, there was Fogg on Wednesday night, Aug. 13, in PNC Park, pitching a meaningless game between the two ..."

"The comebacks of Brad Penny and Nomar Garciaparra seemed to be headed in opposite directions Wednesday night. Penny labored through a season-low three innings, but the Manny Ramirez-aided lineup came back from a five-run deficit to set the stage for a walk-off home run by Garciaparra in the ninth inning that pushed the Dodgers to a 7-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies at Dodger Stadium. The win moved them into a tie for first place in the National League West with Arizona and pushed them to two games over .500. Manager Joe Torre didn't say much about Penny or the condition of his shoulder, instead steering the conversation toward how the relief efforts of Jason Johnson, Joe ..."

"First baseman Adam LaRoche, on the DL since late July, is expected to rejoin the big-league club today. LaRoche (rib cage) played three rehabilitation games at Single-A Hickory. He was 4 for 7 with a home run heading into Wednesday's game. • Second baseman Freddy Sanchez said he's about 70 percent, but the former All-Star was back in the lineup yesterday after missing two games with a sore rotator cuff. He had arthroscopic surgery last year on the same shoulder. "This has nothing to do with last year," he said. "Last year's (injury) is completely healed. My rotator cuff is nothing that will require surgery. The best thing that can be happening is the offseason." • Shortstop Jack Wilson ..."

"With the Major League draft deadline less than 48 hours away, the Pirates are batting .600 with their top 10 picks. But it's a quiet .600. The Pirates' front office, while not talking directly about any negotiations, expressed confidence the club would add some key signings to its draft class of 2008. President Frank Coonelly said late Wednesday afternoon the Pirates "continue to have dialogue" with first-rounder Pedro Alvarez and his adviser, super-agent Scott Boras. "We anticipate being busy, working late on Friday night," general manager Neal Huntington said. "We may have a few picks that come off the board, but we're still optimistic about bringing the majority of our picks that are ..."

"Nate McLouth had his All-Star moment at Yankee Stadium. Ryan Doumit, too, has heard plaudits from around the National League. But it is entirely plausible that, by the time this 122nd season for the Pirates comes to a close, no player on the roster will have had more of a breakout performance than Paul Maholm. Look it up ... His eight seemingly effortless innings in the 5-2 silencing of the Cincinnati Reds last night at PNC Park marked his 18th consecutive start of six-plus innings, raised his record to 8-7 and lowered his ERA to 3.69. Sound like no big deal? Dig deeper: That ERA, the key number for a starter, now ranks 15th among all of the league's qualified pitchers. His 2.81 ERA since ..."

"The Pirates today agreed to contract terms with Justin Wilson, their fifth-round pick and the winning pitcher in the recent College World Series for Fresno State University."

"No more than a minute or two had passed after Jose Bautista learned that he had been demoted to the minors, and he was on the phone with his agent, Bean Stringfellow. Probably no coincidence. The Pirates' starting third baseman most of the past two years was visibly stunned after general manager Neal Huntington and manager John Russell had informed him last night, in Russell's office, that he was being optioned to Class AAA Indianapolis. The move will clear space for first baseman Adam LaRoche to come off the disabled list today. "It doesn't feel good," Bautista said. "I definitely didn't see this coming, to tell you the truth. Got to go down there and play." What might he play? Neil ..."

"Paul Maholm's eight quiet innings -- two runs, seven hits -- and Brandon Moss' home run and double overpowered the Cincinnati Reds, 5-2, tonight at PNC Park. There were two blips for Maholm. Blasts, actually: Corey Patterson homered in the third, Jay Bruce in the seventh to account for all of Cincinnati's offense, and Bruce's came on a clear mistake pitch, a two-strike, elevated fastball. The Pirates' offense, which had given Maholm two total runs of support in his previous three starts, made sure the blasts were immaterial with a four-run fifth inning that chased Josh Fogg. Moss got it going with a double, and Jason Michaels lashed a 2-2 changeup into the bleachers for his eighth home run ..."

"The Pittsburgh Pirates got a first-hand look Tuesday night at Tanner Scheppers, who could wind up being the top pitching prospect in their organization. The Fresno State right-hander and the Pirates' second-round pick in this year' first-year player draft threw in the bullpen before a 5-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park. Scheppers missed Fresno State's run to the College World Series title in June because of shoulder problems. The Pirates have yet to sign Scheppers, whose fastball tops out at 99 mph, and the deadline for coming to contract terms with draft picks is Friday. "The ball looked really good coming out of his hand," Pirates General ..."

"This time, there would be no perfect game flirtation for Jeff Karstens. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander lost his bid for perfection Tuesday night with a five-pitch walk to Chris Dickerson, who was making his major-league debut, to begin the game. Karstens' bid for a no-hitter and his string of 15 shutout innings to begin his Pirates' career ended three batters later when Brandon Phillips hit a two-run home run into the left-field bleachers. The Cincinnati Reds went on to down the Pirates 5-1 in the opener of a three-game series at PNC Park and that marked quite a contrast to Karstens' first two starts after being acquired from the New York Yankees in a six-player trade July 26. He held ..."

"A good formula for ending a losing streak is to get an early lead and a solid outing from your starting pitcher. That's exactly what the Reds got Tuesday night in a 5-1 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates to snap a six-game losing streak. Brandon Phillips' two-run home run in the first gave the Reds the early lead. Edinson Volquez ran with it. "Edinson gave us all we needed," Reds manager Dusty Baker said. "He was outstanding." Volquez went 62/3 innings, allowing one run on five hits, in his best outing in a month. Volquez, 14-5, walked three and struck out five. "He was a little wilder tonight," Baker said. "He had been throwing a lot of strikes. Maybe he needs to be a little wild." ..."

"It is safe to say the opponent was just as focused on the ESPN highlight as the crowd. "The guy's been really dealing, and we knew that," Cincinnati manager Dusty Baker said. "Our thought was that we needed to get to him early.""

"With the signing deadline nearing, the Pirates brought in Tanner Scheppers, their second-round draft pick, for bullpen work at PNC Park. The 6-foot-4 right-hander from Fresno State, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, threw about 25 pitches in the home bullpen on Tuesday afternoon while many of the Pirates' top brass watched. The workout seemed to go well and might indicate the two parties will reach an agreement before the signing deadline at midnight Friday. • Freddy Sanchez and Jack Wilson - the National League's top double play tandem - sat out another game yesterday. Wilson hasn't started in the past five games because of a sore right shoulder. Sanchez missed his second ..."

"Nearly two weeks after becoming Pittsburgh Pirates, three newcomers got to see their home clubhouse. "Finally," reliever Craig Hansen said, standing at his new locker at PNC Park. Third baseman Andy LaRoche, left fielder Brandon Moss and Hansen got their first look at their new home Tuesday afternoon, as the Pirates prepared to open a three-game series with the Cincinnati Reds. The three players, acquired in the Jason Bay deal, had joined their new club in Chicago on Aug. 1, the day after the blockbuster trade, for the start of an 11-day, 10-game road trip. They saw Wrigley Field, as well as Arizona, Philadelphia, and a one-night stop at Shea Stadium for a make-up game, before getting into ..."

"Jeff Karstens wasn't perfect this time. The Pirates' right-hander, who flirted with perfection in his last start, got a visit from pitching coach Jeff Andrews seven pitches into the game and allowed a two-run homer in the first inning. Karstens didn't pitch poorly, but the game's other 25-year-old right-hander, Edinson Volquez of the Reds, was better. "I made a couple mistakes," Karstens said. "They beat us." Playing at home for the first time in nearly two weeks, the Pirates lost to last-place Cincinnati, 5-1, on Tuesday night at PNC Park in front of 23,686 fans. It was only the third win in the past 17 games for the Reds and snapped a six-game skid. Two Reds players got their first ..."

"Perfection probably was not in Jeff Karstens' sights this time around. Not for long, anway. Not when the first batter drew a walk, the next one merited a visit from the pitching coach, and the fourth went deep to set the stage for the Pirates' 5-1 flat-liner of a loss to Cincinnati tonight at PNC Park. It was Karstens' Pittsburgh debut and, unlike his 15 shutout innings against the first-place Arizona Diamondbacks and Chicago Cubs, his line against the last-place Reds looked conspicuously ordinary, with four runs -- three earned -- and seven hits over seven innings. That included Brandon Phillips' two-run home run in the first and Javier Valentin's solo shot in the fourth that brought a ..."

"Scott Boras is supposed to be the toughest agent - er, make that adviser in this case - in baseball. But Boras has been extremely quiet about negotiations between first-round draft pick and No. 2 overall selection Pedro Alvarez and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Boras is "advising" Alvarez because the NCAA does not allow its players to have agents. Technically, Alvarez is still a college baseball player. The third baseman has one season of eligibility remaining at Vanderbilt and Boras is apparently just helping the kid out through the goodness of his heart. At any rate, Boras politely declined to discuss the contract talks when approached during the All-Star Game festivities last month in New ..."

"The Pirates played in the first game at Shea Stadium April 17, 1964, winning, 4-3, behind Bob Friend. Yesterday, the Pirates played at Shea Stadium for the final time, and another Bob recalled a key game in his career at the same stadium. It was April 22, 1986. Bob Walk was in his third season with the Pirates. Jim Leyland, in his first season as the Pirates manager, remembered: "It was raining and our bullpen was short and we needed somebody to pitch some innings for us. Bob Walk said he could pitch and he kept coming to the dugout after the inning with rain dripping from his cap and snot dripping from his nose and saying he could go another inning. "You had to love the guy." Walk ..."

"Jerry Manuel still calls it a bullpen, but the proper term might be bull excrement. The stench permeated the air above Shea Stadium late yesterday afternoon and had the Mets in a daze, after a four-run lead evaporated in the final three innings. In a performance that left Mets fans pining for the good old days of Armando Benitez, Aaron Heilman tossed a live grenade into a bonfire, allowing four of the five batters he faced to reach base in the ninth inning, capping a brutal 7-5 loss to the Pirates. "We probably need to make some adjustments," a dumfounded Manuel said after watching his bullpen collapse for a fifth time in 10 games. "We can't continue to perform this way later in a game." ..."

"Nate McLouth batted leadoff Monday for the first time since July 30. Batting in the third spot for the first nine games this month, McLouth went 8 for 32 (.250) with two RBI, eight strikeouts and one extra-base hit. "I'm not gonna say we're moving him out of the three hole," manager John Russell said. "It will just depend on how I think the lineup looks. Today, it looked better with him leading off." • Freddy Sanchez, who had been hitting leadoff lately, was held out of the game with a sore right shoulder. "I don't see any reason he can't play (Tuesday)," Russell said. • Shortstop Jack Wilson also had an ice pack strapped to his achy right shoulder yesterday morning. "It felt pretty good ..."

"Jason Davis will get at least one more turn in the Pirates' starting rotation. After that, it's uncertain how the pitching staff will shake out. Davis got a no-decision Sunday against the Philadelphia Phillies. The right-hander pitched six innings and allowed two unearned runs and four hits. "Jason did a solid job," general manager Neal Huntington said Monday. "He could be a candidate for us, as we move forward." Sometime in the next few days, Huntington and manager John Russell will huddle to plot a pitching plan for the rest of the season. Paul Maholm, Ian Snell, Jeff Karstens and Zach Duke are set in their roles. The fifth spot could be filled by some combination of Davis, Tom ..."