Pittsburgh Pirates Rumors & News

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "It was during an instructional week at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla., last summer that Stetson Allie finally felt something new after nearly two years as a pro baseball player: comfort. Allie and the rest of the minor league pitchers got a chance to step into the cage for a bit of batting..." May 24

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "Travis Snider's run-scoring triple in the second inning Thursday was clutch, but it was the finishing touch the right fielder put on the head-first slide into third base that made it even more memorable. Snider was still face down when he lifted his arms toward the Pirates' dugout and flashed..." May 24

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "The first time he walked into PNC Park, Pirates outfielder Travis Snider did the usual new-arrival tour. He checked out the clubhouse, video room and indoor batting cages. He got a feel for the outfield corners. He stood at home plate and judged the sight lines from the batter's box. As Snider..." May 23

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Francisco Liriano said he worked hard this offseason to perfect a tweak in his delivery. Manager Clint Hurdle said he has watched a lot of tape and still can't see a difference. The difference in the results, however, is undeniable. Liriano has been dominant this season and continued that..." May 23

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Travis Snider already had put his helmet back in the dugout when he felt a tug from behind. The crowd was beckoning him back on the field, and teammate Neil Walker was pushing him onto the dugout steps for his first career curtain call. "I actually grabbed the wrong helmet because I was kind..." May 22

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Pirates removed Andrew McCutchen from the lineup Sunday because of pain in his right knee. McCutchen approached the Pirates' coaching staff after taking batting practice Sunday morning to inform them of the discomfort. "[He] had right knee soreness and he wasn't comfortable," manager Clint..." May 20

Houston Chronicle "First, there was the beer-and-shaving-cream postgame celebration in the shower. Then former perfect-game winner and current Astros bullpen coach Dennis Martinez tossed over the game ball while the rookie pitcher was still confidently answering questions from the media. The Astros fought back to..." May 19

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Jordy Mercer had only a few hours to unpack his bags before the Pirates beckoned him back to the majors. This time, he hopes he can settle in for a little bit longer. Two days after optioning Mercer to the minors, the Pirates recalled the infielder Wednesday and placed backup shortstop John..." May 16

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Away from the cramped quarters of Miller Park, Wandy Rodriguez got his revenge. Rodriguez, three starts removed from a poor outing on the road against the Milwaukee Brewers, shut them down with seven strong innings in the Pirates' 3-1 win Wednesday night at PNC Park. Rodriguez (4-2)..." May 16

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Catcher Russell Martin returned to the Pirates' lineup Tuesday night after missing six of the past seven games because of neck stiffness and might provide an antidote to the steal-happy Milwaukee Brewers. Martin's neck stiffened after the weekend series against the Washington Nationals that..." May 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Mike Fiers was the only option Milwaukee Brewers manager Ron Roenicke had in his bullpen as the game reached the 12th inning Tuesday night. In came Fiers to face Andrew McCutchen, leading off the top of the 12th. Shortly thereafter, McCutchen was rounding third, his teammates gathered at the..." May 15

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Pirates activated second baseman Neil Walker from the disabled list and optioned infielder Jordy Mercer to Class AAA Indianapolis, the team announced this afternoon. Walker was placed on the disabled list after sustaining a deep cut to his right hand, an injury that occurred April 26 when..." May 13

New York Post "There was a time, not that long ago, when people thought Jon Niese might be the ace of the Mets’ rotation this season. That was before Matt Harvey started drawing comparisons to every former great right-handed pitcher. But Harvey, as the Mets have learned, can’t pitch every day, and while..." May 12

New York Post "The Mets can’t hit lefties, can’t hit at home or in the clutch. Their slump is so bad that even one of the few big hits they got in a humbling 7-3 loss to the Pirates — Jordany Valdespin’s ninth-inning homer — left heads shaking and a sour taste, thanks to yet more showboating by the..." May 11

New York Post "The NL strikeout leader was at Citi Field last night and his name was not Matt Harvey. A.J. Burnett — 16-10 with a 3.51 ERA last year with Pittsburgh — is 3-3 with a 2.57 ERA and 62 strikeouts this season, when the Yankees are paying $8.5 million of his $16 million salary. The consensus is..." May 11

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Before serving as A.J. Burnett's manager, Clint Hurdle paid close attention to Burnett for one season. That was 2010, when as the Texas Rangers hitting coach Hurdle studied Burnett for ways to beat him. Hurdle took over the Pirates as manager in 2011 and eventually Burnett crossed his radar..." May 11

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "Getting a rare day off seems to have helped Andrew McCutchen break out of one of the worst slumps of his career. Over the first 24 games of the season, McCutchen batted .216. That funk included an 0-for-17 stretch that was the longest he'd gone without a hit. McCutchen didn't play April 28..." May 10

Newark Star-Ledger "The bullpen had saved the game. Then, it had lost it. Finally, Mike Baxter won it. And for the third straight game, the Mets walked off in dramatic fashion. After eight innings of roller-coaster baseball, the Mets pulled out a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates Thursday night at Citi..." May 10

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Seattle starter Felix Hernandez lived up to his dominant billing as the Mariners beat the Pirates, 2-1, this afternoon at PNC Park. Former Cy Young winner Hernandez allowed one run on six hits in eight innings, striking out five batters to earn his fifth win of the season. The Pirates (18-15)..." May 09

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "There is no bad blood, rivalry or even a history between the Mariners and Pirates. They are hardly neighbors, given Seattle's edge-of-the-earth locale. They are, in fact, barely acquainted. Tuesday night, they met for the first time at PNC Park since a three-game series in June 2004. Since the..." May 08

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Pirates got a lift from pitcher Jeanmar Gomez, tabbed for a spot start less than three hours before the scheduled first pitch, to beat the Mariners, 4-1, tonight at PNC Park. Gomez struck out five batters in five scoreless innings, allowing two hits and two walks to earn his second win of..." May 08

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "When the cut on Neil Walker's right hand necessitated a move to the disabled list, the Pirates had options to replace him. They could have chosen Josh Harrison, who has started 23 major league games at second base and was hitting .300 with a .410 on-base percentage after the weekend games with..." May 07

SportingNews.com "Kevin McClatchy said he was afraid that his efforts to keep the Pirates in Pittsburgh would be jeopardized if his homosexuality became public. The former Pirates owner told Pittsburgh television station KDKA that he stayed in the closet in part to ensure a financing deal for PNC Park would go..." May 07

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "The Pirates placed James McDonald on the 15-day disabled list this afternoon after the pitcher complained of discomfort in his right shoulder. Jeanmar Gomez will make a spot start in McDonald's place tonight against the Seattle Mariners. The Pirates made the announcement a little more than two..." May 07

Bleacher Report "The Pittsburgh Pirates may finish 2013 with their 21st consecutive losing season—a feat unrivaled in Major League Baseball history. However, the future appears bright. Led by center fielder Andrew McCutchen, the Pirates have a solid young core playing well in PNC Park. Outfielder Starling..." May 06

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Francisco Liriano made what could be his final rehabilitation start Sunday as he prepares to join the Pirates for the first time this weekend. Liriano started for Class AAA Indianapolis and threw 98 pitches in five innings, allowing four runs on seven hits. He gave up one home run, walked one and..." May 06

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Jose Contreras was every bit the newcomer Friday, trying to find the right size hat and speaking to several media members before the game. For Contreras, 41, this most recent introduction was the latest of several in his career. " May 04

Rotoworld.com "Pirates placed 2B Neil Walker on the 15-day disabled list, retroactive to April 27, with a laceration on his right hand. Walker required six stitches in his right index finger last Friday after he had his hand stepped on at second base. The Pirates were hoping that Walker could avoid a stint on..." May 03

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "There are two versions of Wandy Rodriguez. There is the Rodriguez who excels at home, and the Rodriguez who struggles on the road. The Pirates' starting pitcher is one of the best left-handers in the game when he's at home, where he has 3.40 career ERA. On the road, Rodriguez has a career..." May 01

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "A four-run eighth inning helped the Pirates overcome an early deficit and avoid a sweep as they beat the Brewers, 6-4, this afternoon at Miller Park. Starling Marte hit a two-run homer off Milwaukee reliever John Axford to tie the score with no outs in the eighth, and Brandon Inge hit a two-out,..." May 01

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel "The unwavering patience with Rickie Weeks finally paid off for the Milwaukee Brewers on Tuesday night. The slumping second baseman racked up three hits, including a huge three-run home run to right-center in the eighth for some insurance in what would be a 12-8 win over the Pittsburgh..." May 01

MLB.com "Neil Walker will not have the stitches removed from his right index knuckle by the time the Bucs return home on Friday -- as he'd originally hoped -- but the second baseman could still soon return to action. Perhaps even during the Milwaukee phase of this current road swing. Manager Clint..." April 29

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "Pirates catcher Russell Martin on Monday was named National League player of the week for the period ending April 28. In six games last week, Martin batted .375 (9 for 24) and topped the league with four home runs, a .958 slugging percentage and 23 total bases. In a 9-0 victory against the St...." April 29

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Jeff Locke turned in another dazzling performance, and Russell Martin hit two home runs as the Pirates beat the Cardinals, 9-0, this afternoon at Busch Stadium. Locke (3-1) pitched seven scoreless innings, allowing three hits and striking out three batters in the longest outing of his young..." April 28

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Before the start of the game Friday night, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said he hoped to get six innings out of starter Jonathan Sanchez. He didn't get one inning. Or even one out. Sanchez was ejected in the first inning, the first of three Pirates ejections in a 9-1 loss to the Cardinals Friday..." April 27

Fox Sports Midwest "Remember when Jonathan Sanchez threw that no-hitter for the San Francisco Giants back in 2009? The Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher for Friday night’s game against the Cardinals may have hit rock bottom after getting tossed just 17 pitches into the bottom of the first inning in St. Louis...." April 27

CBSSports.com "Baseball commissioner Bud Selig seemingly has planned to step down, retire or vacate his job almost since he took office back in 1992. But this time, he is much more emphatic about his retirement pronouncements, even to the point of believability. “You can believe it,'' Selig said, pretty..." April 26

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "As the wheels slowly came off for the Philadelphia bullpen, the Pirates took advantage of every Phillies mistake. They had some timely hits, none bigger than Garrett Jones' bases-loaded double in the eighth, but they capitalized on walks and a hit batter as well. The Pirates won, 6-4,..." April 26

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Starting a pitch over the plate requires trust. It requires conviction. And when that pitch is the best one in the arsenal, the pitcher needs a decent amount of both. The team has had conversations with reliever Jared Hughes about regaining that trust and conviction in his two-seam fastball,..." April 25

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Of course Brandon Inge stepped to the plate with the bases loaded in the eighth inning Wednesday night at Citizens Bank Park. Philadelphia Phillies manager Charlie Manuel had just summoned left-handed reliever Jeremy Horst to face Garrett Jones. Pirates manager Clint Hurdle countered with Inge,..." April 25

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "As if playing with the up-and-comers in the Class AAA International League wasn't enough of a reminder of Brandon Inge's age, an umpire made sure to point it out. Told the 35-year-old Inge hadn't played shortstop since 1998 in college at Virginia Commonwealth, the ump said, "Man, I was 12 years..." April 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "In preparation for Tuesday's start, Jeff Locke added a dose of reality to his practice session. Like a golfer who plays the course in his mind on the driving range, Locke simulated potential matchups against the lineups the Philadelphia Phillies sometimes use against left-handers. "You got..." April 24

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "Jonathan Sanchez will stay in the rotation despite two consecutive poor outings, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said Monday as Sanchez attempts to address the problems he has encountered early in the season. "Right now I don't anticipate any adjustments to the rotation," Hurdle said. Hurdle met..." April 23

Pittsburgh Post-Gazette "At this point, Pirates manager Clint Hurdle doesn't believe that Francisco Liriano's performance in his rehabilitation starts is important. What's important, Hurdle said, is that he continues to pitch. "I really don't care a whole lot right now," Hurdle said after Liriano allowed four runs on..." April 22

Pittsburgh Tribune Review "The Pirates entered Wednesday with just three quality starts from their staff in 13 games, the woes continuing early this week as starters James McDonald and Jonathan Sanchez struggled on back-to-back nights against St. Louis. Manager Clint Hurdle needed good news, and he received it..." April 18