Pittsburgh Pirates @ Bare Baseball - Baseball MLB Blog

Pirates pull out opener against Marlins

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:40:00 +0000

07/21/2006
MIAMI -- Nate McLouth and the Pirates are finding that even after a key mistake, there's always a chance to right the ship
With the game tied at 3 after a solo home run by McLouth in the eighth, Jeromy Burnitz and Jack Wilson each delivered an RBI hit in the top of the ninth off Marlins reliever Randy Messenger to put the Pirates ahead. Mike Gonzalez then picked up his 16th save, despite a shaky bottom of the ninth, to seal a 5-3 win over the Marlins on Thursday night at Dolphin Stadium.
Burnitz and Wilson's clutch hits capped a three-run comeback by the Pirates over the final two innings. Trailing, 3-2, in the eighth, McLouth hit a blast off Marlins reliever Logan Kensing to tie the score and redeem himself after striking out with the bases loaded in the fifth.
"Shows your growth," McLouth said. "You know, I had that strikeout with the bases loaded, so it kind of atoned for that, tie the game up late. It's kind of nice for myself, but also nice to get the win."
Growth by young players like McLouth is something Pirates manager Jim Tracy said he has seen a lot of in the past seven games. In that time, the Pirates have gone 5-2 and have finally been able to get the big hits that had eluded them so often in the first half of the season.
"We came up with some timely hits, and, obviously, that's something that's haunted us through much of the first half," Tracy said. "We have played I don't know how many games like that this year, and if we continue to understand those little things right there and the execution of them, just our fair share of them, it will help to make a genuine understanding of how great that group of players is capable of being."
The Pirates' comeback ensured that Ian Snell's latest start wouldn't completely go to waste. A home run to Mike Jacobs, along with RBI hits by Dan Uggla and Hanley Ramirez, were the only blemishes on an otherwise solid outing for Snell. The young right-hander allowed three runs on six hits over six innings, with four strikeouts and just one walk, taking his fifth no-decision of the year.
Though he didn't get the victory, it was a bit of revenge for Snell after his last outing against the Marlins. In that disastrous start, Snell gave up seven runs on seven hits over just 1 1/3 innings.
"I held a grudge against them since that game we had against them in Pittsburgh," Snell said. "They're an aggressive young team, just like us. I just didn't fall into the same routine that I fell into last time -- fastball, fastball. I just kept mixing up my pitches and locating my pitches."
Trailing 1-0 following Ramirez's RBI double, the Pirates briefly took the lead when Jason Bay extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a two-run homer in the fourth off Marlins starter Josh Johnson.
In the fifth, the Pirates had a chance to add on to their lead. Jose Bautista and Jose Castillo belted back-to-back singles with one out off Johnson. Then Snell got to first on a sacrifice bunt to load the bases. But McLouth struck out and Wilson grounded out to third to end the inning.
Jacobs tied it again with his homer to lead off the fourth and Uggla stroked an RBI triple in the sixth to give the Marlins a 3-2 lead.
Salomon Torres (3-4) entered with one out in the eighth and struck out Cabrera and Uggla to pick up the win.
The Pirates kept up the offensive surge in the top of the ninth. Bautista walked to open the inning, and Castillo put down a key sacrifice bunt to advance Bautista. Then, on a wild pitch by Messenger, Bautista advanced to third. Following a walk to Ronny Paulino, Burnitz and Wilson tacked on their RBI hits.
Despite the two-run cushion, Gonzalez managed to make things interesting in the bottom of the ninth. After striking out the first two batters he faced, the Pirates closer gave up a walk and a single to Miguel Olivo and Wes Helms, respectively.
"I just hit the wall there, kind of lost my composure a little bit," Gonzalez said. "Got two quick ones and either way I went deeper into counts. That's just one of those things I've got learn -- where after you get two outs, try to get the ground ball instead of trying to strike the guy out."
Gonzalez did get the strikeout, though, on Alfredo Amezaga in the next at-bat to get out of the jam and pick up the save.
Gonzalez credited the All-Star break with giving him and the Pirates a chance to reboot and contributing to the team's strong play so far in the second half.
"At the All-Star break, I went home and I felt like I recharged my batteries, got ready to go," Gonzalez said. "I feel like a lot of these guys thought about what was going on, thought about what they're going to need to do to be successful, and they're doing it."

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Casey likely for trade

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:40:00 +0000

07/19/2006
PITTSBURGH -- Sean Casey was elated to be traded to his hometown Pirates in the offseason. Much less thrilling is the likelihood that his homecoming will be cut short as a trade deadline casualty.
"You're human and there's a human side to this," Casey said. "To say I don't think about it, I would be lying to you."
With Casey indicating on Wednesday that the Pirates still have not contacted him to discuss a contract extension, a trade is appearing more and more likely.
The Pirates are believed to be heavily pursuing Rockies first baseman Ryan Shealy and published reports in San Francisco indicate the Giants, who have a gaping hole at first and are only 3 1/2 games off San Diego's division-leading pace in the National League West, are very interested in Casey.
The talks bother him, sure, but he went through the same situation during his last years in Cincinnati. Casey, who has as much perspective on the game as anyone in baseball, knows full well the nature of the business.
"You're always going to be in trade talks when your team isn't doing well," Casey said. "But that's part of the business, part of the job. I know when I come and show up to play, I'm still playing for the Pirates."
Still, it is clear he is one Pirates veteran in the final year of his contract who would be disappointed by a trade. He hasn't hidden his fondness for the area.
"I really do love it," Casey said. "I like it here in Pittsburgh a lot."
Daylight woes: Some 10 hours after leaving PNC Park after Tuesday's 13-4 loss, a bleary-eyed Jose Bautista was sitting in front of his locker in the clubhouse on Wednesday morning.
A day game after a night game. It's a practice the Pirates will have gone through at home 26 times, as many as any team in baseball, by season's end.
No big deal, but in those games, the Pirates are just 2-11. Under the lights, they're 21-12. What gives?
"It's one of those things you can't explain," Bautista said. "I mean, as soon as you wake up, you have to come to the ballpark, when usually you get to stretch your body out and do whatever, like walk around the mall. But I really don't know."
He then, of course, acknowledged that both teams are in the same boat.
The only explanation for Casey is that it's simply one of baseball's many statistical aberrations.
"Sometimes in baseball, there's really no rhyme or reason to a lot of things," Casey said. "Yeah, the turnaround time is tough, but hey, it's the same for everyone. So it can't really be an excuse."
Steel City tunes in to ASG: The reviews of last week's Midsummer Classic in Pittsburgh were unanimously gleaming. And now that the local television ratings are in, it's apparent most of the Steel City had their eyes on the shimmering North Shore.
Pittsburgh led all metered markets with a 22.9 share, the highest rating produced by the host city in the eight years FOX has been broadcasting the Midsummer Classic. Of all the televisions in use during the All-Star Game's slot, 34 percent of them were tuned to the happenings at PNC Park.
Bucs bits: Actor Tom Hanks, director Ron Howard and comedian Dennis Miller could be seen in the second row behind home plate on Tuesday night at PNC Park, among the 20,086 who witnessed the Pirates' season-worst 13-4 loss. For Hanks' 50th birthday the three friends have been on a personal ballpark tour. ... Ryan Vogelsong was knocked around for six runs over just four innings in his second start at Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday. ... The slumping Jose Castillo was given the day off at second base on Wednesday. Freddy Sanchez moved to second, giving Joe Randa the rare start at third. ... The Pirates and the Yankees appear to be close to a deal involving 41-year-old reliever Roberto Hernandez, the Newark Star-Ledger reported. The only thing that could stall the proceedings, as it has in past days, is the Pirates likely insistence that the Yankees absorb the contract of Jeromy Burnitz, who is still owed roughly $2.5 million this season. Plus, there is a $500,000 payment if he is traded and it would take $700,000 to buy out his contract for next season.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Bucs polish off Rockies in finale

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:38:00 +0000

07/19/2006
PITTSBURGH -- Any progress the Pirates had made in the past week was slipping away fast as the misery of their first half came seeping back in during the ninth inning of Wednesday's 6-5 Pirates victory over the Rockies.
Holding a 6-4 lead heading into the final frame, Mike Gonzalez made things plenty interesting, allowing four of Colorado's first five hitters to reach base and close the gap to one.
Manager Jim Tracy watched as his closer vigorously paced around the mound in the agonizing humidity of the early afternoon.
"It seemed like I was out there forever," Gonzalez would later say.
Two months ago, in this same situation, Tracy would have certainly summoned Roberto Hernandez from the bullpen to finish the deal. But on this day, he never saw Gonzalez's confidence waver.
Even when he worked the count full to Rockies All-Star Matt Holliday and was being booed by the 19,881 at PNC Park, he was outwardly intense, which Tracy knew could have been mistaken for unease. But he saw that Gonzalez was in full control.
"He's not afraid of the inning," Tracy said. "That's what makes him so interesting."
On a 3-2 offering, Gonzalez struck out Holliday with a high fastball. Then with the crowd standing, he followed with another swinging strikeout to Ryan Shealy to nail down his 15th save of the season.
The Pirates are now heading south to Miami with a modicum of confidence, having won consecutive series for just the second time all season.
"It's a great start to the second half of the season," Tracy said.
"[We are] very positive," Sean Casey said. "We're trying to forget about our record and look forward. Let's quit talking about [winning] and do it."
The Pirates battered Rockies ace Jason Jennings for six runs over just six innings, making the 28-year-old right-hander endure his worst outing since April. Over his previous six starts, Jennings had allowed just seven earned runs.
All six of the Bucs' runs came with two outs -- a stark contrast to the Pirates' first half woes in the clutch. On Wednesday, their approaches palpably changed with runners in scoring position.
"It's a huge stride," Tracy said. "It's something that was lacking in the first half of the season. It was very encouraging."
The Bucs' strides started in the fourth inning with Casey's run-scoring single and continued when Joe Randa drove a two-run double to the wall past center fielder Choo Freeman.
Randa, who got a rare start at third and finished 2-for-4, is now hitting .394 in 23 games since being reinstated off the disabled list with a stress fracture in his foot and has seen his trade value soar.
"I feel like I'm healthy and finally able to do some of the things I'm capable of," Randa said. "I'm felling good right now."
Trailing, 4-3, in the sixth, the Pirates were able to pick up a win for starter Zach Duke with another three-run spurt. With two outs and nobody on, the Bucs banged out three straight singles to knot the game at four. Ronny Paulino delivered the decisive blow with a two-run double down the right-field line to put the Bucs ahead for good.
Duke was largely impressive in notching his second consecutive win, despite faltering in a three-run sixth. The 23-year-old lefty allowed four runs on seven hits over six innings.
"I had hitters on the defensive today and that was the key," Duke said.
"Pitching is everything when you're in close games," Randa said. "We got it today."
For Tracy, Wednesday's win offered him another opportunity to look back at what could have been this season. If only they had this pitching and situational hitting before the season unraveled. If only they hadn't gone 10-25 in one-run games. If only.
"We're not going to get them all every time, but if we picked up one here and there the first half of the season, the outcome of it would have been dramatically different," Tracy said.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Tracy sees improvement

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Fri, 21 Jul 2006 18:36:00 +0000

07/20/2006
MIAMI -- Six games is nothing to get too excited about, but few can deny that the Pirates have looked like a different team since the start of the second half.
The Pirates' improvement has not been lost on manager Jim Tracy, who credits the club's play over the past two series against the Nationals and Rockies, both of which the Bucs won, to the team's growth.
"I think the first thing is maturity," Tracy said. "One of the first things I saw was some things that looked very anxious in game-on-the-line situations. And we ended up playing right into the hands of the opposition in those cases, because we were not stepping back and saying, 'What's the situation?'"
The Pirates made plenty of those mistakes in the first half of the season, but so far they've shown signs of being able to overcome those growing pains. A perfect example is Wednesday's win against the Rockies.
All six of their runs in the victory came in two-out situations. Trailing 4-3 and with two outs in the sixth inning, the Pirates tallied three straight singles to tie the game up. Ronny Paulino then came to bat and hit a two-run double to give the Pirates the lead.
"The way you grow and continue to get better is you walk to that plate and make mistakes and say, 'Hey, you should think about this,'" Tracy said. "But that takes time. And over time I've seen us get much better at it. And it's because we're peforming much better in those situational at-bats."
Wilson on a tear: One of the key players in the Pirates' strong second-half start that Tracy cited as vital to the ballclub is the same one who is manning the infield every game.
"I don't think it's ironic that the way we've performed through our first six ballgames in the second half, Jack Wilson has been in the middle of it," Tracy said. "He has played extremely well since we started the second half, in all phases of the game."
Since the All-Star break, Wilson has gone 11-for-26 (.423), with three doubles, a triple, three RBIs and seven runs scored. The stretch has also raised his average from a season-low .257 to .270.
"He's taken very good at-bats," Tracy said. "Whether they are the at-bats where we need him on base, he's played terrific, absolutely terrific."
One area where Wilson rarely drops off is in the field, where he mans the Pirates' infield from shortstop and leads the club in assists (260).
"Let's face it, he's a centerpiece on the club, and he's a centerpiece in the middle of the field defensively," Tracy said. "And he's doing everything. He's making great plays, and he's making all the routine plays."
Bautista adjusting: Learning a new position is often a difficult undertaking and, at times, one a player isn't too keen on making. Just ask Alfonso Soriano. But Jose Bautista has made a solid transition from the infield to the outfield.
Though he had spent much of his career as a third baseman, the Pirates already have an All-Star at third in Freddy Sanchez, and, therefore, Bautista has spent much of this season as the Pirates' regular center fielder.
Tracy said that considering the small amount of playing time Bautista has had at center field, let alone in the Majors overall, he's performed well.
"With as limited an amount of time as he's played out there, you don't expect perfection," Tracy said. "Overall, are you satisfied with what you're seeing from this guy? Yeah."
Despite having little experience as an outfielder, Bautista has shown himself to be capable out there and able to hold is own.
"He's made some terrific plays in center field, looks very solid in the outfield," Tracy said.
Bautista's addition to the outfield has also given Tracy a chance to utilize another strong bat in the Pirates' lineup. In his first season as an everyday player, Bautista is batting .272 with 11 home runs and 29 RBIs.
"It's given us an opportunity to send him to the plate how many more times?" Tracy said. "He's another very bright spot, in my opinion."

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Snell feeling more comfortable

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 19:06:00 +0000

03/22/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Now that Ian Snell has earned a spot in the rotation, he said he's not working on anything specific. Well, maybe just one little thing.
"We've all got different things we need to work on; mine's to get hitters out," said Snell, after his second loss of the spring. "Last year, I didn't have such success with that, so this year I just want to work on that."
It was a simple plan that worked, some times better than others, on Wednesday. Snell allowed a home run on an 0-2 pitch in the first; it was center fielder Vernon Wells' first of the spring. He responded by inducing six straight outs before left fielder Frank Catalanotto doubled in the Blue Jays' second run.
Snell said knowing he has a definite place on the team has helped his confidence, which in turn contributed to him responding well to the few hard hits he allowed Wednesday.
"I actually keep the ball down a lot more now," Snell said, referring to his development. "And I can elevate when I need to, and keep it down. I can actually throw my changeup for strikes, and breaking balls behind in the count."
Snell was solid after Catalanotto as well, holding his ground until the fifth inning, when second baseman Aaron Hill drove a 2-1 pitch over the wall in left. It was the final batter Snell faced, and he finished with two strikeouts and four runs on five hits. Of his 65 pitches, 47 went for strikes.
Snell admits to having rushed his pitches a bit in the past, but said added experience coupled with MAP (Mental And Physical) sessions with the Pirates have helped him immensely when dealing with situations such as Wednesday, when it wasn't all smooth sailing.
"This year, I get the ball, and I take a deep breath, get calm, look around, focus on the mitt and just calm myself down a lot," he said. "In your childhood, you always dreamed of facing these hitters. But then, as they foul off pitches, now you just start worrying about getting them out, bearing down and throwing the right pitch."
Perez glad for honor: In the first time he'd spoken since being named Pittsburgh's Opening Day starter, Oliver Perez played the perfect part, standing proud in his Hines Ward jersey while fielding questions and downplaying manager Jim Tracy's selection.
"I'm happy for that opportunity, and I'm going to try to do my best, obviously," Perez said. "I was a little bit surprised. Not surprised because you want to be on the team, and I knew I was. But I thought there were other guys."
Still, Perez said he wasn't putting too much on the decision.
"When you do that, you put too much pressure on yourself and you don't throw good. Don't think too much, just play baseball, that's what I'm going to do."
Tracy remains mum: Tracy said he wasn't leaning one way or the other in regard to deciding on the rotation's final pitcher, but that the decision will be made soon, as early as Thursday. Tracy announced on Tuesday that right-hander Ryan Vogelsong was out of contention for a starting job, leaving right-handers Brandon Duckworth and Victor Santos to vie for the last opening.
Bay swamped: As the Pirates stretched near the dugout before the game, Toronto fans clamored for space along the fence in left field, eager to toss out encouragement and grab an autograph from All-Star left fielder Jason Bay. A native of Trail, British Columbia who played for Team Canada in the inaugural World Baseball Classic, Bay hung back after batting practice to interact with the crowd.
"It was really nice to see all the snowbirds and Blue Jays fans; it's the whole Canadian aspect," he said. "Canadians are very welcoming people in general, and not a lot of Canadians come through the Major Leagues in general, so they celebrate it."
Bay hit .455 (5-for-11) with a double and three walks in three games for the Canadians, who were eliminated in the first round with a 2-1 record following a 9-1 loss to Mexico. In Wednesday's 7-1 loss to the Toronto, Bay went 0-for-2 with a walk.
Still, it didn't dampen the mood, or keep the crowd from rooting for its native son.
"I don't get home very much any more, so it's a good feeling to see all the [Canadians] around," said Bay, who now lives with his wife in Phoenix. "A lot of people came up to me just to say, 'Hey, I'm from Canada, too,' and it was great."
Quotable: "Baseball's not hockey, I'm not going to lie. But it's still a pretty big deal up there, too." -- Bay, on sports in Canada

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Bucs silenced by Blue Jays

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 19:05:00 +0000

03/22/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: In the first inning, Vernon Wells sent an 0-2 pitch from Pittsburgh's Ian Snell over the left-field wall for a solo home run -- his first shot of Spring Training. Russ Adams singled and stole second in the third inning, then scored on an RBI double by Frank Catalanotto. Adams added an RBI single in the seventh. Bengie Molina had an RBI single in the fourth and Aaron Hill hit his first homer of Spring Training in the fifth.
Pirates at the plate: Ryan Doumit and Jose Bautista each doubled against Toronto -- the only two hits for Pittsburgh. Bautista's hit came in the eighth inning and he later scored when Ray Sadler reached first base on an error by Jason Phillips, who was playing third base for the Jays.
Blue Jays on the mound: In his first start of the spring, Gustavo Chacin allowed one hit in three scoreless innings. Chacin, who missed part of Spring Training while playing for Venezuela in the World Baseball Classic, struck out three and walked three.
Pirates on the mound: Starter Ian Snell threw 65 pitches -- 47 strikes -- in 4 1/3 innings. He struck out two and gave up four runs on five hits, including the homers to Wells and Hill.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Bucs downed by Reds

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:58:00 +0000

03/23/2006
Reds at the plate: Tony Womack's two-run homer capped a four-run fourth inning for the Reds.
Pirates at the plate: Freddy Sanchez's sacrifice fly scored the game's first run in the bottom of the first inning. The Pirates did not bat in the bottom of the ninth because of rain.
Reds on the mound: Left-hander Dave Williams faced his former teammates and handled them well. In a rain-aborted outing, Williams pitched three innings and gave up one run on two hits. He did not return after a 38-minute rain delay following the top of the fourth inning. Veteran Rick White pitched a scoreless fifth for the Reds. And fresh from pitching for Team Korea in the World Baseball Classic, left-hander Jung Keun Bong worked a 1-2-3 sixth.
Pirates on the mound: Left-hander Paul Maholm made his fourth start of Spring Training and had a rocky go of things. The Reds knocked Maholm around in the fourth for four runs. In all, he gave up six runs on six hits.
Grapefruit League records: Pirates 13-10-1; Reds 14-10

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Pirates come away injury free

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:44:00 +0000

03/23/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Manager Jim Tracy could exhale finally. He'd gotten his Pirates through a game where rain made keeping his players on the field too long a dicey proposition.
So Tracy wasn't disappointed Thursday one bit that the Pirates didn't bat in the ninth inning of a 6-2 loss to the Reds.
"Nobody got hurt -- bottom line," he said. "I feel bad about the fact that you have to take players out of the game in the fourth inning, but, you know, there are so many things when you get moisture like that, and you leave other people [hanging] around and [playing] and somebody ends up pulling a groin.
"That's the last thing you want to see."
As Tracy tries to shape his 25-man roster, he doesn't want to see players end up on the disabled list with Opening Day two weeks away. He says he can't afford that, not with the progress the ballclub has made this spring.
"The last thing you wanna do is lose somebody to an injury you could have prevented by simply taking 'em off the field, which is what I did," Tracy said.
He wasn't saying that he'd rather not have restarted the game after the rain delay in the fourth inning. Far from it, Tracy said. In continuing to play, he saw a couple of things that pleased him.
One thing that stood out, he said, was the play of Jose Bautista in center field. Put in to replace Chris Duffy, the 25-year-old Bautista displayed the kind of glove that drew raves from Tracy.
"He went and got a ball out there toward the wall in deep left-center field and made it look easy," Tracy said. "Effortless -- pretty intriguing to me."
Rough showing: Left-hander Paul Maholm used an appropriate word for his outing Thursday against the Reds. As he put it, the outing was "rough."
It's hard to quarrel with his critique. For in four innings, Maholm gave up six runs on six hits, including Tony Womack's two-run homer.
"I made some good pitches," he said. "Womack, I threw it where I wanted to and he hit it out. So, it's just one of those days, and I can put it in the back of my mind and just carry on toward the season."
No doubt he can, because his task isn't so much to impress Tracy as it is to get his stuff sharp for the season. Maholm (2-2, 8.50 ERA) has made the team, a situation that was so unlike what he faced last Spring Training.
As camp winds down, his plans are to work on command and get his pitch count up. He hopes to reach the 90-pitch mark before the team leaves for Pittsburgh.
He's back: Tracy put third baseman Freddy Sanchez back in the starting lineup Thursday. Sanchez had sat out the last few games with tightness in his groin.
Tracy also had plenty to say about Sanchez, who went 0-for-1.
"He's a very headies player," Tracy said of Sanchez. "He's got talent, and he knows the game. He understands the game. He understands offensive situations as a hitter. He has a terrific glove. ... a winning player."
The question is: Who holds the Pirates record for most hits in his rookie season?
Quote 'em: "One night in Pittsburgh, thirty-thousand fans gave me a standing ovation when I caught a hot dog wrapper on the fly." -- Pirates first baseman Dick Stuart, whose shaky glove earned him the nickname "Dr. Strangeglove".
Did you know: Triples remain a rare hit in the Major Leagues, but did you know that a Pirate holds the Major League record for the most triples in a season? In 1912, Chief Wilson collected a whopping 36. The next highest total in a season is 26, held by three (Sam Crawford, Kiki Cuyler and Shoeless Joe Jackson).
Numbers game: For the first time since Feb. 26, the Pirates saw rain here. That's a span of 25 days.
Grand expectations: Maholm didn't want to share what his goals were for 2006. He called them "personal."
"I'm not gonna throw any crazy numbers out there," he said.
Pushed to do so anyway, Maholm did.
"Thirty wins," he said, smiling.
Trade bait: If utilityman Craig Wilson is headed elsewhere, elsewhere isn't likely to be Baltimore.
The Orioles like the 29-year-old Wilson, who can catch. But they aren't interested in Wilson's $3.3 million salary, unless the Pirates develop an interest in catcher Javy Lopez, whose contract is an even bigger contract than Wilson's.
Odds and ends: With a double Thursday, Jody Gerut has five hits in his last 10 at-bats. ... Going into the game against the Reds, Nate McLough ranked second in the Grapefruit League in stolen bases (five). ... Ian Snell ranked sixth among pitchers in the league in innings pitched (17 1/3), and Zach Day was tied for third in strikeouts (14). ... Marty McLeary leads the Pirates in wins with three. He has a 3.00 ERA to complement his five appearances this season. ... Right-hander Ryan Vogelsong, who seemed destined for a long-relief role, worked two scoreless innings against the Reds.
And the answer: In 1927, Lloyd Waner, brother of Hall of Famer Paul Waner, collected 223 hits as a rookie, a Major League record that stood until 2001 when Ichiro Suzuki collected 242 hits in his rookie season.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

McLouth homers as Bucs fall to Phils

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:43:00 +0000

03/24/2006
Phillies at the plate: Chris Coste continued his torrid spring with a two-out, two-run double in the seventh to put the Phillies ahead, 5-4. He's hitting .500 this spring. Aaron Rowand reached base safely in four at-bats. The center fielder went 3-for-3 with a single, double, home run and a walk. He also stole a base and scored three runs. Chase Utley added a single and a sacrifice fly. Mike Lieberthal went 2-for-3 and scored a run.
Pirates at the plate: Center fielder Nate McLouth hit his third home run of the spring. Jody Gerut went 2-for-3 with an RBI. Shortstop Jack Wilson went 2-for-4 with a run scored. Jose Bautista had a double and scored a run. First baseman Paul Chiaffredo reached base safely three times, with a single and two walks. Chiaffredo also scored once.
Phillies on the mound: Starter Eude Brito had an outing to forget. Brito, battling for a spot in middle relief, gave up a home run to the first batter he faced and allowed four runs in two innings. Arthur Rhodes pitched one scoreless inning, allowing one hit. Ricardo Rodriguez pitched three innings in relief, allowing no runs and no hits with two strikeouts.
Pirates on the mound: Starter Oliver Perez made his second start of the spring, allowing two earned runs in four innings pitched. Perez, who pitched for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic, gave up six hits and had five strikeouts.
Grapefruit League records: Philadelphia 15-7-1, Pittsburgh 13-11

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Perez feeling stronger

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:42:00 +0000

03/24/2006
CLEARWATER, Fla. -- The end result was another no-decision, but Pittsburgh Opening Day starter Oliver Perez was still satisfied with his performance.
"I feel real good, I feel like I'm stronger," said Perez, who missed the first half of Spring Training while representing Mexico in the World Baseball Classic.
Perez didn't see much action in the tournament -- a combined four innings in two games -- and so he said above getting the win lies the task of stretching himself out, growing stronger and solidifying his pitches for Opening Day.
According to Perez, he's right on task.
"Right now, I felt like I was throwing in the first game," he said after working four-plus innings in Friday's 5-4 loss to Philadelphia.
There were a few rough spots -- Phillies center fielder Aaron Rowand homered off Perez in the first inning and doubled in his next at-bat -- but Perez remained unruffled, scattering six hits and walking two while notching five strikeouts. He threw 67 pitches, 38 of them for strikes.
"I was trying not to think too much, just throw the ball and not try to be too perfect," he said. "I'm still working on my mechanics."
Pirates manager Jim Tracy was duly impressed with Perez, who was making just his second spring appearance. The first time out, the 24-year-old southpaw surrendered two runs on one hit and a walk, and faced nine batters in the two innings he worked of a 9-7 win over Toronto.
This time, the results were much better.
"I thought he did a nice job; he battled and made some good pitches when he had to," Tracy said, and added that he also liked the increased life he saw in Perez's fastball on Friday, a sure sign the pitcher is finding his rhythm.
"I thought he had a very good workout. ... I think it's a good one to build on," Tracy said. "His next time out, you get him out there a little bit further, he's set up to go for Opening Day."
McLouth persists: Nate McLouth continues to make a statement for himself in the battle with Chris Duffy for the starting spot in center field.
Already tied with second baseman Jose Castillo for the second-most hits on the club with 14, the 24-year-old McLouth added to his sales pitch in his first at-bat, driving a 1-1 pitch onto the grass above the wall in right-center on Friday night. It was his third home run of the spring, tying him for most on the team and earning Tracy's seal of approval. McLouth has reached base safely 11 times in his last 24 plate appearances, a .458 average.
"No question, he's making a strong case for himself and everybody is paying very close attention to it," Tracy said. "We see what's going on."
Coming into the season, it was believed the center-field spot would belong to Duffy, a sophomore who was up and down with the club last season and has impressed coaches with his stellar defense and big bat. Like McLouth, Duffy bats left-handed, so the challenge for McLouth is giving the Pirates something different.
Even their careers are alike -- Duffy saw action in 39 Major League games during his rookie year, McLouth, 41. Duffy boasted a higher batting average with the Pirates in 2005 -- .341 (43-for-126) to McLouth's .257 (20-for-109) -- but now things have reversed, with McLouth's spring average of .309 trumping Duffy's .206.
Tracy said the two are comparable in size, speed and defense and added that with all the similarities between the contenders, it was difficult to choose an area where one outshined the other. Finally, he hedged, McLouth "maybe has a little more power."
"It's a pretty close call. I think we have to wait a few more days and see where the situation's going to take us before I get overly into expounding on it," Tracy said. "We still don't know the 25 we are going into the season with and we have another week.
"But is Nate McLouth still in the mix? Very much so."
Coming soon: The Pirates will work out at 4 p.m. ET on April 2 at Miller Park, home of the Brewers. Pittsburgh opens the season against Milwaukee at 2:05 p.m. ET on April 3. ... With Friday's loss at Clearwater, the Pirates now are 0-3 in night games this spring.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Pirates top Phillies

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:41:00 +0000

03/25/2006
Phillies at the plate: Bobby Abreu drove a 2-2 pitch over the wall in right field to give the Phillies their first run. Abreu's homer also tied the game. Jimmy Rollins broke the tie with his solo homer in the fifth.
Pirates at the plate: Jeromy Burnitz knocked in the game's first run with a solo homer in the bottom of the second. In the seventh, Jose Hernandez poked a bases-loaded single to right field that gave the Pirates a 5-2 lead. Nate McLouth's sacrifice fly scored a third run.
Phillies on the mound: Right-hander Brett Myers looked ready for the season in a six-inning outing that yielded three runs -- just two earned. He allowed seven hits. Right-hander Robinson Tedeja allowed three runs on two hits.
Pirates on the mound: Right-hander Victor Santos went 4 2/3 innings, gave up four hits and two solo homers.
Grapefruit League records: Phillies 15-8-1; Pirates 14-11-1.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Wells just happy to be back

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:40:00 +0000

03/25/2006
BRADENTON, Fla. -- Kip Wells called himself an optimist, which helps after the kind of misfortune that Well experienced earlier this Spring Training.
Wells underwent surgery on a blocked artery on March 6, and nobody, including Wells himself, knew with certainty what the prognosis for his return would be.
So, for the 28-year-old Wells, who returned to camp on Saturday morning, to speak optimistically about pitching is as good as the news can be, all things considered.
"It's good to get back here and be around your teammates and be around the game," Wells said. "Again, [these are] the steps of trying to recover from something like this that's gone on. So it's a fun day for me."
The fun quickly gave way to work, because Wells faces a recovery process that will take time, general manager Dave Littlefield said.
Littlefield outlined Wells' recovery program like this: long toss, sideline bullpen sessions, simulated games, extended Spring Training outings, periodic checkups in Pittsburgh and rehab outings in Triple-A. Throw all of that into a time frame, and a return to the Majors won't happen quickly.
"The sense is, with where we sit right now, that he's gonna be back and throwing for us in July," Littlefield said. "So we prepare in that way."
July is better than not at all, for the surgery Wells underwent is not insignificant. He's got three ugly scars on his body to prove it.
"A lot of these guys are looking forward to leaving in four or five days, and I'm just now showing up," said Well, who stated that he's ahead of where he thought he'd be. "So it's just kinda bittersweet. At the same time, it's the first stage of a process that hopefully won't take, you know, too terribly long."
Cut to 25? With the Pirates roster still at 40 players, Littlefield and manager Jim Tracy have decisions to make before camp breaks next week.
And the decisions will come when?
"I don't know, exactly," Littlefield said. "But that's something we'll have be doing at some point here soon."
No worry: If Victor Santos is worried about his head-to-head duel with Brandon Duckworth for a spot in the Pirates rotation, Santos didn't show it on Saturday.
After his 4 2/3-inning outing, he sounded like a man who is content with however the duel comes out.
"Whenever I go out there to pitch, I just want to throw the ball as good as I can, regardless of everything else," Santos said. "I don't think about anything else when I'm out there."
That's the same approach he's taken in his fight for a roster spot. He's not fretting it one bit -- or so it seems. Nor is the 29-year-old Santos overly concerned about when the Pirates will make their decision.
"It could be today, or it could be the last day of camp," said Santos, who went 4-13 with a 4.57 ERA for the Brewers. "It doesn't make a difference when they make it."
Maybe not to him, but Tracy is very interested in Santos and his performance. The race between Santos and Duckworth, who also worked against the Phillies, for the one open spot in the rotation is down to the home stretch.
"I thought they both did a great job," Tracy said of Saturday's efforts. "I thought they both did exactly what you wanted to see. ... Both guys passed today."
The question is: In 1952, Harry Heilmann, a star with the Tigers and the Reds in the first half of the 1900s, went into the Hall of Fame with one other person. That person was a Pirates star, but who was he?
Quote 'em: "I have an Alka Seltzer bat. You know -- plop plop, fizz fizz. When the pitcher sees me walking up there, they say, 'Oh what a relief it is.'" -- Former Pirates outfielder Andy van Slake, now a coach with the Tigers
Did you know: Jack Chesbro, who holds the Major League record for the most wins in a season, started his Hall of Fame career with Pittsburgh in 1899-1902. He went to the Yankees in 1903, and in '04, he won a record 41 games. Inducted into the Hall in 1946, Chesbro also set the all-time record with 48 complete games that season.
Numbers: On a brisk, sunny Saturday here, the Pirates drew 5,943 fans to McKechnie Field. The figure pushed the team's attendance total for Spring Training to 67,542.
Odds and ends: The Pirates will hold a 4 p.m. workout on April 2 at Miller Park, where they will open the season April 3 against the Brewers. ... The Pirates have sold 10,822 season-ticket packages, a figure that represents a 20-percent increase over the 8,880 the team sold last season. ... The Pirates will announce on April 28 the price and availability of tickets to the All-Star Game this summer in PNC Park. It will be the fifth time the All-Star Game has been held in "The Steel City" -- twice at Forbes Field (1944 and '59) and twice in Three Rivers Stadium (1974 and '94).
And the answer: It was outfielder Paul Waner who joined Heilmann in that two-man Hall of Fame class. Waner, nicknamed "Big Poison," got 83.3 percent of the votes cast, more than enough to get into Cooperstown. With his lifetime .333 average and 3,152 hits, some have to wonder why it took voters so long to select Waner.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Pirates play home run derby in loss

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:40:00 +0000

03/26/2006
Blue Jays at the plate: Vernon Wells had three hits, including an RBI single in the second inning and an RBI double in the fourth. Eric Hinske hit his sixth home run of the spring in the sixth inning. Shea Hillenbrand, Bengie Molina, Aaron Hill, Alex Rios and Lyle Overbay chipped in RBIs.
Pirates at the plate: Jason Bay and Craig Wilson hit back-to-back solo home runs twice off Toronto starter Ted Lilly. The first set of consecutive shots came with two outs in the first inning and Bay and Wilson hit the second pair of long balls off the left-hander in the fifth. Chris Duffy added a two-run homer off Lilly in the fourth. Ryan Doumit hit a solo shot off Blue Jays reliever Scott Schoeneweis in the seventh.
Blue Jays on the mound: Lilly struggled in his latest outing. He gave up seven runs -- six earned -- on eight hits, including five home runs, in five innings. Lilly struck out six, but he hit two batters, walked another and threw one wild pitch. The lefty threw 95 pitches, including 64 strikes.
Pirates on the mound: Left-hander Zach Duke threw 74 pitches, including 48 strikes, in four innings. He allowed eight runs -- six earned -- on 11 hits with one walk.
Grapefruit League records: Blue Jays 10-16; Pirates 14-12.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Notes: Duke down after defeat

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:38:00 +0000

03/26/2006
DUNEDIN, Fla. -- Zach Duke didn't have quite the outing he was looking for in Sunday's 9-8 loss to the Blue Jays. The southpaw scattered 11 hits and allowed eight runs, six earned, over four rocky innings for his third loss of the spring.
"I never accept an outing like this as something that is good -- it's just not in my character," Duke said. "I expect the best, and if I don't get the results, I get upset."
Still, Pirates manager Jim Tracy said he was impressed with the 22-year-old's composure, particularly the grit the youngster showed after Toronto put three runs on the board in the first inning.
"[I saw] a kid that was still battling, never broke down, kept making pitches ... a few ground balls found their way right down the third-base line, that's what you look for," Tracy said. "When things aren't exactly unfolding the way you'd like to see them, you like to observe the body language of the individual and see how he's handling it.
"I saw a very young, mature pitcher who was out there still making pitches. ... That tells me something about that guy. And what that tells me is, he's going to have a lot more good days than bad days, because he gets it."
To his credit, all three runs in the first scored after second baseman Jose Castillo bobbled a double-play ball. Toronto also hit a few screamers right up the third-base line, resulting in base hits. Add in two broken-bat singles, and Duke was saddled with the hard-luck loss.
But Tracy seemed more positive than anything about the outing, and he was quick to come to Duke's defense, cautioning that one outing doesn't make a pitcher.
"That'll happen to the best of them, at any point in time in their career," Tracy said. "When they see [his toughness] on the other side of the field, there's no intonation whatsoever that, 'We got him,' because he's not backing off, and he's not going to back off. He's going to be a terrific Major League pitcher, sooner than later.
"He's already pretty good."
Bautista makes infield rounds: In two years of Major League baseball, Jose Bautista had never played shortstop.
Tracy decided there was no time like the present, and introduced Bautista to the position in the bottom of the seventh. It wasn't completely cold-turkey -- Tracy said Bautista had been taking infield at shortstop during practices. The result was an error-free two innings and a few snazzy stops.
"[The ball] found him a few times today, and a couple times of which were going to be very interesting plays to see what happened," Tracy said. "He made one up the middle, one deep in the hole to his backhand. ... He pretty much made every play you would ask a shortstop to make.
"He's shown us a lot this spring."
Bautista has now seen action at each of the outfield spots, second base and shortstop for the Pirates.
Sunday, Sunday, Sunday: During a time when many choose to kick back and relax, Jason Bay has been turning it up a notch at the end of the week.
The All-Star left fielder hit two home runs in three at-bats on Sunday to double his spring total. Each of his long bombs have come on the week's final day. All told, Bay is hitting 6-for-8 with eight RBIs on Sundays.
Bay denied feeling any different on Sundays, but he paused for a minute to reflect on the statistics, before brushing them off with a shrug.
"That's interesting," he laughed. "I thought it's usually that I do better on Fridays, but hey, any day is good."
Even more interesting, perhaps, was the piggybacking first baseman Craig Wilson did. Following Bay in the lineup, Wilson mirrored his performance in each of his three at-bats, resulting in back-to-back homers in the first inning, back-to-back strikeouts at the end of the second and start of the third, and another pair of homers in the fifth.
"He was following everything I did ... it was kind of neat," Bay said. "I've never done that before, exhibition or not."
Whittling down the numbers: The Pirates cut five players on Sunday morning before the team traveled to Dunedin to face the Blue Jays. Non-roster invitees Marty McLeary, J.J. Furmaniak, Ray Sadler, Jorge Vasquez and Paul Chiaffredo all were reassigned to Minor League camp, bringing the total active roster number down to 35.
Of the five, Sadler appeared to be having the best spring. The outfielder hit .364 (16-for-44) with two doubles, three home runs and six RBIs. Pittsburgh needs to trim the roster to 25 before it breaks camp next week.
Long ball battle: In addition to Bay and Wilson's two homers, center fielder Chris Duffy and designated hitter Ryan Doumit each went deep to bring the Pirates' spring total to 42 homers, second in the Majors and eight behind league-leading Detroit.
He said it: "If we were going to venture into that, we'd probably do that over at Pirate City first, just to kind of let him ease into that." -- Tracy, jokingly responding to an inquiry about when fans could expect to see Bautista pitch

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/

Snell gives up four runs in loss

b2blog@gmail.com (David) — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 18:38:00 +0000

03/27/2006
Reds at the plate: In his fourth game back from the World Baseball Classic where he hit .524 with three homers, Ken Griffey Jr. continued his superb spring. Griffey was 3-for-4 with two doubles and a two-run homer to center field in the third inning. He scored the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth on catch Ronny Paulino's passed ball. The center fielder is 7-for-15 (.467) with two homers for Cincinnati this spring. Adam Dunn had an RBI double with two outs in the fifth. Edwin Encarnacion was 1-for-3 with a double and a run scored. David Ross added a two-run single in the eighth.
Pirates at the plate: Jose Hernandez kicked off the scoring with a three-run homer to center field. Craig Wilson added a two-out solo homer in the third. Ryan Doumit was 3-for-3 with a double and a run scored.
Reds on the mound: Eric Milton made his third start and pitched five innings. He allowed three earned runs on five hits, including a pair of homers. He walked two and struck out four while throwing 88 pitches. Mike Burns gave up one run and two hits over two innings in relief.
Pirates on the mound: Pirates starter Ian Snell gave up four runs and five hits over five innings. Snell walked two and struck out four. C.J. Nitkowski faced one batter in the sixth. Salomon Torres pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings and struck out two.
Grapefruit League records: Reds 17-11; Pirates 14-13-1.

Source: http://pittsburgh.pirates.mlb.com/