The Pittsburgh Pirates 2011 and 2012 seasons both featured huge collapses, an... read more...

TOP OF THE SYSTEM A look at how the current top 20 prospects did today.  Note that this list doesn’t include players currently in the majors. If a player is in the majors, he will be removed, everyone below him will be shifted up a spot, and a new player will be added to the bottom of the list. Rankings are from the pre-season rankings, and links to each prospect writeup c... read more...

Jose Tabata has been better against right-handers than Travis Snider so far. Photo Credit: David Hague So far this season the Pittsburgh Pirates have been using Travis Snider most of the time against right-handers. However, when a lefty is on the mound, Snider is on the bench. On the season Snider has just eight plate appearances against lefties. Guys like Jose Tabata and ... read more...

Final: Pirates 1, Astros 0 (box) WP: Jeff Locke (4-1, 2.73 ERA) LP: Lucas Harrell (3-5, 4.63 ERA) SV: Jason Grilli (17, 0.92 ERA) Jeff Locke started and pitched seven scoreless innings. He struck out four, walked two, and gave up just three hits. Andrew McCutchen was scratched due to soreness in his right knee. Apparently he was able to pinch hit, but was not used. The onl... read more...

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Pedro Alvarez leads the Pirates with 8 home runs. (Photo credit: David Hague) It’s an overall negative that the Pirates could only score eight runs in three games against the Houston Astros, baseball’s worst run prevention team. It’s an overall negative that that they could only crack open four total hits on average starting pitcher Lucas Harrell, and needed 15 hitters Sun... read more...

Sunday's games: -- Gerrit Cole got pounded as Indianapolis lost to Pawtucket, 11-3. He allowed eight... read more...

Andrew McCutchen has missed only 10 games since the start of 2011. (Photo Credit: David Hague) What a two months it has been for Starling Marte. The Pirates left fielder has evolved from a potential-packed-but-raw leadoff hitter to a possible All-Star. Marte was set to have a day off before the team’s scheduled off-day Monday, but Andrew McCutchen is a late scratch due to ... read more...

Jeff Locke and the Pirates shut out the Astros 1-0 Sunday afternoon. Locke has already proven he's perfectly good at shutting down Triple-A lineups... read more...

Another quality start for A.J. Burnett was not enough. (Photo Credit: David Hague) Seeing the Houston Astros again must make the Pirates nostalgic for last year, when Andrew McCutchen and A.J. Burnett strapped the team to their back in the first half and carried them to first place on their own will. So it was again for the Pirates (25-18) in a 4-2 loss Saturday night at P... read more...

Pittsburgh Pirates slugger ... read more...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have scratched Andrew McCutchen from the lineup today agains... read more...

Neal Huntington was asked about some grades after the fi... read more...

Here's the lineup for today's 1:35 matchup against Lucas Harrell and the Astros: Starling Marte CFTravis Snider LFGarrett Jones RFGaby Sanchez 1BN... read more...

A.J. Burnett has the NL’s most strikeouts, and Astros’ hitters have struck out the most times in MLB. (Photo Credit: David Hague) A.J. Burnett will start Saturday night with the most strikeouts (72) in the National League and 25,000 bobbleheads with his face in the PNC Park stands. While he trails MLB leader Yu Darvish (86 strikeouts), Burnett faces a Houston offense that ... read more...

Luis Heredia will be joining West Virginia soon. On Thursday I went over to Pirate City to watch Luis Heredia make a start in extended Spring Training against the Philadelphia Phillies farm system. There hasn’t been a lot to write about Heredia this year, as the Pirates have held him out of action. He only threw in a game once during Spring Training, which came at the end ... read more...

The Astros beat the Pirates 4-2 in 11 innings Saturday night thanks to a heroic relief outing by Jose Cisnero. Despite walking four, A.J. Burnett pitched seven strong innings and left with a 2-1 lead, even though third baseman Mat... read more...

Everybody was in action Saturday, including a doubleheader for West Virginia. -- Indianapolis ran its record to 31-13 with a ... read more...

Last season, Hughes posted a 2.85 ERA with 50 strikeouts in 75.2 innings. (Photo Credit: David Hague) Right-handed reliever Jose Contreras has been placed on the bereavement list due to a death in his family, and the Pirates have recalled righty Jared Hughes to take his spot in the bullpen. Contreras made his Pirates debut May 5 and has pitched in five games, with four str... read more...

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