While it has been a disastrous season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, they finished the home schedule on a high note – a 7-0 blowout victory over the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.

Chad Kuhl started for Pittsburgh and was dominant on the mound this afternoon.  He gave up just two hits and three walks in seven innings of work.  He took a no-hitter into the sixth inning before a double off the wall by Anthony Rizzo.  Still, it was a tremendous way for Kuhl to finish off his 2020 campaign.

The Pirates used the long ball to take control of this baseball game.  A solo homerun in each of the first three innings put the Bucs in front.  Colin Moran’s solo homer in the first scored the game’s first run, followed by dingers from Bryan Reynolds and Adam Frazier.

A single by Frazier in the four...

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For the majority of the 2020 season the Pittsburgh Pirates starting rotation and bullpen have been on different wavelengths.  When the starting rotation is going well, the bullpen struggles and when the starting rotation struggles, the bullpen is going well.  Tonight, both performed well and led the way in a 2-1 Pittsburgh victory over the Chicago Cubs. 

The offense for both teams came early and then were silent for the remaining eight innings.  In the top of the first Anthony Rizzo hit a 406 ft. solo home run to right centerfield to give Chicago their only lead.  The Pirates quickly answered with two solo home runs of their own during the bottom half of the inning.  Adam Frazier led off the inning with a 379 ft. dinger to right field.  That was followed up by a 415 ft...

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Steven Brault was magnificent on the mound on Tuesday night, holding the Chicago Cubs to just two hits and three walks in his seven innings of work on the mound, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 victory at PNC Park.

Before the seventh inning, Brault had pitched 10 straight hitless innings dating back to his previous start.  Despite not registering a victory on Tuesday, he did lower his ERA to 3.38 for the season while keeping the dangerous Cubs’ offense in check all night.

Pittsburgh scored the game’s first run in the bottom of the second.  Erik Gonzalez doubled on a line drive to right field, scoring Gregory Polanco.  A double by Adam Frazier in the fifth scored Polanco and the Bucs held a 2-0 lead.

The Bucs held the lead until the eighth inning, when the Cubs capital...

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Less than a week to go in the 2020 Major League Baseball regular season and it can’t come soon enough for the Pittsburgh Pirates.  Tonight, they opened a four-game series at PNC Park with the Chicago Cubs, and it looks like Pittsburgh is just going through the motions.  They received a good start from JT Brubaker, but a lackluster offensive performance an ugly bullpen outing led to a 5-0 Chicago victory.

Brubaker pitched 6.2 innings and allowed two runs on four hits with nine strikeouts and one walk.  That kind of line is worthy of a W, but not when you pitch for the Pirates.  An infield single by Javier Baez brought in Kyle Schwarber for the game’s first run in the second inning.  In the fifth inning Jason Kipnis would score on a Victor Caratini double to shallow right centerfield...

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The Pittsburgh Steelers built a big lead early, and held off a Denver Broncos rally in the second half to improve to 2-0 on the season with a 26-21 victory at Heinz Field.

Ben Roethlisberger threw for 311 yards with two touchdowns and an interception, James Conner rushed for 106 yards and a score, and Dionte Johnson led all receivers with 8 catches, 92 yards and a touchdown to lead the Steelers offense to a win today.

A two yard rush by Conner in the first quarter gave the Steelers a 7-0 lead, and after the Broncos answered with a field goal, Roethlisberger connected with Chase Claypool for an 84 yard touchdown to make it 14-3.  A Chris Boswell field goal from 21 yards made it 17-3 at halftime, and it looked as though this would be an easy victory for the home team.

But you have ...

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Joe Musgrove pitched six shutout innings this afternoon at PNC Park, but the bullpen gave up the lead, as the Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the St. Louis Cardinals by a 2-1 score.

Musgrove gave up just three hits and one walk while striking out 11 batters in his six innings of work on the mound.  But in what has become an all-too-common theme, the bullpen struggled to hold a lead.  Derek Holland was the culprit today, giving up two runs on three hits in the seventh inning, which proved to be the difference in the game. 

Jack Flaherty started for the Cardinals, giving up one run on two hits in six innings, while striking out 11 Buccos’ hitters.  Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his third save of the season.

A sacrifice fly by Colin Moran scored Bryan Reynolds ...

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With no shot at the postseason, the Pittsburgh Pirates have no choice but to look towards 2021.  In doing so that means giving young guys the opportunity to gain experience and show that they are worthy of being a part of a future turnaround for this organization.  Two players did that tonight, Mitch Keller and Ke’Bryan Hayes.

Hayes big night began in the first when he launched a solo homer to center field in the first inning.  The Pirates increased that lead in the third when Jose Osuna hit a homer to left.  The Buccos had two more runs cross the plate in the sixth.  Hayes came around to score on a Colin Moran single to right center field, after he hit a double.  A sac fly to center by Jacob Stallings put Pittsburgh ahead 4-0 after six innings.

Keller has been plagued by injuries...

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The Pittsburgh Pirates played a doubleheader for the second time this week, and unfortunately, they were swept in both.  On Friday night, after a narrow defeat in game one, the Bucs gave up a six run sixth inning as they fell to the St. Louis Cardinals 7-2.

Chad Kuhl fell to 1-3 on the season, giving up four runs (one earned) on five hits in five innings.  Chris Stratton gave up three runs (none earned) on one hit in the disastrous sixth inning.

The Cardinals scored the game’s first run in the fourth inning on a RBI single by Paul DeJong.  Bryan Reynolds’ two run homerun in the top of the fifth put the Bucs in front at 2-1.

Unfortunately, things fell apart for the Bucs in the sixth inning...

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For the second time this week the Pittsburgh Pirates played in a doubleheader.  Tonight, would feature a home and home matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals.  Pittsburgh would take an early lead and then battle back, but still came up one run short when the final out was collected.

St. Louis struck early with a 320ft. home run by Kolten Wong.  The Pirates had their chance to blow open this game, but after having the bases loaded with no outs could only muster two runs.  The first on a catcher’s interference and the other on a Kevin Newman sac fly.  Tyler O’Neill quickly gave the Cardinals the lead back in the second with a 400ft. homer to right centerfield.

The St. Louis lead would be extended in the third.  Paul Goldschmidt hit an RBI double to plate Tommy Edman and then came ar...

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The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday night, snapping their eight game losing streak with a 5-1 victory at PNC Park.

The Bucs have won four straight games against the Cardinals this season.  They are 4-2 against their division rivals, and 11-32 against everyone else.

Steven Brault was magnificent on the mound for Pittsburgh, earning his first victory of the season while pitching a complete game.  He gave up just one run on two hits and two walks with eight strikeouts.  In a year that has been mauled by awful pitching, this was a sight for sore eyes for all Pirates fans.

The Cardinals scored their lone run of the game in the third inning on a RBI single by Tommy Edman.  Pittsburgh responded in the fourth inning, taking control of the game with four runs...

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