david freese tagged posts

Sporting events with the final of 1-0 are usually reserved for soccer.  With the World Cup currently underway, it looked the Pittsburgh Pirates and Milwaukee Brewers were getting in the spirt of futbol when one run was all either of these teams could muster tonight.  Luckily the guys in black were the ones who collected that run to open this three-game series.

Both starting pitchers were fantastic tonight.  Trevor Williams worked seven strong innings for Pittsburgh allowing only one hit to go along with seven strikeouts and two walks.  Milwaukee starter Jhoulys Chacin worked 6.1 innings allowing one run on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Chacin exited the game with runners on first and second when Josh Hader entered the game.  Hader would strike out Gregory Polanco before ...

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By winning games Friday and Saturday over the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates put themselves in prime position for a series sweep.  Unfortunately today, the Bucs fell behind early and couldn’t complete a late game comeback, as they fell to the Reds by a 8-6 score at PNC Park.

Neither starting pitcher made it out of the sixth inning this afternoon.  Joe Musgrove struggled this afternoon, giving up six runs on eight hits in 4.1 innings.  Anthony DeSclafani started for Cincinnati, giving up two runs on three hits in 5.2 innings.

The Pirates took the early lead on a solo homerun by Colin Moran in the second inning.  The Reds would respond with a pair of runs in the top of the third on a groundout by Scott Schebler and a single by Jose Peraza.

Cincinnati would take command of the ...

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After playing terrible baseball for the past month, the Pittsburgh Pirates were in desperate need of a strong home stand.  So far, so good.  The Bucs won their third consecutive game, and second straight over the Cincinnati Reds, with a 6-2 victory this afternoon at PNC Park.

Pittsburgh used a three-run sixth inning to break open what was once a close game.  Ivan Nova started for the Bucs, giving up one run on five hits in six innings of work.  Steven Brault and Michael Feliz finished off the Reds over the final three innings to secure the victory.

Starling Marte’s groundout scored Josh Harrison in the bottom of the first inning to give the Pirates an early 1-0 lead.  A solo homerun by Eugenio Suarez in the second tied the game.

Solo homeruns by Colin Moran and Elias Diaz in the thi...

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It has been well documented on how rough things have been for the Pittsburgh Pirates for the past few weeks.  Today felt like the first time in a long time that they played a near perfect game as a team.  I say near perfect, because the defense committed two errors on the day.  A strong pitching performance by Ivan Nova and the bullpen, along with some clutch hits, gave Pittsburgh a much-needed victory over the Chicago Cubs.

Nova made his first start since coming off the DL with a finger injury.  He would pitch 5.2 innings allowing one run on four hits with eight strikeouts and two walks.  More outings from Nova like this is exactly what the Pirates need if they want to get back in playoff contention.

The bullpen was lights out today.  Edgar Santana worked 1...

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The Pittsburgh Pirates and Chicago Cubs are heading in opposite directions…fast.  After a 3-1 victory yesterday at Wrigley Field, the Cubs continued their red-hot play with a 2-0 win over the lifeless Bucs.  Jon Lester was dominant and the Cubs offense did enough to cruise to a fourth straight win.

The Pirates have now lost 16 of their last 21 games and, yes, today’s loss clinched their seventh straight series defeat.  They are in a freefall right now and there doesn’t seem to be any end in sight.

Over the past few years, Lester has struggled against the Pirates.  But today, he was in complete control, giving up just one hit and two walks while striking out five in seven innings.  He improved his record to 7-2 and lowered his ERA to 2.22 for the season.

Nick Kingham fell to 2-3 ...

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After being shut out in back to back games and falling to the .500 mark, the Pittsburgh Pirates were in desperate need of a victory.  Tonight, the offense came alive as they won a crazy game over the Los Angeles Dodgers at PNC Park by an 11-9 score.

This was not a good game for the pitching staff on either club.  The two teams used 14 pitchers combined.  Trevor Williams lasted just three innings, giving up four runs on four hits.  Steven Brault earned the victory (5-1) in relief, while Felipe Vazquez tallied his 11^th save of the season.

The Pirates took the lead in the bottom of the second on a bases loaded, three run double by Josh Harrison.  Starling Marte singled Harrison home later in the inning, and the Pirates led 4-0.

Los Angeles responded in the top of the third with four runs...

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The Pittsburgh Pirates were looking to take two out of three from the Cincinnati Reds this afternoon.  The two teams combined to hit four home runs and, in the end, Cincinnati would bring home one more run in a 5-4 victory over Pittsburgh.  The loss would be the Pirates fifth in six games and first time since mid-April that they have lost back to back series.

Zeros were put on the board through the fist two and a half innings today, but the Reds would put a four spot on the board in the bottom of the third.  Ivan Nova would walk the first batter of the inning and then give up a single to right.  With one out, Nova would commit a throwing error that would load the bases for Eugenio Suarez and he would clear the bases with a grand slam to left field...

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Nick Kingham made the third start of his career tonight at PNC Park against the San Diego Padres.  After an incredible debut, he came back to earth a bit in his second start, and tonight, the Padres got to him early and went on to a 6-2 victory.

Kingham gave up three runs in the first inning and even though he settled down afterwards, the damage was done and the Pirates couldn’t make a comeback.  Nick gave up three runs on five hits with one walk and five strikeouts in six innings of work.  Tyler Glasnow gave up a run on three hits in two innings, and George Kontos gave up a run on two hits.

A two run double by Jose Pirela in the top of the first plated the first pair of runs for San Diego, and another double by Christian Villanueva made it 3-0...

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The Pittsburgh Pirates continue to find ways to win baseball games.  Tonight, they opened up a four game series with the San Diego Padres at PNC Park.  The two teams traded blows back and forth throughout, but the Bucs scored the game’s winning run in the bottom of the seventh and the bullpen shut the door in the final two innings to secure a 5-4 victory.

The Pirates are now nine games over .500 (26-17) and have won eight of their last nine games to climb to first place in the N.L. Central.

Chad Kuhl started for Pittsburgh and struggled his way through 4.1 innings, giving up four runs on six hits.  Steven Brault pitched 2.1 innings, while Edgar Santana earned his second consecutive victory.  Felipe Vazquez tallied his 9^th save of the season with a one-two-three ninth inning.

After fa...

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One of the traits of the 2017 Pittsburgh Pirates was their struggles against the teams in the N.L. Central division.  So far this season, among the many inconsistencies in all facets of the game, the Pirates have played very well against their division.  The Bucs looked to continue that trend tonight, as they took the field for the first game of their weekend series against the Milwaukee Brewers.

Tonight, the winning trend continued for Pittsburgh, as they built an early lead and held on late to claim a 6-4 victory.

Nick Kingham made his second career start tonight, taking the mound at Miller Park, a place that has historically been a nightmare for Pirates pitchers.  He battled his way through 5.1 innings, giving up four runs on six hits with seven strikeouts and a walk...

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