PIRATES NEWS AND LINKS

With pressure on, Herrera delivers
(Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:12:00 EDT)
Carrying the Pirates to a 9-1 win in front of 17,916 at PNC Park, Yoslan Herrera erased the nightmarish 1 2/3-inning start from last weekend by tossing six scoreless innings in a start that had been handed to him mainly because of the lack of other internal starting options.

'Pen nearing its peak prior to Deadline
(Thu, 24 Jul 2008 23:59:00 EDT)
The Pirates bullpen is stocked with highly sought-after relievers, most of which are finally healthy heading into Friday's match vs. the Padres.

Russell recalls getting best of Goose
(Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:47:00 EDT)
As Rich "Goose" Gossage sits just three days away from being enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY, anecdotes about his playing days are being recollected all across the baseball fraternity.

Walker creating a name for himself
(Thu, 24 Jul 2008 18:29:00 EDT)
While the buzz surrounds the Pirates' attempt to sign No. 2 overall pick and third baseman Pedro Alvarez, it doesn't hurt to check in with the third baseman already currently waiting in the wings.

Gossage elected for impact<br>he made in games' late innings
(Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT)
Goose Gossage was elected to the Hall of Fame not so much because of numbers or longevity, but for the way he altered the game with late-inning power and dominance.

Gossage credits former skipper
(Thu, 24 Jul 2008 10:00:00 EDT)
Goose Gossage credits the tough love and a lesson in how to throw a changeup from former manager Chuck Tanner for influencing his career, which will culminate on Sunday with induction into the Hall of Fame.

Bucs can sleep well following sweep
(Wed, 23 Jul 2008 19:18:00 EDT)
Riding the coattails of a four-hit game by Doug Mientkiewicz, the Pirates offense bailed the club's pitching out of the corner again, as two seventh-inning runs proved to be enough to push the Pirates over the Astros in the standings with an 8-7 win at Minute Maid Park on Wednesday.

Bucs' Herrera has something to prove
(Wed, 23 Jul 2008 20:31:00 EDT)
Yoslan Herrera didn't have much success in the first two starts of his big league career, so he'll be trying to turn things around against the Padres.

Talks continue with Bucs and Alvarez
(Wed, 23 Jul 2008 21:26:00 EDT)
For the first time since the June 5 First-Year Player Draft, Pirates president Frank Coonelly spoke publicly about the current negotiating process with No. 2 overall pick Pedro Alvarez.

Moskos feeling the grind in Minors
(Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:18:00 EDT)
As Daniel Moskos nears the final month of his first full professional season, he'll do so with more innings to his name than in any other year of his career. But in the meantime, the unchartered workload is putting a strain on his results.

Offense on pace for eye-popping stats
(Wed, 23 Jul 2008 13:36:00 EDT)
It turns out that the Bucs' 2008 offensive unit is trying its best to leave a mark as one of the most accomplished in recent franchise history.

Bucs' bats, long balls topple Astros
(Tue, 22 Jul 2008 01:44:00 EDT)
Jason Bay's solo homer, his fourth hit, tied the game, and Adam LaRoche's two-run shot put the Bucs up in a seven-run ninth for a a 9-3 win over the Astros on Monday. Freddy Sanchez had an inside-the-park home run that inning.

'Optional' BP revives Bucs' bats
(Tue, 22 Jul 2008 02:27:00 EDT)
Despite Monday's early batting practice session being optional, nearly every member of the team was in uniform, and the result that evening was the Pirates matching in nine innings their entire offensive output for their previous series.

Little on deck for Pirates' rotation
(Mon, 21 Jul 2008 20:06:00 EDT)
John Van Benschoten was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis and Yoslan Herrera was kept on the roster to fill the holes in the Pirates' rotation, but if either of them can't hold their ground, Pittsburgh has few alternatives as to who will.

Bucs unable to solve Rockies
(Sun, 20 Jul 2008 20:25:00 EDT)
The Rockies scored seven runs in the fifth and sixth innings en route to handing the Pirates an 11-3 loss and a four-game series sweep on Sunday.

Van Benschoten coming back to Bucs
(Sun, 20 Jul 2008 19:30:00 EDT)
John Van Benschoten will return from Triple-A Indianapolis for his third stint with the Pirates this season. The righty also came up to the parent club for short stays from the end of April through mid-May and from the end of June through early July.

Pirates trying to patch together staff
(Sun, 20 Jul 2008 16:25:00 EDT)
Saturday's loss to the Rockies highlighted the largest challenge the Pirates have faced throughout the 2008 season: how to succeed in baseball without a full pitching staff.

Pirates can't overcome early deficit
(Sun, 20 Jul 2008 00:50:00 EDT)
On paper, Saturday night's game between the Pirates and Rockies looked to be a slugfest. With a pair of starting pitchers averaging seven and 12 runs per game for the Rockies and Pirates, respectively, and temperatures heating up to the high 90s by the game's first pitch, to say there was something offensive in the air at Coors Field would be an understatement.

Duke looks to avoid four-game sweep
(Sat, 19 Jul 2008 23:45:00 EDT)
Trying to stop a streak of six road losses in a row, the Pirates send Zach Duke to the hill against the Rockies on Sunday in hopes of avoiding a series sweep, and getting back on a winning path.

Nady rejoins team after birth of child
(Sat, 19 Jul 2008 20:00:00 EDT)
While his teammates started the season's second half out in Colorado, Xavier Nady spent the All-Star break and the following two days in the shadow of PNC Park.

Ball doesn't bounce Bucs' way
(Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:30:00 EDT)
By the time Seth Smith bounced an inside-the-park home run off the center-field wall, the Rockies had an invulnerable look to them, ultimately prevailing, 5-2, over the Pirates on Friday night.

Herrera gets another shot to start
(Sat, 19 Jul 2008 01:10:00 EDT)
When the Pirates' pitching staff suffered another blow before the All-Star break, it created an opportunity for Yoslan Herrera. Herrera will make his second Major League start of the season on Saturday night.

Grabow rested and ready to go
(Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:40:00 EDT)
After not pitching in a six-game stretch that spanned nine days, left-handed reliever John Grabow is champing at the bit to get in a game.

Dumatrait's rehab moving slowly
(Fri, 18 Jul 2008 21:25:00 EDT)
Pirates starter Phil Dumatrait is having a slower rehab process than anticipated. Though he's eligible to come off the disabled list on Thursday, Dumatrait will not make it back that quickly.

Bucs bitten by Rockies' rally
(Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:21:00 EDT)
Looking to turn the page on a first half of the season that found the Pirates six games under .500 at the All-Star break, the club found itself in a new chapter of the same old story as it opened a four-game series in Colorado on Thursday night.

Bucs hope break has bullpen rested
(Thu, 17 Jul 2008 21:30:00 EDT)
The Pirates had one of the shortest All-Star breaks in the big leagues, playing one of four games scheduled for Thursday. But the three-day hiatus offered some much-needed relief for a relief corps that was taxed to the max in the first half of the season.

Bucs recall right-hander Salas
(Thu, 17 Jul 2008 19:50:00 EDT)
The Pirates opened the second half of the season by bringing back Marino Salas for another look in the bullpen.

Russell instills new fight in Pirates
(Thu, 17 Jul 2008 13:52:00 EDT)
Pirates manager John Russell who just completed the first half of his first year as a Major League manager, believes in consistency and patience over a 162-game schedule.

Pirates midterm report
(Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EDT)
As the Pirates prepare to open the season's second half, they do so wondering what could have been had injuries not hampered their offense, defense and pitching during the first three months.

Rotation woes masked by offense
(Wed, 16 Jul 2008 12:00:00 EDT)
As the Pirates return from the All-Star Break to begin the second half of the season, the reality is that the rotation has been far from one of the best in the league this season. Heading into the July 4 weekend, the Pirates starters combined for the Majors' worst ERA at 5.43.

McLouth's skills shine in NL's loss
(Wed, 16 Jul 2008 03:30:00 EDT)
In his first All-Star Game, Nate McLouth nearly became a legend, nailing a runner at the plate in the 11th and falling just short of a go-ahead homer in the 14th.

Bucs enter second half not half bad
(Sun, 13 Jul 2008 19:18:00 EDT)
The Pirates were a tale of two teams in the first half, among the top five in runs scored and among the bottom in runs allowed.

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