Location: Pittsburgh, Pa. | Ballpark: PNC Park (38,496) | Spring Training: Bradenton, Fla.
Principal Owner: Bob Nutting | CEO: Frank Coonelly | GM: Neal Huntington | Manager: John Russell | World Championships: 5
The bad news for the Pirates is that their pitching staff, expected to be the team strength when the season began, has the worst ERA in the major leagues with a 5.28 mark.
However, the good news is the Pirates have the third-highest scoring offense in the National League, averaging 4.89 runs a game. The Pirates haven't finished in the top three in runs scored in the NL since 1996.
The Pirates turned on the offense during a three-game sweep at Houston that concluded Wednesday with an 8-7 win, as they scored 26 runs.
Left fielder Jason Bay hit his 21st home run, snapping a tie with center fielder Nate McLouth for the team lead. They are the first Pirates teammates to have 20 homers by the 100th game of the season since Bill Robinson and Willie Stargell in 1979, the last time the franchise appeared in the World Series.
"We've got some thunder in this lineup," catcher Ryan Doumit said. "Hitting has never been the question with us this year."
The unsung hero has been first-year hitting coach Don Long, who was hired away from the Philadelphia organization, where he was the minor league hitting coordinator. Long spent 21 years in the minor leagues as a manager and coach before finally landing in the big leagues this season.
"Donnie has done a great job," Pirates manager John Russell said. "He has made so many of our guys better hitters. He preaches the approach of being selective yet aggressive, waiting for your pitch but attacking the pitches you know you can hit. Our guys have really taken to what Donnie has been teaching them."
PIRATES 8, ASTROS 7: Jason Bay's two-run home run highlighted a 14-hit attack as the Pirates completed a three-game series sweep and won three games in a row for the first time since a six-game winning streak from May 6-12. Doug Mientkiewicz went 4-for-4 as the Pirates won three straight on the road for the first time this season.
Franquelis Osoria (4-3) pitched two perfect relief innings for the win, and Damaso Marte worked a scoreless ninth for his fifth save. Starter Ian Snell lasted only three innings, as he was tagged for five runs and six hits.
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I am the first to tell you I am not well educated on the current pirate prospects other than the ones that are either first round picks (Moskos, Lincoln) or are in AAA ready to make the major league jump(walker, McCutchen, Pearce). I am interested in tapping the minds of you guys to get a ranking of these prospects. So, if you are into this, rank your top 15
I know the papers have been touting the Mets or possibly Cleveland, but I still like the Rays to try to make a move for both Nady and Marte. Their reasons are obvious. Our reasons for wanting to trade with the Rays is also obvious if you look at their pitching.&n
With the trade deadline looming Pittsburgh will once again be looking at a new team after July 31. We've seen it many times before but, new management has new hopes and provides new dreams for us, Pirate Fans.
Previous years the trades haven't been so great but, have we ever considered the lack of coacing at the minors? Are there problems with the coaching down there
After we sweep the Astros in Houston, we have a seven game homestand against the struggling Padres and the Rockies. The defending NL champs may not do as well in PNC.
