The Latest Breaking News from Pirates

The Pirates face two crucial games this weekend as they look to keep their play-off and Scottish Cup hopes afloat.

As a new baseball season finally crept within a week, I tripped over this headline that appeared on the Post-Gazette website at the start of the day:

NEW YORK — When your season comes down to a controversial block at the buzzer, all the gains you’ve made prior to that can seem insignificant.

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Last Monday, switch-hitting Pittsburgh slugger Carlos Santana stepped up to the plate against left-hander José Alvarado in the fourth inning of the Pirates-Phillies Grapefruit League game in Bradenton. The first six pitches of the at-bat went about how you’d expect. Alvarado threw Santana a 98 mph sinker,…

BRADENTON, Fla. — Connor Joe's journeyman career wasn't projected to transpire as such, at least not initially.

LAKELAND, Fla. — When Oneil Cruz was promoted to the major leagues last season, he essentially put Statcast on notice, warning that “whatever is going to get broken is going to get broken.”

The teams played an unneeded bottom of the ninth so players could get in more work.

Umpireless games are good!

BRADENTON, Fla. — Welcome to spring training, where the rules are made up and the games do not matter.