Pirates rally by Cubs 4-3 for 4th straight win

The Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

September 5, 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jordan Luplow (47) is greeted by manager Clint Hurdle at the dugout steps after after hitting a two-run home run off Chicago Cubs' Kyle Hendricks during the second inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH -- Clint Hurdle agreed to a four-year contract extension on Tuesday afternoon, confident the next wave of Pittsburgh Pirates could help steer the club through what it hopes is a transitional period and back into the thick of the playoff chase.

The early returns have been surprising. Perhaps a bit promising too.

Max Moroff and David Freese delivered RBI singles off Carl Edwards Jr. in the eighth inning as the Pirates rallied past the Chicago Cubs 4-3 on Tuesday night for their fourth straight victory.

John Jaso led off the eighth with a pinch-hit walk then later scored when Moroff hit a bloop single to left off Edwards (3-4) to tie the game. Freese drove home Moroff three batters later after the Cubs intentionally walked Josh Bell, one of four rookies in the Pittsburgh lineup.

"I didn't really know if (Edwards) was going to drop the curveball in," Freese said. "I chose to stay hard and got a good swing on it."

Cubs manager Joe Maddon didn't second-guess the decision to avoid the switch-hitting Bell and have a go at Freese instead.

"You think you can at least get out of it with a tied game," Maddon said. "But Freese hits a bullet up the middle and that's it."

Jordan Luplow hit the second home run of his career for Pittsburgh. Wade LeBlanc (5-2) earned the win in relief of Steven Brault, the Pirates' first left-handed starter this season. Felipe Rivero worked a perfect ninth for his 18th save after going through an abbreviated warmup.

"It happened quick," Hurdle said just hours after he and general manager Neal Huntington had their contracts extended through 2021 . "We pitched well enough to stay in the hunt and in the game and then found a way late."

Ian Happ had a two-run single for Chicago. Alberto Almora Jr. and Kris Bryant had two hits apiece but the Cubs left eight men on base to drop their third consecutive game. The World Series champions remained 3 1/2 games in front of Milwaukee, which fell on the road in Cincinnati.

The Pirates are out of it heading into the final month of the season but the team made a commitment to staying the course when it opted to hold on to Huntington and Hurdle. The two helped the franchise shake 20 years of losing by running off three straight playoff berths from 2013-15. Though the postseason is a long shot at this point, Pittsburgh is getting significant contributions from its younger players down the stretch.

Three rookies -- Moroff, Luplow and catcher Elias Dias -- had hits and the other -- Bell -- reached base to set up Freese. Brault, another rookie, settled down after a bumpy start to allow three runs in five innings in his first major-league start then watched as the guys he came up through the minors with help Pittsburgh improve to 6-63 when trailing after seven innings.

"We have managed to kind of come up here and be able to fight together and claw and get everything," Brault said. "It's been so much fun."

Chicago's Kyle Hendricks allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out two and didn't walk a batter, his only significant misstep the two-run shot he allowed to Luplow in the second. The NL ERA champion last year, Hendricks has been good but not great this season. Just like his team.

"Not every year is going to be like last year," Hendricks said. "I think we moved on from that. We know that. It was just such a special year for us. This is baseball. This is how you play. Those teams are good that we're playing against and they're bringing their best."

Happ, a Pittsburgh native, gave Chicago the lead right back with a two-run single off Brault in the third. It stood until the eighth, when Jaso's pinch-hit walk started sparked Pittsburgh's late surge.

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: RHP Jake Arrieta underwent an MRI on his right hamstring on Tuesday after leaving Monday night's loss with what the team initially termed as a cramp. Maddon said after the game he was "still waiting to hear" but will likely push back Arrieta's next scheduled start regardless of the outcome. If Arrieta can't go on Saturday against Milwaukee, Mike Montgomery will get the nod in Arrieta's place.

Pirates: RHP George Kontos (right groin strain) pitched a simulated game on Tuesday and is nearing a return from the 10-day disabled list. ... RF Gregory Polanco (left hamstring strain) had a "work day" but it's still uncertain when or even if Polanco will play again this season.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Jose Quintana (5-3, 4.50 ERA with Chicago, 9-11, 4.49 ERA overall) goes for his second victory over Pittsburgh in a week on Wednesday. Quintana allowed three runs over six innings in a 17-3 romp over the Pirates at Wrigley Field last Wednesday.

Pirates: Gerrit Cole (11-9, 4.11) takes a career 9-3 record against the Cubs into Wednesday's game. Cole is 1-1 with a 2.38 ERA in two starts against Chicago this year.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Steelers GM Kevin Colbert reminded everybody why he merits a contract extension

By Mark Madden

http://www.timesonline.com/sports/

September 4, 2017

Kevin Colbert (http://www.steelers.com/)

Preparing a red-hot batch of refreshing sports notes isn’t as demanding as working a hard eight at J & L, but it shows some dedication when done on Labor Day. Workers of the world, unite!

*Joe Haden isn't a panacea at cornerback. He doesn't make the Steelers' secondary anything better than average. Haden is only 28, but may be a bit past his prime. But he should be energized by coming from train-wreck Cleveland to contending Pittsburgh. If Haden replacing Ross Cockrell/Coty Sensabaugh wins one extra game, it could mean a bye or home field. Great get.

*Safety J.J. Wilcox isn't a bad acquisition, either. Wilcox has started 40 games, including two in the 2014 playoffs, over his four NFL seasons. He's not All-Pro, but is certainly better than Robert Golden. Tampa Bay was using Wilcox at nickel during the preseason. Between Wilcox, Mike Hilton and any volunteers from the stands, the Steelers must find a way to use William Gay minimally. Rookie Cameron Sutton went on injured reserve, so he can't help for at least the season's first eight weeks.

*Between the late signing of Haden, trading for Wilcox and an unquestioned cut list at training camp's end, Steelers GM Kevin Colbert reminded everybody why he merits his recent contract extension through 2020. Colbert even got the New York Giants to give up a draft pick for Ross Cockrell. Amazing.

*NFL teams did lots of micromanaging before cuts. In the last five years, an average of 10 trades got made at cut-down time. This year, it was 25. New England got two special-teams wizards, Detroit’s Johnson Bademosi and Cincinnati’s Marquis Flowers. Bill Belichick can never tinker enough.

*In response to 12 Browns kneeling during the national anthem, the Cleveland police have opted to not participate in holding a large flag while the anthem is played before the opener against the Steelers at FirstEnergy Stadium Sunday. That's their right, same as the players can kneel. Neither party is wrong.

*The NBA requires players to stand for the anthem. It's too late for the NFL to do the same. A major excrement storm would result. The best alternative would be to not play the anthem. It's always been forced patriotism, anyway.

*The Ray Rice domestic abuse videotape leaked, Colin Kaepernick knelt during the anthem, and the NFL has mangled several unfortunate situations. So the NFL’s TV viewership of 17.9 million per game in 2015 dropped eight percent in 2016, to 16.5 million. Not good, but manageable. The NFL is too big to fail. Not enough people will ever stop watching to do real damage.

*When QB Ben Roethlisberger got a six-game suspension (later cut to four) for off-the-field problems in 2010, he was never charged with a crime. No evidence. But the Steelers didn't appeal the ban, let alone challenge it legally. The Rooney family let down their quarterback, but that's because they want the NFL to be self-governing. Dallas' Jerry Jones and New England's Robert Kraft don't. They warp the league's authority by way of putting their teams first. They may someday regret that.

*Tennesee defensive coordinator Dick LeBeau, 79, is the godfather and chief proponent of the zone blitz. But he has his Titans D playing a lot of man-to-man. That's what's required in today's NFL and why the Steelers couldn't start Cockrell or Sensabaugh at cornerback.

*The new book, "Dr. Z." is the memoirs of Paul Zimmerman (sadly incapacitated by a series of strokes) as edited by Peter King. It's today's best football writer finishing the work of the greatest football writer of all-time. A very worthwhile read.

*Sports Illustrated's NFL preview issue says New England has the best quarterback, second-best skill personnel and second-best defensive backs. That's what counts most in today's NFL. Never has a team been so heavily favored to win the Super Bowl.

*The Browns have assembled one of the very best offensive lines in football anchored by legendary left tackle Joe Thomas. But the rest of the team is so bad, you wonder why they bothered. Steelers by 14. The Steelers' only worry is that Roethlisberger gets crumpled by rookie pass-rusher Myles Garrett, the No. 1 pick in this year's draft.

*Western Pennsylvania doesn't much care about college football - except for the week of Pitt-Penn State. Too bad Pitt diluted that enthusiasm Saturday by blowing a 21-point lead to Division I-2A Youngstown State before winning in OT. Penn State will flush what’s left with a 21-point victory over the Panthers. Pitt football is a never-ending series of great moments offset by horrible moments.

*Pitt Coach Pat Narduzzi won't let his players speak to the media this week. Somebody tell Narduzzi this is a pro sports town, not college, and his team needs all the hype it can manufacture, even right before the Penn State game.

*If the Penguins signed restricted free agent Andreas Anthanasiou to an offer sheet worth under $3.652 million per year, cap-strapped Detroit would be hard-pressed to match. The Penguins would only have to give the Red Wings a second-round draft pick by way of compensation. To get a legit No. 3 center without sacrificing a player on the NHL roster seems too good to not do.

*Ex-Penguin Nick Bonino went on Twitter to bemoan the intricacies of assembling a grill. Bonino will make $4.1 million with Nashville next season. He should hire someone to do that for him. Maybe Derrick Pouliot.

*The Pirates cutting Juan Nicasio (their second-best pitcher statistically) to save a puny $600,000 was a naked example of their greed's petty nature. If you see $600K as a significant figure, you shouldn't own a big-time sports franchise. GM Neal Huntington says another MLB team leaked that news to embarrass the Pirates. What's the difference? The media and fans were going to learn what happened at some point. It's what the Pirates did that was humiliating, not how the news broke.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9).

Jake Arrieta exits with injury, Pirates rout Cubs 12-0

The Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

September 4, 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates' Josh Bell watches his two-run home run off Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jake Arrieta in the first inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, Sept. 4, 2017. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH -- Jake Arrieta let the ball go and his right leg seized up in pain. And all of a sudden, Arrieta's sizzling second half came to an abrupt halt.

Just, the Chicago Cubs ace hopes, a temporary one.

Arrieta gave up home runs to Pittsburgh rookies Josh Bell and Max Moroff before exiting in the third inning with a cramp in his right hamstring and the Pirates piled on late in a 12-0 victory over Chicago on Monday.

Arrieta (14-9) was already trailing 3-0 with one out in the third when his first pitch to Bell sailed up and in. The 2015 Cy Young Award winner clutched his leg in obvious pain . He attempted to stretch it out during a visit by manager Joe Maddon and Chicago's trainers but a test pitch ended with Arrieta unable to let go of the ball and in obvious pain.

"As I started my drive to the plate, it really grabbed pretty good and I tried to throw a warm up pitch and it just wasn't going to happen," Arrieta said. "It's unfortunate but I think it's going to be OK."

Arrieta believes he will be able to make his next scheduled start on Saturday against Milwaukee.

"I don't forsee it being a serious deal," Arrieta said.

Arrieta began the day in the middle of a blazing second half reminiscent of the tear he put together in 2015 on his way to the Cy Young, coming in 6-1 with a 1.59 ERA since the All-Star break to help the World Series champions break out of a funk and move atop the NL Central. Despite the loss, the Cubs maintained a 3 1/2-game lead over the Brewers, who lost to Cincinnati.

Long before the pain arrived, Arrieta's usual crispness was missing and Bell pounced.

The 25-year-old first baseman is one of the bright spots on an uneven season for Pittsburgh. Bell's two-run homer to the seats in right field off Arrieta in the first inning gave him 24 on the season, breaking the National League record for most home runs by a rookie switch hitter set by former Atlanta star Chipper Jones in 1995. Bell never hit more than 13 home runs in the minors.

"I'm definitely excited about laying that foundation for myself," Bell said. "It's something that I always wanted in the minor leagues but never really harnessed. But I'm just laying that foundation and hopefully, I can continue to grow on it."

Moroff entered hitting .160 on the season but went 3 for 5 with his third home run and four RBI. Chad Kuhl (7-10) allowed four hits in seven innings for the Pirates, striking out a career-high eight. Pittsburgh has won three straight following a four-game losing streak.

STICKING AROUND

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle turned 60 earlier this season but has no plans on leaving.

The Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported Hurdle and the team have agreed to a four-year extension through the 2021 season. The team had no official comment. Hurdle indicated he wanted to wait for the club to "get everything they need in place" before making a formal announcement.

"I've made it clear from the beginning that a contract would work out when it was meant to work out," Hurdle said after improving to 575-534 with the Pirates. "I love working here. I love working in this organization."

LEANING ON LEONYS

With things well out of hand in the eighth, the Cubs turned to outfielder Leonys Martin to finish up. Martin, acquired in a trade with Seattle last week, gave up a two-run home run to David Freese while also registering two outs. Maddon didn't want to overtax his bullpen and Martin, who hit 91 on the radar gun, was up for the challenge.

"He said he's been trying to do that for a bit but nobody ever put him in," Maddon said. "He got his opportunity today on national TV."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Cubs: SS Javy Baez was given the day off to give his sore left thumb a rest. Baez jammed the thumb while sliding into second base against Atlanta on Sunday. Baez also experienced blurred vision when his face slammed into Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies on the play, though Baez's vision had cleared by Monday. ... C Wilson Contreras (hamstring), out since Aug. 11, will attempt at minor league rehab assignment "the moment he's ready to roll," according to Maddon.

ON THE MOVE

The Pirates picked up left-handed reliever Jack Leathersich off waivers from the Cubs and sent him to Triple-A Indianapolis. The 27-year-old Leathersich appeared in one game for Chicago this season. He made 17 appearances for the New York Mets in 2015, posting a 2.31 ERA.

UP NEXT

Cubs: Kyle Hendricks (6-4, 3.32 ERA) goes for his third consecutive win on Tuesday. Hendricks, the NL ERA champion in 2016, hasn't allowed more than three runs in his eight starts since the All-Star break.

Pirates: Steven Brault (0-0, 5.93) will make his first start of the season. Brault is filling in for Ivan Nova. The Pirates are giving Nova a breather. Nova is 2-6 with a 6.38 ERA since the break.

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More AP baseball coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Williams, Pirates hold off Reds for 3-1 win

The Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

September 3, 2017

Trevor Williams #57 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the fourth inning during a 3-1 win against the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on September 3, 2017. (Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH -- Trevor Williams pitched out of the stretch for most of the day. He also pitched out of trouble all game long.Williams tossed seven scoreless innings, Jordy Mercer hit his career-best 13th homer and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds 3-1 on Sunday.

Cincinnati got eight of its 10 hits against Williams, but the right-hander wiggled his way out of every jam. He struck out five and walked one in his first win since Aug. 7.

"You make your biggest pitches of the game out of the stretch," he said. "Those are the pitches that hold the most merit. It was a 1-0 ballgame. ... It could have been a 2-1 game, 3-1 game with one swing of the bad. It was just having no panic and using that sinker at the bottom of the zone."

Williams has allowed just two earned runs over 20 innings in his last three outings. It was his 22nd start after beginning the year in the bullpen, and his 4.02 ERA as a starter leads the team.

"The fastball to the four corners is working really well for him," manager Clint Hurdle said. "He's moving his fastball around and his slider was effective today. He's using his changeup and his curveball for different looks, which has given him a four-pitch mix that's legit. He's throwing strikes, keeping the ball down when he wants to and elevating when he wants to."

Felipe Rivero worked a rocky ninth for his 17th save. Scooter Gennett scored on second baseman Max Moroff's error, but Jose Peraza bounced into a game-ending forceout at home.

Cincinnati went 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position and left 10 runners on base. The last-place Reds managed just one run while dropping the last two games of the weekend series.

The Pirates jumped in front on Mercer's solo drive in the third inning against Sal Romano. Moroff doubled and scored on Jordan Luplow's single in the sixth, and Starling Marte added a solo shot in the seventh.

Romano (4-6) allowed two runs, one earned, and four hits in 5 2/3 innings. He struck out two and walked four.

Romano departed after speaking with trainers. He had developed a cut on his throwing hand that made it difficult for him to throw his breaking ball.

"I decided to pull him out of the game," manager Bryan Price said. "I thought today might have been his best stuff. Certainly it was his best velocity. Really good fastball command."

TOUGH BREAK

Pirates infielder Josh Harrison was placed on the 10-day disabled list and will be out for the rest of the season with a broken left hand. Harrison was hit on the hand by Tyler Mahle for his MLB-leading 23rd hit batsmen of the season on Saturday.

The 30-year-old Harrison hit .272 with a career-high 16 homers in 128 games. He also made the All-Star team for the second time.

Before 2017, Harrison had been hit 26 times in six major league season. He is not sure of the cause for the sudden increase.

"I look around the league and I see other guys that crowd the plate more than me," Harrison said. "Why am I the one to get hit? I mean, you've got to throw in, but there might be something to it."

TRAINING ROOM

Reds: LHP Wandy Peralta is "sore" with an apparent right hip injury, according to Price. Peralta recorded just one out in Saturday night's 5-0 loss and was charged with four runs and three hits. ... C Tucker Barnhart was reinstated from paternity leave.

Pirates: RHP George Kontos (right groin strain) threw a 30-pitch bullpen session and could be activated from the disabled list on Wednesday.

UP NEXT

Reds: Homer Bailey (4-7, 7.51 ERA) starts Monday against Milwaukee. The Reds have lost four of Bailey's last five starts.

Pirates: Chad Kuhl (6-10, 4.54 ERA) gets the ball Monday in the opener of a three-game series against the Chicago Cubs. Kuhl is 0-4 with an 11.07 ERA in six career starts against the Cubs.

Rookie Luplow hits first HR, Pirates beat Reds 5-0

The Associated Press

http://www.espn.com/mlb/

September 2, 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates' Jordan Luplow hits a three-run home run off Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Wandy Peralta during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, Sept. 2, 2017. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH -- Jordan Luplow's first major-league hit took the weight off his shoulders. His second gave the Pittsburgh Pirates a glimpse into his potential.

The rookie right-fielder's three-run home run in the eighth broke open a close game as the Pirates pulled away for a 5-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.

Luplow smashed 23 home runs in the minors this year but came in 0 for 12 in the big leagues. He beat out an infield single in the second, a ball that will go to his mom. He'll likely just hold on to the one that went from Cincinnati reliever Wandy Peralta's left hand to Luplow's bat to the first row of seats in left-center field with two on in the eighth.

"I'm just trying to square up baseballs and if they happen to go over the fence they do, if they don't, they don't," Luplow said. "I can't control that. I just try to put my `A' swing on every pitch. ... That was my `A' swing."

Starling Marte added three hits for Pittsburgh. A.J. Schugel (4-0) picked up the victory in relief as the Pirates ended a four-game losing streak.

John Jaso gave the Pirates the lead in the seventh during a sequence straight out of Little League .

Jaso stood on first when Marte hit a bloop single to shallow center field. Cincinnati second baseman Scooter Gennett and center fielder Billy Hamilton collided trying to grab it. Right fielder Phillip Ervin picked it up and threw home. The ball sailed well up the third-base. Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen (8-3) tried to chase it down and ended up running into catcher Stuart Turner, leaving home plate unprotected. Jaso alertly sprinted home to put the Pirates in front.

"Scooter made a terrific effort to make that play, which he almost made," Hamilton said. "After that, mistakes happen. The ball's wet. You can't control anything like that. Phil came in and threw the ball. It ended slipping away."

Hamilton had two hits for Cincinnati and stole two bases to boost his total to a major-league leading 58.

The Pirates hoped to enter September still in the playoff race but instead find themselves playing out the string and tinkering with the lineup as the season enters its final month. It's how Luplow found himself in right field. He made the most of his third career start.

"He's hit the ball all year long," Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. "We felt it was just a matter of time before you start hitting it here."

Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon entered with a 7.68 ERA since the All-Star break but delivered his best outing since June 29, pitching six shutout innings with one walk and four strikeouts.

Cincinnati rookie Tyler Mahle matched Taillon out for out. The 22-year-old held the Pirates scoreless for six innings in his second major-league start, giving up five singles and striking out three. Mahle received no run support from an offense that has been hit or miss of late. The Reds have scored at least seven runs four times in eight games but have also been shut out three times over the same stretch.

BACK FOR MORE

The Reds picked up manager Bryan Price's option for 2018. Price is 266-356 in three-plus years while overseeing Cincinnati's rebuilding process. The team's decision was first reported by the Cincinnati Enquirer.

"We want to be here when the team turns the corner and we're looking at talking about playing baseball in October again," Price said. "Nobody wants to bail on this. I'm fortunate to come back for a fifth year. The win-loss with me is not great in my four years here, but I think we're handling adversity and handling it well."

TRAINER'S ROOM

Reds: Peralta exited two batters after giving up the homer to Luplow with hip pain. Price said the team hopes Peralta will only be out a couple of days. ... OF Jesse Winkler (strained left hip flexor) ran at PNC Park on Saturday as he works his way off the 10-day disabled list.

Pirates: 2B Josh Harrison exited after taking a 96 mph fastball from Mahle off his left hand in the fifth inning. Harrison was examined by trainer Todd Tomczyk on the field after getting hit for the major-league leading 23rd time this season. Harrison remained in the game to run the bases but was pulled in the sixth in favor of Sean Rodriguez. Harrison will be evaluated by an orthopedic hand specialist.

UP NEXT

Reds: Sal Romano (4-5, 4.91 ERA) goes for his third consecutive victory on Sunday. The rookie has gone at least six innings in five of his last six starts.

Pirates: Trevor Williams (5-7, 4.37) will look for his first win in five starts in the series finale. Williams is 0-3 with a 5.31 ERA during his slide.

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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Pirates primed to point finger at fans

By Kevin Gorman

http://triblive.com/sports/

September 1, 2017

Neal Huntington and Bob Nutting during spring training.

September baseball is here, but instead of raising the Jolly Roger, the Pirates waved a white flag.

Argue all you want over whether the final straw came Tuesday, when the Pirates placed reliever Juan Nicasio on outright waivers, or a day later, when they lost to Jose Quintana and the Chicago Cubs, 17-3, at Wrigley Field.

Pirates general manager Neal Huntington settled the debate with a statement saying “the unusual step” was made because of their “recent record and regression in the standings.”

The worst part was the Pirates acknowledging “the minimal amount of money saved by making the move.”

All of $600,000.

“It was a weird move, in my book,” Pirates catcher Chris Stewart said.

Weirder still is Huntington's exasperating explanation of why the Pirates didn't trade Nicasio, the second-best pitcher in their bullpen this season. Huntington said Nicasio was claimed by a “playoff-caliber” team, but “rather than help a direct competitor,” the Pirates placed him on waivers in hopes he would end up on a contender, preferably in the American League.

That strategy didn't stop the Pirates from dealing Tony Watson to the Dodgers, who have baseball's best record.

Instead, Nicasio was claimed by the Phillies, the worst team in baseball and one to which the Pirates previously dealt a former first-round pick for 40-year-old reliever Joaquin Benoit at the trade deadline.

Presumably, the Pirates didn't want Nicasio to end up with another NL Central team, especially given they play only division foes between now and Sept. 24.

“If we would've seen him six games in September, it would have been a little weird,” Stewart said. “It's just weird to not have him here.”

What's even weirder is how the Pirates are trying to spin it moving forward.

“It's another example of the game does revolve around performance and can be pushed by performance, team performance,” manager Clint Hurdle said. “There's always opportunity for somebody else when somebody exits, the next-Pirate-up mentality taking place.”

The Pirates have leaned heavily on that next-Pirate-up mentality this season, reaching into the minors for help when Jung Ho Kang was denied a visa, when Starling Marte was suspended for 80 games, when Jameson Taillon had testicular cancer surgery and especially when Gregory Polanco pulled his hamstring July 21, amid a run of 12 wins in 14 games, and again Aug. 12, after they moved to within three games of first place.

Yet now that they can expand to a 40-man roster, the Pirates aren't promoting their prospects because their minor-league affiliates in Triple-A Indianapolis and Double-A Altoona have qualified for the playoffs.

That's priceless.

Even so, Pirates players won't criticize the front office for not delivering help, despite when affordable options were available in starter Quintana and outfielders Jay Bruce, Melky Cabrera and Curtis Granderson.

“We had our moments. We had our spots. We had our chances,” center fielder Andrew McCutchen said. “But we've got to go with what we've got. That's what we've been all about this whole season, trying to go with what we've got and going out there and playing as hard as we can play, man.”

Pirates owner Bottom-Line Bob Nutting and his front office already are laying the groundwork to pin their unwillingness to spend this season on declining attendance.

The Pirates' per-game average dipped from a PNC Park-best 30,847 in 2015 to 27,768 last season to 24,307 this year, a decline of 12.5 percent over a year and 21.2 percent over two. Never mind that Pirates fans averaged 29,621 in their three playoff seasons, following a 20-year losing drought.

No wonder there is an air of resignation inside the clubhouse from players who know that, win or lose, no help is coming.

“We always feel like we've got our backs against the wall,” Stewart said, “whether we're in first place or in last.”

Don't take this personally, but the Pirates are going to blame you, the fan.

Clear the deck. Cannonball coming.

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at kgorman@tribweb.com or via Twitter @KGorman_Trib.

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Steelers, Pirates show this week where their commitments lie

By Mark Madden

http://www.timesonline.com/sports

September 1, 2017

Pittsburgh Pirates relief pitcher Juan Nicasio throws in the eighth inning of a baseball game against the Cincinnati Reds, Sunday, Aug. 27, 2017, in Cincinnati. The Pirates won 5-2. (AP Photo/John Minchillo)

Within a two-day period, the Pirates and Steelers reaffirmed what they really are. It’s impossible to not compare.

On Tuesday, the Pirates placed pitcher Juan Nicasio on irrevocable waivers. Baseball-wise, that move had no logical explanation.

Statistically, Nicasio was the Pirates’ second-best pitcher. He served as their set-up man, racking up 22 holds, fifth-most in MLB. Nicasio’s ERA was 2.85. His WHIP was 1.117. Those are good numbers.

On Thursday, Philadelphia claimed Nicasio. The Pirates lost a solid performer for nothing.

GM Neal Huntington released a statement that was authentic Pirates gibberish.

Huntington noted the Pirates’ “regression in the standings,” but said he didn’t want to trade Nicasio to a “direct competitor.” If you’ve regressed in the standings, what’s the difference where Nicasio goes?

Huntington said he wanted to move Nicasio to “a better situation for him.” That’s not Philadelphia. The Phillies have the worst record in baseball.

When Huntington talks, you can’t even see owner Bob Nutting’s lips move. What a load of excrement funneled down by Nutting.

The reason the Pirates dumped Nicasio was because they’re out of playoff contention, he’s going to be a free agent at season’s end and they didn’t want to pay the $600,000 still owed him on this year’s contract.

Huntington noted the “minimal” savings afforded by ditching Nicasio, and “minimal” is certainly the right word. In MLB, $600K is peanuts.

Nutting wants to keep every nickel, but this is a new low.

As Jeff Passan of Yahoo.com wrote, “I know Pittsburgh is out of the race, but to let a quality (relief pitcher) like Juan Nicasio leave for nothing to save $600K screams of pure cheapness.”

By contrast, the Phillies are worse off than the Pirates. But they’re willing to spend that $600K to better their team.

Joe Haden signs with the Steelers

By further contrast, the Steelers shelled out $7m to sign cornerback Joe Haden on Wednesday. (Haden’s contract with the Steelers pays him $27m over three years, but only this season’s money is guaranteed.)

The Steelers are legit contenders. They had a hole in their lineup, so they took an extreme measure to fill it. The Steelers went all in.

Signing a free agent of repute is something the Steelers don’t often do. But they did so this time, because the Steelers prioritize winning.

The Pirates, at fourth place in the National League Central, are in a much different position than the Steelers.

But in 2015, the Pirates won 98 games. They had an excellent team.

But payroll (ranked just 24th among MLB teams in 2015) stagnated. The Pirates wouldn’t spend to keep a great roster intact.

Inside of a year, eight significant players were no longer on the Pirates. The Pirates entered the 2016 season with a comical starting rotation that involved Jeff Locke, Nicasio, Jon Niese and Ryan Vogelsong, all marginal.

Last year’s Pirates won just 78 games. They’re on pace to win 76 this season.

The Pirates don’t prioritize winning. They maximize profit.

That’s fine. That’s long been evident to non-fanboys and the fraction of the local baseball media that doesn’t stooge for Nutting.

Just don’t spew mindless word-drool like Huntington’s statement. The Pirates lie constantly, the biggest being the promise made near decade’s beginning that payroll would keep up with profit.

Pirates’ attendance dropped last year by an average of 3,100 per game. So far this year, it’s down by an average of 3,400 per game.

Given the team’s naked greed and disgusting lack of on-field ambition, that’s not too bad.

But it’s enough to justify cutting payroll.

The Steelers and Penguins are committed to winning.

The Pirates are committed to picking your pockets.

The Nicasio fiasco serves as a very obvious reminder.

Mark Madden hosts a radio show 3-6 p.m. weekdays on WXDX-FM (105.9)