Jokinen's SO winner lifts Penguins past Red Wings

By Dan Scifo

http://sports.yahoo.com/nhl/teams/pit/

April 10, 2014

Marc-Andre Fleury #29 of the Pittsburgh Penguins makes a save on Daniel Alfredsson (not pictured) of the Detroit Red Wings during the shootout at Consol Energy Center on April 9, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins defeated the Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Penguins head coach Dan Bylsma was impressed by Kris Letang in his return after recovering from a stroke 10 weeks ago.

Three Stars

1. 
   1)Kris Letang
   #58, Pittsburgh

   A:	1
   Pts:	1
   +/-:	-1
   PPP:	0
   SOG:	2

2. 
   2)James Neal
   #18, Pittsburgh

   G:	2
   Pts:	2
   +/-:	0
   PPP:	2
   SOG:	6

3. 
   3)Riley Sheahan
   #15, Detroit

   G:	1
   Pts:	1
   +/-:	2
   PPP:	0
   SOG:	2

Jussi Jokinen scored in regulation and then got the game-winner in the shootout, lifting Pittsburgh to a 4-3 victory over the playoff-bound Detroit Red Wings on Wednesday night.

James Neal scored two power-play goals in regulation - his 25th and 26th of the season - for Pittsburgh, which got the 26-year-old Letang back for the first time since January.

''He's been out a long time and he looked pretty darn good out there defending against some good players,'' Bylsma said. ''He made a difference.''

Tomas Jurco, Jakub Kindl and Riley Sheahan scored for the Red Wings, who are headed to the postseason for an NHL-leading 23rd straight time.

Penguins goalie Marc-Andre Fleury had 34 saves through overtime and stopped all three attempts in the shootout, including a spinning acrobatic glove save on Daniel Alfredsson to preserve the win.

Related Stories

• Red Wings lock up playoff spot in loss to PensThe SportsXchange
• Red Wings clinch NHL playoff spot AFP
• Red Wings-Penguins Preview The Associated Press
• Penguins 4, Red Wings 3 (SO) The SportsXchange
• Penguins D Kris Letang set for return after strokeThe Associated Press

''Players on the bench called it a (Dominik) Hasek-type save the way he put his glove out,'' Bylsma said. ''I'm not sure I've seen a more acrobatic save from (Fleury).''

On the winning goal, Jonas Gustavsson poked the puck off Jokinen's stick but it caromed high over the Detroit goalie and into the net.

''He lost the puck and it started rolling so I was going to touch it,'' Gustavsson said. ''It took a funny bounce and lobbed over me. I guess it was a lucky break for them.''

With the scored tied 2-2, Letang - who missed 26 games - set up the go-ahead goal with 10:43 remaining in the third, his shot squeezing through Gustavsson before Jokinen found the loose puck to put Pittsburgh in front. It was Jokinen's 19th goal of the season.

''I had a lot of fun,'' Letang said. ''It wasn't perfect for me, but I was just happy to be on the ice. Obviously it's something I missed a lot.''

View gallery

Detroit Red Wings' Jakub Kindl (4) returns to the bench after his goal in the second period of a …

Sheahan forced overtime and put the Red Wings in the playoffs when he scored his seventh of the year with 1:15 left in regulation.

''It was a pretty good feeling to get that point and give us a chance in the playoffs,'' Sheahan said.

Detroit, like Pittsburgh, has endured injuries throughout the season, as the Red Wings are still without captain Henrik Zetterberg, who is recovering from back surgery. Top-pairing defenseman Jonathan Ericsson (finger), Daniel Cleary (knee) and Mikael Samuelsson (shoulder) also remain out.

''Everyone gets injuries,'' Red Wings coach Mike Babcock said. ''You just can't get injuries to too many of the wrong people. The rest of these guys have stepped up.''

Zetterberg, who could begin skating next week, likely won't be ready for the first game of the postseason, though he could return at some point during the first round.

View gallery

Detroit Red Wings' Tomas Jurco (26) celebrates his goal with Daniel Alfredsson (11) in the first …

That first-round matchup could come against the Penguins, a potential meeting that would pair the teams together for the third time since 2008, the first of back-to-back appearances in the Stanley Cup finals for both clubs.

Pittsburgh, locked into the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed, welcomed several stars back to the lineup, including captain Sidney Crosby, Chris Kunitz, Brooks Orpik, and Olli Maatta, who all missed Sunday's shootout win at Colorado.

The most significant return came on the blue line.

Letang hadn't played since Jan. 27, two days before suffering a frightening stroke that threatened his 2013 season. Doctors have not pinpointed the cause of the stroke, but tests revealed a small hole in his heart, which hasn't been repaired and may have played a factor. Letang has been taken off blood-thinner medication, but his condition will be monitored.

Pittsburgh general manager Ray Shero and Letang said they are confident the 2013 Norris Trophy finalist is not putting himself at greater risk by playing.

Letang, welcomed back to the lineup with a loud ovation from the sellout crowd, was cleared by doctors several weeks ago and convinced Shero he was OK during a series of conversations while traveling with the team on a road trip last week.

He looked well on his way back to form Wednesday.

''There are some things I felt good about, some things I have to get my timing back,'' Letang said. ''Hockey is about timing and, I don't know, maybe it's going to take a week, maybe it's going to take two weeks.''

NOTES: The Penguins are 49-18-2 in 69 games played the past two seasons with Letang in the lineup and 33-8-1 when he records a point. ... Pittsburgh recorded its 100th regular-season win at home, its 51st win equaling the second-highest total in team history. ... The crowd was encouraged to sing along to the National Anthem in support of stabbing victims at nearby Franklin Regional High School.

Jussi Jokinen #36 of the Pittsburgh Penguins scores against Jonas Gustavsson #50 of the Detroit Red Wings during the shootout at Consol Energy Center on April 9, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The Penguins defeated the Red Wings 4-3 in a shootout. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

Pirates' lefties are more than all right

By John Perrotto 

Beaver County Times Baseball Correspondent 

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

April 8, 2014

Tony Watson (44) pitches against the St. Louis Cardinals last September. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY 

Sports

Tony Watson did something nearly impossible during his senior season of high school baseball.

The left-hander posted a 0.10 ERA for Dallas Center Grimes in Grimes, Iowa. That enabled him to win the Bob Feller Award as the top scholastic pitcher in Iowa and earn a scholarship to Nebraska.

Eleven years after that dominating performance, Watson was asked if he might better this season while working out of the Pirates’ bullpen. The questioner wasn’t completely joking.

“That would be awesome,” Watson said with a smile. “I don’t think it’s attainable, though.”

Highly doubtful, but it does seem forever since Watson allowed a run. It happened last Aug. 3 when the Rockies scored twice off him in 1/3 of an inning in a game at PNC Park.

Watson since has made 24 consecutive scoreless appearances covering 23 2/3 innings.

He retired all four batters he faced, striking out three, to get the win Sunday against the Cardinals at PNC Park. The Pirates return to action Tuesday night after having Monday off and play the Cubs in Chicago in the first game of a three-game series.

The only pitcher with a longer streak than Watson going into Monday’s action was Cardinals left-handed reliever Kevin Siegrist, who had been unscored upon in 27 1/3 straight innings.

Watson does not have an especially detailed answer for his success. He prefers to simplify things.

“I just try to keep the same routine and same approach,” the 28-year-old said.

Watson has pitched in 181 games for the Pirates since being called up in 2011 and compiled a fine 3.05 ERA. He has given up just 122 hits in 169 1/3 innings with 56 walks and 150 strikeouts.

“He’s one of the guys we’ve counted on since he’s been here and he’s been nothing but consistent,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “He’s one of those guys that everyone wants to talk about in trades. We think he’s a special guy and so do a lot of other people within the industry.”

In fact, he and hard-throwing Justin Wilson combine to make such a strong duo of left-handed relievers that the Pirates won’t part with either one. Wilson has held opposing batters to 61 hits in 80 1/3 innings with a .211 batting average against and a .585 OPS allowing since coming to the major leagues late in the 2012 season.

“You don’t find many left-handed relievers like that,” Hurdle said. “We’re glad we have them.”

And they aren’t going anywhere.

Pirates emerge as worthy rival for Cards

Bernie Miklasz bjmiklasz@post-dispatch.com
http://www.stltoday.com/
April 6, 2014



Edinson Volquez pitched 5 2/3 innings and allowed one run in the Pirates' 2-1 win over the Cards on Sunday afternoon. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)

PITTSBURGH • Last year the Cardinals and Pirates clashed for the NL Central division title, going deep into September before the conflict was settled with St. Louis finishing on top. The teams had a memorable return engagement in October, with the Cardinals rallying behind starting pitchers Michael Wacha and Adam Wainwright to prevail in a dramatic NL division series.

Though the Pirates lost both duels to an established power, in many ways they scored a larger victory: after 20 seasons of abject failure, Pittsburgh reemerged from the malaise as a worthy and menacing opponent. No longer playing the role of chumps to the champs in St. Louis, the Pirates captured the Cardinals’ attention and respect. And with good reason. 

“We knew they were continuing to get better,” Cards manager Mike Matheny said. “And last year they proved to the world that it’s true. The Pirates aren’t going anywhere. They’ve got a lot of young talent, and they’re very motivated, and they’re moving in the direction that they want to go.”

Matheny is right; this rivalry should last a while. The Cardinals and Pirates are stocked with riches of young talent. They’re girded by proven veterans. They’re led by successful GMs and managers.

Last season didn’t seem like a one-time throwdown between the teams between the Gateway City and the Iron City. Given each organization's youthful roster core and acclaimed player-development system, this pleasing new rivalry appears to be sustainable.

“There’s personal respect here for that organization, and they’re an organization we’re trying to emulate,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “The record speaks for itself. The consistency. The continuity. The Cardinal Way. We’re trying to develop our own ‘Way’ here.

“It’s a very engaging game that we play against those guys. And the respect is mutual. Both teams are going to play the game hard, and they’re going to play the game right. They fear nothing, and they respect everything. That’s personified by their front office, and by their manager and by their coaching staff. And that’s the way we’re trying to grow our program here.”

After being pounded 12-2 Friday, the Cardinals counterattacked Saturday night at PNC Park, winning 6-1. The visitors ambushed Pirates lefthander Francisco Liriano for a three-run first inning, got homers from Yadier Molina and Jhonny Peralta, and held the lead on the rigid pitching of starter Joe Kelly and three relievers. (Carlos Martinez: what a talent.) 

With Wainwright starting Sunday afternoon, the Cardinals are in strong position to win the three-game series before zooming home to St. Louis for Monday's 2014 opener at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals will see the Pirates at Busch later this month.

To me, the revival of baseball in Pittsburgh is one of the best stories, and developments, in major league baseball over the last decade. The Pirates don't have the financial power of large-market franchises, or the broad generational and regional support that benefits the Cardinals.

What the Pirates do have is a home base in a visually striking city that's undergoing a renaissance. They play in a gorgeous ballpark; PNC is an underrated gem. And the Pirates have effective, visionary leadership that instituted a transformative rebuilding plan.  

Saturday the Pirates rewarded Hurdle and GM Neal Huntington with three-year contract extensions that include a club option for 2018. It was a fitting payoff for two highly capable baseball men who guided the futile Pirates out of baseball’s lost colony and to their first winning season (and postseason) appearance since 1992. The new deals signified that the Pirates are dropping anchor and planning to challenge the Cardinals for the long term.

“The Cardinals are tough competitors, I can tell you that,” Pirates president Frank Coonelly said Saturday. “They have set the standard, not only in the division, but in the National League. It’s quite a benchmark that they’ve set, and we’ve got a lot of work to meet that challenge. I think we’re on our way to becoming a formidable opponent in the National League again.”

Coonelly recruited Huntington late in the 2007 season, and Huntington hired Hurdle before 2011. With Hurdle as manager, the Pirates certainly have held their own against the Cardinals, going 26-26 in regular-season games played between the teams.

After winning 94 games and the wild-card play-in contest a year ago, Pirates’ management isn’t content to merely be competitive. The Cardinals have set a high standard, and the Pirates hope to match it with an appealing combination of the best farm system in the majors (according to Baseball America) and multiple youthful core veterans personified by center fielder Andrew McCutchen, the reigning league MVP.

“We’ve just begun,” Huntington said. “We’ve had one great season at the major-league level. We’ve got to keep going. We’ve got to put ourselves in position to have a great season this year, a great season next year, and as many great seasons as we can. I’m not looking back. We’re looking forward to how we can grow and get better.”

If you prefer to have an element of ugliness in your rivalries, then the Cardinals and Pirates will disappoint. Theirs is a gentlemanly competition _ at least to this point, anyway.

The Cardinals respect the impressive work that's been done by the Pirates' organization. At the field level Matheny repeatedly has complimented Hurdle and the Pirates coaches and players for their professionalism and hardcore (but clean) competitiveness.

As the Pirates continue to evolve, Huntington views the Cardinals as a template, praising Cardinals owner Bill DeWitt Jr., GM John Mozeliak and Matheny. The admiration is genuine. 

“They’re the model franchise,” Huntington said. “Whether it’s ownership, or ‘Mo,’ they do a lot of things really well over there. We try to steal a few of their secrets at times, just by watching them and trying to figure out how they’ve done so well.

“Because they’re exemplary in everything that they do, whether it’s scouting, it’s development, what they do at the major-league level. And to be mentioned in the same vicinity of them is an honor. But we’ve still got a lot of work left to do before we’re even beginning to be at that echelon.”

If the Cardinals are to win the difficult NL Central again this season, the title will be earned — not given. The Reds aren't going to have a fade-out season as some seem to believe. The Brewers' starting pitching is sturdy and improved. The Cubs have a solid rotation and are preparing to graduate several acclaimed hitting prospects to Wrigley Field over the next two or three seasons. But as the 2014 season takes shape and courses through the spring and summer and into the fall, the division race should come down to the Cardinals and Pirates again. Their fresh rivalry should produce memorable, meaningful baseball for years to come.

Watch "Breakfast with Bernie," each weekday, sponsored by Papa John's, where you get 50 percent off regular price menu items the day after a Blues victory in which they score 3 goals. Use promo code "BLUES3" at checkout. 10% of purchase price benefits Siteman Cancer Center.

Sanchez has winning hit in 16th, Pirates beat Cubs

By John Perrotto

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/teams/pit/

April 3, 2014

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Lengthy games don't bother Tony Sanchez. He played in the longest game in NCAA tournament history while at Boston College in 2009, the Eagles losing in 25 innings to Texas.

So it was no big deal when the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie catcher was called on to pinch-hit in the 16th inning Wednesday night.

''This was nothing compared to that,'' Sanchez said with a smile.

The difference between the two is, this time, in a game that took 5 hours, 55 minutes, Sanchez singled in the winning run to give the Pirates a 4-3 victory over the Chicago Cubs - the longest game in Pittsburgh history by time.

Sanchez's hit came off Carlos Villanueva (0-2), ending the game just short of 1 a.m. and 6 minutes longer the Pirates 8-7, 18-inning victory over Houston on May 27, 2006, that took 5:49.

''The few fans who stayed were really loud and that got the adrenaline flowing,'' Sanchez said. ''It was a great to be in a situation where I had the chance to win a game for the first time in my career. I was getting a little nervous when I stepped up to the plate then I realized all I had to do was put the ball in play and find a hole.''

Pitching Details

• 
  Win
  Stolmy Pimentel
  1-0
• 
  Loss
  Carlos Villanueva
  0-2

Villanueva also allowed Neil Walker's game-ending home run in the Pirates' 1-0 win Monday in the season opener.

The Cubs left 19 runners on Wednesday and have gone 1 for 27 with runners in scoring position in their first two games. Yet first-year manager Rick Renteria is remaining positive.

''We did everything we could possibly do,'' Renteria said. ''The guys kept coming back and that's a good sign for all of us. As long as we keep going out there and playing the way we're playing right now, good things are bound to happen.''

Both teams scored in the 12th inning as the Cubs' Anthony Rizzo hit a leadoff home run and the Pirates'Starling Marte had an RBI single with two outs off closer Jose Veras.

The Cubs ended a streak of 16 scoreless innings to start the season by scoring single runs in eighth and ninth inning to force extra innings.

Related Stories

• Pirates win on Sanchez's RBI in 16th The SportsXchange
• Pirates 4, Cubs 3 (16 innings) The SportsXchange
• Pirates outlast Cubs, win 4-3 in 16 innings NBC Sports
• Walker's walk-off homer lifts Pirates over Cubs The SportsXchange
• Walker, Morton lead Pirates over Phillies 3-0 The Associated Press

Chicago's Emilio Bonifacio went 5 for 7 and is hitting .750 (9 for 12). Luis Valbuena added three hits, including a two-out RBI single in the ninth inning off closer Jason Grilli that tied the game at 2-2 and forced extra innings.

Jordy Mercer opened the 16th with a bunt single but was forced out at second on Jose Tabata's sacrifice attempt. Starling Marte followed with a singled to put runners on corners before Sanchez, the rookie catcher and last position player left on the Pirates' bench, grounded into left field for the walkoff hit.

Pittsburgh starter Charlie Morton pitched six scoreless inning but was denied the win when Grilli blew his first save opportunity of the season after converting 33 of 35 saves last year.

Cubs starter Edwin Jackson allowed two runs, one earned, and two hits in 5 1-3 innings in his first start since going 8-18 last season and leading the major leagues in losses.

The Cubs' first run came when an umpire's call was reversed by video replay.

Nate Schierholtz appeared to ground into an inning-ending double play with the bases loaded. However, Renteria asked for the call to be reviewed and it was ruled that Mercer, the shortstop, came off the second base bag while taking a throw from Walker, the second baseman, which made Rizzo safe at second base.

Walker was charged with an error that enabled Bonifacio to score from third base.

NOTES: Both benches were warned by home plate umpire Bob Davidson after Morton hit Rizzo to start the second inning. That came after Marte was hit by Jackson to lead off the bottom of the first. Though Rizzo was hit again in the eighth inning, Melancon was not ejected. ... RHP Jason Hammel, signed to a $6 million, one-year contract as a free agent in the offseason is scheduled to make his Cubs' debut on Thursday afternoon when he faces LHP Wandy Rodriguez in the finale of the three-game series. Rodriguez did not pitch after June 5 last season because of elbow and forearm tightness.

Nutting must get past first base

By Dejan Kovacevic 
http://triblive.com/sports/
Published: Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 10:33 p.m.

Christopher Horner | Tribune-Review

Pirates Chairman of the Board Bob Nutting presents Scott and Shiela Kiner with a plaque honoring Scott's father, Ralph, before the home opener against the Cubs Monday, March 31, 2014, at PNC Park.

Met up with Bob Nutting on Monday morning in a PNC Park office, and much to my chagrin, he wasn't flipping through bundles of bills with one hand, flicking cigar ashes with the other. He wasn't letting out Vincent Price cackles while scheming to buy ski lifts for Seven Springs. And no, he wasn't vetoing stacks of proposals from the Pirates front office to upgrade first base.

What a crushing disappointment.

He was still just … Bob.

He's always Bob, really. He has a water-level demeanor, an easygoing smile and the open-buttoned casual shirt to match.

Which is why, no matter how much more compelling those above scenarios might make for a column — or talk show or Twitter debate — I generally prefer the somewhat antiquated approach of, you know, asking the guy what's up from time to time. No reason not to. He's accountable and eminently approachable, doing more interviews in a month than Art Rooney II does all year or Mario Lemieux does in, what, a decade?

And so we got to work on the latest Nutting narrative. That, of course, is that he isn't spending enough on the Pirates' payroll and, as a result, the ignominious duo of Gaby Sanchez and Travis Ishikawa are sharing first base.

That's issue No. 1, right?

If it isn't right now, it most assuredly will be as soon as the Pirates take their first loss.

I'll share my views in a bit, but first, Nutting's answer when I opened by asking about the offseason: “We had a solid offseason because we ended up in a very good place. I'm enthusiastic about the roster. Were there areas where we could have had, perhaps, a bigger impact? You know, possibly. Do we have a team that will be competitive in a very tough National League Central? Absolutely. These guys, I think, can play with anyone.”

Be sure that the context for the “bigger impact” was that of first base. Fairly candid stuff.

Naturally, I followed up by asking why he, as owner, wouldn't insist on that first baseman: “Yeah, I really think that's a counterproductive role for me to play. I have faith in our leadership team. That starts with Frank Coonelly and Neal Huntington, but it's also the team they've surrounded themselves with. These are really good, smart people … all contributing to those decisions. The last thing we need is any one person — especially me — coming in and overriding their collective judgement.”

Next question was about whether payroll, $73 million if removing the Houston Astros' payment to Wandy Rodriguez, has room to grow should moves come later: “Absolutely. And I think we've always had that flexibility to react appropriately to the situation, whether it's now or an add at the trading deadline, or as we saw last year, well after the trading deadline.”

That was a reference to August 2013 acquisitions Marlon Byrd and Justin Morneau. There are other precedents.

Overall, here's what I see on this front: Nutting isn't doing enough.

When the Brewers' payroll is $104 million in a Milwaukee market that's two-thirds the size of Pittsburgh, falling $30 million short of that is indefensible no matter the explanation. It's embarrassing, actually. And it has to change soon to maintain public faith and, yeah, to compete.

The Pirates' primary free agent target for first base was James Loney. By all accounts, their best two-year offer was competitive with the Rays. But when Tampa Bay went to three, the Pirates were out. Huntington told TribLive Radio's Ken Laird and Guy Junker on Monday, “We choked on the third year for James Loney. He's a good player. For a number of factors, it was the final step we couldn't take. Time will tell if we should have. At the time, we felt like it was not the right thing for this organization.”

See, that's when the owner needs to step up. Because that's not a pure baseball decision. It's about money. Clearly, the Pirates front office liked Loney. Just as clearly, they were concerned about guaranteed money three years down the pike. There's no way that should have even been a consideration, with Andrew McCutchen in his prime and a 94-win season in the rearview mirror.

Nutting has done extremely well to stay focused on the draft and Latin America, the latter initiative for which he never can get enough credit. And part of the reason both have worked is his long-panned patience and prudence. He's a huge part of the Pirates' revival.

But the time for a push at the major league level is now, and the owner has to be more than a passenger. Those other areas are first base, and what's here now is ... well, first base.

Anyway, back to the office: I wrapped up by asking Nutting about the insane money that has been thrown around of late to Miguel Cabrera, Mike Trout, Clayton Kershaw and others.

Where will that leave the Pirates?

“We've always done our best to focus on what we can control,” Nutting said. “We have certain resources, and we have to apply those as effectively as we can. We need to be disciplined. We need to be consistent. To a great degree, some of those outside contracts are noise that simply don't affect us. And if we allow that to become a distraction or an excuse, I think we get away from what we do best.”

Insert maniacal laughter, I guess.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/dejankovacevic/dejancolumns/5864195-74/nutting-pirates-base#ixzz2xj5dQL00 
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

New goals motivate Pirates CF McCutchen after winning NL MVP

By Karen Price 
http://triblive.com/sports/
Published: Tuesday, April 1, 2014, 10:00 p.m.

Former Pirate MVPs Dick Groat and Barry Bonds stand with 2013 National League MVP Andrew McCutchen #22 of the Pittsburgh Pirates during Opening Day at PNC Park on March 31, 2014 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

(March 30, 2014 - Source: Justin K. Aller/Getty Images North America)

Andrew McCutchen heard the familiar “MVP” chants cascading down from fans at PNC Park. They began during the pregame ceremony honoring his big award and continued until his final at-bat in the ninth inning against the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day.

While it was nice to hear, McCutchen said, the Pirates center fielder is not dwelling on what happened in 2013 when there's so much to look forward to in 2014.

“That was last year,” he said. “I'm ready for new beginnings, turn the page. Ready to just make some more history.”

The Pirates showcased the history McCutchen helped them make last season prior to Monday's first pitch, when seven-time NL MVP Barry Bonds and 1960 MVP Dick Groat presented McCutchen with the award for the NL's most valuable player.

Jack Wilson was also on hand to present Silver Slugger awards to 2013 recipients McCutchen and Pedro Alvarez, and the former Pirates shortstop said he remembers walking out with Freddy Sanchez after a Sunday day game at PNC Park and seeing McCutchen taking part in his pre-draft tryout.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/pirates/5864167-74/mccutchen-mvp-pirates#ixzz2xj2puGhR 
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Hometown hero Walker now a Pirates' home run hero

By John Perrotto 

Beaver County Times Baseball Correspondent 

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

April 1, 2014

Pittsburgh Pirates' Neil Walker hits the game-wining home run in the tenth inning of an opening day baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, March 31, 2014, in Pittsburgh. The Pirates won 1-0 in ten innings. Photo: Keith Srakocic, AP

PITTSBURGH --- Neil Walker’s 2013 season couldn’t have ended any worse. His 2014 season couldn’t have started any better.

The second baseman was dreadful as the Pirates lost to the Cardinals in last year’s National League Division Series. The Pine-Richland High School graduate was 0-for-19 during the five-game series.

No wonder Walker was having flashbacks to last October when he went hitless in his first three at-bats of the new season Monday.

“It felt like a rollover from last year,” Walker said.

But Walker ended up being the hero when he led off the bottom of the 10th inning with a home run to give the Pirates a 1-0 victory over the Cubs in a taut opener at PNC Park. It was the first walk-off hit of his six-year career.

“This one feels pretty special,” Walker said.

Context is what made the home run so memorable, not only coming on opening day but during an afternoon when the Pirates had one final celebration of their magical 2013 season. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen received his NL MVP award, Clint Hurdle received his NL Manager of the Year award, McCutchen and third baseman Pedro Alvarez received their NL Silver Slugger awards and left-hander Francisco Liriano was acknowledged for winning the NL Comeback Player of the Year award while warming up in the bullpen.

Liriano pitched like a Cy Young award candidate Monday, pitching six scoreless innings and striking out 10 while looking like the pitcher who won 16 games a year ago.

“Frank was awfully good,” Hurdle said.

In the end, though, it was the guy who grew up rooting for the Pirates through so many awful seasons that sent the crowd of 39,833 into delirium.

“This is a special day for this team, this organization,” Walker said. “We’ve come a long way. The last 20 years have been a tough thing. To get to where were are is pretty amazing. Special moments like today, being part of a pre-game like that and having a finish like that is pretty special.”

Gallery

A paratrooper with an American flag descends onto PNC Park during opening day ceremonies before the baseball game between the Pittsburgh Pirates and the Chicago Cubs on Monday, March 31, 2014, in Pittsburgh. Photo: Keith Srakocic, AP

Former Pittsburgh Pirates Dick Groat, left, Barry Bonds, second from left, Jack Wilson, center, present awards to Pittsburgh Pirates Andrew McCutchen, third from left, and Pedro Alvarez, third from right, with manager Clint Hurdle, second from right, and former Pirates manager Jim Leyland before a baseball game against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, March 31, 2014, in Pittsburgh. McCutchen was presented with the NL League MVP and Silver Slugger Award and Alvarez a Silver Slugger Award. (Keith Srakocic, AP / AP)

Nelson Liriano: 6 innings, 4 hits, 0 runs, 3 BBs, 10 SOs  (Charles LeClaire, USA Today Sports)

Charles LeClaire-USA TODAY Sport

A 'special' way for Pirates to start

By Dejan Kovacevic 
http://triblive.com/sports/
Published: Monday, March 31, 2014, 10:00 p.m.

“It's one game. It's just one. With 161 to go,” Neil Walker was saying late Monday afternoon, and it was almost as if he believed it.

He couldn't have, of course.

It was, after all, his Rawlings Big Stick that minutes earlier had clobbered that flat, full-count changeup over the Clemente Wall in the 10th inning to cap the Pirates' 1-0 cutdown of the Cubs on an Opening Day unlike any of the 127 priors in these parts.

Those were his arms raised before the ball reached peak arc.

Those were his teammates waiting at the plate, Russell Martin at the bottom of the pack frantically waving both hands like a college kid.

And yeah, those were very much Walker's people — family, friends, fellow Pittsburghers — dancing in delirium inside a PNC Park bursting at its blue seams with a regular-season record 39,833 on hand and equal emotion. Jolly Rogers flapping, Mama Cutch crooning, Greg Brown clearing the deck for the lone cannonball, ESPN's cameras sending it all out to a still-curious country and, playing the role of cherry on top, some straight-from-Bradenton sunshine overhead.

No way was this just one, and he eventually relented without prodding.

“With everything that went on before the game, with the crowd being the way they were … this one feels pretty special,” Walker said. “It's a special day for this organization.”

Special sounds about right, huh?

Walker described the broader feeling as “in some ways, a continuation of last season,” and that's easy to see. Flip the switch to nighttime and replace the Cubs with the Reds, and at times the Blackout wild-card game was reborn.

And yet, if you ask me, it felt more like an affirmation.

Rewind to the pregame festivities and, as I'd expected all along, it wasn't about Barry Bonds. None of this was, no matter how much he might have hoped for that as part of this sudden push to get back in baseball's good graces. (Getting only 36.2 percent of the needed 75 percent for Hall of Fame induction will do that.) Some booed him. Others cheered. No big deal either way.

In the end, he bolted the ballpark — after a couple of innings at most, per people accompanying him — for a flight out of town a few hours after landing.

“I love the city,” came the explanation from Bonds' visibly smaller head when asked why he returned. “It's a great place, and it's an honor to be back.”

Hey, thanks for stoppin.'

Want to know what mattered?

Dick Groat, 83 years young and one of our city's truly underappreciated athletes, stood by Bonds' side to salvage the MVP presentation to Andrew McCutchen and, in the earlier news conference shared by all four presenters, said, “I'm just happy to be a Pittsburgher.”

Jim Leyland showed that trademark softy side when he spoke of his old franchise: “It makes me happy to see that the Pirates are secure here.”

Jack Wilson, the unfortunate Face of the Streak who always deserved better, offered this: “That scene from the wild-card game … it's what a lot of us always knew it could be like here.”

And how about Neal Huntington and top lieutenant Kyle Stark standing unassumingly at the back of the room to take in this extraordinary session?

Imagine, after all their ups and downs, how that must have felt.

Groat, Leyland and Wilson were cheered during the on-field ceremony and, more important, those being honored — McCutchen, Pedro Alvarez, Francisco Liriano, Clint Hurdle — heard it even louder.

That's what it's about.

Well, that and all the affirmation that would result from continuing to play good baseball: The bats were stone silent before Walker's blast, but that always happens when Chicago's Jeff Samardzija comes to town. Didn't matter, as it turned out, since Liriano came hard — soft, actually, with all that offspeed material — for six scoreless innings, a couple of terrific double plays were turned, the bullpen put up four more eggs, and Walker wrapped it up with the right hit at the right time.

Stop me if all that sounds familiar.

Maybe it does for those involved, too.

McCutchen glanced around the Pirates' clubhouse not long after the fuss and noticed something strikingly different: There was no music; few players left. As he put it, “Everybody just pretty much showered and went home.”

That prompted Cutch to seek affirmation of his own from Martin.

“It's like we've done this before,” Cutch said to the catcher.

The catcher threw it right back: “We have done it.”

Dejan Kovacevic is a staff writer for Trib Total Media. Reach him at dkovacevic@tribweb.com or via Twitter @Dejan_Kovacevic.

Read more: http://triblive.com/sports/dejankovacevic/dejancolumns/5860567-74/walker-pirates-game#ixzz2xd5z8XWQ 
Follow us: @triblive on Twitter | triblive on Facebook

Here’s our opening-day photo gallery featuring the work of Chris Horner, Chaz Palla and Steve Adams, including this gem from Palla: