Buccos Cove

The Pittsburgh Pirates offense exploded for 10 runs and a season-high 16 hits in last night's 10-2 win over the San Francisco Giants. It was a breakout game for Kevin Newman and Gregory Polanco, as each are hoping to get back on track. After taking a sweep in Arizona, it looked like things were about to go really bad for the Pirates. They were about to take on the best team in baseball and had already lost four games in a row. However, the Pirates have turned the tide and taken the first two games of the series, as they look for their first sweep of the year on Sunday. However, Saturday night they took it to the next level as they pounded out a season-high 16 hits in a 10-2 win over the Giants. Of the nine guys in the Pirates lineup, six had multi-hit games and every starter except Ke'Bryan Hayes and Wil Crowe each got at least one hit. However, two guys in the lineup performed above and beyond, and they are hoping it can be a breakout game to get them back on track...

The 2021 MLB Trade Deadline is nearing, and today we look at a rare move between two sellers. The Pittsburgh Pirates and Arizona Diamondbacks both have a young player who may benefit from a change of scenery. When you think of the MLB Trade Deadline, you normally think of big-name players heading to competitors in exchange for a package of prospects. These big names are meant to make an impact on their team now, while the prospects make their presence known in a few years, as teams try to become competitive once again. Most of the time the big trades are made between buyers and sellers, and unfortunately, over the last couple of seasons, the Pittsburgh Pirates have been sellers. The last buyer-type trade that the team made was when they traded for Chris Archer, and we all know how that trade worked out. In 2021, the Pirates are sellers again with names like Adam Frazier and Tyler Anderson circling the rumor mill. However, there is another type of trade that occurs that isn...

The Pittsburgh Pirates head back home as they bring their 10-game losing streak with them to PNC Park. They welcome in the Cleveland Indians for a three-game series as they look to then things around. To say things haven't been going the Pittsburgh Pirates' way as of late would be an understatement. They have currently lost 10-games in a row and just endured their third straight sweep at the hands of the Washington Nationals. Their offense has been struggling, scoring four runs or less in all 10 of those games, marking the first time since 1968 that the Pirates lost 10-straight games and scored four runs or less in each of those games. They have dropped to a season-low 21 games under .500 and their inexperience has started to show. However, there are some positive signs like Hayes's hitting, Newman's defense, and Frazier's consistency to get on base. After an off-day on Thursday, the Pirates are looking to hit the reset button when they return to the fri...

While his bat is struggling to find success, Kevin Newman is on a historic run on the defensive side of the ball. He recently broke his own franchise record and has played in 56 consecutive errorless games at shortstop. Entering the 2021 season, there were two main areas of the game that the Pittsburgh Pirates were focusing on. General Manager Ben Cherington wanted to make pitching and defense the foundation of this young team. The pitching is developing and working through some inexperience, but the defense has actually seen great improvement so far in 2021. At the end of the 2020 season, the Pirates ranked second to last in all of baseball at a .977 fielding percentage. Flash forward to this season, and the Pirates are one of the top defensive teams in the league. They currently are tied for ninth in all of Major League Baseball with a .984 fielding percentage. Leading the charge defensively has been shortstop Kevin Newman who has written his name in the Pirates history b...

After not scoring a run all game, the Pittsburgh Pirates fought back last night to beat the San Francisco Giants in walk-off fashion 3-2. The offense is hoping to use this momentum to get them going again for the rest of the series. Entering Friday night's game against the San Francisco Giants, the Pittsburgh Pirates offense had been really bad. They had scored two runs or less in nine of their previous 11 games, and things weren't looking good again. The Pirates entered the ninth inning down 1-0, and even though they were out-hitting the Giants 6-3, they weren't bringing runners home. The only bright spot was that the top of the lineup was due up with the National League's hit leader set to lead it off. The Pirates would rally to tie the game on a Bryan Reynolds single and forced extra innings. Neither team scored in the 10th, but it was the Pirates who had the last laugh as Gregory Polanco won the game in the bottom of the 11th with a sacrifice fly.  Extra...

While guys like Adam Frazier, Bryan Reynolds, and Colin Moran have all had solid seasons, after them, there isn't much help. The bottom of the batting order has been a kryptonite for the Pirates as they look for someone to come through. When looking at some of the most successful teams across the MLB, they all have one factor in common. There really is no hole in their batting order and they pitch and okay defense very well. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been pitching well as of late, but it has been their offense that has ended up failing them. In their last five games, the team has combined to score just six runs and have combined to go just 1-7 in their last eight games. However, it isn't everyone in the Pirates lineup that is struggling, as guys like Colin Moran, Bryan Reynolds, and Adam Frazier have all had successful seasons. After them, things get a lot more difficult as six through nine hitters have failed to produce any type of offense on a consistent basis. ...

The Pittsburgh Pirates open up their first interleague series of the year tomorrow when they travel to Detroit. We look at the Pirate's Designated Hitter Options as they try and take their second straight series this week. The Pittsburgh Pirates are riding high right now coming off a series win in Milwaukee, as they continue their nine-game, three City Road trip. However, they move into their first Interleague series of the year tomorrow when they take on the Detroit Tigers for a three-game series at Comerica Park. Last season, the Designated Hitter was implemented universally throughout baseball, but this year hitters were once again hitting in the National League. That means that the Pirates will have to find a designated hitter for this coming series for the first time in 2021. For a team that lacks overall power, there are no clear-cut candidates. However, there are a few players who could fit the bill simply to get more playing time during this stretch. Last season...

In Spring Training 2021, infielder Kevin Newman was tearing the cover off of the baseball, however, after 15 games, he is in a complete slump. We look at the tale of two Kevin's to see what has gone wrong for Newman and how he can turn things around. As the Pittsburgh Pirates entered Spring Training 2021, the shortstop position looked a lot like it did two years earlier. There was no clear-cut starter at the position, and Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez were battling for playing time. Gonzalez was definitely the more sure-handed defensively, but Newman's bat is what ended up earning him the job. He had the best Spring Training in Major League history, hitting .606 with five RBI while not striking out at all throughout Spring Training. With that kind of performance, the Pirates had no choice but to name Newman the Opening Day starter at shortstop and give Gonzalez, who also had a solid spring hitting .326 with two home runs and eight RBI, a spot on the bench. However,...

With just three days left before Opening Day, anticipation for the start of the season is at an all-time high. Before the year gets going, we look at some things to watch for the Pirates this year as they get ready to start the 2021 season. Opening Day is just three days away when the Pittsburgh Pirates get set to take on the Chicago Cubs on April 1st. For this young Pirates team, anticipation is building as the players and coaches are ready to take the field. Expectations might not be very high this year, but the fact that we get to see a 162-game season in itself has fans across the league ready to roll. However, with a young team like the Pirates, there are always some questions that need answered. Over the next couple of days, we will highlight the three things to watch as the team heads into 2021. We will focus on every aspect of the team and get you ready with everything you need to know before April 1st. Today, we focus on the young offense, who will be relied on to ...

The battle for a spot in the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates middle infield is heating up and two players are coming to the forefront. Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez have both been on fire at the start of the Grapefruit League schedule. Coming into Spring Training, the Pirates had five middle infielders vying for two spots in the Pittsburgh Pirates middle infield in 2021. With only two spots in the middle infield and one taken by second baseman Adam Frazier, the competition for the starting shortstop position is heating up. Adam Frazier is currently out with a groin injury, and his fellow middle infielders are taking advantage of the uptick in playing time. Two middle infield candidates in particular have taken the opportunity in stride and are showing through the first five games how good they can be. Kevin Newman and Erik Gonzalez have both been on fire at the plate and have shown they can play both second base and shortstop. The tandem got the first start of Spring Training at t...

Opening Day 2021 is less than a month away as the Pittsburgh Pirates try and figure out who will head with the team to Chicago on April 1st. We try and predict who will be in the Pirate's Opening Day Batting Order against the Cubs. Grapefruit League action is officially underway as the Pittsburgh Pirates prepare for the 2021 season. There is still a lot of work to do, but everyone is looking ahead to that season opener on April 1st against the Chicago Cubs. Before that, the Pirates have a lot of questions to answer around the field as they decide who is in and who is out as part of this rebuild. There are a few players who have guaranteed their spots like Bryan Reynolds, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Gregory Polanco, while there are several other players still fighting for their opportunity. There will be a lot of movement during the season with young guys making their debuts throughout the year, but it all starts with the starting nine on Opening Day. Today, we start our ser...

It has been a tale of two seasons at the Major League Level for Kevin Newman after coming on strong his rookie year and fading out last season. Newman is looking for a bounce-back in 2021 as he tries to claim the starting shortstop job. Over the last two seasons, Kevin Newman has gone from infield prospect to starting shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. He won the job during the 2019 season when he hit .308 as a rookie with 12 home runs and 64 RBI. He was in the running for the rookie of the year award that season, and although he didn't win the job out of Spring Training, he sure showed he could handle the everyday duties. Heading into the 2020 season, the Pirates had no question that Kevin Newman was going to be their guy at shortstop and in the leadoff spot in the Batting Order. However, things didn't go the way Newman wanted as he entered his second full Big League season. It was a year of struggles for a lot of players around the league, and Kevin Newman join...

As the Pirates enter the 2021 season, there is really no clear-cut starter at shortstop. Barring any other trades, we look at the three-way battle for shortstop with Erik Gonzalez, Kevin Newman, and Cole Tucker all in the running. As the Pittsburgh Pirates get ready to enter Spring Training 2021, there still remains a lot of questions on the Big League club. One of those questions revolves around who will be playing shortstop for the team this season. After Kevin Newman's struggles at the plate last season, there is likely to be competition heading into the 2021 season. Plus, if Adam Frazier is traded, that would more than likely move Newman to second base, opening the field for more competition at shortstop. With so many middle infielders on the Pirates roster, Manager Derek Shelton has a couple of different options he can play with. If everything stays put before the start of the season, it is more likely than not that Kevin Newman will at least start the year as the ...