Pirates lose 5-4 to Mets

The Pirates blew another good start by Ian Snell who pitched 7 innings and allowed 3 runs on 8 hits, he struck out 7. Salomon Torres(1-4) came in for the 8th inning with the score tied at 3-3 and couldnt get an out and allowed a single to David Wright and a double to Carlos Beltran before being pulled for Damaso Marte who walked Carlos Delgado to load the bases. Marte was then pulled for Shawn Chacon who allowed a 2-run RBI to Moises Alou(25). Both runs were charged to Torres(5.53 ERA). The Pirates did add a run in the bottom of the 8th but it wasnt enough as they lost 5-4 to Mets. Jorge Sosa(9-6) got the win for the Mets. Billy Wagner got his 27th save. Carlos Beltran(21) hit a home run for the Mets while Nate McClouth(6) had one for the Bucs. The Pirates are now 49-68.

Pirates split make-up doubleheader with Giants

Game 1

Pirates win 3-1 over Giants. Paul Maholm(8-14) pitched a 3-hitter complete game only giving up 1 run. Former-Pirate Rajai davis,, who has seen a lot of playing time with the Giants doubled home Dan Ortmeier in the 3rd and that was all the Giants got. Maholm did not walk a batter, not even Barry Bonds who was 1 for 3 with a single. Jose Castillo singled home 2 runs in the first for the winning runs.

Game 2

Pirates lose 10-3 to Giants. The Giants sent their best pitcher to the mound and he got the win for them. Noah Lowry(13-7) went 7 innings and gave 2 runs on 6 hits, while walking 5. Shane Youman(2-4) pitched well until the 6th inning when he gave up a grand slam to Ryan Klesko(6). Jose Bautista(8), Xavier Nady(15), and Josh Phelps(5) all hit solo homers. The loss stopped the Pirates 4 game win streak, they are now 49-67.

Pirates Sweep Giants, win 5-0 in San Fran

Tom Gorzelanny pitched all nine innings getting the complete-game shutout, his first. He is now 11-6 and the lone bright spot on the Pirates pitching staff, he also got his ERA down to 3.29, he only allowed 5 hits in Sunday's 5-0 Pirates win. Barry Zito(8-11) got the loss for the Giants, he pitched 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. Josh Phelps was the star at the plate hitting a two-run home run(4) in the 6th, then hitting a 2 RBI triple(1) in the 7th. He was 2 for 4 with 4 RBI's(20). The Bucs are now (48-66) and go home to play a make-up double-header with the Giants in Pittsburgh Monday befor taking on the New York Mets Tuesday. Both games of the doubleheader with the Giants are make-up games.

Pirates crush Giants 13-3 in San Fran

The Bucs won their second game in a row in San Francisco Saturday afternoon 13-3. Freddy Sanchez had a huge game going 4 for 5 with a home run(7) a double(29) and 5 RBI's(48). The Bucs started their offensive explosion in the 4th inning as Freddy Sanchez hit his 2 run homer, then in the next at-bat Adam LaRoche(17) hit a solo homer. Ryan Doumit than hit his 2nd triple(2) in as many days and scored on a Jose Castillo groundout. Tony Armas then doubled in Castillo for the 5 run inning that would be plenty for the win. Armas got the win(2-3) going 6 innings and giving up 3 runs. Adam LaRoche ended up with 3 RBI's(65). Super phenom Ryan Lincecum(6-3) got the loss in a rare bad performance for the highly touted rookie. Randy Winn(7) hit a home run for the Giants. The Bucs are now 47-66.

Pirates come back to beat Giants 8-7

The Pirates had a huge 6 run inning in the 8th to beat the Giants in San Francisco Friday night. Barry Bonds did hit his 758th home run(24) in the third inning off starter Matt Morris who got a no decision after pitching 6 innings and giving up 5 runs. The Pirates entered the 8th down 6-2 to the Giants but the Pirates played small ball and had the 6 run inning to get the 8-6 lead. Ryan Doumit was 3 for 5 with a double(19) and a triple(1) and 1 RBI(32). Adam LaRoche hit a solo homer(16) in the 4th inning. John Grabow(2-1) picked up the win. Matt Capps got his 10th save. Barry Bonds ended up 1 for 1 with the HR and 3 RBI's(56), the Bucs walked him twice. The Bucs are now 46-66

Pirates lose 4-2 to D-Backs

The Pirates grabbed a 2-0 lead in the first inning off a 2-run homer from Jason Bay(18 HR, 73 RBI) but couldnt hold on or get any more runs, losing to the Diamondbacks 4-2 in Arizona. Ian Snell started the game and actually pitched well for a change, going 6 innings and leaving the game with the score 2-2. Shawn Chacon(4-3) got the loss giving up a RBI single to Orlando Hudson in the 7th inning. Tony Clark(11) added a home run off Damaso Marte to give the D-Backs an insurance run they wouldnt need. Bright spot for the Pirates was Freddy Sanchez who went 3 for 3 with 2 doubles(28) and a walk. Sanchez now has a .302 average at the plate. D-Backs starter Doug Davis(9-10) picked up the win going 7 innings and giving up the 2 run homer to Bay, he only allowed 5 hits. Jose Valverde picked up his 35th save for the red-hot D-backs who are now 65-51 and have a 3 game lead on the Padres in the NL West. The Pirates are 45-66 and are 13 games back of Milwaukee who hold a half game over Chicago in the NL "Spooky" Central.

Pirates lose 10-6 to Arizona.

The Pirates lost 10-6 to the D-Backs Wednesday night. Paul Maholm(7-14) picked up the loss for the Bucs, he went 5 innings giving up 6 runs on 7 hits although only 4 runs were earned. Edgar Gonzalez(5-2) picked up the win. Nate McClouth(5) hit a solo homer in the 3rd inning, the Bucs are now 45-65

Gorzo gets 10th Win as Bucs win 8-3 over D-Backs

The Pittsburgh Pirates won the first game of a 3-game series with the RED HOT Arizona Diamondbacks 8-3 Tuesday Night in Arizona. Tom Gorzelanny(10-6) picked up the win, pitching 7 innings, giving up 2 earned runs on only 4 hits. The only guy Gorzo couldnt seem to get out was rookie Justin Upton who homered(1), tripled(1) and doubled(3) off Gorzelanny, he had 3 of the 4 hits Gorzo allowed and scored both runs. Jack Wilson was 2 for 4 with 2 doubles(18) and a RBI(33). Orlando Hudson(10) also hit a home run off of Salomon Torres in the 8th inning. The Pirates are now 45-64.

Commisioner's Statement on Barry Bonds

Commissioner's statement on Bonds breaking home run record

Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig issued the following statement tonight after Barry Bonds set the career home run record:
"I congratulate Barry Bonds for establishing a new career home run record. Barry's achievement is noteworthy and remarkable.

"After Barry came out of the game, I congratulated him by telephone and had MLB executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson -- both of whom were at the game and witnessed the record-breaking home run -- meet with him on my behalf. While the issues which have swirled around this record will continue to work themselves toward resolution, today is a day for congratulations on a truly remarkable achievement."

Bonds Hits #756

Bonds Makes History With 756th Home Run
By JANIE McCAULEY, AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO - Barry Bonds raised both arms over his head like a prize fighter in victory, fists clenched _ and then he took off. It was over at long last. Like him or not, legitimate or not, he is baseball's new home run king.

Bonds hit No. 756 to the deepest part of the ballpark Tuesday night, and hammered home that very point. He broke Hank Aaron's storied record with one out in the fifth inning, hitting a full-count, 84 mph fastball from Washington's Mike Bacsik.

Bonds sent the ball arcing high into the night, 435 feet into the right-center field seats. Later, he firmly and flatly rejected any suggestion that this milestone was stained by steroids.

"This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," Bonds said.

Conspicuous by their absence were the commissioner and Hammerin' Hank himself.

Though he was on hand for the tying homer three days ago, deciding to put baseball history ahead of the suspicions plaguing the Giants slugger, Bud Selig wasn't there for the record-breaker.

Instead, he sent two emissaries, Major League Baseball executive vice president Jimmie Lee Solomon and Hall of Famer Frank Robinson.

As for Aaron, he said all along he had no interest in being there whenever and wherever his 33-year-old mark was broken. He was true to his word, but he did offer a taped message of congratulations that played on the stadium's video board during a 10-minute, in-game tribute.

"It is a great accomplishment which required skill, longevity and determination," he said.

"Throughout the past century, the home run has held a special place in baseball and I have been privileged to hold this record for 33 of those years. I move over now and offer my best wishes to Barry and his family on this historic achievement.

"My hope today, as it was on that April evening in 1974, is that the achievement of this record will inspire others to chase their own dreams," he said.

A woman who answered the phone at Aaron's home in Georgia shortly after Bonds' homer said that Aaron was asleep.

"When I saw Hank Aaron that made everything," Bonds said. "We've always loved him. He's always the home run king."

With a long, satisfied stare, Bonds watched as the ball sailed over the fence and disappeared into the scrum in the first few rows. Then he raised both arms over his head like a victorious prize fighter, fists clenched, and took off.

"I knew I hit it," Bonds said. "I knew I got it. I was like, phew, finally."

His 17-year-old batboy son Nikolai was already bouncing on home plate as Dad rounded third and ran the final 90 feet to make it official. After a long embrace, the rest of the family joined in _ his mother, two daughters and wife. And then there was Willie Mays, who removed his cap and congratulated his godson.

Bonds saved his most poignant words for last, addressing his late father, Bobby.

"My dad," he said, looking to the sky and choking back tears. "Thank you."

Bonds had wanted to break the record at home, where he would be assured of a friendly crowd. They were all right, unlike in San Diego where some fans held up signs with asterisks.

Bonds has always denied knowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.

After doubling and singling his first two times up, Bonds hit a solo home run. Bacsik put his left hand to the back of his head as soon as Bonds connected.

"I dreamed about it as a kid, but when I dreamed about it, I was the one hitting the home run and not giving it up," Bacsik said.

"I didn't really want to be part of history as a bad part, but I am," he said. "I'm OK with it."

Bacsik later spoke with Bonds and got an autographed a bat from the Giants star.

Bonds took his position in left field to start the sixth, then was replaced and drew another standing ovation. The Nationals won the game, 8-6.

A fan wearing a Mets jersey wound up with the historic ball. Matt Murphy of New York emerged from the stands with the souvenir and a bloodied face, and was whisked to a secure room.

Even with Bonds at the top of the chart, fans will surely keep debating which slugger they consider the true home run champion. Some will continue to cling to Aaron while other, older rooters will always say it's Babe Ruth.

"It's all about history. Pretty soon, someone will come along and pass him," Mays said before the game.

Aaron held the top spot for 12,173 days after connecting for No. 715 to pass the Babe on April 8, 1974.

Bonds homered exactly three years after Greg Maddux earned his 300th victory at the same ballpark. It's been quite a week of baseball milestones _ over the weekend, Alex Rodriguez hit his 500th home run and Tom Glavine won No. 300.

A seven-time NL MVP, the 43-year-old Bonds hit his 22nd home run of the year. Bonds broke Mark McGwire's single-season record by hitting 73 in 2001 and while he's no longer such a force, opposing pitchers remain wary.

Bonds and Giants management bickered in the offseason over contract issues. This big night was the main reason owner Peter Magowan brought back the star left fielder for a 15th season in San Francisco, signing him to a $15.8 million, one-year contract.

Bonds' once-rapid quest for the record had slowed in recent years as his age and balky knees diminished his pace. He hit 258 home runs from 2000-04, but has only 53 since then.

While steroids have tinged Bonds' pursuit, it was race that was the predominant issue when Aaron broke Ruth's mark in 1974. Aaron dealt with hate mail and death threats from racist fans who thought a black man was not worthy of breaking the record set by a white hero, the beloved Babe.

Former commissioner Bowie Kuhn watched Aaron tie the record but was not present for the record-breaker, a slight that bothered many fans of Aaron. Selig is a close friend of Aaron's and offered Bonds tepid congratulations when he tied the record.

"I think Hank is his own man," Mays said. "I think if he wanted to be here he would be here."

"When he hit 715, the commissioner wasn't there," he said. "You may not blame him because he wasn't represented the right way."

Bonds was destined for stardom at an early age. The son of All-Star outfielder Bobby Bonds and the godson of one of the game's greatest players, Bonds spent his childhood years roaming the clubhouse at Candlestick Park, getting tips from Mays and other Giants.

"I visualized him playing sports at a high level. He was 5 when he was in my locker all the time," Mays said.

In a matter of years, Bonds went from a wiry leadoff hitter with Pittsburgh in 1986 to a bulked-up slugger. That transformation is at the heart of his many doubters, who believe Bonds cheated to accomplish his feats and should not be considered the record-holder.

There are plenty of fans already hoping for the day that Bonds' total _ whatever it ends up _ is topped. Alex Rodriguez may have the best chance, with his 500 home runs at age 32 far ahead of Bonds' pace.

Steelers look good in HOF game, win 20-7 over Saints

The Steelers looked great in Sunday's Hall of Fame game, Ben Roethlisberger only played one series but made the most of it, leading the Steelers right down the field for a touchdown. The big play was a play-action pass to Cedrick Wilson for 55 yards. He was 2 for 3 with 73 yards, all 73 yards went to Cedrick Wilson who caught 4 passes for 99 yards in the game. Najeh Davenport finished the drive off with a TD run from 3 yards out. Santonio Holmes also caught a TD pass in the game. The Steelers amassed 173 yards rushing and passed for 253 yards. The Steelers defense held the Saints to 214 yards. The team looked great and it seems Tomlin's tough training camp is paying off as the Steelers looked like the physically superior team the whole night. Jeff Reed was 2 for 3 on field goals.

Tom Glavine gets Win #300

Glavine joins 300 club vs. Cubs
Mets left-hander picks up historic win in Wrigley finale
By Marty Noble / MLB.com


CHICAGO -- One of the clubhouse attendants in Wrigley Field approached Tom Glavine on Sunday as a special evening was winding down and extended a hand with two baseballs. Glavine knew the drill. He signed on the sweet spots as he had done countless times. But he also knew he now was free to add a PS.
So under his signature -- which had become significantly more valuable 75 minutes earlier, Glavine added to the inscriptions. For the first times ever, he wrote 300 under his name. And, oh, how he liked the way that looked.

Now that three-digit figure is almost part of his name, like HOF is likely to become in five or six years. With a performance that reinforced his image as a brilliant pitcher, an intense competitor and a pretty competent batsman, Glavine forever changed his baseball identity Sunday night. No longer is he merely the two-time Cy Young Award winner or the five-time 20-game winner or the savvy left-hander who ...

Now, first, foremost and forever, Glavine is a 300-game winner. With a HOF chaser on order.

A comprehensive, Glavine-esque six-plus innings against the Cubs not only affected the change in ID, but also was the primary fuel in the Mets' less historic, less-than-artistic, 8-3 victory. On a night that established big-league record for sticky, Glavine persevered through heat and self-induced tension and against his 41 years and became the 23rd pitcher to reach 300, the fifth of the left-handed persuasion, the fourth with a strong Braves connection and the first to do so wearing a Mets uniform.

Even before the autograph request, he had given a signature performance, as if he has been asked to demonstrate how he had come to accumulate 299 victories. Glavine pitched well and he has used his head and his bat to enhance his chance. What else could he have done to make his 300th victory more representative of his body of work? "I guess I could have gotten out of bases-loaded jam by throwing a changeup away," he said.

But the Cubs hadn't offered that much resistance during Glavine's 6 1/3 innings, only six hits and a walk. They scored once before he departed, again immediately after Guillermo Mota replaced him and again when Pedro Feliciano allowed Mota's baserunner to score. But most to the subsequent sweating he and the Mets did was the result of the North Side sauna that enveloped Wrigleyville and made the conditions closer than the score.

"It was typical Tommy," Willie Randolph said in the dugout afterwards as the Mets toasted their most accomplished player in the clubhouse and a surprisingly large contingent of Mets fans gathered behind the visiting dugout and chanted "Tom-mee Gla-vine, Tom-mee Gla-vine."

"I was very touched by that," Glavine said. "And by the way I was received by the Cubs fans. I think their applause was a show of respect. And we all want to be respected."

Winning for the 300th time prompted a telephone call from Bud Selig and Fred Wilpon and hundreds of hugs and handshakes. But it didn't cause a spike in respect for Glavine. The game already had embraced him. The round number didn't make any more special.

Which is not to suggest he didn't want it. He wouldn't have fretted some of the night and most of the day if it hadn't been important to him. He wouldn't have said, "I know the company I'm in now and I'm as proud as I can be to be among them" if he had been unaware of the significance of his accomplishment.

He is the 23rd, he might be the last.

"I'm not saying I will be or that I want to be the last one," he said. "But it would be kinda cool."

With family, parents, former teammates, bosses and doctors, friends and all around him, Glavine barely had the opportunity to savor the achievement. His teammates savored for him. The Dom Perignon was opened and sipped. None of it was sprayed or spilled. "That's for October," Paul Lo Duca said.

After Glavine thanked his teammates for "putting up with all this," he reminded them of the unfinished business lingering since last fall. He may not play again next season -- his part of in baseball's unscheduled Milestone Weekend makes it less likely he will pitch beyond 2007. "But I'd like to keep pitching for a long time this year," he said.

"You mean there's more?" Billy Wagner said. "Now we have to go through 301?"

Wagner had produced the final three outs. The day he signed with Mets he said he hoped to save Glavine's 300th victory. But the margin for error the Mets produced by scoring twice in the eighth inning and once in the ninth eliminated the save opportunity. "I'm kind of glad it did," Glavine said.

He remained in the dugout to watch the Mets achieve the eight outs he left them. As Wagner faced four batters, Glavine's flawed poker face began to crack. "I was so happy to be getting this. It is a relief. At some point, I'm not sure when, the accomplishment part of it will take over. But right now, it's mostly relief."

The game had its uneasy moments even though the Mets scored the first five runs, against Jason Marquis, Glavine's former Braves teammate. The Mets' bullpen, which squandered a lead against the Brewers in Milwaukee on Tuesday and denied Glavine his milestone, put the victory in jeopardy again on Sunday. He acknowledged experiencing a "Oh, no. Not again" moment.

Glavine had batted in the seventh, adding a sacrifice bunt to a one-night resume that already included a run-scoring single, a walk and a ground ball that advanced a runner. And he faced two batters in the seventh, retiring one before a double by Angel Pagan prompted his removal.

Then it got antsy. But when Aaron Heilman replaced Felicano and closed out the seventh, even Glavine's nervous wife, Chris, sat back in here seat.

"This one wasn't getting away," Lo Duca said. "He knew that we let him down in Milwaukee. But we just played better tonight to make sure that wouldn't happen again."

Lo Duca had argued his way into the lineup after missing five games. He and Carlos Delgado, who had four RBIs, produced the two runs in the eighth. Delgado drove in another in the ninth. But the RBI of the night was Glavine's. He singled through the middle in he second to score Lastings Milledge with the first run.

"We were like, 'Go do it, drive in all the runs and pitch a one-hit shutout. ... This is your night,'" Lo Duca said.

"I think he was just afraid we would get him more than two runs, like the other night in Milwaukee," David Wright said. "But we put together some hits for him ... just because we like him and respect him."

The Mets gushed as they hailed their man. They didn't even get on him for delaying the bus, it's always been Glavine who pushes for prompt departures. But the celebration took time.

When it was over, players donned Mets blue T-shirts clubhouse manager Charlie Samuels had ordered for the occasion. An orange "300" and a silhouette of Glavine pitching were on the chest.

Always-dapper El Duque stepped from relative comfort of the Mets clubhouse into the stifling, wearing the shirt under a blazer and over a dress shirt. It went with nothing else he was wearing. But Orlando Hernandez was pleased with his layered look.

"Proud to wear it," he said. "I'm proud to wear a Tom Glavine shirt."

My misery ends today

The misery of watching the Pirates ends tonight as the Steelers get ready to kick it off in the Hall of Fame Game at 8pm tonight against the New Orleans Saints. Lets go Steelers, and good luck Coach Tomlin.

Pirates rained out Sunday

The Pirates game was rained out in Pittsburgh today against the Reds, they hit the road now to take on the red-hot Arizona Diamondbacks(62-50). The D-Backs have won 12 of their last 14 games while the Pirates have lost 16 of their last 20. The series will begin on Tuesday at 9:40pm(EST).

Bucs blow lead, lose 9-8 in 10 innings to Reds

Matt Morris made his Pirate debut Saturday and he pitched pretty well going 6.1 innings giving up 4 earned runs(5 total) on 9 hits leaving the game in position for the win but the bullpen let the Reds tie it up and eventually win the game. Matt Morris even got into the act in a game that had 8 home runs, 5 by the Pirates. Matt Capps(BS, 4-5) was the main goat of this game. He came in to pitch the 9th with a 7-6 lead but pinch-hitter Jeff Keppinger(2) led off the inning with a solo homer to tie it up, Capps got out of the inning without giving up another run. After the Pirates failed to score in the 9th, he started the 10 inning off by giving up a single to Brandon Phillips then Adam Dunn hit his 30th home run of the year to make it 9-7. Jack Wilson(6) added a solo homer in the 10th but it wasnt enough as the Pirates lost 9-8. Jason Bay(17), Matt Morris(1), Nate McClouth(4), Ronny Paulino(8), and Wilson(6) hit home runs for the Bucs. Edwin Encarnacion(8), Keppinger(2), and Dunn(30) hit dingers for the Reds. The Bucs are once again 20 games under .500 at 44-64.

Bonds ties Aaron

Hammered: Bonds ties Aaron with 755
Slugger matches all-time homer record with shot off Hensley
By Barry M. Bloom / MLB.com

SAN DIEGO -- Barry Bonds has now gone where only one man has been before him: to home run No. 755.
With his second-inning leadoff shot to left field against Padres right-hander Clay Hensley on Saturday night at PETCO Park, Bonds tied Aaron's cherished Major League Baseball career-best home run mark, and after the next one, he will be all alone in first place on the all-time list.

The homer, his 21st of the season and first in six games (28 plate appearances), ended Aaron's more than 33-year reign as MLB's home run king and came with Commissioner Bud Selig in attendance as part of a sellout crowd.

"This has been a real tough situation. This is the hardest thing I've ever had to go through in my entire career," Bonds said long after the Giants dropped a 3-2 decision to the Padres in 12 innings. "It's a different feeling than any of the other [milestones]. I'm really lost for words at this moment. I think when I sit back and can grasp all of this I'll be able to say a little more a little later. But I'm still in a daze myself right now."

As a member of the Braves, Aaron passed Babe Ruth into first place with his 715th homer on April 8, 1974, at Atlanta-Fulton County Stadium, where the Braves began to play when they moved from Milwaukee after the 1965 season. It came in the fourth inning off Dodgers left-hander Al Downing.

Selig, the former owner of the Brewers, was a fan of the then-Milwaukee Braves in Aaron's early years. After the hard-fought-for 715th homer, coming at a time when overt racism plagued Aaron's chase of Ruth, Selig utilized Aaron as the Brewers' designated hitter for the last two years of his career.

Selig was stoic Saturday night as he attended his 10th game during the current chase and finally saw his first Bonds homer, declining to talk to reporters. Instead he released a statement congratulating Bonds for his feat.

"No matter what anybody thinks of the controversy surrounding this event, Mr. Bonds' achievement is noteworthy and remarkable," said Selig, who planned to be at the ballpark for Sunday's game.

Bonds said emphatically he will not play in the series finale, saying instead that he wanted to "celebrate with his family." Then it will be on to San Francisco on Monday night, where Bonds will have numerous cracks at the record during a seven-game homestand against the Nationals and the Pirates.

Selig doesn't expect to be in attendance for games there on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday nights because he needs to be in New York and Milwaukee to tend to other baseball business. Hall of Famer Frank Robinson, an advisor for Major League Baseball, is slated to be there in his stead.

Bonds, who had started nine consecutive games, said he can begin to relax a little bit now.

"The hardest part is over," he said. "That was the hardest one."

It was Bonds' first off Hensley, who became the 445th pitcher to allow at least one homer to Bonds in his 22-year career. It was also his fourth at PETCO Park and 87th against the Padres, far and away his most against an opposing club.

For those who wondered what the scene would be like if Bonds hit one of his big ones on the road, as soon as it hit the electronic advertising board at the edge of the second deck in left field 382 feet away, the partisan Padres fans began a long ovation.

"I want to thank the San Diego fans. I thought that was outstanding," said Bonds, who was walked the other three times he came to the plate, mostly to derisive jeers aimed at the Padres pitchers. "It's been a fun ride. I mean, I really don't know what to say about the way San Diego handled it and the way their fans handled it."

Bonds, who had taken a half-hour of early batting practice long before the game Saturday, was joyous as he reached the plate, giving a huge bear hug to his teenage son, Nikolai, who has been there for almost all his recent milestone homers, albeit at earlier stages of growth.

Bonds was then mobbed by his teammates as he strode back to the Giants third-base-side dugout. And just to punctuate the amazing moment, the fans gave him another ovation as he went back out to left field after the half-inning, Bonds doffing his cap in appreciation.

The ball was retrieved in Section 130, Row 1, Seat 18 by a man identified during the game as Adam Hughes, 33, from La Jolla, Calif.

"I saw it hit above me," Hughes said. "It came down and was on the ground. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time. I think [Bonds reaching 755] is quite an accomplishment for one man."

Once Alex Rodriguez had hit his 500th homer earlier in the day at Yankee Stadium, Bonds became serious. He had said, half in jest on Friday night, that he was waiting for A-Rod to reach his milestone before Bonds at least tied Aaron, which he did on a 2-1 fastball up and out of the strike zone from Hensley.

"I obviously wasn't trying to leave the pitch up," Hensley said. "But he hit a fastball that was up. It was actually off the plate, really off the plate, but it was high and it was up, and he went with the pitch."

Hours earlier, with no fans and just a smattering of reporters in the ballpark, Bonds emerged from the clubhouse to take early BP with Giants manager Bruce Bochy doing most of the pitching. Bonds took 11 rounds and 113 swings, hitting 17 bolts all over the nearly four-year-old ballpark.

Bonds said he was just trying to get away from the fans, away from the media and back to basics.

His first thought as he was rounding the bases upon hitting the homer at 7:29 p.m. PT?

"I finally did something mechanically right," said Bonds, who just turned 43 on July 24.

Bonds' career has been speckled by seasons of greatness, as his seven National League MVP awards attest. He also holds the single-season record for most homers with 73 in 2001.

Aaron did it with consistency, never hitting more than 47 homers in a single season -- and he did that in 1971. But his overall numbers were outstanding. He's the only player in history to amass more than 700 homers, 3,000 base hits and 2,000 RBIs.

Aaron's 2,297 RBIs are also baseball's all-time best and his 3,771 hits are third behind Pete Rose (4,256) and Ty Cobb (4,189).

Aaron was also a .305 lifetime hitter for his 23-year career, which began in Milwaukee with the Braves in 1954 and ended there with the Brewers in 1976. He played his final two seasons as a designated hitter in the American League and his last homer was hit at Milwaukee County Stadium on July 20 of that year.

Aaron was a 25-time All-Star, including the two games that were played each summer from 1959 to 1962, won two National League batting titles and led the league in homers and RBIs four times.

He was the NL MVP only once (in 1957, the year his Braves defeated the Yankees in the World Series for Milwaukee's only baseball championship) as compared to seven for Bonds, who needs 88 hits to reach 3,000 and 20 RBIs to hit the 2,000 mark.

Aaron was inducted in the Hall of Fame along with Robinson in 1982.

Though Aaron wasn't in attendance Saturday night and won't be in the days ahead as Bonds surpasses his record, the greatest left-handed home run hitter in Major League history had nothing except praise for him.

"We as baseball players, especially African-American baseball players, have so much respect for Hank Aaron," Bonds said. "He helped pave the road for what we're doing now. No one at any time, shape or form will ever get me to say anything different about Hank Aaron and what a great person he is and what a great athlete he is and how we as players all admire him."

ARod becomes youngest to 500 Home Runs ever

A-Rod belts historic 500th homer
Yanks slugger becomes 22nd member of prestigious club
By Bryan Hoch / MLB.com


NEW YORK -- By the time Alex Rodriguez's already-illustrious career reaches its conclusion, his 500th home run will likely be but a memorable milestone, a stop-off on the way to an ultimate destination.
Rodriguez completed his ascension to become the 22nd member of baseball's 500-homer club on Saturday, slugging the first pitch he saw from the Royals' Kyle Davies into the left-field seats for a three-run homer.

For Rodriguez, the conclusion of his personal chase for 500 came with equal parts celebration and relief. He had waited eight days and 28 at-bats for the envisioned achievement to become reality, with sellout crowds all week begging Rodriguez -- the Major League leader in home runs and RBIs -- to pump one more ball out of Yankee Stadium.

"The energy of the fans just put it in perspective a little bit," Rodriguez said. "It seemed like they cared more about it than I did. For me, I wanted to do it at home. I knew it would come at some point this year, but with two days remaining before we go on the road, I wanted to make sure we did it at home."

With expectations following each plate appearance since hitting No. 499 on July 25 at Kansas City, Rodriguez admitted he had tried to will himself to just slug one more, a task that proved more difficult than anticipated in the five or so games he tried it.

Instead, Rodriguez reached his plateau the same way he'd worked there -- naturally. Focusing on his regular swing and simply trying to hit the ball hard, Rodriguez accomplished his goal and learned a little something in the process.

"I've conceded the fact that you can't will yourself to hit a home run. I tried hard for about five days," Rodriguez said, drawing laughter throughout a small room in the bowels of the ballpark.

The first pitch from Davies met the criteria for a tight swing, as Rodriguez clubbed a high, arcing shot down the left-field line. In the Yankees' dugout, Joe Torre instantly told bench coach Don Mattingly, "That's it!", but Rodriguez wasn't quite so convinced -- pausing at home plate, Rodriguez angled his neck, expecting to see the ball tail to the left of the yellow foul pole, like some errant golf shot rifling off toward the woods.

"I hadn't hit one in so long, I didn't know if it was going to be foul or fair," Rodriguez said. "I definitely thought, because I've been hooking the ball a little bit, where that ball started -- last week, that ball probably would have hooked foul about 20 feet."

It did not, soaring into the sky before falling into a pack of frenzied Yankees fans. Rodriguez raised his hands in the air, accepting congratulations from first-base coach Tony Pena before clapping and grinning as he rounded the bases, a deafening roar filling the stadium while, in the stadium audio booth, the theme from "The Natural" was cued.

"It was great," Torre said. "He stood there and watched it, and we all did. You just felt it was coming, once he started burying himself in the games, you just had a sense he was having a lot better at-bats. It was great to get it out of the way."

After his trot, A-Rod was greeted first at home plate by Derek Jeter and Bobby Abreu, both on board for the historic blast. The entire Yankees roster followed suit, a random assemblage having spilled out of the dugout and onto the grass in celebration.

Embraced by his teammates, Rodriguez waved and blew a kiss to the roaring Yankee Stadium crowd -- for his wife, Cynthia, it turned out, who had missed the home run but witnessed his trot -- and pumped his fists while accepting the warm wishes of yet another Bronx curtain call.

Finally, taking a seat on the dugout bench next to Jeter, an expression of sudden relaxation appeared to wash over Rodriguez's face. Mission accomplished.

"I think there was a lot of relief," said teammate Johnny Damon. "The changing of the balls with the umpires, and the 3-1 sliders, and all those tough pitches. The pitchers did a great job, and I'm glad he got to jump on the first pitch he saw today. He had tremendous backspin on it. He didn't hit it as well as he could, but he just got enough."

Indeed, consider this chapter closed -- at least, until 600.

How realistic is that? With Rodriguez having become the youngest player to reach the 500-homer milestone, doing so at 32 years, eight days and surpassing Jimmie Foxx's previous record (32 years, 338 days), the sky would appear to be his limit.

Rodriguez's agent, Scott Boras, is among those who believe that A-Rod will eventually earn a spot as baseball's all-time home run leader -- in fact, seven years ago, when Rodriguez was searching for a new home on the free-agent market, Boras authored a noted leather-bound book projecting where Rodriguez would individually head over the length of his future contracts.

Then, Rodriguez was envisioned in print as surpassing Henry Aaron's 755 home runs. Surely, any future version will need revision to include Barry Bonds' eventual total.

"Back when he was in Seattle and he came to the big leagues at such a young age, we started fiddling with this," Boras said. "All of a sudden, he started getting home runs in the 40s in his early 20s. It's something most players don't get, so we knew he was a precocious player.

"The key thing is, he's not a traditional power hitter body type. He's not the power hitter that carries the bulk, so the ligaments, tendons, the athleticism remains. When you're looking at the 600-and-over club now, those are all outfielders. When you look at a guy who's done it on the dirt, that type of athlete, that's where the physicality and strength conditioning lock in."

Kicking at the dirt of the mound while the game awaited resumption, Davies -- who lasted just three innings against the Yankees' burgeoning offense -- was less than pleased with his place in history, spoiling his own Royals and American League debut after being shuttled in via trade from Atlanta.

"I was trying to get a double play, a sinker down and in, and the ball came back over the middle a little bit," Davies said. "It's probably not the right pitch to him. We talked about it after the inning and maybe go up a little bit more and try to jam him. But with that ball down like that, he can get extended and that's what he did."

The celebration of the chase created external pressure for Rodriguez, who spoke critically about the continued procession of specially marked baseballs dumped into umpires' pockets before his at-bats, and the oceans of flashbulbs that lit stadiums during each pitch of his night plate appearances. At the least, they were a minor annoyance; more likely, a significant distraction.

It may have all seemed worth it when, after the Yankees' 16-8 slugfest victory over the Royals, Rodriguez picked up a clubhouse phone and accepted well-wishes from Commissioner Bud Selig, just minutes after joining a congratulatory conference call with owner George Steinbrenner, his sons Hank and Hal, plus team president Randy Levine.

"It was brief," Rodriguez said of his conversation with Steinbrenner. "It was nice. It was very nice. He was happy -- happy about the win and the 500th, and proud I did it as a Yankee."

Rodriguez became just the third player to hit his 500th home run in a Yankees uniform, joining Babe Ruth and Mickey Mantle -- a fact he said he had only learned recently. Asked what it means to him, Rodriguez quickly replied, "It means the world."

"To do it at home and to wear this beautiful uniform that I appreciate and respect so much, it's special," Rodriguez said. "New York is a special place. I've had my trials and tribulations here in New York, I've learned from them. I've had some great times, I've had some good times and I've had some tough times.

"A day like today kind of brings it full circle. Maybe there's a happy ending for me somewhere."

Pirates crushed by Reds 13-4

The Pittsburgh Pirates got smoked by the Cincinatti Reds Friday night 13-4. Ian Snell took another loss(7-10) going 5 innings and giving up 6 earned runs on 10 hits. Adam Dunn(29), Ken Griffey Jr.(26), Alex Gonzalez(15), and Scott Hatteberg(9) all hit home runs off the Pirates' pitching, Ryan Doumit(9) hit one for the Bucs. The Bucs are now 44-63. New Pirate Matt Morris makes his Pirates debut tomorrow starting against the Reds.

Pirates win Thursday afternoon game 5-4 in 11 innings

The Pirates have pieced together back-to-back wins for the first time since before the All-Star break, winning 5-4 in 11 innings over the Cardinals Thursday afternoon. Jose Castillo singled home Ryan Doumit in the 11th inning with 2 outs for the win by the Pirates(44-62). Salomon Torres(1-3) picked up the win for his 2 scoreless innings. Brad Thompson(6-5) gave up the single to Castillo for the loss. Ronny Paulino hit another home-run(7) after his grand slam last night and Albert Pujols hit his 24th home run for the Cardinals(50-55).

Wow! Pirates beat Cardinals 15-1

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the St. Louis Cardinals 15-1 last night in Pittsburgh. The Pirates got 7 runs off of Cards starter Braden Looper(8-9) in 4 innings including a first inning Grand Slam by Ronny Paulino(6 HR, 30 RBI). Adam LaRoche went 2 for 5 including a solo homer(15) off Looper in the 3rd, he also had 2 RBI's(59). Freddy Sanchez went 4 for 5(.297) with 1 RBI(39). Jason Bay was 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's(69). Jack Wilson was also 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's(30) including a solo homer in the 6th inning. Jose Bautista was deactivated from the 15 day disabled list and got the start going 2 for 5 with 2 RBI's(35). The Pirates got 20 hits off of Cards pitching. Aaron Miles(1) hit a solo homer in the top of the 6th inning off of Tony Armas(1-3) who went 6.1 innings giving up the 1 run on 4 hits.The Pirates are now 43-62 and still the worst record in the National League. The Chicago Cubs have tied the slumping Milwaukee Brewers for the division lead in the NL Central.

Pirates lose 6-4 to Cardinals

The Pirates lost their 14th of 16th game since the All-Star break. Paul Maholm took the mound, he has been credited with those 2 wins since the All-Star break but as usual he got no run support and was credited with his 13th loss(7-13). He went 6 innings giving up 2 earned runs(3 runs total). Adam Wainwright(10-8) got the win for the Cards, he also went 6 innings and gave up 2 earned runs. Jason Isringhausen picked up his 21st save. Ronny Paulino drew the ire of the Pittsburgh crowd missing a pop fly that he seemed to not be able to find?? He also missed a throw ath the plate that would have prevented a run from scoring. Ryan Doumit his 8th home run. The Bucs have lost 4 straight and are now 20 games below .500(42-62)

Pirates acquire Giants' Matt Morris at trade deadline.

Pirates bring Morris back to NL Central
Club deals center fielder Davis, player to be named for starter
By Jenifer Langosch / MLB.com

PITTSBURGH -- As Tuesday's non-waiver trade deadline approached, numerous Pirates players heard their names floating around.
Jack Wilson to the Tigers? Salomon Torres to Colorado? Damaso Marte to the Red Sox?

Final answer: None of the above.

Just prior to the 4 p.m. ET non-waiver trade deadline, the Pirates finalized a deal with the Giants to acquire starter Matt Morris in exchange for center fielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named.

Needless to say, the deal caught both players off guard.

"I wasn't expecting it. It's something that I've never experienced before," said Davis, who has been with the team since being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on June 5. "This is the only organization I've known thus far. I'm pretty happy here."

Davis will be headed to San Francisco, where it is still unclear whether he will immediately join the Giants' big-league club.

Morris, on the other hand, was aware that he was among a list of Giants veteran players that were linked in various trade rumors. But while talking with reporters over the phone on Tuesday, Morris admitted that he wasn't expecting to hear Pittsburgh when he received news of the deal.

"I heard rumors all week about me being traded. Pittsburgh was never mentioned," said Morris, who was in Los Angeles preparing for the beginning of the Dodgers-Giants series later Tuesday night. "I was in a little bit of a shock. It's my first time being traded. I'm excited to get back to the Central."

Morris spent his first eight Major League seasons in the National League Central Division with the Cardinals. It was during Morris' tenure in St. Louis that the right-hander won 22 games in 2001 and became a two-time All-Star. The right-hander has since spent his last two seasons with the Giants.

The 32-year-old right-hander has gone 7-7 with a 4.35 ERA for San Francisco this year after struggling to a 10-15 record and 4.98 ERA for the Giants last season in the first year of his three-year, $27 million contract.




Complete coverage >Morris started 2007 out strong, going 7-4 with a 3.25 ERA through the first three months of the season. However, he will be glad to see the calendar page turned after stumbling through July with an 0-3 record and 8.48 ERA.

While the numbers over his past five starts seem concerning, Morris doesn't worry about the struggles being long-term.

"I'm really feeling confident with my stuff," said Morris, who is 6-0 with a 2.37 ERA in eight career starts at PNC Park. "Health-wise, it's been great. The ball's been coming out as good as it could."

It has been no secret that the Pirates have needed a stabilizer in the back end of the rotation, which prompted general manager Dave Littlefield to scour the market for a veteran starter to complement a young Pirates rotation. While Littlefield couldn't find the right fit over the winter, he said the organization kept a number of veteran pitchers on its radar as the deadline approached.

"I think it's the right player that fits in with what we're going to do," Littlefield said. "He's a winner. He's been very successful in the past."

Though the acquisition of Morris was designed primarily to fill a gaping hole in the rotation, both Littlefield and manager Jim Tracy stressed how important it was to acquire a veteran starter who could also be a mentor to the team's young starting corps. And that's a role the 32-year-old Morris said that he is more than eager to step in to.

"I can't help but be [a mentor]," said Morris, who credited the late Darryl Kyle and Todd Stottlemyre for helping guide him early in his career. "It's just my nature. I'm definitely willing to talk to guys."

When Morris will arrive in Pittsburgh is still not set, though Tracy said that he would like to be able to plug Morris into the rotation at some point during the team's weekend series against Cincinnati.

"I think it's a very sound acquisition," Tracy said. "This is the type of starting pitcher you like adding to the mix of starting players moving forward."

Morris is in the second year of a three-year, $27 million contract and is set to make $9.5 million next season. The right-hander also has a $9 million club option for 2009. The Pirates will be picking up that entire contract.

The Pirates lose Davis, a backup outfielder who has hit .271 in 24 games with the Pirates this season. Davis was a 38th-round selection by the Pirates in the 2001 First-Year Player Draft. He debuted with the Pirates in August of last season before returning to the club this summer and making 12 starts in center field.

"I'm not too sure of the situation yet," Davis said of going to San Francisco. "But they seem pretty happy to have me."

This deadline deal was the second move the Pirates have made this month, following a trade with the Cubs for Cesar Izturis on July 19 in exchange for a player to be named. The addition of Izturis was touted as a depth upgrade for the Pirates infield.

Though the Pirates didn't have to part with any big-name players in either of the deals, having Morris and Izturis comes at a hefty price financially. If the Pirates decided to pick up Izturis' club option after this season, the infielder will be owed $5.45 million in 2008.

Pirates swept by Phillies, lose last game 5-1

Well the starting pitching got a little better but the Pirates bats weren't working. They lost 5-1 to be swept by the Philadelphia Phillies, Ian Snell(7-9) went 6 innings giving up 3 earned runs, one on a wild pitch in the first inning. Kyle Kendrick(5-1) picked up the win for the Phils as he went 7 innings and only giving up a solo home rum to Nate McClouth(3). Jimmy Rollins got his 14th triple in the game, the Bucs are now 42-61. They are 2-13 since the All-Star break and went 1-5 on the road trip. They come home to take on the Cardinals tomorrow night.

Pirates lose 10-5 to Phillies

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost their second game in a row to the Philadelphia Phillies 10-5 Saturday night in Philly. The Pirates led 5-2 after they batted in the 5th inning but then everything fell apart as Philadelphia had a 8 run bottom of the 5th. Freddy Sanchez hit a 3-run homer(6 HR, 38 RBI) in the 3rd and Xavier Nady was 2 for 4 with 2 RBI's(58). Shane Youman(2-3) took the mound in the fifth with the 3-run lead and then Philly had their big inning. Youman(4 IP, 7R, 6ER, 3BB) quickly loaded the bases, then walked Pat Burrell for the first run, then Jose Castillo couldn't handle a routine groundball off the bat of Wes Helms which scored another run and left the bases loaded. Youman never got an out because right after the error manager pulled him and Jose Castillo and brought in Masumi Kuwata to pitch and Matt Kata to play third. Kuwata then got the first out of the inning, a sacrifice fly by Tadahito Iguchi that scored another run. Then, Chris Coste(2) hit a 3-run homer of his own to clear the bases. But, it wasn't over yet. Kuwata got Rod Barajas to strike out, then gave up a single to Michael Bourn who quickly stole second base(18), Shane Victorino walked before Jimmy Rollins tripled(13) both players home to finish out the scoring for the game.

Typical day at the ballpark for the Pittsburgh Pirates who are now 42-60 and look like are just giving up, especially the starting pitchers who are 2-10 with an ERA over 7.00 since the All-Star break. To say the least, it is really disheartening to be a Pirate fan at the moment. Im sure glad the Steelers start their preseason schedule next Sunday, I don't know how many more Pirate games I can sit through.

Van Benschoten sent down(I got my wish!!!!)

07/28/2007 6:41 PM ET

PHILADELPHIA - Tony Armas is in. John Van Benschoten is out. And someone else is on their way up.
Coming on the heels of another disastrous outing for Van Benschoten on Friday, the Pirates optioned the 27-year-old right-hander to Triple-A Indianapolis hopeful that some work with Minor League pitching coach Jeff Andrews will be the first step to get Van Benschoten back on the promising track that made him a first-round Draft pick back in 2001.

As Van Benschoten said before packing up his belongings and heading back to Pittsburgh on Saturday, his objective in Indianapolis will be to pitch "exactly the opposite of what we saw up here."

After three starts that lasted a total of seven innings and resulted in 21 runs, that is probably a good place for Van Benschoten (0-5) to start.

"You can have great mechanics, but if you don't produce results, this is what can happen to you," he said. "This team needs wins and you can't send a pitcher out there to practice. [It's a] smaller stage [in Indianapolis]. [There are] less consequences."

Taking Van Benschoten's place in the rotation will be right-hander Tony Armas, who has made promising strides out of the bullpen lately after a forgettable start to the year. Armas started the season in the rotation, but was yanked from the starting role after building up an 0-3 record and an 8.46 ERA in seven starts.

Since then, work with pitching coach Jim Colborn has Armas' out-of-whack mechanics back on track and more importantly, has the right-hander's head back in a place where he can build off of a number of encouraging appearances.

"It feels good to just come back and pitch like before -- not like how the season started, but like I did [in years past]," Armas said. "I just want to finish up strong in these last two months and hopefully have some good games."

He's had some good games lately, allowing just one run in 12 innings of work. Those results came after Armas pitched just seven times in his first seven weeks in the bullpen, a time during which the right-hander was typically only called upon in games that the Pirates had already all but conceded as losses.

But lately, his breaking ball has returned to form and the strikeouts have been more frequent. As a result, Jim Tracy increased Armas' workload enough to the point where the Pirates manager feels confident that Armas has the longevity to be able to jump back into that starting role.

"He's been throwing the ball pretty well the last several times he's been out there," Tracy said. "If he's throwing the ball similarly to what he has done of late, there is a pretty good chance you could get five good innings from him. So we're going to move in that direction."

Whether or not Armas will be a permanent fixture in the rotation won't be determined until after he makes the start. The Pirates will announce a corresponding roster move on Sunday to fill the 25th spot on the roster.

Gorzelanny to miss start: Deciding to err on the side of caution, the Pirates will skip Tom Gorzelanny's spot in the rotation on Tuesday to give the left-hander some more time to rest his shoulder. Gorzelanny, who complained of left shoulder stiffness during his start on Wednesday, is now slated to pitch next Saturday.

"We are not getting any type of feedback from Tom Gorzelanny that this hurts," Tracy said, clarifying that the decision was not made because of a new setback. "This is just a pretty special arm we're talking about."

Gorzelanny will throw his bullpen session on Sunday and will throw at least one more before his next start.

With an off-day on Monday working in the team's favor, Tracy is able to move each of his starters up a day without sacrificing a full four days of rest for each. Paul Maholm will now start on Tuesday against the Cardinals, followed by Armas, and Shane Youman. Ian Snell will then open the Pirates' series against the Reds on Friday before Gorzelanny returns to the rotation on Saturday.

Minor matters: Triple-A Indianapolis Indians right-hander John Wasdin left his start on Wednesday with a right wrist injury after facing just seven batters and has since traveled to Pittsburgh to have the wrist examined. As of Saturday afternoon, Indianapolis coach Trent Jewitt had not received a report on the examination.

Indians pitcher Sean Burnett remains in Bradenton where he working to rehab his ailing left elbow, an injury that has kept Burnett out since July 3. Burnett's left elbow was examined earlier this month and doctors determined that the pain was a result of a nerve problem and fortunately not due to structural damages. No timetable has been set for Burnett to return to Indianapolis.

Rumor mill: Add the Braves to the list of teams that have expressed interest in Pirates relievers Salomon Torres, Damaso Marte and Shawn Chacon. According to a source in Atlanta, however, the Pirates' asking price -- a Major League ready talent -- is more than Atlanta general manager John Schuerholz is willing to offer.

Bucs bits: Opponents have 15 stolen bases in their last 15 attempts against Pirates catchers. The last runner to be thrown out was Milwaukee's Ryan Braun on July 4. ... Though Adam LaRoche said that he was "still feeling knotted up" on Saturday afternoon, the Pirates first baseman felt well enough to return to the lineup after missing two games from food poisoning. ... Left-handed specialist Marte has not allowed a hit to the last 27 left-handed hitters he has faced, which, according to the Elias Sports Bureau, is the longest streak of consecutive hitless at-bats by left-handed hitters against any pitcher this year.

On deck: The Pirates close out their series against the Phillies with one more game at Citizens Bank Park on Sunday, beginning at 1:35 p.m. ET. Pirates righty Snell (7-8, 3.62 ERA) will make his fourth attempt at his first win since the All-Star break and will face Philadelphia right-hander Kyle Kendrick (4-1, 4.44).


By: Jenifer Langosch of www.mlb.com

Fans come out for Steelers night practice

From KDKA.com

Fans Come Out For Steelers Night Practice
(KDKA) LATROBE Thousands of fans brought their Steelers spirit to Latrobe Memorial Stadium tonight where the team had their first night practice of 2007 Training Camp.

About 10,000 fans of all age groups in the Steelers nation came out for tonight’s practice and festivities.

Many say they had high hopes of meeting their favorite player.

Practice got started at 7pm, and the Steelers signed autographs before the session.

Steelers fan, Kim Davis, said she got players like Troy Polamalu, Willie Parker and Hines Ward to sign the football she brought with her.

Another couple brought their new twins, Maddox and Logan, decked out in their best black and gold outfit to the practice.

While yet another fan said he hoped that quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, would bounce back from his bad year last season.

Even the Rooney family came out to support their team.

“Oh, it’s wonderful, the enthusiasm of everyone, the crowd, fans, Latrobe, Saint Vincent’s, our players. They really enjoy coming here,” said Art Rooney, the Steelers President.

After the team was done practicing, the fans were treated to Zambelli fireworks that lit up the sky to cap off the exciting evening.

Bonds hits #754

SAN FRANCISCO -- It may not have been the "Shot Heard 'Round The World," but Rick Vanden Hurk is pretty sure Barry Bond's 754th home run was widely known in The Netherlands.
Born in Holland, the 22-year-old Vanden Hurk is a budding sensation in his native country. While he says there is a nine-hour time difference to where his family lives, he knows they were up following Friday night's 12-10 Giants win over the Marlins at AT&T Park.

In the first inning, Vanden Hurk became the 444th different Major League pitcher to allow a home run to Bonds, who now is one shy of Hank Aaron's all-time record.

"I left a changeup up, and he hit it out," Vanden Hurk said.

While the Marlins suffered their fifth straight loss, they couldn't help but admire the achievement Bonds is about to claim.

After his homer, Bonds walked four straight times.

In the third inning, when he reached, Marlins first baseman Mike Jacobs offered some thoughts to the legendary Giant.

"Basically I told him, 'You probably already know this, but this was something special to watch,'" Jacobs told Bonds at the bag. "I think he appreciated it. Obviously, he's in his 20th year and I'm in my second year. I'm sure what I say goes in one ear and out the other, but he was pretty talkative with me over there. It was neat to chit-chat with him. I told him that it was something special to watch."

Jacobs has some perspective when thinking about Bonds' career.

"I look at it like this, throughout my Minor League career, I don't have as many hits as he has home runs," Jacobs said. "I played seven years in the Minor Leagues. And he has more than 700 home runs in the big leagues. That's pretty amazing. Just the consistency, the power and everything he does is pretty special."

In Bonds' final plate appearance, he drew a walk after falling behind 0-2 to lefty reliever Taylor Tankersley.

"I was not trying to go around him. I was trying to go right at him," Tankersley said. "I got ahead, and I overthrew a couple of pitches. Obviously, he's not one known to chase balls out of the zone. I walked him. That's not really what I wanted to do, but I did challenge him early. Hopefully, I get another shot.

"I go in there thinking, 'This is the greatest hitter of all time. And it's going to be an honor to get him out.' I didn't get him out."

By Joe Fesaro,

Please Send Van Benschoten back to the Minor Leagues

Message to the Pirates: please send John Van Benschoten(0-5, 9.76 ERA) back to the minors. He got rocked again last night in a 8-1 loss to the Phillies, He could only get 7 outs(2.1 IP) giving up 7 runs on 6 hits and 4 BB's. Dinosaur Jamie Moyer(9-8) got the win for the Phillies pitching a complete game that was ended due to rain.

Pirates win 8-4 over Mets

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the NY Mets 8-4 on Thursday afternoon in New York, to stop a sweep. Paul Maholm(7-12) won his second straight start(the only 2 wins for the Pirates since the break). He pitched 6 innings giving up 3 runs on 6 hits. Ex-Pirate Olly Perez(9-7) got the loss also going 6 innings, giving up 5 runs(0 earned) on 5 hits. Josh Phelps was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI(15) including his 3rd home run of the year. Xavier Nady also had 3 RBI(56) going 2 for 4. Jose Reyes(7) and Lastings Milledge(3) hit home runs for the Mets. The Bucs are now 42-58

Polamulu's contract extended, 4yrs $30M

Pittsburgh Steelers star safety Troy Polamalu signed a four-year contract extension Monday worth $30.19 million that makes him the highest-paid player in team history and one of the NFL's top-paid defensive backs.

The deal guarantees the Steelers will keep their most versatile defensive player through the 2011 season, when he will be 30, meaning Polamalu could negotiate another big-money contract before his NFL career ends.

"I didn't want to be a player who is jumping from team to team," Polamalu said. "I've always felt comfortable here, I think this organization, this tradition they have here, is very legendary and I always wanted to be part of this."

Mike Tomlin's first training camp will be grueling for players

Steelers Camp 2007: Mike Tomlin outlines a grueling first camp schedule
Friday, July 20, 2007

By Ed Bouchette, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Mike Tomlin does not care much if his players do not like his plans for a toughened training camp that starts Monday in Latrobe.

He's not trying to make friends.

"I want to come out of training camp a unified, hardened group that's ready to do battle," the new Steelers coach said yesterday.


Toward that end, he has planned a heavy dose of twice-daily practices, the dreaded two-a-days many NFL head coaches have virtually eliminated in training camps during the past decade. Tomlin has 15 scheduled, about twice what former Steelers coach Bill Cowher put his teams through. While seven of those practices are one-hour morning sessions that will deal mostly with special teams issues and light drills, all players must attend.

"I like the schedule, I put a great deal of time into developing it," Tomlin said. "I'm comfortable with it.

"We have some special teams work we'd like to focus on; they're shortened practices but at the same time you have to go through the mental process of getting yourself up and ready to take the field twice a day, even if there's not two full practices."

There's also no day off for the roster of 86 players over the first two weeks of practices at Saint Vincent College.

"It's not going to be comfortable when we play on Sunday and have to come back and play on Thursday night on the road," Tomlin said.

Indeed, the Steelers play Jacksonville at home Dec. 16 and four days later, have another game at St. Louis.

"But guess what?" Tomlin said. "The standards of expectations are not going to change, is it? We have to go win. That's what training camp is about, that's why we're thoughtfully non-rhythmic. That's why we do some of the things that we do in terms of scheduling."

Tomlin hinted of some unscheduled relief based on how practices turn out.

"Christmas may come a few times, we'll see. We'll play that by ear. That decision may become obvious too."

Tomlin said he believes every Steelers rookie will be signed and ready to go when he opens training camp Monday. Players must report by 4 p.m. and Tomlin will immediately put them through a conditioning test, which will not include a series of 40-yard runs, as Cowher, in past camps, conducted the day after players reported.

"It is important, because the train starts moving at 4 o'clock on Monday. It's tough to get on a moving train if you haven't tried before. You like to have everybody on board before we take off."

This training camp should not be compared to previous ones, or those in the future, for that matter, not that there won't be similarities.

"I'm not familiar with how it's been in the past, so I really can't speak to that," Tomlin said. "But it is going to be trying at times. There will be some adversity, that's what training camp is about. That's part of team-building. It's supposed to represent, if you will, what lies ahead and no doubt there will be some challenges when we play football in the fall.

"It's just football camp, it's the '07 season and we want to be the very best we can. I'm not approaching this as a tone-setter or looking about how this camp is going to compare to camps in the future or even how it's going to compare to camps in the past. Each camp stands on its own. We have to prepare to be our very best and that's how we'll approach it."

Among other topics Tomlin touched on during his 20-minute news conference:

He believes guard Alan Faneca will back up his words and give it his all and not be a distraction merely because he's unhappy with his contract situation.

"You don't play football the way he plays football without being a professional. I think ultimately your character shows through; it's obvious when you turn the tape on, what his football character is about."

Tomlin will select the team captains, which previously were picked in a vote of the players. He will wait until after training camp to do so.

Willie Colon will compete with Max Starks at right tackle for now and not worry about playing other positions. However, Tomlin left the door open that Colon indeed could play elsewhere, if not at tackle. Colon also has practiced at center and guard.

"Willie's a guy we think is capable of competing in the top five," Tomlin said of his five starting linemen.

Pirates lose 6-3 to NY Mets

The Pirates lost another game Wednesday, 6-3 to the Mets. Tom Glavine(9-6) picked up his 299th win of his career. He went 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits. The Pirates starting pitching got rocked again. This time Tom Gorzelanny(9-6) got beat up, he only lasted 2.1 innings, giving up all 6 runs on 7 hits. Jason Bay hit a two-run homer(16 HR's, 65 RBI). He has hit 3 in the last 2 games. The Bucs are now 41-58.

Pirates lose 8-4 to NY Mets

The Pittsburgh Pirates traveled to New York Tuesday to take on the NL East leading NY Mets and it wasn't pretty, losing 8-4. The Pirates have lost 9 out of their last 10 games. Ian Snell(7-8) got rocked by the Mets, his 3rd consecutive bad start. He only could make it 4 innings giving up 6 runs on 10 hits. John Maine(11-5) got the win for the Mets, he also smashed a high fastball off Snell over the left-field fence for his first homer of the year. Lastings Milledge was 3 for 3 for the Mets with 3 RBI's, including a 2-run homer(2) in the 8th inning. Jason Bay hit two home-runs(14,15) and was 3 for 4 with 3 RBI's(63) for the Pirates. The Bucs fall to 41-57 and are 14 games out of first place in the NL Central.

Pirates shut out 1-0 by Astros

Shane Youman(2-2) pitched a 4-hitter and gave up 1 run over 8 innings but lost the game as the Pitates could get nothing going at the plate, losing 1-0 Sunday afternoon in Pittsburgh. The Pirates have lost 8 of 9 games since the All-Star break. After being swept by the Braves in Atlanta they came home and lost 5 of 6 to the Astros and Rockies. Now they have to travel to play the first-place New York Mets and Philadelphia Phillies. Woody Williams(5-11) who has struggled all year pitched a great game against the Pirates Sunday. He pitched 8 innings and gave up 0 runs on 5 hits. Brad Lidge picked up his 3rd save. The only run of the game was scored when Luke Scott singled home Brad Ausmus in the top of the 6th with two outs. The Pirates fall to 41-56

Pirates End Losing Streak With 7-3 Win over Astros.

The Pittsburgh Pirates ended their 7 game losing streak by defeating the Astros Saturday night 7-3. Paul Maholm who has pitched well lately but his 6-12 record doesn't show it got the win. He didn't allown any runs until the 7th inning when Mike Lamb hit his 10th home run of the season. Maholm went 6.2 innings, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits. Wandy Rodriguez(6-9) took the loss for the Astros, he pitched 5 innings gving up 6 runs(4 earned) on 7 hits. Freddy Sanchez hit his 5th home run of they year in the seventh. Adam LaRoche went 3 for 4 with 2 RBI's(56). The Bucs are 41-55.

Bucs lose 7th Straight, 2-1 to Astros

No run support. Thats what it came down to tonight. The Pirates and Astros both sent their aces to the mound, Tom Gorzelanny and Roy Oswalt. Well Gorzelanny(9-5) gave up a 2-run homer to Carlos Lee(19 HR, 80 RBI) and that was enough for the Astros as they won 2-1. Gorzo went 7 innings giving up the 2 runs on 6 hits. Oswalt(9-6) went 6 innings giving up 1 run on 7 hits. The Pirates did load the bases in the bottom of the 9th but Freddy Sanchez struck out to end the game. The Pirates are now 40-55.

Bonds hits #752 and #753 in Chicago.

Barry Bonds smacked two homers(19) at Wrigley field today to bring him to 753 home runs and 2 away from tying Hank Aaron for the all-time mark. He hit the first one in the top of the 2nd inning off Ted Lilly over the right-field bleachers and onto Sheffield Avenue in Chicago. Then in the 7th he hit a three-run shot off reliever Will Ohman to left center field to bring the total to 753 for his career. Bonds was 3 for 3 with 6 RBI's(48) but the Giants still lost to the Cubs 9-8. The second ball looked like it was thrown back but it was not the special ball that they use when Bonds comes to the plate. Bonds said the changing of the ball is distracting to him.

Pirates acquire Cesar Itzuris

July 19, 2007


PIRATES ACQUIRE CESAR IZTURIS

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Cesar Izturis and cash
considerations from the Chicago Cubs on Thursday in exchange for a
player to be named. Izturis hit .246 with 11 doubles and eight RBI in
65 games with the Cubs this season while making 60 appearances
(48 starts) at shortstop. Izturis, 27, was a Gold Glove winner in 2004
and an All-Star in 2005 while with the Dodgers.

Bucs Lose 6th Straight Game;5-3 to the Rockies.

The Pirates lost again Wednesday afternoon 5-3 to the Rockies. Jeff Francis(10-5) got the win for the Rockies, he pitched 7 innings giving up 2 runs on 6 hits. Ian Snell(7-7) pitched decent for the Bucs but gave up two big two-run home runs to Brad Hawpe(17) in the 4th and Todd Helton(9) in the 6th. The Pirates couldnt get anything going really at the plate. Freddy Sanchez was 2 for 4 with a solo homer(4). Adam LaRoche also had a solo homer(14) and 2 RBI's(54). The Pirates are now 40-54 and its safe to say we will have to wait until next year.(AS usual)

Pirates lose 6-2 to Rockies.

Five games since the all-star break, five losses. This time the Colorado Rockies knocked around Shane Youman(2-1) early. He went 5 innings giving up 5 runs(4 earned) on 8 hits. Former Pirate Josh Fogg(5-6) pitched a great game for the Rockies going 7 innings and giving up 2 runs on 5 hits. Nate McClouth(2) got a homer off Fogg. The Bucs are now 40-53

Pirates lose 4th Straight

The Colorado Rockies crushed John Van BenSchoten(0-4) for 9 runs after three innings that turned out to unsurmountable, the Bucs losing 10-8. They scored some runs but couldnt quite comeback. Ryan Doumit was 2 for 5 with 2 RBI's(27). Matt Holiday was 1 for 3 with 3 RBI's(73). BenSchoten was only credited for 2 innings as he got no outs in the 3rd innings. He gave up 9 earned runs on 6 hits, 2 BB's and he hit two guys. He is now 0-4 with a 8.17 ERA. The Pirates are now 40-52 and 12 games back.

Bucs swept by Braves

All the good work the Pirates did in the week before the All-Star break is going for nought. The Atlanta Braves finished the sweep of the Pirates 5-1 in Atlanta. Freddy Sanchez(3) hit a solo home run in the first inning for the Pirates only run. The Bucs only managed 4 hits off of the Braves pitching staff led by Buddy Carlyle(4-2) who went 8 innings giving up a run on the 4 hits. Paul Maholm(5-12) got the loss going 6 innings allowing 3 runs(2 earned) on 8 hits. Salomon Torres came back to the bullpen today and pitched one inning allowing one run. Jose Bautista was placed on the 15-day DL. The Pirates are now 40-51.

Pirates lose Heartbreaker 5-4 to Braves

After an hour and twelve minute rain delay in Atlanta, the Braves won the second game of the series on a walk-off RBI single by Jeff Francouer off of Shawn Chacon(4-2). Another good Pirate starter got hit hard by the Braves, Tom Gorzelannyn got the start and Andruw Jones(17) got a two run homer off him in a 3 run 1st, he did ended up calming down, giving up 4 earned runs(3.24) on 6 hits over 6 innings for a no-decision. If not a 4 run inning by the Pirates in the 7th inning right before the rain delay Gorzo probably would have got the loss, but Ryan Doumit(7) hit a 3-run homer to tie the game at 4-4, then the long rain delay. Shawn Chacon got in trouble in both the 8th and 9th innings loading the bases both times. He was able to get out of the inning in the 8th but couldn't get it done in the 9th. The Bucs are now 40-50.

Pirates Scalped by Braves 9-1

The Pirates went into the break a little hot and came out of it ice cold. The Braves handed the Pirates a 9-1 loss in Atlanta Friday night. Ian Snell(7-6) got the loss. He went 5+ innings(He faced 4 batters in the 6th) giving up 7 runs, 4 earned on 8 hits. Brian McCann was the star at the plate for the Braves. He was 3 for 4 with 4 RBI's(53) and two home runs(11). He hit a 3-run homer in the first, then Andruw Jones(16) and McCann went back to back with homers in the 6th. Tim Hudson(9-5) pitched great for the Braves, going 7 innings and allowing no runs. The Pirates broke up the shutout in the 9th on a Ronny Paulino RBI double. The Pirates fell to 40-49 but the good news is Milwaukee(49-40) lost 10-6 to the Colorado Rockies. The Bucs are 9 games back.

AL wins All-Star Game 5-4

The American League has locked up home-field for the World Series this season by beating the National League 5-4 in the 78th All-Star game. Ichiro Suzuki won the MVP going 3 for 3 with the first inside the park home run in ASG history in the 5th inning off Padre Chris Young. He also had 2 RBI's. Tampa outfielder Carl Crawford hit a solo home run in the 6th off of Brewers reliever Francisco Cordero, and Cleveland catcher Victor Martinez hit a two-run homer off of Billy Wagner in the 8th for the AL's 5 runs. Ken Griffey got the first 2 RBI's of the game for the NL with a RBI single and a sacrifice fly. Then in the ninth inning, with the NL down 5-2 with 2 outs the game got crazy. Dmitri Young got on with what could have been called an error by 2nd baseman Brian Roberts but was ruled a single. Then Alfonso Soriano hit a two run homer off Mariners closer JJ Putz, Putz walked JJ Hardy then was removed for Fransisco Rodriguez who walked Derrek Lee and Orlando Hudson to load the bases before getting Aaron Rowand to fly out to right field to end the game. Pittsburgh Pirate Freddy Sanchez got in the game to play the field in the bottom of the 6th inning and made a couple nice plays but went 0 for 1 at the plate. In the bottom of the 8th with Derrek Lee on 3rd with 2 outs he swung at the first pitch from Jonathan Papelbon and lined out to right.

Vlad Guerrero wins Home Run Derby

Vladimir Guerrero won the Home Run Derby tonight in San Francisco, he defeated Alex Rios in the final round 3-2. The first round was pretty boring. The shadows were close to the pitcher's mound though, as the shadows moved farther back the more homers got hit. Alex Rios, Vlad Guerrero, and Matt Holliday all hit 5 in the first round and Albert Pujols and Justin Morneau hit 4 so they had a 5 swing tiebreaker that Pujols won 2-1 to advance to the second round. In the second round Holliday hit 8(13), Rios hit 12(17), Vlad hit 9(14) and Pujols hit 9(13). In the second round Guerrero hit a 503 foot blast to left field.

Pirates at the Break(Pitching)

PITCHING

Wins
1. Tom Gorzelanny 9
2. Ian Snell 7
3. Paul Maholm 5
4. Jonah Bayliss 4
Matt Capps 4
Shawn Chacon 4

Losses
1. Paul Maholm 11
2. Zach Duke 7
3. Ian Snell 5
4. Matt Capps 4
Tom Gorzelanny 4

Earned Run Average
1. Damaso Marte 1.71
2. Matt Capps 2.37
3. Ian Snell 2.93
4. Tom Gorzelanny 3.10
5. Shawn Chacon 3.59

Games
1. Matt Capps 47
2. Jonah Bayliss 38
3. Damaso Marte 36
4. Shawn Chacon 33
5. John Grabow 30
Salomon Torres 30

Saves
1. Salomon Torres 12
2. Matt Capps 9
3. Shawn Chacon 1
4. John Grabow 1

Innings Pitched
1. Tom Gorzelanny 119.0
2. Ian Snell 116.2
3. Paul Maholm 113.1
4. Zach Duke 93.1
5. Shawn Chacon 67.2

Hits
1. Zach Duke 141
2. Paul Maholm 118
3. Tom Gorzelanny 113
4. Ian Snell 104
5. Shawn Chacon 65

Earned Runs
1. Zach Duke 60
Paul Maholm 60
3. Tom Gorzelanny 41
4. Ian Snell 38
5. Tony Armas 37

Home Runs
1. Paul Maholm 15
2. Zach Duke 10
3. Tony Armas 9
Tom Gorzelanny 9
Ian Snell 9

Walks
1. Tom Gorzelanny 35
2. Paul Maholm 33
Ian Snell 33
4. Shawn Chacon 30
5. Zach Duke 22

Strikeouts
1. Ian Snell 93
2. Tom Gorzelanny 75
3. Paul Maholm 68
4. Shawn Chacon 55
5. Matt Capps 34

Pirates at the Break(Hitting)

HITTING

Batting Average
1. Ryan Doumit .305
2. Freddy Sanchez .296
3. Xavier Nady .291
4. Jack Wilson .259
5. Jose Bautista .257
6. Jason Bay .254
7. Chris Duffy .249
8. Jose Castillo .243
9. Nate McClouth .241
10.Adam LaRoche .239

Home Runs
1. Xavier Nady 14
2. Jason Bay 13
Adam LaRoche 13
4. Jose Bautista 7
5. Ryan Doumit 6

Runs Batted In
1. Jason Bay 56
2. Adam LaRoche 51
3. Xavier Nady 50
4. Jose Bautista 33
5. Freddy Sanchez 32

Hits
1. Freddy Sanchez 96
2. Jason Bay 83
3. Xavier Nady 81
4. Jose Bautista 80
5. Jack Wilson 77

Doubles
1. Jose Bautista 23
Adam LaRoche 23
3. Freddy Sanchez 20
4. Jason Bay 16
Ryan Doumit 16

Triples
1. Chris Duffy 3
2. Jason Bay 2
Nate McClouth 2
Jack Wilson 2
5. Jose Bautista 1
Rajai Davis 1
Xavier Nady 1
Freddy Sanchez 1

Stolen Bases
1. Chris Duffy 13
2. Nate McClouth 6
3. Jose Bautista 5
Rajai Davis 5
5. Jason Bay 2
Xavier Nady 2

Pirates win 6-2 over Cubs; Win 5 of 7 in Cubs/Brewers home stand

The Pittsburgh Pirates have won 9 of their last 13 and more importantly won 5 of the 7 games they played this week against the Brewers and Cubs, the 1st and 2nd place teams in the NL Central Division. They gained 3 games this week in the standings, they are 40-48 and 9 games back of Milwaukee who is lost to the Nationals 7-2. Today newcomer Shane Youman(2-0, 3.00ERA) got the start and pitched well in Zach Duke's spot going 6 innings, allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits. Jason Bay was the star at the plate going 2 for 4 with a home run(13) and 4 RBI's(56). He hit a 2-run homer in the bottom of the 3rd off Carlos Zambrano(10-7) and added a 2 insurance runs with a single in the 8th. The All-Star game is Tuesday and the Pirates play next, Friday, against the Atlanta Braves.

Bucs lose 7-1 to Cubs

John Van Benschoten(0-3) got rocked Saturday night against the Cubs giving up 5 runs in 2.2 innings on 7 hits. Ted Lilly(8-4) was awesome for the Cubs going 7.1 innings and giving up one run to the Bucs. It looked like Lilly was heading for a shutout until Jack Wilson doubled(15) home Ryan Doumit in the bottom of the 7th to get the only run. Alfonso Soriano(.310) was 3 for 5 with 3 sngles and a RBI(33). The Pirates are now 39-48 and play their last game before the All-Star break tomorrow afternoon at 1:35pm with Shane Youman(1-0, 3.00) expecterd to start for the Pirates and Cubs ace Carlos Zambrano(10-6, 4.04) will go for the Cubs.

Email from McClatchy's Office

He will be stepping down after the season, He never really got anything done though in his 11 years. Here is the email I got this afternoon, Im cant say Im upset :).

********************************************************

FROM THE DESK OF KEVIN McCLATCHY

Dear Pirates Fan:

Today I announced that I will be stepping down as
the Chief Executive Officer of the Pittsburgh Pirates
at the end of the 2007 season.

A decision of this personal and professional magnitude
is not something you make overnight. It was something Bob Nutting
and I have discussed even before the change of control took place
in January and something I decided upon a few months ago.
It is a difficult decision, but I felt the time was right to step down
as the day-to-day leader of this franchise so the organization
can move forward with a fresh leadership perspective.

I will remain as the active leader of the organization until
the end of the season. This will give the organization an
opportunity to conduct a thorough search to find my successor and
ensure a smooth transition into the next chapter of Pirates history.

I have worked hard for more than 11 years in the best interests
of the Pittsburgh Pirates, our fans and the community
and will continue to do so. Nobody within the organization
has given up on this season. I have confidence in this team.
We have played better recently and remain focused on having
a strong second half.

Thank you for your continued support of the Pittsburgh Pirates.
I hope to see you at PNC Park during the second half of the season.

Sincerely,

Kevin McClatchy
Chief Executive Officer
Pittsburgh Pirates

Pirates Win 4th straight; Beat cubs 8-4

Paul Maholm(5-11) finally got some nice run support, and got the win in a 8-4 win over the Cubs. He went 7+ innings, giving up 4 earned runs on 5 hits. He started the 8th inning but did not get an out, He let Alfonso Soriano and Mike Fontenot get singles and then he was pulled for Shawn Chacon who let the two runners score on sacrifice flies so the runs were charged to Maholm(4.76). Maholm sort of took matters into his own hands, coming up to bat in the 2nd inning with the bases loaded and 2 outs he lined a single to the outfield to get the first two runs of the game. The Cubs tied it up 2-2 in the top of the 3rd but Freddy Sanchez(2) and Xavier Nady(14) both hit solo homers in the bottom of the 3rd to make it 4-2. Ryan Doumit(16) and Jose Bautista(22) both got RBI doubles in the bottom of the 5th to put the game away off of starter Jason Marquis(6-5) who left after the Bautista double. The Pirates are playing well against the teams they need to be playing well against and if they can win at least one of these last two games can actually think about making a run at the division. I think the winner of the Spooky Central will be not much higher than .500 like the Cardinals(39-43) last year who are kind of making a run this year and are 8 games back, the Bucs(39-47) are 10 games back(4th place) of Milwaukee(49-37), I think they will fall back a bit though with the young guys like Fielder and Hall has no postseason experience in the second half. The Cubbies(43-42) are 5.5 games back and are in 2nd place.

Pirates take 3 of 4 from Brewers, win 6-3 on Thursday

After losing the first game of the 4 game series with Milwaukee on Monday, the Pirates took the last 3 games including a 6-3 win Thursday afternoon. Tom Gorzelanny(9-4) got the win going 7 innings and giving up 3 earned runs(3.10 ERA) on 4 hits. Matt Capps got the save(9). After hitting home-runs yesterday Adam Laroche hit 2(12,13) today and Ryan Doumit(6) hit one again. Adam LaRoche has been playing great lately and was 3 of 4 today with 3 runs scored, and 3 RBI's(51). He got his 23rd double of the year also. Geoff Jenkins got his 13th homer of the year for the Brewers. The Pirates(38-47) are now 10 games back of Milwaukee(48-37). Lets all hope we sweep the Cubbies and go into the All-Star Break on fire!! Also, everyone put in your 25 votes for Tom Gorzelanny today because this is the last day to vote, you can put in more than 25 if you use a different email address.

Pirates Win Again over Brewers 5-3

The Pirates won again over the Brewers on July 4th, 5-3. Ian Snell(7-5) got the win going 8 innings, giving up 3 earned runs(2.93) on 9 hits. Matt Capps pitched the ninth for the save(8). Ryan Braun hit a 3-run homer off Snell in the first inning but then Snell calmed down and pitched a good game. Ryan Doumit(5) tied the game in the 4th with a two run homer, then Adam LaRoche(11) hit a two run home-run in the 6th to make it 5-3. The Pirates really need tomorrows game with the Brewers so they can gain some ground on them. The Bucs are 37-47 and 10 games behind Milwaukee(48-36)

Pirates over Brewers 6-2

The Pirates got a win over the Brewers Tuesday night 6-2. Shane Youman was called up to take Zach Duke's spot in the rotation while Duke is on the DL. Youman(1-0) got the win going 6 innings, giving up 2 runs on 8 hits. The Bucs are now 36-47 and 12 games back of Milwaukee.

Damien Miller has HUGE game against Bucs

The Pirates lost 10-3 to the Brewers Monday night. Damien Miller had a monster game. He was 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored and 7 RBI's(17), he only had 10 RBI's going into the game. He hit 2 home runs(2,3) to triple his season total. He hit a grand slam in the 7th and a 2-run shot in the 4th. The Pirates stayed with the Brewers until the 7th inning. The score was tied at three, then the Brewers had a 7 seven run inning off reliever Masumi Kuwata(0-1) including that grand slam from Miller to make it 10-3. John Van Benschoten pitched well going 6 innings, giving up 3 runs on 3 hits. The Pirates are now 35-47 and 13 games back of Milwaukee(48-34). They better get it together this week or this is where they will be put away for the season.

All Star Game Rosters

The only Pirate chosen was Freddy Sanchez, but Tom Gorzelanny could be voted in as the last National League player, he was one of the five picked so everyone go to www.mlb.com and vote for Gorzo.

National League
Starters
C Russell Martin, LAD R/R
1B Prince Fielder, MIL L/R
2B Chase Utley, PHI L/R
3B David Wright, NYM R/R
SS Jose Reyes, NYM S/R
OF Carlos Beltran, NYM S/R
OF Barry Bonds, SF L/L
OF Ken Griffey Jr, CIN L/L

Pitchers

P Francisco Cordero, MIL R/R
P Brian Fuentes, COL L/L
P Cole Hamels, PHI L/L
P Trevor Hoffman, SD R/R
P Jake Peavy, SD R/R
P Brad Penny, LAD R/R
P Takashi Saito, LAD R/R
P Ben Sheets, MIL R/R
P John Smoltz, ATL R/R
P Jose Valverde, ARI R/R
P Billy Wagner, NYM L/L

Reserves

C Brian McCann, ATL L/R
1B Derrek Lee, CHC R/R
1B Albert Pujols, STL R/R
1B Dmitri Young, WSH S/R
2B Orlando Hudson, ARI S/R
2B Freddy Sanchez, PIT R/R
SS J.J. Hardy, MIL R/R
3B Miguel Cabrera, FLA R/R
OF Matt Holliday, COL R/R
OF Carlos Lee, HOU R/R
OF Aaron Rowand, PHI R/R
OF Alfonso Soriano, CHC R/R

American League
Starters

C Ivan Rodriguez, DET R/R
1B David Ortiz, BOS L/L
2B Placido Polanco, DET R/R
3B Alex Rodriguez, NYY R/R
SS Derek Jeter, NYY R/R
OF Vladimir Guerrero, LAA R/R
OF Magglio Ordonez, DET R/R
OF Ichiro Suzuki, SEA L/R

Pitchers

P Josh Beckett, BOS R/R
P Dan Haren, OAK R/R
P Bobby Jenks, CWS R/R
P John Lackey, LAA R/R
P Gil Meche, KC R/R
P Jon Papelbon, BOS R/R
P J.J. Putz, SEA R/R
P Francisco Rodriguez, LAA R/R
P C.C. Sabathia, CLE L/L
P Johan Santana, MIN L/L
P Justin Verlander, DET R/R

Reserves

C Victor Martinez, CLE S/R
C Jorge Posada, NYY S/R
1B Justin Morneau, MIN L/R
2B Brian Roberts, BAL S/R
SS Carlos Guillen, DET S/R
SS Michael Young, TEX R/R
3B Mike Lowell, BOS R/R
OF Carl Crawford, TB L/L
OF Torii Hunter, MIN R/R
OF Manny Ramirez, BOS R/R
OF Alex Rios, TOR R/R
OF Grady Sizemore, CLE L/L

Pirates Cannot Complete Sweep, lose 3-2

The Pirates could not get the sweep, losing 3-2 to the Nationals Sunday afternoon. Paul Maholm(4-11) got the loss despite pitching well going 7 innings giving up 3 runs. He gave up a 2-run homer to Jesus Flores(1) that proved to be the edge in the game. The Pirates trailed 3-0 but got 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th but couldnt complete the comeback. The Pirates are now 35-46 and have to have a great week this week when they take on Milwaukee in a 4 game series and Chicago in a 3 game series before the All-Star break if they want to compete in the second half.

Pirates win again 7-2 over Nationals

The Bucs prevailed over the Nats 7-2 Saturday night and have won 4 of their last 5 games. A big six run second inning got the Pirates most of their offense. Jack Wilson(22) and Freddy Sanchez(28) both had 2-RBI singles and Adam Laroche smacked a 2-RBI double(20) in the inning. Laroche added his 10th home-run in the 5th inning for the last of his 3 RBI's(45). Tom Gorzelanny(8-4) got the win after he went 7.1 innings 2 runs on 5 hits while striking out six batters. He gave up a RBI single in the first inning to Dmitri Young but after getting the 6 runs in the second he cruised to the victory. He also gave up a solo homer to Ronnie Belliard(3) in the sixth. Masumi Kuwata, a 37-yr old Japanese league star, got the last 5 outs for the Pirates. Kuwata has turned out to be pretty good, he has a 2.53 ERA. The Pirates are getting hot at the right time, in my opinion their last chance to turn it around is now, they start a series with Milwaukee,the division leader, on Monday. If they wanna have a respectful year they need to put together a winning streak now. They are 35-45 and 12 games behind Milwaukee who are 47-33.

The Countdown Begins/Why I'm still mad at Barry

Barry Bonds hit #750 last night and as he said earlier in the year, "the countdown should begin at #750". He hit the home run last night after a drunken fan trotted out to say hello to Barry in left field. The guy was from North Dakota, so maybe he didnt know he wasn't allowed to enter the field??? Yeah, I doubt it. Barry was nice to the man, put his hand on his shoulder and walked him to security personnel, the man was arrested. So the countdown and steroid debate begins, all his at-bats will be televised on ESPN soon and the critics will be out in full force. But, Barry Im not mad at you for doing steroids(allegedly) or that you are gonna break Aaron's record after being hopped up on the juice(allegedly) for many years at the start of this decade, after all most MLB'ers were probably on them. Barry, Im mad at you because you couldn't throw out that dinosaur named Sid Bream on that single to left field in Game 7 of the NLCS against the Braves 15 years ago, why Barry? Why? I'll never forgive you for that Barry, also you were horrible at the plate all 3 years in the playoffs for the Pirates. I still have nightmares of Sid Bream truckin around third and thinking Barry will throw him out, no he's safe!!!! Why Barry!?? Why!?

Pirates Win 3-2 over Nats

The Pittsburgh Pirates started a 3-game series at home with the Washington Nationals and won 3-2 on a Jose Bautista sacrifice fly in the bottom of the 9th inning. Ian Snell started the game and left after 7 innings down 2-0. The Pirates scored 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th on a Nate McClouth RBI triple(1) and Jose Bautista hit a sacrifice fly to center field that scored McClouth. Then in the bottom of the 9th Ronny Paulino got a single to left field, then was bunted over to second by Jack Wilson, then he moved over to 3rd on a wild pitch while McClouth was batting. Paulino was then substituted by Castillo to pinch run. McClouth and Doumit both walked to load the bases. Jose Bautista then hit his second RBI(29) sacrifice fly of the game to end it. Ryan Langerhans(4) hit the only home run of the game off Ian Snell in the 3rd inning. Snell went 7 IP, with 2 ER on 5 hits, he struck out 5. His ERA is now 2.90. Matt Capps(4-4) pitched the top of the 9th to get the win. The Pirates are now 34-45.

NBA Draft

Here are the lottery picks(first 14) from yesterday's draft. Oden goes to the Trail Blazers but Seattle got Durant at #2 and Jeff Green(Georgetown)

#1 Portland- Greg Oden,C, Ohio State
#2 Seattle- Kevin Durant,F, Texas
#3 Atlanta- Al Horford,C, Florida
#4 Memphis- Mike Conley Jr., PG, Ohio State
#5 Seattle- Jeff Green, F, Georgetown
#6 Milwaukee- Yi Jianlian, F, China
#7 Minnesota- Corey Brewer, F, Florida
#8 Golden State- Brandan Wright, F, North Carolina
#9 Chicago- Joakim Noah, F, Florida
#10 Sacramento- Spencer Hawes, C, Washington
#11 Atlanta- Acie Law III, PG, Texas A&M
#12 Philadelphia- Thaddeus Young, F, Georgia Tech
#13 New Orleans- Julian Wright, F, Kansas
#14 LA Clippers- Al Thornton, F, Florida State

Seattle made a trade with Boston to get pick #5, Ray Allen will be in Boston next year.

Biggio gets 3,000 hits; Frank Thomas gets 500th HR

Thursday was a big day for milestones in Major League Baseball. Craig Biggio got his 3,000th hit as he went 5 for 6 in an 8-5 win in 11 innings over the Colorado Rockies that ended on a walk-off grand slam by Carlos Lee. Biggio has 3,002 hits now and got #3,000 off Aaron Cook. Biggio was thrown out at 2nd trying to stretch #3,000 into a double.

Frank Thomas of the Toronto Blue Jays got his 500th home run in Minnesota also on Thursday. "Big Hurt" got it off Carlos Silva in the 1st inning of an 8-5 loss to Minnesota. He has hit 10% of his 500(50) off of the Minnesota Twins where they were a division rival for most of his career while he was in Chicago playing for the White Sox. Then, in the 9th inning Thomas got ejected from the game for arguing balls and strikes with umpire Mark Wegner.

Pirates can't finish sweep, lose 9-7 to Marlins

The Pittsburgh Pirates could not get the series sweep of the Marlins, losing 9-7 today in a Thursday afternoon game. Zach Duke(3-7) started and got rocked(as usual) going 4 innings giving up 6 runs on 12 hits. Duke leads the majors in hits allowed as he did last year. Adam LaRoche hit his 9th homerun as he went 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's(42), he also got his 18th double. Freddy Sanchez was also 3 for 5 with a double(16) and 1 RBI(26). The Pirates are now 33-45. They start a 3 game series with the Washington Nationals Friday night in Pittsburgh where a mass walk-out is expected by the fans in between the 3rd and 4th innings to protest the state of the team.

Pirates Win 7-5 in 10 Innings

The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Florida Marlins 7-5 in 10 innings Wednesday night. Xavier Nady(12,13) hit two homers, including the game winning solo shot in the 10th, Ryan Doumit(4) hit one the next at-bat to make the score 7-5. Jose Bautista(7) hit a two-run homer in the 3rd. Nady was 3 for 5 with 2 RBI's(45). Freddy Sanchez was also 3 for 5 and his average is now .297. John Van Benschoten started tonight but only lasted 4 innings, giving up 2 runs on 3 hits, but he also walked 5 batters. Shawn Chacon(4-1) got the win and Matt Capps pitched the bottom of the 10th to get his 7th save. Hanley Ramirez(11) hit a home run for the Marlins. Kevin Gregg(0-3) gave up the solo homers in the 10th for the loss. The Pirates are now 33-44 and 12.5 games back of Milwaukee.