THE BULLPEN

Pennant fever, catch it! Your Pittsburgh Pirates are in the desert tonight as they battle the Arizona D-Bags. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have homered 8 times in their last 4 games. Chicks dig the long ball! 2)AZ will have RH Josh Collmenter, 8-5, 4.03 ERA on the mound In Collmenter's last start, he pitched only 2 2/3 innings, giving up 6 runs and 11 hits. Hit 'em early, hit 'em often, hit 'em HARD with plenty o' Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Pirates start LH Jeff Locke, 2-2, 3.54 ERA. In Locke's last start against the D-Bags, a 3-2 Pirates win, Locke pitched 8 innings of 2-run baseball. Lockedown the D-Bags! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Let's play two! Your Pittsburgh Pirates close out their trip to the City by the Bay today as they battle the San Fran Giants. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates have won 7 of their last 10 and 3 in a row. Get #4 with some Hit, Run & Score! 2)San Fran has dropped 6 straight. #7 would be heaven! 3)The Pirates send RH Charlie Morton, 5-10, 3.40 ERA, to the mound. San Fran will start RH Tim Lincecum, 9-7, 3.96 ERA. In his last 4 starts versus the Bucs, Lincecum is 1-3 with a 7.79 ERA. Morton has gone 2-1 with a 1.60 ERA over his last 5 starts against San Fran. Grind 'em up, Ground Chuck! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in San Fran with the Giants tonight. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates start LH Francisco Liriano, 2-7, 4.18 ERA. He will face San Fran RH Tim Hudson, 8-7, 2.65 ERA. Hudson has lost 3 in a row at home. Give him loss #4, break out the Hit, Run, & Score! 2)The Pirates have won 2 straight. If it's 3, it's for me! 3)The Pirates are coming off a 5-0 shutout of San Fran last night. Goose them with another goose egg! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

We want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher! Your Pittsburgh Pirates open a 3-game series tonight in the City by the Bay as they battle the San Fran Giants. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)After yesterday's 7-5 win over Colorado, the Pirates go for 2 wins in a row. Meanwhile, San Fran has lost 4 straight. #5 would be great! 2)The Pirates will start RH Vance Worley, 3-1, 3.10 ERA. The Giants go with LH Madison Bumgarner, 12-7, 3.19 ERA. In 3 career starts versus the Pirates, Bumgarner is 1-2 with a 1.71 ERA. Score early, score often, score BIG! 3)The Pirates have lost 8 of their last 11 road games. Let your freak flag fly in San Fran. Raise the Jolly Roger with some Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series in the Mile High City today against the Colorado Rockheads. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates have dropped 2 straight to Colorado and need to salvage a win today. Right the ship and get in the win column! 2)The Pirates have only scored 2 runs in this series while giving up 16 to the Rockheads. In last night's 2nd straight 8-1 defeat, the Bucs only managed 4 hits while going 0 for 4 with runners in scoring position. Coors Field is supposed to be a hitter's field. Break out the Hit, Run & Score & Raise the Jolly Roger! 3)The Pirates send RH Edinson Volquez, 8-7, 3.86 ERA to the mound. The Rockheads start LH Franklin Morales, 5-5, 5.21 ERA. Steady Eddy! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in Colorado against the Rockheads tonight. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates will start LH Jeff Locke, 2-1, 3.05 ERA. Colorado will go with LH Tyler Matzek, 1-4, 4.91 ERA. Since his recall on June 8, through 8 starts, Locke has gone at least 6 innings and held opponents to 3 runs or less every time out. Lockedown the Rockheads! 2)The Pirates have won 6 of Locke's last 7 starts. #7 would be heaven! 3)The Pirates missed a golden opportunity to make hay in the standing's following last night's 8-1 loss. Raise the Jolly Roger & TCB. Break out the Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Let's go, let's go, he can't hit, he can't hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates take their show on the road to the Mile High City as they begin a 3 game series with the Colorado Rockheads tonight. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates go for 6 wins out of their last 7 games at Coors Field. Rock the Rockheads with some Hit, Run & Score! 2)With Wednesday's 6-1 win over LA, the Pirates are a season-high 7 games over .500. 8 would be great! 3)The Pirates send RH Charlie Morton, 5-9, 3.28 ERA to the mound. Colorado counters with LH Brett Anderson, 0-3, 4.00 ERA. In 5 careers starts versus Colorado, Ground Chuck is 2-0 with a 3.16 ERA. Rocky Mountain High! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

BLUES N'AT

   Hartwood Acres will have a definite Mardi Gras atmosphere this weekend as the Pittsburgh Blues Festival celebrates it's 20th anniversary with Dr. John. The award-winning singer-songwriter, pianist and guitarist will headline Saturday night, July 26 at 9pm.

    Malcom John "Mac" Rebannack, Jr. was born on November 21, 1940 and raised in the Crescent City. As a teenager, Mac (he had yet to dub himself "Dr. John") was inspired by fellow New Orleans native Professor Longhair. He began gigging around the area at various clubs. He also found work as a producer.

     In the 1960s Mac made the move to the west coast as an in-demand session musician. In the late '60s he began to incorporate New Orleans symbolism into his live shows. New Orleans rhythm and blues met head-on with Los Angeles psychedelia to create "Dr. John, The Night Tripper". He bolstered this persona with the release of his debut disc, 1968's "Gris Gris". Dr. John eventually dropped "The Night Tripper" portion of his moniker but continued to merge voodoo, creole and psychedelia for the remainder of the 1960s and some of the 1970s.

      Dr. John's 1972 album, "Dr. John's Gumbo" said goodbye to the psychedelics and brought more of a New Orleans flavor to his sound, paying homage to his roots by covering New Olreans standards on the entire record.

     1973 saw the release of Dr. John's most commercially successful album, "In the Right Place". It also introduced the doctor's foray into funk, a genre that continues to influence his music today. The album scored a Top 20 hit with the single "Right Place Wrong Time".

      Today, Dr. John has won multiple Grammy awards as well as many other honors. He was inducted into both the Blues Hall of Fame and the  Louisiana Music Hall of Fame in 2007. He received induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2011. His albums "Gris Gris" and "Dr. John's Gumbo" ranked in Rolling Stone magazine's "500 Greatest Albums of All Time" at #143 and #402, respectively. He even found time to publish his autobiography in 1994, "Under the Hoodoo Moon".

       When he's not receiving doctorates or winning awards, Dr. John continues to bring the music world his mish-mash of blues, with touches of voodoo, funk, jazz, zydeco and boogie woogie-rock and roll.

        Grab your beads and enjoy the music of Dr. John Saturday night. If you can't make it Saturday, don't worry. The Pittsburgh Blues Festival will be celebrating their 20th anniversary all weekend long, from Friday, July 25 to Sunday, July 27, with plenty of blues, food and good times.

        Until next time, boys and girls. Keep It Bluesy!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series against the Los Angeles Codgers tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates exploded last night in their 12-7 clobbering of the Codgers. The had 12 hits, 3 of them home runs. They'll look for their 2nd win in a row tonight as they serve up some Meatloaf, Pittsburgh-style and go for 2 outta 3. Give them a serving of Hit, Run & Score! 2)The Pirates will start LH Francisco Liriano, 1-7, 4.43 ERA. Frankie's lone win this season came against the Codgers. Be filthy again, Frankie! 3)The Codgers send RH Dan Haren, 8-7, 4.30 ERA to the mound. For the month of July, Haren is 0-3 with a 9.64. ERA. Hit 'em early, hit 'em often, hit 'em HARD! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Rounding third and heading for home! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series with the Los Angeles Codgers tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)With last night's 5-2 win over the Pirates, the Codgers have a modest 2 game winning streak. Tonight they go for 3 in a row. I say No, No, No! 2)The Codgers are expected to start RH Josh Beckett, 6-5, 2.26 ERA. The Pirates will go with RH Vance Worley, 2-1, 3.38 ERA. Beckett has allowed 2 earned runs or less in 8 of his last 9 starts. It will be Beckett's first start since a stint on the DL. Welcome him back with a can of Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Vanimal will try to rebound following a 5-4 loss to St Louie on July 8 in which he allowed 4 earned runs on 9 hits in 5 innings. Right the ship and get back in the win column! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

I don't care if I ever get back! Your Pittsburgh Pirates open up a 3-game set tonight at PNC Park against the Los Angeles Codgers. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Following yesterday's 5-3 win over Colorado, the Bucs improved their home record to 32-20, best in the NL. There's no place like home! 2)The Codgers were able to pull out a 4-3 win over St Louie last night. That puts St Louie and Mil in a tie for first in the NL Central. The Pirates are in second place, 1.5 games back. In the NL wildcard Washington, San Fran, Atlanta, and LA are tied for the two wildcard spots. The Pirates are two games out. This series is a good time to make some ground in that wildcard race. TCB-Take Care of Business! 3)The Pirates have won 6 straight at home. #7 would be heaven. Give 'em the ol' Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series with the Colorado Rockies this afternoon at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)With last night's 11-inning, 3-2, walk-off victory, the Pirates can sweep the Rockies back to Colorado today. Time to clean house! 2)Both Cincy and Milwaukee lost yesterday. This puts the Pirates in a tie with Cincy for second place in the NL Central, 2.5 games behind both St. Louie and Milwaukee who are tied for first. Movin' on up! 3)Even with the win last night, the Pirates were an unimpressive 4 for 11 with runners in scoring position. Don't leave those ducks on the pond. Hit, Run, & Score, oh my! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series against the Colorado Rockies tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Following last night's come-from-behind 4-2 win, the Pirates go for 2 in a row over Colorado. More Jolly Roger, please! 2)Colorado will start LH Brett Anderson, 0-3, 4.95 ERA. This will be his first career start versus the Pirates. Give him a big welcome with some Hit, Run & Score! 3)The Pirates will send RH Charlie Morton, 5-9, 3.32 ERA to the mound. Ground Chuck has won 3 straight at home and has a 1.10 ERA in his last 5 home starts. Love that home cookin'! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

BLUES N'AT

   The blues world lost another great one. Johnny Winter joined the ranks of blues and rock n' roll greats while on tour, in his hotel room in Zurich, Switzerland on July 16, 2014. How fitting that he passed while on the road.  I'm sure if he could have, Johnny would have died while cradling his beloved guitar.

   John Dawson Winter III was born in Beaumont, TX on February 23, 1944. With his younger brother Edgar on keyboards, the Winter brothers started out playing the clubs of Texas at a young age. Always, Johnny wore his blues on his sleeve idolizing the likes of Robert Johnson, B.B King and Lightin' Hopkins.

    In 1968 Rolling Stone Magazine featured Johnny in a piece centering on the burgeoning Texas music scene. The article sparked a bidding war amongst record labels for Johnny's talents. In 1969 Columbia Records signed Johnny to, at that time, a record-breaking deal. Also that year, he appeared at Woodstock. Unfortunately, Johnny's performance was left off of the original soundtrack and out of the movie. Big mistake, producers.

    From there, the rest is history. Johnny paid homage to his heroes every chance he got. He helped revive the careers of John Lee Hooker and Muddy Waters. He even produced and played guitar on Muddy's 1977 Grammy-winning album, "Hard Again". That began a series of successful collaborations between the two that produced more Grammy award-winning albums with "I'm Ready" and "Muddy "Mississippi" Waters-Live".

    For the next four decades, Johnny continued to tour and record, blessing the world with his brand of blues and rock n' roll. He had a knack for taking songs by other artists and putting his own stamp on them with his Texas-sized talent. He showered fans with numerous Grammy-nominated albums as well as hard-charging live performances.

     In 1988, the Blues Foundation inducted him into the Blues Hall of Fame. Gibson Guitars presented Johnny with the signature Johnny Winter Firebird guitar. He and Edgar were honored in their hometown of Beaumont with induction into the Southeast Texas "Walk of Fame".

    All the while, Johnny continued to do what he loved most, playing the blues on his guitar. You know he is just up there smiling and jamming away with all those other greats. Rest in peace, Johnny Winter. Keep It Bluesy!

  

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your Pittsburgh Pirates return to action at PNC Park tonight as they battle the Colorado Rockies to start the second half of the season. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have won 9 of 11 at PNC. Do it again with #10! 2)The Rockies start LH Jorge De La Rosa, 10-6, 4.56 ERA. The Pirates go with LH Francisco Liriano, 1-7, 4.72 ERA. Frankie is 0-3 with a 5.98 ERA at home this season. Time to turn your season around. Get filthy, Frankie! 3)Since June 16, Colorado has gone 6-20, worst in the NL. Rock the Rockies with some Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Your Pittsburgh Pirates are getting closer to the start of the second half of their season which also means they're getting closer to the trade deadline. Because it's a slow sports week, Mrs. Black-N-Gold has come up with some proposals to help the Pirates fill some holes. Owner Bottom Dollar Bob Nutting should appreciate this as I tried to find the most economical way in which to do this. No, I'm not smoking anything. I just thought I'd throw these against the wall and see if anything sticks. So, without further adieu....

1B-Many, many people think letting Justin Morneau go was a big mistake. You didn't hear many people complain about it when he signed with Colorado in the offseason, but now that he's competed in the All-Star Home Run Derby, they sure are. Consider that Morneau's statistics are inflated because of the Mile High altitude if you will, but his road numbers are still better than the Davis/Sanchez platoon. Trade for Morneau a second year in a row?  Who else is out there? They had their shot at James Loney in the offseason and went cheap. Besides, Tampa Bay may not be ready to throw in the towel. Forget Ryan Howard and Paul Goldschmidt. The price is too steep for Nutting. I still like Mike Carp from the BoSox but he's been hurt this season and may figure into their re-building plans. We could always make a trade with the New York Mets for under-performing Lucas Duda. Oh, wait! We already did that with Ike Davis. Now stay with me here because this is where I get a little crazy. If you had a chance to get a 1B with 612 career home runs, would you? Jim Thome hasn't played since 2012 and may not want to but it won't cost Nutting a darn thing to ask. Why not? Thome can't be any worse than what we already have. And if that doesn't work, we still have Andrew Lambo down on the farm.

C-I propose that we play Russell Martin until his wheels fall off. It's not like the Pirates will attempt to re-sign him so what do we care if we wear him out. Unless, we're able to pick up a World Champion catcher as backup. Bring in A.J.! No, I don't mean Burnett. Pierzynski has been released by the Red Sox so the Pirates should be able to get him at the right price. True, Chris Stewart was hurt earlier this season so A.J.'s numbers are going to look bigger. That said, I'd still rather make a run at A.J. Or else, bring Tony Sanchez back up so he can do the Batman-Robin thing with Martin. Otherwise, go ahead and put one in the loss column every time Stewart is in the lineup.

P-I don't see anyone on the market in the Pirates price range. I do, however, see options at Indy. We have seen what Brandon Cumpton and Casey Sadler can do. Those are to viable options for long relief in place of Jeanmar Gomez and Stolmy Pimentel. Andy Oliver, 1-2, 11 saves, 58 Ks in 45 IP would give them another lefty arm out of the bullpen. Nick Kingham could turn out to be what they were hoping to get in Jameson Taillon this season. Since his call up to Triple A, Kingham is 3-1 with a 1.62 ERA with 30 strikeouts and only 6 walks in 39 innings pitched. How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm?

Again, these aren't etched in stone. I'm just spitballing here. But if any of these come to fruition and work out, you heard it here first. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

BLUES N'AT

   Leading up to next month's Heritage Music Bluesfest in Wheeling, WV, River City Ale Works is hosting national blues acts every Tuesday night. Next Tuesday, July 22, at 8pm, they welcome the legendary Nighthawks to the Friendly City.

   Western Pennsylvanian blues fans are no stranger to the Nighthawks. They've been friends of the Blues Society of  Western Pennsylvania for years. Nighthawks drummer Mark Stutso is one of our own as he's lived in the Steel City. Plus, they have a long history of jamming with such Pittsburgh dignitaries as Billy Price, Norm Nardini, the late Glen Pavone and the late Craig King.

    The Nighthawks formed in Washington, DC in 1972 and still make the nation's capital their home base. They were even awarded the trophy for Traditional Blues R&B Duo/Group at the 2009 Washington Area Music Awards.

   That's not their only accolades. Along with years as the critic's and fan's darlings, their album "Last Train to Bluesville" captured Acoustic Album of the Year honors at the 2011 Blues Foundation Blues Music Awards.

   The current lineup of Mark Wenner on vocals and harp, bassist/vocalist Johnny Castle, guitarist Paul Bell and Mark Stutso on drums and vocals are supporting their new release "444". Last week's "Weekly Blues Top 20 Radio Airplay Chart" had the CD at #15 and climbing.

    Their live shows are not to be missed, either. They combine the best of roots music and the blues. You could say that the Nighthawks are firmly rooted in the blues. Make sure you catch their show. You'll be glad you did. Until next time, boys and girls. Keep It Bluesy!

BLUES N'AT

   In the mood for an intoxicating cocktail of blues, soul and funk? Then head down to Moondog's in Blawnox this Saturday, July 19 at 10pm to catch singer-songwriter-guitarist Eric Lindell.

   Eric was born in northern California in San Mateo in 1969. At an early age, he began playing both guitar and bass. By age 15 he was gigging with bands in his area. He made the move to New Orleans to find his sound in 1999, by way of New York City.

    He signed with blues label, Alligator Records in 2006 with his debut, "Change In the Weather". Along the way, Eric has jammed with the likes of the Neville Brothers, Galactic and Dragon Smoke, among others. He has also played the world-famous New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Eric has been able to break out of the regional mold by touring across the United States as well as Europe and Australia. He even managed to work an appearance on Late Night with Conan O'Brien into his busy schedule.

    His latest release is from Eric Lindell & Co. "Indian Summer" is available on Eric's own Sparco Records.

     Get to Moondog's early this Saturday. The place it sure to be jam-packed for a jammin' good time. Until next time, boys and girls. Keep It Bluesy!

THE BULLPEN

   Take me out to the ballgame! Most of your Pittsburgh Pirates will be off until Friday's game, enjoying some rest and relaxation as they re-charge their batteries during the All-Star break. Fear not, Pirates fans, your team is well represented in the Mid-Summer Classic which will be played on Tuesday night at Target Field in Minneapolis. Reigning MVP, CF Andrew McCutchen, will start for the NL squad as he was voted to the team for the first team. Manager Clint Hurdle will be in the dugout to help coach Mike Methany's squad. LH Tony Watson and UT Josh Harrison are both making their first trips to the All-Star Game.

   After blazing through June and July as one of the hottest teams in baseball, the Buccos closed out the first half of the season as one of the coldest, losing their last 2 series, to division rivals St. Louie & Cincy. The Cards took 3 of 4 while the Reds won 2 out of  3. The majority of those games where lost in the worst possible manner as the bullpen has been hemorrhaging runs left and right.

   At 49-46, the Bucs are in 4th place in the NL Central at 3.5 games back. They're 3 out in the wildcard. Since there will be 4 representatives wearing the black-n-gold this year, Mrs. Black-N-Gold looks at 4 things the Pirates need to make a playoff run again this year.

  
  Offense-Andrew McCutchen is having another M-V-P season. The addition of uber-rookie Gregory Polanco and super-utility-man Josh Harrison into the lineup has improved the Pirates offense. They are 2nd in the majors with a .333 on base percentage. However, they continue to leave runners in scoring position. This is an especially bad thing when your bullpen is always underperforming. The April trade for 1B Ike Davis has barely made a ripple in the waters. 3B Pedro Alvarez has been a shell of the NL Home Run Champ from a year ago. Even Polanco has begun to suffer from mini-slumps. Cutch can't do it alone. The Pirates need to get more consistent offense from their starters and hope that GM Neil Huntington can pull off a deal to bring in some reinforcements. The problem is, the Pirates look set with their lineup. If NH is going to pull off any deadline deals this year, it will probably be for pitching.

   Starting Rotation-The good news for the Pirates pitching staff is that LH Francisco Liriano returned from the DL yesterday. The bad news is Liriano looked a lot like the 1-7 pitcher that he's been this year. RH Gerrit Cole, expected to become the stud of this staff, has also spent time on the DL and will still be there when the second half gets under way. RH Charlie Morton, RH Edinson Volquez, and LH Jeff Locke have been impressive, of late. But they need run support and support from the rest of the pitching staff. The Pirates could have help down on the farm in the form of Brandon Cumpton, Casey Sadler and Nick Kingham. That's good because the price for another starter or two may be too steep for this team.

   Bullpen-The Shark Tank has tanked more games than any other bullpen in the league this season. It's not surprising, they played out of their minds and over their heads last year. A dropoff was expected. A dropoff this big, however, was not. The rumor is the Pirates have been scouting Padres closer Huston Street. The thought is that they'll let Street close and move Mark Melancon back to the setup role. There is also word that the Pirates may add another lefty to the bullpen, Andy Oliver, from Indianapolis. Goodness knows, they have to do something. Imagine what they're record would be if they hadn't blown so many games this year.

   Bench-The Pirates bench consists of JHay and whoever else is not playing. And it's usually not very impressive. Bringing in Chris Stewart to backup the indispensable Russell Martin at catcher was a horrible deal by Huntington. Is it too late to bring back Michael McKenry? Or better yet, bring up Tony Sanchez so he can learn at the hands of the master. The Ike Davis/Gaby Sanchez 1B split isn't working, either. I wonder if the Pirates would trade for Justin Morneau a second year in a row? Michael Martinez was brought up as utility help while Clint Barmes is on the DL. Frankly, I don't see much of Martinez, probably because he doesn't have much. Travis Snider has ridden the pine so much, I almost forgot he was on the team. None of these bench players strike much fear into the hearts of opposing pitchers.

   In conclusion, the Pirates look lucky to still be in contention considering all the question marks. Neal Huntington and the Pirates braintrust better put on their thinking caps and figure out a way to right the ship. If they continue to falter in the few weeks following the All-Star Game, they may end up being sellers at the deadline, instead of buyers. I'll keep my black-n-gold fingers crossed. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

  

THE BULLPEN

We want a pitcher, not a belly-itcher! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series with the Reds today as they close out the first half of the season in Cincy. These are your keys to today's game 1)The Pirates will try to sample the Cincinnati Meatloaf and win the series by taking 2 outta 3. What goes best with Mealoaf? A side of Hit, Run & Score! 2)Following last night's dramatic 6-5 win, the Pirates have an MLB-best 22 wins in one-runs games. Keep calm and win ballgames! 3)Since June 1 the Reds and Pirates are 1 and 2 for the best record in baseball. The Pirates are 2.5 games back in the NL Central and 2 out in for the wildcard. Got to make a little more hay today! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Play Ball! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their final series before the All-Star break as they battle the Reds in Cincy tonight. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates will send RH Charlie Morton, 5-9, 3.10 ERA, to the mound. Cincy will go with RH Mike Leake, 7-7, 3.42 ERA. In Morton's last start, a 2-0 loss to St. Louie, Ground Chuck tossed 7 innings of 1-hit, scoreless baseball. Unfortunately, the bullpen blew it for him much in the way they did in last night's 6-5 loss. Imagine how good the Pirates would be if their bullpen hadn't gone from Shark Tank to tanking all the time. The Buccos need a strong, lengthy outing from Morton. Grind 'em up, Ground Chuck! 2)Since 2011, Morton has gone 3-0 with a 1.30 ERA versus Cincy. Help keep him in the game. Gimme a Hit! Gimme a Run! Gimme a Score! What's that spell? Hit, Run, & Score! 3)Cincy is 8-3 against the Pirates this year. You can't win the division by losing to your division foes. Beat the Reds till they're black-n-blue! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Batter up! Your Pittsburgh Pirates battle another NL Central foe as they begin a 3-game series tonight in Cincy versus the Reds. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Cincy has taken 7 of 10 games from Pittsburgh. Beat the Reds black-n-blue with a case of Hit, Run, & Score! 2)Speed kills, especially Cincy speedster, OF Billy Hamilton who has 8 steals against the Pirates this season. We have some of our own speed on the basepaths. CF Andrew McCutchen had 2 steals in last night's 9-1 win over St Louie and hasn't been thrown out yet this year. Leadoff man, RF Gregory Polanco, also has exceptional speed but is mired in a mini-slump. He needs to stop popping the ball up and leg out some grounders to get back on track. Run the Reds ragged! 3)The Pirates will send LH Jeff Locke, 2-1, 3.08 ERA to the hill The Reds will go with RH Mat Latos, 2-1, 2.41. The last 5 starts for Locke have resulted in Pirates wins. Lockedown Cincy! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Let's go, let's go, he can't hit, he can't hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series in St. Louie tonight against the Cardinals. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse as they've dropped 3 in a row following last night's 5-2 loss. They've played like crap as they've only scored 6 runs in the first 3 games of this series. They're now in 4th place in the NL Central, 4.5 games out. They are 2.5 back in the wildcard. If you want to play with the big boys you'd better Raise the Jolly Roger & bring lots of Hit, Run, & Score! 2)St Louie starts RH Shelby Miller, 7-7, 4.15 ERA. In Miller's last 4 starts he is 0-2 with a 7.32 ERA. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD! 3)The Pirates are a paltry 2 for 25 with runners in scoring position in this series. How can you have any pudding if you don't eat our meat?! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in, coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in St. Louie tonight against the Cardinals. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Following last night's 5-4 defeat, the Pirates have lost 2 straight. Will they make it 3 in a row? I say No, No, No! 2)The Cardinals will send RH Lance Lynn, 9-6, 3.17 ERA, to the mound. In Lynn's last 4 start versus the Pirates he's 0-3 with a 9.15 ERA. Score early, score often, score BIG! 3)The Pirates are expected to start RH Brandon Cumpton, 3-2, 4.61 ERA, in place of injured Gerrit Cole. Cumpton is 3-0 with a 3.97 ERA in his last 5 starts. Put the Jolly Roger on the side of a milk carton because the Pirates haven't seen it lately. Break out the Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

One, two, three strikes, you're out! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in St. Louie tonight against the Cardinals. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)In last night's 2-0 defeat, the Pirates were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. Don't leave those ducks on the pond! 2)The Pirates will send RH Vance Worley, 2-1, 2.28 ERA to the hill. St. Louie will counter with RH Carlos Martinez, 2-3, 3.91 ERA. The Cardinals have won all 4 of Martinez's starts. The Worley-Bird is looking to bounce back from his last outing, a 10-2 loss to Arizona. Deck the Cards! 3)The Pirates and Cardinals are now tied at 5 games apiece in the season series. Break out the Hit, Run & Score & Raise The Jolly Roger! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates take their show on the road as they begin a 4 game series tonight in St. Louie versus the Cardinals. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Since May 29, the Pirates have gone 11-5 on the road. Love that takeout food! 2)The Pirates will send RH Charlie Morton, 5-9, 3.30 ERA, to the mound. St. Louie will start RH Adam Wainwright, 11-4, 1.89 ERA. Wainwright has won 2 of his last 3 against the Pirates. Morton is 0-7 versus St Louie in his last 9 starts. Grind 'em up, Ground Chuck! 3)St. Louie has lost 2 in a row and 6 of 10. The Pirates have won 12 of 15 after sweeping Philly to go a season-high 6 games over .500. Get on the board with plenty of Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

BLUES N'AT

   

 

   Barbara Blue is doing what she loves five nights a week. It wasn't always that way. The Reigning Queen of Beale Street had to pay her dues in the clubs of Pittsburgh and later Detroit before she nailed down a residency at legendary club Silky O'Sullivan's, a Memphis Beale Street institution.

     Barbara starting singing in her teens, before graduating from North Catholic High School. A few years after graduating she moved to Detroit and starting honing her blues chops there. Her singing is influenced by the likes of Janis Joplin, Koko Taylor and Etta James, to name a few.

      She returned to Pittsburgh after a few years and began playing at revered Pittsburgh clubs such as Graffiti and Gene's Blues Bar. Her band even made it to Memphis to compete in the International Blues Challenge.

       In 1997, on a lark, Barbara paid $5 to sing "Me and Bobby McGee" at Silky O'Sullivan's. Her ability to bring the blues to life caught Silky's ear. He bought her a beer and had her sing another song. He then called his wife to come hear the woman who could "make a glass eye cry". Ever since then, Barbara has been the "Reigning Queen of Beale Street".

        Apart from her regular gig entertaining people from all over the world, Barbara's accomplishments are many. She has had 5 CDs go through the first round in the Grammy nominations process for various categories, was nominated for Contemporary Female Blues Artist of the Year at the Blues Music Awards in 2007 by the Blues Foundation, and has played and recorded with a Who's Who of the best in the business including Taj Mahal's Phantom Blues Band, The Nighthawks, Jeff Healey and Tab Benoit, among others.

    Barbara will be making her way back to Western PA for the Blues, Brews, and BBQ Night at the Whiskey Rebellion Festival in Washington on Friday, July 11. Also appearing that night will be Ron Yarosz and the Vehicle and Billy the Kid and the Regulators. Get there early, the show starts at 6:30 pm. The festival runs from July 10-12. The following night, Saturday, July 12, Barbara will be a part of the Road to Memphis Tour at the Hard Rock Café in Station Square. She will perform along with BSWPA Blues Challenge winners Eugene Morgan and the Junkman and the Bo' Hog Brothers. That show kicks off at 9:30 pm. Barbara always looks forward to these homecoming trips as it gives her a chance to see family and friends and perform for the hometown crowd. She may even sing a few songs from her newest CD, "Memphis Blue" that will be out in November.                                                                                                                   

    Catch Barbara while she's back in the 'Burgh or if you're ever in Memphis. Either way, you'll be glad you did. Until next time, boys and girls. Keep It Bluesy!

 

         

 

 

 

   

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series today against the Philadelphia Sillies. These are your keys to today's game. 1)Philly starts former Bucco RH A. J. Burnett, 5-7, 3.92 ERA. The Pirates go with Burnett's good friend, Robin to A.J.'s Batman if you will, LH Jeff Locke, 1-1, 3.46 ERA. It's time for the student to become the teacher. Lockedown Philly! 2)With yesterday's 3-2 victory, the Pirates took the series. Now it's time to do something they haven't done all year. Break out the brooms and complete the sweep! 3)In Friday's 8-2 win, the Pirates jumped out to a 4-0 lead after 1 inning. Yesterday, they led 3-0 after 2 innings. Hit 'em early, hit 'em often, hit 'em HARD! Break out the Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Batter up! Your Pittsburgh Pirates go for 2 in a row versus the Philadelphia Sillies today at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)During yesterday's 8-2 win over Philly, Pirates pitchers allowed only 2 runs on 2 hits. Hold 'em Bucs! 2)The Sillies will start rookie RH David Buchanan, 4-4, 4.86 ERA. The Pirates go with RH Edinson Volquez, 6-6, 4.07 ERA. Eddy goes for a season-best 3rd straight win today. If it's 3, it's for me! 3)It's a tale of 2 teams as Philly has dropped 11 of their last 14 games. Meanwhile, the Pirates have won 11 of their last 15. Beat Philly silly with plenty of Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Firecracker, firecracker, boom, boom, boom! Happy Independence Day one and all! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to explode as they begin a 3 game series today against the Philadelphia Sillies. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates look to right the ship after failing to complete the sweep in last night's 10-2 loss to Arizona. Philly has been held scoreless 11 times this season. Score early, score often, score BIG! 2)The Pirates send RH Gerrit Cole, 6-4, 4.02 ERA, to the mound. The Cole Train tries to get back on track. In his return start from the DL, he gave up 5 earned runs, walking 3, in 4 innings pitched. All aboard the Cole Train! 3)Philly will start RH Roberto Hernandez, 3-7, 4.26 ERA. In his last 8 starts, Hernandez is 1-6 with a 4.50 ERA. Bring a big bowl of Hit, Run & Score to the party! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series tonight against the Arizona D-Bags at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)With last night's 5-1 defeat of the D-Bags, the Pirates are 4 games over .500 for the first time this season. 4 games over and counting! 2)The Pirates look to complete their first sweep of the season tonight. Break out the Jolly Roger and the brooms! 3)Congrats to Pirates CF Andrew McCutchen, NL Player of the Month for June. Celebrate in style with a whole lot more of the Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series against the Arizona Diamondback tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Following last night's walk-off win in their 3-2 victory, the Pirates have won 4 of the last 5 games. #5 would not be jive! 2)The Pirates also made a little hay last night as Milwaukee, St Louie & Cincy were all losers. The Bucs are tied in the NL Central with Cincy and sit 7 games back. In the wild card, they're 2 games out. Keep making that hay while the sun shines, boys! 3)A win tonight will give the Pirates their 4th straight series win. Nothing says a win like a big helping of Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their homestand as they begin a 3-game series tonight against the Arizona D-Backs. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have won 7 of their last 9 games. #8 would be great! 2)The Pirates will send LH Jeff Locke, 1-1, 3.74 ERA to the hill. Since his call-up on June 8, Locke has a 2.54 ERA in 4 starts. Lockedown the D-Backs! 3)Arizona will answer with LH Wade Miley, 3-6, 4.78 ERA. In his last 8 starts, Miley has pitched more like Miley Cyrus going 0-3 with a 4.74 ERA. Kick him while he's down with the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!