THE BULLPEN

One, two, three strikes, you're out! Your Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series against the Milwaukee Boo Crew this afternoon at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates are the first team in the majors to get to 50 victories this season. The last time that happened to the Bucs was 1960, when they beat the Yankees in the World Series. Coincidence? I think not! 2)The Pirates have won 8 games in a row while the Boo Crew has lost 4 of their last 5. Break out the brooms because 9 would be oh, so fine! 3)Thanks to homers last night from Pedro Alvarez and Garrett Jones, the Pirates edged Milwaukee, 2-1. This season, the Pirates are 7-4 versus the Boo Crew and have won 6 of the last 7. Petey's homer gives him 10 for the month of June. He's the first Pirate to pound 10 taters or more in June since Richie Hebner did it in 1975. Keep that Hit, Run, & Score rollin'! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your Pittsburgh Pirates go for 2 in a row against the Milwaukee Boo-has tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates pounded Milwaukee last night, 10-3 to give them 7 wins in a row. This is the longest winning-streak for the Bucs since 2004. Meanwhile, the Boo-has continue to have the boo-boo lip as they've lost 3 in a row. I know that 8 would be great for the Pirates! 2)During the Pirates winning-streak, the battlin' Bucs are averaging 7 runs per game and have smacked 14 taters. Nothing keeps a winning-streak going better than the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Pirates have LH Fransisco Liriano on the hill tonight. Frankie is 6-3 with a 2.30 ERA. He has given up 2 runs or less in 6 of his 9 starts this season. Shut 'em down, Frankie! Also, I know it's only June, but if you look at today's standings, you may notice that the Pirates sit alone atop the NL Central at 49-30. The Pirates have the best record in MLB. Take a picture. Keep lining them up and the Bucs will knock 'em down! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your Pittsburgh Pirates are back home to battle their division rival, the Milwaukee Boo-has tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to the game. 1)It's a tale of 2 teams tonight. Milwaukee is 13-22 on the road, the Pirates are 25-13 at home. Love that home cookin'! 2)The Pirates have won 6 in a row, their longest streak in 9 years. They've won 8 of their last 10 and 11 of 16. They've also won 8 straight following scheduled days off. 7 would be heaven and 9 would be fine! 3)The Pirates send rookie RH Gerrit Cole to the mound tonight. Cole 45 is 3-0 with a 3.44 ERA. He is the first Pirates pitcher since 1970 to win his first 3 starts. Let's get more with #4, you gotta go out and Hit, Run, & Score! All aboard the Cole Train! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Rounding third and heading for home! Your Pittsburgh Pirates close out their west coast swing today in Seattle against the Ancient-Mariners. I know the Pirates packed the Jolly Roger. I hope they still have their brooms, too as they go for the 2-game sweep. These are your keys to today's game. 1)In last night's 9-4 victory, the Pirates cranked 5 homers, 2 from Starling Marte to keep the Marte Partay going. That is the most they've hit in a game since they had 5 HRs versus Milwaukee on July 22, 2009. The hits just keep on coming! 2)The Pirates won their season-high 5th game in a row. During the winning streak, the Bucs are averaging 7 runs per game and have knocked out 12 taters. They now sit at 47-30 on the season. This is the first time since 1992 that they've been 17 games over .500. Victories are like money, you can never have enough! 3)The Pirates face 2010 AL Cy Young winner Felix Hernandez today. King Felix is 8-4 with a 2.71 ERA. However, in his last start, he gave up season-highs with 7 runs and 12 hits in 5 innings. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD with the Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

BLUES N'AT

Shot O’ Soul is a band I’ve wanted to see for quite some time. Unfortunately, the planets never seemed to align when they would have a show near my area. Then, Lady Luck smiled on me. Shot O’ Soul opened the Tommy Castro show at South Park a few weeks ago. Sadly, we made it in time to only hear the end of Shot O’ Soul’s set. But there was good news! I did score their latest CD, “Blues on a Budget”. Let me tell you, it was worth the wait. The CD kicks off with “One of These Days”, a rollicking, done-me-wrong kind of song. Shot O’ Soul has two lead singers. This jumping tune features the big voice of Jeanie “Girl” Shook.  This song really sets the tone for most of the CD. The next song is Shot O’ Soul’s theme song, “Shot O’ Soul”. Jimi “Cisco” Franciscus mans the mike on this one and keeps the party going. The band really starts to get their grove on with this one. I always appreciate a band that has brass, as in horns. I love the job that Lee Baumann does with the sax throughout this CD. With the next song, we slide into a pair of “Comfortable Shoes”. This song slows things down a bit but not too much. “Blues on a Budget”, my new theme song, follows. With the economy the way it is today, songwriter-guitarist, Walter K (Kendzerski) really hits the nail on the head with this one. The following song, “Door Shakin’” is a leg-shaking instrumental that will get you going on the dance floor. After that, Shot O’ Soul shifts into low gear with the slower, more bluesy “Agree to Disagree”. This song proves that they’re more than just a good-time party band. SOS can get down with the blues, too. They slip back on their comfortable, dancing shoes for “Too Much of a Good Thing”. That’s not the case with Shot O’ Soul because I can never get too much of their brand of blues. The final song it a Christmas song, Shot O’ Soul-style, “You Won’t Get no Christmas Card from Me”. Shot O’ Soul’s bassist, Denny Bank and percussionist Andrew Baumann hold it all together by nailing down the beat that keeps this CD going. To paraphrase the band, no blues collection is complete “without a Shot O’ Soul”.  Do yourself a favor and get yourself a Shot O’ Soul.

 

  

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates are in Seattle tonight to start a 2-game series with the Ancient-Mariners. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)At 46-30, the Pirates have the second best record in the Majors. They are 1 game behind St. Louie in the NL Central. Don't stop till you get to the top! 2)The Pirates have won 4 straight as they go for a season-high 5th consecutive victory. During that streak, the battlin' Bucs have averaged 6.5 runs a game. Keep the drive alive with #5! 3)Pedro Alvarez continues to sizzle. Congrats to Petey as he was named NL Player of the Week. He has an 8-game hitting streak, going 13 for 33 with 5 home runs and 13 RBIs during the streak. LH Jeff Locke starts tonight for the Pirates. Locke is 6-1 with a 2.01 ERA. Jeff will lock them up and Petey will know them down with the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Let's play two! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series with the Angels of Anaheim this afternoon. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Halos send RH Joe Blanton to the mound. Blanton is 1-10 with a 5.62 ERA. He has more losses than any other AL pitcher and is still looking for his first home victory this season. Let him look, 'cause it's not happening today! 2)Blanton has surrendered 7 homers in his last 4 starts. What a coincidence because the Pirates have been pounding the ball. Petey launched his 3rd homer in his past 3 games last night. Gaby and Clutch got in on the action, too with homers of their own. Chicks dig the long ball! 3)I'm glad to see the Pirates packed the Jolly Roger for this road trip as they've raised it following 3 straight games. I hope they brought their brooms, too since they're going for the sweep of the Halos. Break out the Hit, Run, & Score, boys! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in LA tonight against the Angels. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Pedro Alvarez continues to sizzle. Petey has a season-high six-game hitting streak, going 9 for 24 with 3 homers & 11 RBIs. As goes Petey, so go the Pirates. The Bucs are looking for their 3rd win in a row. If it's 3 it's for me! 2)When Petey homers, the Pirates are 12-4. When he drives in at least a run, they're 21-7. Knock 'em out, Petey, with the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Angels are 1-18 when they score two runs or less. Hold 'em Bucs! The Pirates were able to make up some ground in the NL Central last night as both Cincy & St Louie were losers. The Bucs moved into second place, 3 games back. Keep on keepin' on! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates are in Los Angeles tonight to begin a 3-game set with the Angels. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates send rookie RH Gerrit Cole to the mound. At 2-0 Cole became the first pitcher ever to beat to Cy Young winners in his first two Major League-starts. He's not pitching against a Cy Young tonight, but if it's 3, it's for me! 2)The Angels start RH Jered Weaver tonight. Weaver is 1-3 with a 4.41 ERA. In his last 3 starts, Weaver is 1-2, giving up 10 runs in 15 2/3 innings and has lost 2 straight. Again, if it's 3 it's for me. Get after him with lots of Hit, Run, & Score! 3)Today is the first day of summer and Pedro Alvarez is heating up. Petey is batting .290 with 6 homers and 19 RBIs in his last 17 games. Petey, Petey, Petey's on fire! He don't need no water, let him burn, let him burn! Maybe Petey's hotness will be contagious, too. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series this afternoon in Cincy against the Reds. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Reds start RH Homer Bailey, 4-5 with a 3.80 ERA. You may remember that fateful September day of last season when Bailey tossed a no-no versus the Bucs. The Pirates need to forget that no-hitter and forget last night's 2-1 13-inning defeat. Shake it off and make like a banana and get out of Cincy with a split! 2)Bailey is 8-2 with a 2.51 ERA in 12 starts versus the Pirates. Make like milk and shake this guy up early. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD with lots of Hit, Run, & Score! 3)Andrew McCutchen has a .345 batting average against Bailey, going 10 for 29. However, Clutch is mired in a slump going 0 for 6 last night and 2 for 17 in his last 6 games. The Bucs need to crush Cincy today and if Clutch could break out of his funk, that would be the cherry on top of the sundae. Go out and cream the Reds! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates go for 2 in a row in Cincy tonight against the Reds. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)In last night's 4-0 victory, the Pirates were 3 for 9 with runners in scoring position, finally capitalizing with men on base. The Reds, meanwhile, were 0 for 5 and are 1 for 25 with runners in scoring position in their last 4 games. Leave Cincy's turkeys on the table! 2)The Pirates start lefty Jeff Locke tonight. Locke is 6-1 with a 2.19 ERA. In his last 6 starts, Locke is 3-0 with a 0.98 ERA. Locke and load! 3)The Reds send RH Bronson Arroyo to the mound. Arroyo is 6-5 with a 3.27 ERA for the year. In Arroyo's last 3 starts against the Pirates, he's gone 0-3 with an 8.40 ERA. Keep pounding away with plenty of Hit, Run, & Score, oh my! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to get back in the win column tonight in Cincy as they continue their series against the Reds. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Last night, in their 4-1 loss, the Pirates left 9 men on base, continuing an ugly trend in their season. You can't leave those ducks on the pond. You've got to ruffle the Reds' feathers by bringing lots of Hit, Run, & Score to the ballpark! 2)The Reds start RH Matt Latos tonight. Latos is 6-0 with a 3.08 ERA. He hasn't lost a start since August 24, 2012, a string of 21 consecutive starts. He's won his last 4 starts at home and the Pirates have never beaten him. Looks like the Bucs are due. Score early, score often, score BIG! 3)The Reds hit 4 homers last night. To add insult to injury, they also were playing beanball with the Pirates again. The best way to settle all of this is by beating the snot out of these jagoffs! I want to see the jolly roger raised over Cincy for the next 3 days. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hit the ball and touch 'em all! Your Pittsburgh Pirates begin a pivotal 4-game series tonight in Cincy as they battle the Reds for 2nd place in the NL Central. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Cincy has won 5 of their last 7 games. If we ever want to be taken seriously as a contender, we have to beat the teams in our division, especially the teams in front of us. Go into Cincy's house and smack them around! 2)The Pirates are 4-2 versus the Reds this year. The Bucs have also won 6 of their last 9 games, overall. Got to make hay while the sun shines, boys! 3)The Pirates start LH Francisco Liriano who is 5-2 with a 2.36 ERA. Frankie has given up more than 1 run only twice in his 7 starts this season. Give Frankie the support he needs with plenty of Hit, Run, & Score, more, more, more! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates try to get back in the win column today and take 2 of 3 from the Los Angeles Codgers this afternoon at PNC Park (weather permitting). These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates face another former Cy Young winner today, LA righty Zack Greinke. That's 4 in a week. Whoa, did the Pirates tick off the baseball gods or what? Greinke is 3-1 with a 3.68 ERA this season. In 7 career starts against the Bucs, Greinke is 5-1 with a 4.85 ERA. Get to this kid early and shake him up a bit. Score early, score often, score BIG! 2)The Codgers have beaten the Bucs 4 out of 5 games this year. Time to serve up some home-cooked Meatloaf this afternoon. 2 Outta 3 Ain't Bad! 3)The Pirates start rookie RH Gerrit Cole. You may have heard of him. The #1 pick in 2011 is 1-0 with a 2.84 ERA and collected a 2-run single in his first MLB at bat. Let's see the kid build off of that first start. Give him lots of Hit, Run, & Score today! Roll out the throwback unis and Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

One, two, three strikes, you're out! Your Pittsburgh Pirates go for 2 in a row over the L.A. Codgers this afternoon at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates send rookie RH Brandon Cumpton to the mound versus L.A. lefty Clayton Kershaw. Kershaw is 5-4 with a 1.88 ERA on the season but is 0-2 with a 3.33 ERA in his last 4 starts. This will be the 3rd former Cy Young winner the Pirates have faced this week. We beat the other 2 (Linceum and Zito). If it's 3, it's for me! 2)Kershaw hasn't gotten much run support lately. Over his last 8 starts, the Codgers are averaging 3 runs a game. That means we need to hit him early, hit him often, and hit him HARD with the old Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Pirates are on a bit of a roll, winning 5 of their last 7. They also collected their Major League-best 11th shutout of the season last night in their 3-0 win. Meanwhile, the Codgers have dropped 5 of 6. Kick 'em while they're down! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

 

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THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to raise the jolly roger tonight at PNC Park as they begin a 3-game series against the Los Angeles Codgers. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Codgers start RH Stephen Fife, 1-1 with a 3.78 ERA. In 8 career starts, the Codgers have only managed 14 combined runs for Fife. Let's see these guys play like Barney Fife tonight! 2)The Pirates are looking for revenge against LA. They were swept by the Codgers way back in April. It's time to right the ship and raise the colors! 3)With A.J. Burnett on the DL, the Pirates send out LH Jeff Locke tonight. Locke is 5-1 with a 2.39 ERA on the season but is 0-2 with a 7.00 ERA in his career versus LA. Locke and load, baby! After last night's 10-0 debacle to San Fran, we need to get back on the board with lots of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your Pittsburgh Pirates go for 3 in a row against the World Champion San Fran Giants tonight at PNC Park, weather permitting. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates pounced San Fran 12-8, with season-highs for runs and hits (18), last night and 8-2 the previous night. That is the first time the Bucs have scored more than 8 runs in back-to-back games since July 2-3, 2012. Hits and runs are like victories and money. You can never have enough! 2)It's a tale of two teams as San Fran has lost 12 of their last 16 on the road. Meanwhile, the Pirates have won 13 of their last 16 home games and have an MLB-best 23 home wins this season. There's no place like home! Sweep them outta here! 3)San Fran starts RH Matt Cain, 4-3 with a 5.09 ERA. The Pirates go with RH Charlie Morton, who is making his first start this season. Charlie is coming back from the dreaded Tommy John surgery one day short of the one-year anniversary of that procedure. Happy Anniversary, Charlie! Celebrate with a big, fat W tonight. What could be a better gift than the old Hit, Run, & Score? How about, more, more, more! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series against the World Champion San Fran Giants tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Giants start LH Barry Zito, 4-4 with a 4.06 ERA. The road hasn't been good to Zito this season. He is 0-3 with a 10.19 ERA away from San Fran. Rough him up on the road! 2)The Giants haven't done very well on the road, lately, either. They have lost 9 of their last 12 road games. Make them road weary! 3)Pirates 3B Pedro Alvarez is heating up. In Petey's last 19 games, he has a .274 BA with 8 taters and 19 RBIs, including a homer and 3 RBIs in last night's 8-2 trouncing of the Giants. El Toro is on fire! It was good to see all of the Pirates bats come alive last night. Keep it going with the old Hit, Run, & Score mantra! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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BLUES N'AT

Do you like your blues mixed with funk and soul and a little bit of rock n' roll? If so, then Billy the Kid and the Regulators are for you! The Summer of Blues kicked off this past Saturday night at the Hungarian Club in Belle Vernon, PA. Why the Hungarian Club, you ask? Because the 2013 Pittsburgh Blues Challenge winner, Billy the Kid and the Regulators played there. They will be representing the Blues Society of Western Pennsylvania at the International Blues Challenge in Memphis next year. Billy is honing his gunslinger-like guitar skills until that trip to Memphis. And hone them he did. He paid ample tribute to one of his idols, Stevie Ray Vaughan, with several SRV tunes that would make Stevie Ray smile. Speaking of Stevies, Billy also got a little funky with a  Stevie Wonder medley. They threw in some Stones, too, with Heart of Stone and one of the best versions of Can't You Hear Me Knocking this side of Keith Richards. There was also a mix of blues tunes as well as some more classic and modern rock. The greatest moments of the evening came when Billy played tunes off of his self-produced CD, She Got a Hold on Me, which placed in the top 5 for self-produced CD's at the IBC this year. Billy really got the crowd into it with his mastery of the six-string along with his showmanship. He did everything from play the guitar behind his head, to playing with his teeth, ala-Jimi Hendrix. He went into the crowd and played on top of the bar several times. Billy also gave his Regulators a chance to shine. Billy's second guitarist, Jonathan Vallecorsa, traded him lick for lick and is every bit of a great guitarist in his own right. He is the Sundance Kid to Billy's Butch Cassidy. The driving rhythms of the night were provided by Andy Taravella on drums and the funky bass of Gary Ripper. Fred Delu got several opportunities to show off his skills on the keys, too. Billy told me they're going to play both the Pittsburgh Blues Festival and the Heritage Music BluesFest in Wheeling. They are also opening for Boston later this summer. It's an exciting time for Billy the Kid and the Regulators. And it's an exciting time for you if you're lucky enough to catch these guys before they blow up and hit the big time. Don't miss out! Check them out live and get their CD, too. I hope to catch them again soon during the Summer of Blues!

THE BULLPEN

Rounding third and headed for home! Your Pittsburgh Pirates begin a 3-game series tonight at PNC Park against the defending World Champion San Francisco Giants. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Former #1 overall pick Gerrit Cole makes his MLB-debut tonight against the champs. No pressure there. Go out and show San Fran why you were the #1 pick, Gerrit! 2)The Pirates pitching staff is third in the majors with a 3.24 ERA. Go to hold 'em, Bucs! 3)San Fran starter, RH Tim Lincecum, who is 4-5 with a 4.75 ERA is no longer putting up Freakish numbers. He's surrendered 4 or more runs in 7 of his 12 starts this season. Hit him early, him him often, hit him HARD with lots of Hit, Run & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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SLAP SHOTS

People have been asking me if I'm going to write anything regarding the end of your Pittsburgh Penguins season. I must admit that I'm at a loss for words, as far as this goes. You figure, the Pens were picked to cruise all the way to the Stanley Cup by many, fans and pundits, alike. Sure they hit some potholes along the way in the lockout-shortened season. There were too many injuries to mention here, the worst of which was when Captain Sidney Crosby, leading the league in scoring and perhaps on his way to an MVP trophy, went down with a broken jaw with about a month to go. Did that slow down the Penguins? No way! Even when new faces climbed aboard, such as Iginla, Morrow, Murray, and Jokinen, the Penguins just kept right on rolling. Some guys, such as Evegeni Malkin, didn't always play up to speed, but the Penguins managed to avoid the obstacles in the road. Sure, it was a bumpy ride, sometimes, during the playoffs but they never seemed to run out of gas, even when Tomas Vokoun had to take the wheel in place of Marc-Andre Fleury. Then came the Eastern Conference Finals versus Tuukka Rask and the Boston Bruins. The Penguins had to remain in neutral for about a week while the NHL decided the schedule. After that, it never seemed like they were running on all cylinders. There were missed shots, penalties, and turnover after turnover. The Bruins hit them with a roadblock at every turn, causing the highest-scoring offense in the league to sputter to a pedestrian 2 goals in 4 games. Is it the players? How about the coaches? Can the GM be blamed? Penguins fans are calling for multitudes of pink slips. When a team fails to reach the ultimate goal of a championship, you can surely expect changes to be made. Should the Flower be shipped out for his failures during the postseason? If so, is Vokoun the goalie to steer them to the promised land? Is coach Dan Bylsma the man to lead them to another Stanley Cup? People are complaining that the coach and his staff didn't make the necessary adjustments to the detours the team encountered. What players should stay and who should go? Should Mario get rid of GM Ray Shero and the coaching staff and hand the keys over to a new regime? Or should he roll out the same, old model next year and hope that everything runs smoothly? All I know is that I'd like to see the Pittsburgh Penguins drive all the way to the Stanley Cup next season. Let's Go Pens!!!

THE BULLPEN

In honor of Mr. Cub, Ernie Banks, "Let's play two!". Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series at Wrigley Field this afternoon against the Chicago Scrubs. These are your keys to today's game.1)The Pirates go for sweep today. It would be their first since May 5-7, 2000. I hope the Pirates packed their brooms! 2)The Bucs have 5 consecutive victories over the Scrubs. Why stop at 5, go for #6! 3)It's a tale of two pitchers today. The Pirates start lefty Jeff Locke, 5-1 with a 2.45 ERA. The Scrubs send out RH Edwin Jackson who is 1-8 with a 6.29 ERA. Locke and load, baby! Yesterday's 6-2 win could be the start of getting the hitters back on the right track. Today's match up could also be the shot in the arm our hitters need. Let's see lots more of the Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series at Wrigley Field this afternoon against the Chicago Scrubs. These are your keys to today's game. 1)With yesterday's 2-0 victory, the Pirates pitching staff has recorded an MLB-best 10 shutouts. What do you do when your team can't hit? Shut out the Scrubs! 2)The Pirates have the worst batting average in the majors for the month of June, .182. June swoon, indeed. It's turn back the clock time. Turn 'em back to last month and turn back the Scrubs! 3)The Pirates start RH A.J. Burnett today. A.J. is 3-6 with a 3.22 ERA. In 5 starts at Wrigley, he is 4-0 with a 3.09 ERA. That's good because today he faces RH Jeff "I'm Not Really Cy Young" Samardzija who is 3-6 with a 2.96 ERA. We need to hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD on the way to lots of Hits, Runs, & Scores! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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SLAP SHOTS

It's a great day for playoff hockey. Your Pittsburgh Penguins faceoff against the Boston Ruins tonight for game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Penguins find themselves in a 3-0 hole. Only 3 teams have come back from that deficit. The Pens are #4, for sure! 2)Captain Sidney Crosby has no goals and no assists in this series. It's time to light the lamp and light up Beantown! 3)Seriously, this is game 7 for our boys of winter. It's go hard or go home, one and done. Adjustments were made in Wednesday night's game on the defensive side, now get it together on offense. Strike up the Motley Crue with lots and lots of Goals, Goals, Goals! Are you ready for hockey season to end, because I'm not. You gotta want it, to win it, Pens! Let's Go Pens!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates try to turn their ship around as they begin a 3-game series in the Windy City against the Scrubs. These are your keys to today’s game. 1) The Pirates are 4-6 in their last 10 games. They’ve also lost 3 in a row and are looking to avoid a 4^th consecutive loss for the first time since April. I sure hope the wind is blowing out when the Bucs are at bat. Blow the Scrubs away! 2) The Pirates send left-hander Francisco Liriano, 3-2 with a 2.17 ERA, to the mound. Frankie hasn’t allowed more than 1 run in 4 of his 5 starts. Shut down the Scrubs, Frankie! 3) The Pirates have beaten the Scrubs 4 times out of 6 games this season. It’s always good to beat your divisional rivals. The Bucs are 10 games over .500 and 4 in back of St Louie while only 1 game behind Cincy. Now is the time to make some hay against a Scrubs squad that is 24-33. You’ve got to beat the good teams (we’ve missed that opportunity lately) and beat up the bad ones. Chicago is a bad one. Get to BUCN with some serious Hit, Run, & Score! Let’s Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Hit the ball and touch 'em all! Your Pittsburgh Pirates try to salvage one this afternoon as they take on the Bravos of Hotlanta. These are your keys to today's game. 1)It's a tale of two teams as the Pirates have lost 4 of their last 5 and the Bravos go for 5 in a row. I say no, no, no! 2)Since May 28, Hotlanta has been ice cold versus lefties, hitting just .177.  I wish someone told Jeff Locke that yesterday. Oh well, in this case, left makes it right! 3)Today the Pirates start LH Wandy Rodriguez. Wandy is 4-1 with a 2.90 ERA in his last 5 starts. Help us, Wandy! I'm like alot of atheletes in that I'm superstitious. Is it my imagination or have the Pirates been tanking ever since that shark tank was installed in the clubhouse? Now I know it was donated by a season-ticket holder but the Pirates have been sinking like a stone ever since. Don't believe the hype, just play your game and right this ship. Both Cincy and St Louie lost last night. It would have been a good day to make up ground instead of treading water. I'm sick of hearing the tomahawk chop chant. Cut these Bravos down to size with a TON of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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SLAP SHOTS

It's a great day for playoff hockey! Your Pittsburgh Penguins travel to Beantown to face off against the Ruins in game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals. These are you keys to tonight's game. 1)After leading the league in scoring during the regular season, the Penguins have managed just 1 goal in 2 games versus Boston. No more fooling around, you need to have a game 7 mentality and get on the right track. People have been pointing fingers of blame for these losses. Sorry, you win as a team, you lose as a team. Everyone helped dig this hole. It will make things all the more impressive when we win the Cup. Play your game and keep your eyes on the prize! 2)Way back in 1991, the Pens fought their way back from a 2-0 hole to beat the Ruins and went on to win the Cup. We need guys who've been their before, like Sid, Geno, Tanger, etc to reignite that fire. We need guys who've never won the Cup, like Iggy, Crankshaft, etc. to help fan the flames. Burn 'em to the ground! 3)Back in 2009, the Pens lost the first 2 games of the Finals in Detroit by a combined score of 6-2 and went on the win the Cup. You've done it before, now do it again! Get on the board and run up the score with lots of Goals, Goals, Goals, baby! Let's Go Pens!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your Pittsburgh Pirates try to right the ship and get back in the win column tonight in Hotlanta versus the Bravos. These are you keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have 17 come-from-behind wins this season. Unfortunately, last night's 7-2 loss wasn't one of them. I love that they have that come-from-behind ability and the tenacity to do it. What I don't love is that they are in the hole so often. Score early, score often, score BIG! 2)Congratulations to Jason Grilli. The Pirates closer was named MLB Delivery Man of the Month for the second consecutive month. Grilled Cheese was 12 of 12 in save opportunities in the month of May with an 0-1 mark and a 1.32 ERA. He allowed 2 runs in 13 2/3 innings with 7 hits, 5 walks and 17 strikeouts. Give him a save situation and fire up the Grilled Cheese! 3)The Bravos are looking for their 4th win in a row. Their starter tonight, LH Mike Minor, is 0-1 with a 6.00 ERA in 2 career starts versus the Pirates. There's no doubt that the Pirates hitters are mired in a slump. Get back to doing what you do best, get to BUCN with the ol' Hit, Run, & Score, more, more, more! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Hi, my name is A.J. Burnett. I'm a 36-year-old right-handed pitcher for the Pittsurgh Pirates and I suffer from lack of run support syndrome. I have a record of 3-5 this season with a 2.72 ERA. In my last 5 starts, I'm 0-3 with a 2.91 ERA. Why am I winless in my last 5 starts? It may be because my team has only scored 6 runs in those last 5 starts. No one knows for sure. The only thing they do know is that the team that scores the most runs wins the game. This is an afflication many pitchers have to live with every day. That's why I need your help to find the cure. Please show your support by donating to the Runs for A.J. campaign. Because, you and I, and hopefully my teamates can put an end to this ugly disorder. My name is A.J. Burnett, and I thank you.

SLAP SHOTS

It's a playoff hockey night in Pittsburgh. Your Pittsburgh Penguins face off against the Boston Ruins in game 2 tonight at Consol Energy Center. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Was it me or did Saturday night's loss seem very Flyers-like? The Pens need to play their game and not get sucked into letting the Ruins dictate the game. Stick to the game plan! 2)The best scoring team in the league during the regular season and playoffs was shutout? Time to cue the Crue and score some Goals, Goals, Goals! 3)Boston's David Krecji, who had 2 goals Saturday night, leads the league in scoring during these playoffs, with 19 points. Shut him and the rest of the Ruins down! Can't let them take 2 in our building. Let's Go Pens!!!

 

 

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THE BULLPEN

Play ball! Your Pittsburgh Pirates are in Hotlanta to start a series tonight with the Bravos. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Reliever Vin Mazzaro has pitched 18 1/3 consecutive shutout innings. Vinnie, Veni, Vidi, Vici! 2)The Braves start RH Kris Medlen who is 1-6 with a 3.48 ERA. Typically, the Pirates make guys like this look like a superstar. Let's see those bats heat up some more in Hotlanta. Score early, score often, score BIG with lots of Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Pirates have RH A.J. Burnett on the mound. A.J. has a 5-game winless streak, going 0-3 with a 2.91 ERA. During that stretch, the Bucs have only scored 6 runs for A.J. Let's start a Runs for A.J. campaign! I must say, every time the Bucs are in Hotlanta, I'm reminded of the '92 NLCS and more recently, the 19-inning fiasco that ump Jerry Meals let get away. It's time these Pirates make some winning memories for us fans. Tomahawk the Bravos! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Hit the ball and touch 'em all! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to right the ship today and get back in the win column against the Cincy Reds at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)Going into last night's game, from the 7th inning on, the Pirates have the best team batting average in the NL. Why does it take so long for those bats to heat up? Turn the furnace on early! 2)In last night's 2-0 loss, the Pirates left 10 runners on base. You can't leave those ducks on the pond! 3)The Pirates are looking to avoid the broom. The last time Cincy swept the Pirates in Pittsburgh was May 10-12, 2010. It's 1971 throwback uni day today. The Bucs are still undefeated with those unis, right? Need to break out the lumber and break out of this scoring drought today with lots and lots of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your Pittsburgh Pirates look to right the ship and sink Cincy as they continue their series tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates were 19-9 in the month of May, best month since going 21-8 in September of 1992 (the last playoff season). No June swoon here, keep that calendar on the merry, merry month of May! 2)The Pirates try to avoid consecutive losses for the first time since May 8-9. Gotta get back on the winning track with lots of Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The last time Cincy starter Mike Leake pitched against the Pirates, April 12 at PNC, he gave up a season-high 5 runs and 10 hits. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

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SLAP SHOTS

Get in the fast lane grandma, the bingo game is ready to roll 'cause it's a playoff hockey night in Pittsburgh! Your Pittsburgh Penguins faceoff against the Boston Ruins in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals tonight at Consol Energy Center. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Penguins won the season series 3-0. Let's get more with #4! 2)The Penguins are the highest-scoring team during the playoffs at 4.27 goals per game. The Ruins are a distant second with 3.17. Nothing beats Goals, Goals, Goals! 3)The Penguins have notched the most power play goals in the playoffs with 13. Always take advantage of that man-advantage! It seems like forever since the Pens last played. Let's Go Pens!!!

 

 

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