THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series against the St Louie Cardinals tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates are tied for the Major League-lead with 44 hom wins. Nothing beats home cooking! 2)The Pirates have beaten St Louie at PNC Park 6 out of 8 times this season. There's no place like home! 3)The Pirates start RH A.J. Burnett, 6-9, 3.18 ERA against the Cardinals' RH Lance Lynn, 13-8, 4.02 ERA. Since he's joined the Pirates, A.J. has a career home mark against St Louie of 2-1 with a 1.35 ERA. Help A.J. continue the home sweat home trend with a heaping helping of Hit, Run, & Score! Woop, woop, woop! Standings Alert: With last night's 5-0 shutout of St Louie, the Pirates move back into the crow's nest in a tie for first in the NL Central. Cincy lost last night so that puts them 3.5 games back. Get ready to raise it tonight! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your Pittsburgh Pirates begin a HUGE 3-game set with St  Louie tonight at PNC Park. The Pirates trail St Louie by 1 game in the NL Central standings and need to get back in the win column. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)St Louie has won 12 of their last 17. The Pirates are 12-14 in the month of August. However, and this is a big "however", the Pirates are 8-5 against St Louie this season. Tonight's a good night to feast on some wings. Clip the Cardinals! 2)St Louie is the league-leader in runs, on base percentage and batting average with runners in scoring position. The Pirates are second in the Majors in ERA and BAA and 6th in WHIP. Somethings got to give. Shut down St Louie! 3)The Pirates dropped 2 of 3 to Milwaukee, losing last night's game in shutout fashion, 4-0. Were they too busy peaking at the schedule? Perhaps. There's no more looking ahead now. The Pirates hold their destiny in their hands. Raise the Jolly Roger with a ton of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Here we go Steelers, here we go! Your Pittsburgh Steelers finish up the preseason tonight in Carolina to take on the Kitties. Nothing could be fina than a preseason win in Carolina. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Yes a win would be nice, but it's not a necessity. What is necessary is to get out of the last preseason game without any major injuries. History tells us that we won't see much of the starters tonight. Play smart, stay healthy! 2)The Steelers have been called for an alarming amount of penalties in the preseason. Call me crazy, but it's time to leave the yellow flags in the ref's pockets. Show some discipline as we claw the Kitties! 3)It would be nice to see some players step up and show that we can count on them this season. Will the real Pittsburgh Steelers, please stand up! Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series against the Milwaukee Boo Crew tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)With last night's 7-1 victory, the Pirates are now 77-55, 5 wins away from the magic number of 82. They can help get there tonight by serving up some home-cooked Meatloaf and take 2 outta 3 from Milwaukee. Serve up that Meatloaf with a big ol' side of Hit, Run, & Score! 2)The Pirates are a paltry 12-13 for the month of August. Help close out the month with a blast, beat the Boo Crew! 3)Tonight's starter, rookie RH Gerrit Cole, was given the luxury of some extra rest between starts. Cole is 6-6 with a 3.81 ERA for the season but on six-plus days rest, he's 4-0 with a 2.84 ERA. Let's see him get on track tonight. All aboard the Cole Train! Standings Watch: The Pirates won and Cincy defeated St Louie last night. That puts the Bucs .5 games behind St Louie for the NL Central lead. Cincy is 3.5 games out of first. Don't look ahead to this weekend's series. Get by Milwaukee first. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series tonight at PNC Park against the Milwaukee Boo Crew. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Pirates fans are ready to put the Jolly Roger on the side of a milk carton because it hasn't been seen in these parts in a while. The Pirates suffered their third loss in a row last night. Did the Pirates forget where they put the Jolly Roger? Right this ship and hoist the colors! 2)With 76 wins, the Pirates are only 6 victories away from breaking the dreaded 20 year losing streak. Tonight they try to change course with RH Charlie Morton on the mound. Ground Chuck is 5-3 with a 3.42 ERA. Give Ground Chuck a side of beef with plenty of Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Pirates made a move yesterday to try and bolster the offense, acquiring OF Marlon Byrd and C John Buck from the Mets. Byrd has 21 homers and 71 RBIs this season. He owns left-handed pitching with 7 homers and leads the Majors with a .455 BA against lefties since June 28. Milwaukee starts former Pirates LH Tom Gorzelanny, 3-5, 3.60 ERA. Give him a shot of vitamin B! As we look at the standings, the Pirates loss, coupled with a St Louie win puts the Bucs 1.5 games back in the NL Central. Cincy was on the losing end of the St Louie victory so they fall to 4.5 back but are only 3 games behind the Pirates. Time to get back on course. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your Pittsburgh Pirates are back home at PNC Park to battle the Milwaukee Boo Crew tonight. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)After dropping the final two in San Fran, the Pirates look to avoid a 3-game losing streak. I have a good idea, let's start a winning streak! 2)The Pirates have won 4 in a row over the Boo Crew. Keep the streak alive with #5! 3)The Pirates start lefty Jeff Locke. Locke is 9-4 with  3.01 ERA. In his last 6 starts, Locke is 0-2 with a 6.59 ERA and has issued 14 walks in his past 18 innings. I know that Locke rhymes with "walk" but you don't have to drive that point home. Help the kid get #10 with a heaping helping of Hit, Run, & Score! In case you hadn't noticed, I could not refer to the Pirates as "first-place". St Louie beat Cincy last night to go .5 game up on us. Cincy falls to 3.5 back. Take care of business and it will take care of itself. You gotta want it to win it.  Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE 50-YARD LINE

Your Pittsburgh Steelers suffered a 26-20 OT loss on Saturday night to the KC Chiefs. The loss drops the Steelers to 0-3 in the preseason. Now that Mrs. Black-N-Gold has come down off of the ledge, these are the Good, the Bad and the Ugly about Saturday's loss.

1)The Good-The starting offense scored a touchdown! It was a 21-yard pass from QB Ben Roethlisberger to RB Jonathan Dwyer. The play was really Ben being Ben. He scrambled to avoid the rush and made something out of nothing by finding Dwyer open in the flat. Touchdown Steelers!

2)The Bad-Unfortunately, there is more bad than good to report. As I said, the starting offense scored their first touchdown of the preseason. It was also the only touchdown the starting offense scored. As has become the norm during the Tomlin era, the Steelers started like gangbusters than took their foot off the gas on the next drive and settled for a field goal. What goes on here? Does the opponent make adjustments and the Steelers fail to answer those adjustments? Whatever the reason, the Steelers suffer from this affliction way too much.

3)The Ugly-Again, it's hard to narrow it down to just one ugly thing. It could be the 9 penalties for 98 yards, 3 of them personal foul penalties. True, the calls on Dwyer for blocking at the knees and Cortez Allen for shoving a receiver out of bounds, were ticky-tacky penalties. The call on Troy Polamalu for going at the head of the QB, was not. Troy has been around the league long enough to know better. How can you expect the young players to mind the rulebook if the veterans don't? There was also a pass interference penalty on CB Josh Victorian that negated a Jarvis Jones interception. Victorian, hmm, that reminds me. Speaking of "ugly", Victorian also had an ugly miss of a tackle that helped contribute to the (not-so) special teams giving up a 109-yard kickoff return. While we're on the subject the special teams also let a field goal attempt get blocked. What's so special about the Steelers special teams? Absolute nothing.

Just repeat after me, "It's only preseason". That being said, there's only one more exhibition game, this Thursday versus Carolina. The starters probably won't play more than a series or two. It all comes down to getting it together at the Steelers south side practice facility. Mark your calendars, the regular season starts on September 8 against Tennessee. Get it together, guys. Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Rounding third and heading for home! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their west coast swing this afternoon against the Giants in San Francisco. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates start RH A.J. Burnett today. A.J. is 6-8 with a 3.09 ERA for the season. In eight career starts vs San Fran he is 6-2 with a 1.95 ERA. The Giants go with former Pirate RH Ryan Vogelsong. Vogelsong is 2-4 with a 6.29 ERA. Against his old team, he is 1-3 with a 4.50 ERA. Score early, score often, score BIG! 2)The Giants haven't been very big in their last 9 games, going 2-7. Give them the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! 3)The Pirates dropped last night's game 6-3 but can get 3 out of 4 today to close out the series. The loss dropped them into a tie for first with St Louie, who won. Cincy also won and is now 2.5 games back. Got to regain sole possession of first place by hoisting the colors today. Raise the Jolly Roger in San Fran! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE 50-YARD LINE

Chew tobacco, chew tobacco, spit, spit, spit! Your Pittsburgh Steelers play preseason game #3 tonight as they square off against the KC Chiefs at Heinz Field. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The offensive line has been offensive. There are still way too many penalties. Game #3 always means the starters will get the majority of the playing time. Everyone needs to click and get on the same page. Play smart, mistake-free football. Get your head out of your butts and in the game! 2)The defense has had its moments but it's time to really cut them loose. Hit them early, hit them often, hit them HARD! 3)Both the Steelers and the Chiefs are looking for their first preseason win. This game will really tell where the Steelers are at as far as preperation for the regular season. Go out and scalp the Chiefs! Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in the city by the bay tonight as they battle the San Fran Giants. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Since the All-Star Game, the Pirates are tied for the NL-lead in extra base hits. Extra, extra, read all about it! 2)Pirates MVP-candidate Andrew McCutchen leads the majors with a .451 batting average for the month of August, going 32 for 71. Cutch is Clutch! 3)The Giants have lost 14 of their last 18 home games. The Pirates have won 4 of their last 5 on the road. #5 would not be jive with a dose of Hit, Run, & Score. Meanwhile, the Pirates continue to lead the NL Central division. They are 1 game up on St Louie and 3.5 ahead of Cincy. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Let's go, let's go, he can't hit, he can't hit! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series in San Fran tonight as they go for 2 in a row over the Giants. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have won 3 of their last 4 games. Let's get more with #4! 2)The Pirates start RH Charlie "Ground Chuck" Morton, 4-3, 3.67, tonight. The Giants have lefty Madison Bumgarner, 11-7, 2.82, on the hill. Bumgarner has dropped 3 straight. Give him the ol' Hit, Run, & Score and loss #4! 3)In last night's victory, the Pirates pounded out 10 runs on 13 hits. Wins, hits, and runs are like money. You can never have enough. Let your freak flag fly tonight in San Fran. Raise it! Meanwhile, the song remain the same as the Pirates, St Louie and Cincy all won. Bucs are on top of the NL Central. St Louie trails by one game and Cincy by 2.5. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates begin a 4-game series in the city by the bay tonight as they take on the San Francisco Giants. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Pirates catcher Russell Martin has thrown out an MLB-best 24 runners this season. The Giants don't want to run on Frenchy. Do not pass Go, do not collect $200! 2)The Pirates start lefty Jeff Locke tonight. While Locke is 9-4 with a 2.90 ERA, he has been down on his luck, of late. Locke is winless in his last 5 starts. He last won back on July 21. Help Locke change his luck. Give him the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! 3)Locke has been good on the road this year. In 12 road starts, he's 5-2 with a 1.81 ERA. The Giants counter with RH Matt Cain, 8-8 with a 4.35 ERA. In Cain's last 6 start versus the Pirates, he is 3-0 with a 1.24 ERA. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD. The Pirates didn't get the sweep yesterday, losing to San Diego 2-1. Both St Louie and Cincy won but we still lead the NL Central. St Louie is 1 game back and Cincy is 2.5 out. Time to have some San Francisco treat! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Your Pittsburgh Steelers go into their third preseason game Saturday night against the Kansas City Chiefs with even more questions than usual. There’s a rumor that their second-round pick, running back Le’Veon Bell, may have sustained a Lisfranc injury to his foot which could land him on IR. Jonathan Dwyer led the team last year with only 623 yards rushing on 156 attempts for a 4.0 yard average.  Not very impressive numbers for a team that likes to run the ball.  So, what do you do when you’re forced into a running back-by-committee situation that hasn’t worked well for you in the past? Maybe it’s time for the Steelers to step into the 21^st century-NFL. Open up the windows and air it out! Your quarterback, Ben Roethlisberger, has a $100 million contract.  Your top two wide receivers, Antonio Brown and Emmanuel Sanders, are making big bucks, too. You also have a third-round pick, wide receiver Markus Wheaton that has been garnering rave reviews at training camp. Why not spend the next few weeks of preseason catching up to the rest of the league and work the passing game? Get your money’s worth from these guys. It may surprise you. Bell’s injury could be the “break” that the Steelers need to get with the times. Think about it. Let’s Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series today against the San Diego Padres. These are your keys to today's game. 1)In last night's 8-1 victory, the Pirates cracked 6 extra-base hits, including 3 triples. The Pirates go for their 3rd win in a row today, too. Three is a magic number! 2)I hope the Pirates packed their brooms as they have a chance to sweep in San Diego for the first time in ten years. It's time to clean house in San Diego! 3)The Friars start RH Ian Kennedy today. Kennedy's last start only lasted 4 2/3 innings as he gave up 5 runs, 3 homers and 4 walks in a loss the the Mets. Kick him while he's down. Give him the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! The Pirates added to their lead in the NL Central last night with their win and St Louie and Cincy losses. They now lead by 2 and 3.5 games. Kick knocking 'em down! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE 50-YARD LINE

Now that Mrs. Black-N-Gold has had time to calm down and sober up, it's time to look at the Good, the Bad and the Ugly from this week's Steelers loss to the Redskins. Remember, it's only preseason.

1)The Good-You may be wondering what good could possibly have come from another Steelers preseason loss. Well, for starters, rookie safety Sharmarko Thomas led the team with 7 tackles. Also, LaMarr Woodley had his first sack of the preseason. The Steelers defense held the 'Skins to 2 for 9 on third down conversions. Kicker Shaun Suisham went 2 for 2 on field goal conversions. And guard Ramon Foster didn't have a penalty.

2)The Bad-Once again, except for a touchdown from Landry Jones to Derek Moye in garbage time, Suisham was our only offensive weapon. Also, Ramon Foster may not have had any penalties but the rest of the starting offensive line did. The Steelers, as a team, had 8 penalties for 95 yards, to be exact.

3)The Ugly-The fact that the Steelers play their 3rd preseason game on Thursday and haven't really shown that they're on the same page yet. They still look totally unprepared. Ben doesn't get enough time to connect with his receivers, both figuratively and literally. I thought the offensive line would be a strong point this season. Right now it's looking like the weakest link. Another ugly point is that running back Le'Veon Bell has only gotten a few snaps due to injuries. He'll never be able to help the team from the trainer's room.

The third preseason game, typically, has the starters in for the longest amount of time. Good, they'll need all the time they can get to get it together. Otherwise, it's going to be a long season.

Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hit the ball and touch 'em all! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series tonight in San Diego versus the Padres. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)There is a rumor of a Jolly Roger sighting on the west coast last night after the Pirates 3-1 victory. People in St Louie, who are 1 game out of first in the NL Central, and people in Cincy, which is 2.5 games back, are sceptical. What's the best way to prove the mythical Jolly Roger does exist? Raise It! 2)In last night's win, Pedro Alvarez cracked his NL-leading 31st home run for a new career high. Petey Power! 3)The San Diegans have now lost 9 of their last 13. Kick 'em while their down with lots o' Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates are on a west coast swing as they begin a 3-game series tonight against the San Diego Padres. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates start LH Francisco Liriano, 13-5 with a 2.68 ERA. Frankie is coming off of a complete-game 5-1 victory over St Louie on Wednesday. We need Frankie to be that guy again tonight. Shut 'em down, Frankie! 2)The Pirates are clinging to their lead in the NL Central. They lead St Louie by 1 game and Cincy by 2.5. The Bucs are slumping right now as they've dropped 7 of their last 9 games. Pack up the Hit, Run, & Score and don't forget the Jolly Roger! 3)Tonight the Padres go for their third win in a row. I say, "No, No, No"! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Here we go, Steelers, here we go! Your Pittsburgh Steelers are in the nation's capital for their second preseason game tonight as they face the Washington Redskins. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)In their preseason opener, the Steelers picked up where they left off last season, with way too many penalties. This is the time of year to get the mistakes out of your system. Practice playing focused, disciplined football. PED's, guys. Practice, Execute, Dominate! 2)We didn't get to see much of Ben and the passing game last week. Since the first-teamers are going to get more playing time tonight, it would be good to see what Ben and his receivers can do, especially rookie Markus Wheaton. Air it out! 3)The Steelers need to pressure the opposing QB more and force turnovers. Hit 'em early, hit 'em often, hit 'em HARD! Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series against the Arizona D-Bags today at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)It's a tale of two teams as the Pirates have been slumping, losing 6 of their last 8 games. The D-Bags have been on a roll. They've won 7 of their last 10. The Pirates look to make mincemeat of the D-Bags today after suffering an embarrassing 15-5 rout yesterday. Serve up some home-cooked Meatloaf and take 2 outta 3! 2)The D-Bags start lefty Wade Miley, 9-8, 3.63 ERA. In eight starts, since the beginning of July, Miley is 5-1 with a 2.01 ERA. Time to open up a can of Hit, Run, & Score on him! 3)The Pirates continue to lead the NL Central. St Louie won yesterday and is 2 games out. Cincy lost last night and are 3.5 back. We need some payback for yesterday's slaughter. Go out and get some revenge and hoist the colors! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series against the Arizona D-Bags today at PNC Park . These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates have won 6 in a row at home. #7 would be heaven! 2)The Pirates pitching staff leads MLB  with a 3.12 ERA and is second in the majors with a 2.69 home ERA. Shut 'em down and let the ol' Hit, Run, & Score do the rest! 3)The Pirates start lefty Jeff Locke today. Locke is 9-3 with a 2.43 ERA. He has given up 3 runs or less in 16 starts this season. Locke and load! The Pirates got some help in the standings last night as both St Louie and Cincy lost. The Pirates now lead St Louie by 3 games and are 3.5 up on Cincy. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates begin a 3-game series at PNC Park tonight against the Arizona D-Bags. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates are 41-20 at home this season. They've won their last 12 of 15 at home and 5 in a row at home. There's no place like home! 2)The Pirates start rookie RH Gerrit Cole tonight. Cole is 5-5 with a 3.95 ERA. Cole is coming off of the worst start of his short career, giving up 4 runs over 5 innings to Miami on August 8. How do you follow up the worst start of your career? You pitch the best start of your career. All aboard the Cole Train! 3)Cole has lost 5 of his last 6 starts. Better load up on the ol' Hit, Run, & Score to help the rook out tonight! Scoreboard Watch: After yesterday's 11-inning loss, the Pirates are still 2 up in the NL Central on St Louie and 2.5 over Cincy. We got this. Get ready to raise the Jolly Roger tonight! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Rounding third and heading for home! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series in St Louie this afternoon. These are your keys to today's game. 1)Take-out hasn't been very good to the Pirates. They're 2-9 in their last 11 road games. They're still 3 games up on St Louie in the NL Central and 3.5 over Cincy. Last night's 5-1 victory was a big one. Raise that Jolly Roger one more time on the road today! 2)Today's starter is RH A.J. Burnett, 5-8 with a 2.95 ERA. A.J. has been lights out against St Louie this year going 2-0 in 3 starts. In 20 innings A.J. has given up just 3 runs and 9 hits. Shut 'em down, A.J.! 3)Sample that Meatloaf today and get 2 outta 3 with a side of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Hey batter, batter, batter! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates look to get back in the win column tonight in St. Louie. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Did the Pirates pack the Jolly Roger for this road trip? We haven't got to "raise it" in a while, guys. Break out the Hit, Run, & Score tonight and hoist the colors! 2)The Pirates have LH Francisco Liriano on the hump. Frankie, 12-5 with a 2.83 ERA, is coming off of his worst outing of the season, giving up 10 earned runs in 2 1/3 innings last time out. How do you follow up your worst start of the year? Go out and pitch your best game of the year! Go get 'em, Frankie! 3)St Louie has hit into the most double plays in the NL this season. Double down on those Cards! Come on, Pirates, you've still got this. You're 2 games up on St Louie and 3 1/2 on Cincy. Right this ship tonight! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Play ball! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates begin a 3-game series against the St Louie Cardinals tonight. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)St Louie starts RH Adam Wainwright, 13-7, 2.66 ERA. The Pirates go with RH Charlie Morton, 4-3, 3.88. St Louie is 0-3 in Wainwright's last 3 starts. Morton has dropped 5 straight versus St Louie. Something has got to give. Mow 'em down, Morton! 2)After getting swept in Colorado, the Pirates have lost 3 straight. Get on the winning track with plenty o' Hit, Run, & Score! 3)St Louie has lost 13 of their last 18. Kick 'em while they're down! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE 50-YARD LINE

Here we go Steelers, here we go! Your Pittsburgh Steelers dropped their preseason opener to the NY Giants on Saturday night, 18-13. Now that Mrs. Black-N-Gold has calmed down, she takes a look at what there was to like and dislike in this game. She continues to remind herself that it's only preseason.

Likes

1)RB LaRod Stephens Howling gave the fans alot to howl about as he saw the majority of first quarter action due to the injury to Le'Veon Bell. Howling is no stranger to the Heinz Field turf since he played his college ball at Pitt. He carved up the Giants for 40 yard on 7 carries, to lead the Steelers in rushing. I really hope to see Bell in the next game as Howling may be a good change-of-pace back but he is clearly not the answer to the Steelers recent running woes.

2)Rookie WR Justin Brown lead the Steelers in receiving with 4 receptions for 32 yards. The kid looked good and with Plaxico Burress lost for the season, there is room on the depth chart for the 6th-round pick out of Oklahoma. Hope to see more of him in the preseason.

3)The Steelers recovered 2 fumbles, 1 by LB Adrian Robinson was for a touchdown. But, alas, they were gifts from the Giants. All the Steelers had to do was fall on the football, which they did, to their credit.

Dislikes

Where do I begin? It was like watching a tape of the 2012 season because it was deja vu all over again. There were missed opportunities with dropped interceptions, missed tackles, 7 penalties including 2 personal fouls by LB Jason Worilds. These from a guy trying to win a starting job?!? The offense continued to get bogged down in the red zone and settled for field goals. Even with a new special teams coach, they continued to be not so special. There was poor clock management. Early in the second quarter of the first half, the Steelers had used all of their timeouts. At one point, they got a delay of game penalty when they tried to get the Giants to jump offsides. Maybe Heinz Field needs a bigger play clock.

I tried to lead with some positives because, I know, it's only preseason. The problem is, no matter how many games Coach Mike Tomlin gets under his belt, his teams continue to look ill-prepared. This is a bad habit that the coach and his players need to break, asap.

Get back to the drawing board, guys. You get another shot on Monday versus the Washington Redskins. Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

One, two, three strikes, you're out! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates try to salvage a win in the Mile-High City today against the Colorado Rockheads. These are your keys to today's game. 1)There is good news and bad news. The bad news is the Pirates dropped their second in a row to the Rockheads last night, 6-4. The good news is that St. Louie and Cincy also lost. The Bucs are still 4 games up on St Louie and lead Cincy by 6 games. It would be good to get out of Dodge with a win today. Rock the Rockheads! 2)The Rockheads haven't won three straight games since May. We need the Pirates to pull out the ol' Hit, Run, & Score today and stop this nonsense! 3)LH Jeff Locke, 9-3, 2.47 ERA, pitches today for the Pirates. Locke is still looking to lock down his 10th victory of the season. He's been a real Road Warrior this year, going 5-1 with a 1.43 ERA and limiting road opponents to a .185 batting average. Love that takeout food! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

50-YARD LINE

Here we go Steelers, here we go! Your Pittsburgh Steelers kickoff the preseason tonight as they battle the Giants of NY at Heinz Field.  It's tough to do keys for the preseason but I aim to try. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Steelers have suffered some injuries this week (Spaeth, Burress) and they're trying to incorporate some of their rookies (Bell, Jones) into first-team reps. The first preseason game is a time to go out and get your feet wet and see what you have. It's time to hit somebody! 2)It's also tough to game plan for the preseason. You just want to go out and see your offense score early, score often and score BIG! You also want the defense to hit 'em early, hit 'em often and hit 'em HARD! 3)The most important aspect of preseason is to not suffer anymore injuries. Play your game and stay healthy! It's go time! Let's Go Steelers!!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

The crack of the bat, the thrill of the hit! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series tonight against the Colorado Rockheads. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates were pounded last night by the Rockheads, 10-1. En route to that shellacking, the Pirates recorded 10 hits but left 12 men on the basepaths. You can't leave your ducks on the pond, especially in enemy territory! 2)In the past 20 losing seasons, the Pirates would normally go into a tailspin over such an embarrassing loss. Great teams beat the good teams and beat up the bad teams. The Rockheads are a bad team. Shake it off, dust yourselves off and break out the Hit, Run, & Score! 3)In their last 10 games, the Pirates are 7-3. The Rockheads are 2-8 in their last 10. Rock this town! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Put me in coach! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates are in the Mile-High City tonight to battle the Colorado Rockheads. These are you keys to tonight's game. 1)After yesterday's dramatic, 10th-inning comeback win, the battlin' Bucs have 28 come-from-behind victories and are tied for 2nd in the Majors with 9 walk-off wins. Ain't no stoppin' us now! 2)The pitching matchups are a replay of the game from August 3. The Pirates send LH Francisco Liriano to the hill. At 12-4 with a 2.02 ERA this season, Frankie is both a candidate for Comeback Player of the Year and the Cy Young Award. The Rockheads start LH Jorge De La Rosa, 10-6 with a 3.31 ERA. Last week Frankie came out on top in the 5-2 win. Give Frankie plenty of support. Don't forget to pack the Hit, Run, & Score for this road trip! 3)Yes, it's with a heavy heart that the Pirates say "goodbye" to PNC Park where they just closed out an 11-game homestand with a 9-2 mark. Take that show on the road! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Let's play two! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates close out their series with the Miami Marlins this afternoon at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates have won 4 straight while the Marlins have 4 losses in a row. #5 would not be jive so break out the brooms and clean house! 2)The Pirates are 69-44 on the season. That's a season-high 25 games over .500, at an MLB-best .611 clip. They lead St. Louie by 3 games and Cincy by 6.5. First place feels great! 3)It's another rookie phenom pitching matchup today. The Marlins start RH Jose Fernandez, 8-5 with a 2.54 ERA. The Pirates counter with RH Gerrit Cole, 5-5, 3.69. Last time out, Fernandez fanned 13 Pirates en route to a win over the Bucs. Be patient with this kid then hook him with the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! All aboard the Cole Train! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

BLUES N'AT

Like most western Pennsylvanians, once summer is upon us, I like to do the vacation thing in the Rehoboth Beach, DE/Ocean City, MD area. But, how do get your blues fix when you're kicking it on the beach? The past few years, I've had the pleasure of checking out Delaware-based blues band Lower Case Blues. They are a funkified blues trio that have been burning up the DE, MD and Philly area for the past 10 years. I've been able to catch their live shows the past several times I was road tripping and this time I was able to score two of their CD's, as well, "One More for the Road" from 2005 that also featured former Allman Brothers Band keyboardist Johnny Neel, and "Down Home Girl" from 2009. I've got to tell you, they concoct a musical stew that mixes blues classics such as "Good Morning Little Schoolgirl", "Hoochie Coochie Man" and "I Just Wanna Make Love to You" with classic rock staples by the likes of Jimi Hendrix and the Allman Brothers Band. They also spike the recipe a little by mixing in artists such as Johnny Cash, Green Day and AC/DC. They throw in their own originals and it all comes out as one tasty, bluesy treat for the ears. Lower Case Blues also has a blues pedigree. They were inducted into the Delaware Blues Hall of Fame in 2012, competed at the 2008 International Blues Challenge in Memphis and have shared bills with the likes of Robert Randolph, Los Lonely Boys, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd, among others. Check them out the next time your at the beach. Just follow the sounds of the wailing blues guitar of Jake Banaszak and the thumping, funky bass of B.J. Muntz and you're home.  If you like your blues low-down and funky, Lower Case Blues is for you. Till next time, keep it bluesy.

THE BULLPEN

Hit the ball and touch 'em all! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series tonight against the Miami Marlins at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)Miami starts RH Tom Koehler, 3-6 with a 4.34 ERA. Koehler is the only Marlin the Pirates landed in their last series. Koehler was on the hook for the loss, giving up 5 runs and 9 hits in 5 innings. Fish fry tonight at PNC! 2)In last night's 4-3 Pirates walk-off win, Miami left 11 men on base while going 3 for 14 with runners in scoring position. Leave those ducks, I mean, fish on the pond! 3)Tonight the Pirates try to make it 8 wins in their last 10 games. The Marlins have lost 3 in a row. Give them #4 with plenty o' Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

One, two, three strikes, you're out! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates go fishing this week as they open a 3-game series against the Miami Marlins. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates are looking for revenge since Miami took 2 out of 3 in the last series. It's Shark Week and the Pirates want to make the Marlins sleep with the fishes. Fry the Fish! 2)The Pirates pitching staff has the best ERA in the majors at 3.07. Line 'em up and watch 'em fall! 3)The Marlins start RH Henderson Alvarez. Alvarez is 2-1 with a 2.61 ERA. He picked up his first win for the Marlins when he threw 2-hit ball over 6 innings in a 2-0 win over the Pirates. The Bucs start LH Jeff Locke. At 9-3 with a 2.36 ERA, Lockey is still looking for win #10. Lock up a win for Lockey with a heavy dose of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Rounding third and heading for home! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series today against the Colorado Rockheads at PNC Park. These are your keys to today's game. 1)The Pirates send RH A.J. Burnett, 4-7, with a 2.86 ERA to the mound. In A.J.'s last 6 starts at home, the Pirates have scored only 7 runs. Let's turn things around for A.J. with a heaping helping of Hit, Run, & Score! 2)The Rockheads send RH Juan Nicasio to the hill. Nicasio is 6-5 with a 4.92 ERA but is 1-2 in his last 3 starts. Nicasio surrendered a career-high 8 runs in 4 innings in his last start. Hit him early, hit him often, hit him HARD! 3)The Pirates look to serve up some home cooked Meatloaf today by taking 2 outta 3 versus the Rockheads. Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Buy me some peanuts and crackerjacks! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates continue their series tonight at PNC Park against the Colorado Rockheads. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates have their Cy Young candidate, LH Francisco Liriano, on the hump tonight. Frankie is 11-4 with a 2.16 ERA. The Rockheads counter with their ace, LH Jorge De La Rosa, 10-5 with a 3.21. Aces High at PNC! 2)The Pirates have dropped 2 straight and have only scored 2 runs in that span. Need to bring a big dose of Hit, Run, & Score to the ballpark tonight! 3)Frankie is 6-1 with a 1.61 ERA in 7 home starts. There's no place like home! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Root, root, root for the home team! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates begin a 3-game series tonight at PNC Park against he Colorado Rockheads. 1)The Pirates start rookie RH Gerrit Cole, 5-4, 3.56 ERA against the Rockheads RH Jhoulys Chacin, 9-5 with a 3.54 ERA. Chacin is 1-3 with a 3.97 ERA in 4 career starts versus the Pirates. Rock this Rockhead with the ol' Hit, Run, & Score! 2)The Rockies have lost 4 straight games and 17 of their last 23 road games. The Pirates are 36-19 at home this season. Love that home cooking! 3)The Pirates are 55-1 when leading after 8 innings. Get us a lead into the 8th, then the Shark Tank is money in the bank! I know we suffered a minor setback in last night's 13-0 shellacking by St Louie. Hey, we still took 4 of 5, are in first place in the NL Central and still have the best record in MLB. Pick yourselves up, dust yourselves off, and go out and start another winning streak tonight. All aboard the Cole Train! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!

THE BULLPEN

Take me out to the ballgame! Your first-place Pittsburgh Pirates wrap up their series against St Louie tonight at PNC Park. These are your keys to tonight's game. 1)The Pirates are winners of 4 in a row and 6 straight versus St Louie. St Louie has dropped 7 straight. The Bucs are 7-2 in the season series and go for the 5-game sweep. Break out the brooms, it's time to clean house! 2)The Pirates sit all alone atop the NL Central with the best record in the Majors, 65-42. That puts them 23 games over .500, the first time they've done that in August since 1972. History in the making! 3)Last night's 5-4, come-from-behind victory was the 25th such win by the Pirates this season. All hands on deck with plenty of Hit, Run, & Score! Let's Go Bucs!!!!!