Blogs

DENVER — Pirates right-hander Ross Ohlendorf has returned to Coors Field from Rose Hospital, where he was diagnosed with a contusion and abrasions after being struck on the head by a line drive. Results of a CT scan were negative.

DENVER — Pirates right-hander Ross Ohlendorf left tonight’s game against the Colorado Rockies in the first inning after being struck on the right side of his head by a line drive. Ohlendorf was taken to a nearby hospital for X-rays and an MRI exam. His status and test results were not immediately available. With two [...]

DENVER — Pirates right-hander Ross Ohlendorf left tonigt’s game against the Rockies in the first inning after being struck on the right side of his head by a line drive. With two outs and a runner on third base, Troy Tulowitzki hit a smash up the middle. Ohlendorf was following through on his delivery, on [...]

DENVER — Last night, Garrett Jones snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth inning with an RBI double. That gave Jones 18 go-ahead RBI this season, which is tied for seventh in the NL (Ryan Howard and Adrian Gonzalez are the co-leaders with 21 apiece).

DENVER — I emailed farm director Kyle Stark, asking about the severity of the injury to Double-A Altoona outfielder Gorkys Hernandez. Stark’s reply was succinct and grim: “Dislocation. Surgery. 8-12 weeks.” Hernandez was injured Sunday when he was hit on the right ring finger by a pitch. The finger is fractured. Hernandez got off to [...]

DENVER — Left-hander Zach Duke was dominant tonight against the Rox, but don’t discount the job done by the Pirates’ defense. A fine, and somewhat controversial, defensive play in the bottom of the sixth inning prevented a Rockies rally. Center fielder Andrew McCutchen made a slick, running catch in deep left-center field to end the [...]

DENVER — The Pirates booted Jim Tracy after the 2007 season, after he posted a 135-189 record (.417) as manager. He soon latched on with the Rockies, and again has them battling for a playoff berth. The Pirates’ roster has changed dramatically since Tracy was the skipper, and he thinks the team has a chance [...]

DENVER — The Pirates signed right-hander Travis Chick, 26, and assigned him to Triple-A Indianapolis. Chick, 26, went 5-4 with a 4.40 ERA this season for the Camden Riversharks of the independent Atlantic League. A 14th-round draft pick in 2002, Chick appeared in three games in 2006 for the Seattle Mariners and put up a [...]

DENVER — The Pirates today called up two relievers from Triple-A Indy, lefty Wil Ledezma and righty Steven Jackson. Both players will be in uniform for tonight’s game against the Rockies at Coors Field. Ledezma, 29, has put up a dazzling 0.94 ERA. In 38 1/3 innings, he’s allowed 20 hits and 19 walks and [...]

Moments after this afternoon’s 6-3 loss against the Padres, the Pirates cleared out two ineffective pitchers. Starter Brad Lincoln (6.57 ERA) was optioned to Triple-A Indy, reliever Brendan Donnelly (5.58 ERA) was designated for assignment. “I don’t deserve to be here right now,” Lincoln said. “I need to go down there to work on things, [...]