Pirates 7, Reds 6: Gutsy Win

The Pittsburgh Pirates came back from a 4-0 deficit on Tuesday night to defeat the Cincinnati Reds by a score of 7-6 at PNC Park. The evening got off to an ugly start, as Pittsburgh starter Jeff Locke allowed 4 straight hits, all singles, to start the game. After Locke got Marlon Byrd to ground into a force out at home plate, Reds shortstop Eugenio Suarez hit what looked like a potential double play ball to first baseman Pedro Alvarez. Unfortunately, shortstop Jordy Mercer threw the ball wildly over the head of Alvarez, and 2 more runs were able to score,  making it 3-0 Reds. It looked like the Reds might run away with the game when they loaded the bases with 1 out in the top of the 2nd, but Locke was able to get Todd Frazier to pop out, and Jay Bruce to ground out, escaping the inning with no damage. The Reds would add another run in the top of the 4th when Billy Hamilton scored on a Jay Bruce ground out. So at this stage of the game, Locke was getting hit left and right, the Pirate offense could not seem to score off of Reds hurler Josh Smith (making his major league debut) despite drawing several walks and getting plenty of men on base. It looked like Pittsburgh was on their way to losing their 4th straight game and falling further back in the NL Central race.

All of that was about to change in the next half-inning. The inning started when Neil Walker drew a walk. Josh Harrison followed with a single to left field, and the Bucs had something brewing with Pedro Alvarez coming to the plate. Alveraz delivered, as he crushed a double off of the center field wall that was only a few feet from going out of the ballpark, and suddenly it was 4-1, with runners on 2nd and 3rd. This set the stage for Francisco Cervelli. The popular Pittsburgh catcher sent a 2-1 pitch over the batters eye in Center Field to tie the game, chasing Smith in the process. The Pirates took the lead when a seemingly routine ground ball by Starling Marte was thrown over the head of first baseman Joey Votto by shortstop Eugenio Suarz, scoring Gregory Polanco from 3rd and giving the Bucs a 5-4 lead. Andrew McCutchen was up next, and he  capped off the big inning by sending a rocket over the left field wall to make it 7-4 Pirates.

That would be all of the offense the Pirates would need, although the Reds did not go away quietly. They got a run back in the 5th off of new Pirate pitcher Rob Scahill, via a Billy Hamilton sac fly. In the 6th, Jay Bruce homered off of Arquimedes Caminero to close the gap to within one, but that's as close as the Reds would get. The biggest defensive play of the night came in the top of the 7th, when Starling Marte made an incredible diving catch off of the bat of Todd Frazier, which kept Billy Hamilton from scoring from 3rd base. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon struck out all 6 combined hitters that they faced in the 8th and 9th, and the Pirates won a thriller, 7-6.

Rob Scahill got the win in relief, while Reds reliever Pedro Villarreal suffered the loss. Mark Melancon picked up his 24th save, and the Pirates are now 40-30, 6 games behind St. Louis in the NL Central and 2 games up on San Francisco for a Wild-Card spot. Gerrit Cole will take his 11-2 record to the mound tonight, trying to give Pittsburgh a much needed series win after an embarrassing 3 game sweep at the hands of the Nationals in D.C.

Champions League Final Predictions

Hello. For the first time since I created this blog almost 2 years ago, I will be writing about soccer. I have become a big fan of the game over the past 3 months, and today is the final of the most import tournament between club teams in the world: The Champions League. For those who don't know, this league is a tournament between the best teams in Europe, and whoever wins this game can make the claim to being the best team in the world. The 2 teams that are playing in the final today are Jeuventus(Italy) and Barcelona(Spain). I will first write about the roads that these teams had to take in order to get to the final, then I will break down the projected lineups and predict what I think will happen.

Jeuventus
''The Old Lady'' of Italian football were not expected by many to be here, as they have not been in the final since 2003 and were thought of by many to be an again team. But they have surprised everyone and made it to this point. Jeuventus got off to a rocky start in the Champions League group stage. After defeating the Swedish club Malmo 2-0, they proceeded to lose their next 2 games to Athletico Madrid(Spain) and Olympiacos(Greece), casting doubt as to weather or not they would even make it to the Round of 16. However, Jeuvantas pulled through and won the second legs of games against Malmo and Olympacos before tying Atheltico Madrid to advance to the knockout stage.

They were able to cruise through the round of 16, beating the German club Borussia Dourtmand by a combined score of 5-1 in the 2 games that they played. Jeuvantus would go on to defeat Monaco(France) in the first leg, and when they tied in the 2nd leg, it meant that Jeuventus would move forward due to them having  greater total score in the two meetings. This would set up a semi-final showdown with defending champs Real Madrid. Not many people gave Jeuventus much hope, but they were proved wrong when Jeuventus pulled off a stunning 2-1 win in the first leg. The second leg ended in a 1-1 tie, which meant that Jeuventus had won the combined 2 games and were through to the final, where they will meet mighty Barcelona.

Barcelona
Unlike their opponents, Barcelona was expected to be here. They have been one of the best teams in the world for a long time, and any team that has Lionel Messi on it has a chance to do anything, Barcelona went 5-1 in the group stage, avenging their lone defeat at the hands of Paris Saint Germain by winning the second leg by a score of 3-1 to advance on total goal differential. Barca would roll through Manchester City(3-1 combined) PSG(5-1) and Bayren Munich(5-3) to get to the finals.

Now that we have talked about both teams and their paths to the finals, I will break down how the teams match up with one another.

Defense
Both teams are solid defensively, but Bracalona has a massive edge here due to Jeuventus Centre-Back and leader Giorgio Chiellini will be out of action due to a calf injury. Patrice Evra leads a talent group for Jeuventus at Left_Back, but Daniel Alvis, Jordi Alba, Gerald Pique and Javier Macherano lead an excellent group of defenders that are above those of Jeuventus.

Edge: Barcalona

Midfield
This is very close. However, I will give the slight edge to Jeuventus simply because they start 4 midfielders instead of Barcelona's 3. Arturo Vidal, Paul Pogba, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio are a very talented group for the Itilian champions, and although Andres Inestia from Barca might be the best midfielder in the world, I still give the edge to Jeuventus.

Edge: Jeuventas

Forward 
Carlos Tevez and Alvaro Morata are a very good forward pair for Jeuventas, but Messi, Neymar and Luis Suraz are the best front line in the world. Period.

Edge: Barcelona

Prediction
Barcalona is way too talented to lose this game. They are the best team in the world and I don't see ''the old lady'' knocking them off.

Winner: Barcelona, 3-1

NBA Finals Preview

The NBA finals are here. The two most deserving teams, the Cavs and the Warriors, have worked so hard and played so well to get here. Let's get into the matchup and my prediction

Offense
Both teams have potent offenses. Lebron James and Kyrie Irving lead a Clevland offense that is able to explode at any point during any game. However, I will have to give the edge to Golden State. They have been leading the league in team points per game for a long time, and also have more assists than any other team in the league this season. Steph Curry and Klay Thompson are two of the best shooters in the game, and Draymond Green, Harrison Barnes and Andre Iguodala are all capable of scoring as well.

Edge- Golden State

Defense
These are 2 of the best defensive teams in the league as well. However, once again I will give the edge to Golden State. Draymond Green and Andrew Bogut are two of the best defenders in the game. Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes are all good two way players as well.Golden State has allowed the fewest points per game of any team in the league this season. Clevland has one of the games best defenders in Iman Shumpert, but I'm still going to give the edge to Golden State.

Edge- Golden State

Backcourt
This one is easier than the previous two. Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving are two of the best point guards in the NBA, but what separates Golden States backcourt is that Curry has Klay Thompson at the 2 guard. Iman Shumphart has done a great job defending, but he is no Klay Thompson. The Warriors have two of the best players in the world in the backcourt, so this one is no contest.

Edge- Golden State

Frontcourt
I'm finally going to have to give one to Clevland here. The Warriors have Andrew Bogut at center and Festus Ezili to back him up, but the thing that separates the two teams in this category is Lebron James. He is one of the best ever to play and his presence, along with solid big man play from Timothy Mozdov and Tristen Thompson, push Cleveland's frontcourt ahead.

Edge- Clevland

Bench
Golden State has a great bench. Sean Livingston, Festus Ezii, David Lee, Lerando Barbosa and pretty much anyone who they have thrown on the court this season has gotten the job done. JR Smith and Mathew Dellevedova  have been solid, but Golden State has the edge here.

Edge- Golden State

Conclusion
Well, I am expecting a great series. There will not be one boring game in this series, and I am pretty sure of that because of the talent that is here. However, after analyzing the matchup, I think that Golden State has the better team. They were 67-15 this season in the brutal Westren Conference. They have taken on all and won in the playoffs as well, and I don't think this will be any different.

Prediction- Warriors, 4 games to 2

Pirates Sweep Marlins, Run Win Streak to 6

The Pittsburgh Pirates are finally hitting their stride. Coming in to a weekend series with the New York Mets, the Bucs had a record of 18-22. After sweeping New York in 3 games and following that up with a 3 game sweep of the Miami Marlins, they are now 24-22 and just 2 games back of the Mets for a wildcard spot. Miami came to PNC Park on Monday hoping for a good showing under new manager Dan Jennings, but Pittsburgh just was not the place for that to happen. The series started on Memorial Day where the Pirates won 4-2. Charlie Morton's first start of the season was successful, and his  7 strong innings of work were backed up by a 3 run home-run from catcher Francisco Cervelli(his first as a Pirate). Cervillis blast ended up making the difference. The Bucs followed that up with a comfortable 5-1 win on Tuesday. Neil Walker homered and Jeff Locke was stellar, allowing 0 runs in 5.2 innings. Wednesdays game was the most entertaining of the 3 game set. The Marlins got out to an early 2-0 lead, and that lead held until the bottom of the 7th. First,  Josh Harrison singled to make it 2-1. Then Clint Hurdle decided to take the bat out of Jordy Mercer's hands, and pinch-hit Pedro Alvarez in his place. The move worked, and Alvarez slapped a game tying single to right field. With the bases loaded, Starling Marte had a brilliant at bat and walked in the go-ahead run to make it 3-2(Marte also robbed a home run earlier in the game). Jung-ho Kang proceeded to drive the nail in the Miami coffin with a 2 run single to make it 5-2. Tony Watson and Mark Melancon shut down the fish in the last 2 innings to secure the win. Gerrit Cole allowed just 2 runs over 7 innings, and he received a well deserve win to improve is record to 7-2.

I think it is safe to say that the Pirates are in form. As has become a pattern under Clint Hurdle, the Pirates had a rough April and the struggles continued into May, but as June nears, Pittsburgh is finally hitting their stride. They will now travel to San Diego to take on the 23-25 Padres, which I predict will be at least a series win for the Pirates. I think that the Pirates will keep this up, and it should be a very fun summer on the North Shore.

NBA Playoffs: Rockets won't stop Warriors/ Clevland/Atlanta prediction

Hello. Today I will talk about the NBA Playoffs. The title gives away what this article will be discussing so let's get right into it

Warriors/Rockets
Although anything is possible, I do not think that Houston can comeback and beat Golden State. The Warriors, led by Steph Curry's 33 points and 6 assists, defeated the Rockets on Thursday by a score of 99-98. The Rockets fought very hard, and although I am not a fan of either James Harden(38 Points, 10 Rebounds, 9 Assists) or Dwight Howard(19 Points, 17 Rebounds), I give them high praise for their efforts last night. However, the better team came out on top, and the league MVP stepped up in the final seconds to contribute to a game-clinching steal of Harden. I believe that the Rockets might win 1 or 2 games, but Golden State has been dominant the whole year, and Houston will not be able to play catch-up like they did against the Clippers.

Cavs/ Hawks
The Cavs already have a 1-0 lead in this series, and I think that they will win it. The Cavs are simply too talented and hot right now for Atlanta to handle. Cleveland has also received a huge boost by JR Smith getting hot in the playoffs. Oh, and they have this Lebron James fella who is decent. I also think that Kyrie Irving has not been playing his best basketball, and it will be scary if/when he heats up during this series. The Hawks have a nice team with Jeff Teague and Kyle Korver leading the way, but Cleveland talent will prevail.

So, as I have thought for the past few months, a Warriors/Cavs final is very likely to take place.

Thanks for reading. I am Joe Smeltzer

Floyd-Manny breakdown/prediction

Well, it sure took long enough, but the fight is finally here. Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao. These 2 are without question, the 2 biggest faces in the sport. Hell, in the eyes of many, they're the only 2 faces in the sport. Mayweather has been ranked #1 in the world for as long as people my age can remember, and his success, arrogance and criminal past have caused him to be both one of the wealthiest, and most hated, athletes in the world. Like a lot of battles, this is seen as a conflict between good and evil, and it is clear who that Floyd Mayweather is playing the villain. Manny Pacquiao, on the other hand, is almost as loved by the public as Mayweather is hated. He has a very good sense of humor and charming personality, and along with being a boxer, he is a politician, pop star, and basketball player. It is a perfect contrast of personalities. Now, I will discuss how these 2 match up with one another and who has the edge.


Speed
This one goes to Floyd. Mayweather is very quick and will frustrate Pac Man with his ability to slip away from any punch that Manny throws. Floyd will hope to use this quickness to tire out Pacquio and wear him down in the later rounds.

Edge: Mayweather

Power
This is where Manny has the edge. Other then the controversial knockout of Victor Ortiz in 2011, Mayweather has not had a knockout of any sort since his stoppage of Ricky Hatton in 2007. Pac Man is much more known for his power than Floyd is, as Mayweather relies more on quickness and defense. Manny has the edge in this category.

Edge: Pacquiao


Defense
This is an easy one. Even Mayweather's harshest critics will admit that he is one of the greatest defensive boxers of all time. He has perfected the shoulder roll like he invented it and trying to hit him is like trying the smack a fly out of the air. He moves so quickly around the ring and can dodge a punch like few others can. Floyd has the edge over Manny and pretty much everybody else in this category.

Edge: Mayweather

Chin
Mayweather has the edge again. Floyd rarely ever gets hit, but when he does, his chin is strong enough to where it does not hurt him like it does most fighters, Pac Man included.

Edge: Mayweather

Confidence
I don't really have to explain this one, do I?

Edge: Mayweather

In conclusion, I am very excited for this fight. This has been 5 years in the making and these 2 are both among at least the Top 40 fighters of all time. I am indeed pulling for Manny Pacquiao in this fight like most people are. However, I do not see him winning. Manny will come fired up and this fight will be even for the first 4-5 rounds or so. However, Floyd's quickness and defense will frustrate Manny, and cause him to tire himself out. Like so many of Floyd's previous opponents, Manny will be worn down by Round 10, and it will be clear by that point who the winner will be. I expect a fairly competitive fight, but Floyd will just be too much in the end. I have Mayweather winning 8 rounds out of 12, and the final scorecard should read 116-112 in favor of Mayweather. Yes, as much as people may be pissed off, 48-0 will become a reality.

Winner: Mayweather

Penguins Gain Home Ice Advantage

The Pittsburgh Penguins defeated the New York Rangers on Saturday night by the final score of 4-3.

The main headline of Saturday night was Pittsburgh's captain Sidney Crosby scoring consecutive goals in the last six minutes of the second period. The captain had a backhand tap-in goal into a wide open net with 5:53 left in the first period. Then ,after recieving a perfect pass from Chris Kunitz, Crosby redirected the puck top shelf on Rangers goaltender Henrik Lundqvist while falling to the ice. The goal came with 1:24 left in the second period.

In Pittsburgh, fans are relieved and excited that their team was able to produce a split on the road against the NHL's best team. In New York… they're sweating...

Pittsburgh now has home ice advantage. Splitting in the first two meetings leaves 3 out of the next 5 games to be played in the steel city. Can the Pens take advantage of what they've earned? Game 3 is monday & takes place at Console Energy Center at 7:00 p.m.





Written by Austin Young,  in collaboration with Joe Smeltzer.