The Spot Starters

Covering the ups and downs of the Detroit Tigers.

Archives for the ‘Pittsburgh Pirates’ Category

Spot Starters in Pittsburgh

By Blake VandeBunte • Jun 15th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Curtis Granderson, Detroit Tigers, Dontrelle Willis, Miguel Cabrera, Nate Robertson, Pittsburgh Pirates, Videos

I went to Pittsburgh on Sunday to watch the Tigers and the Pirates. I had heard good things about PNC Park, the home of the Pirates, and it really is just a terrific ballpark. Do yourself a favor and head down there at some point. Too bad the Tigers had to lose.



Game 62 Preview

By Blake VandeBunte • Jun 13th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: June 13, 2009
Time: 7:05pm
Teams: Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates
Park: PNC Park
Weather: 72 degrees and cloudy, 30% chance of rain
Starting Pitchers: Aramando Galarraga (3-6, 5.19)  Zach Duke (6-4, 3.07)
Records: Detroit (34-27)  Pittsburgh (28-33)
Last 10 Games: Detroit (6-4)  Pittsburgh (5-5)
My Two Cents: Armando Galarraga will look to make his fourth consecutive quality start when the Tigers [...]



Game 61 Preview

By Blake VandeBunte • Jun 12th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Pittsburgh Pirates

Date: June 12, 2009
Time: 7:05pm
Teams: Detroit Tigers at Pittsburgh Pirates
Park: PNC Park
Weather: 73 and sunny
Starting Pitchers: Rick Porcello (6-4, 3.98)  vs. Ian Snell (1-6, 5.54)
Records: Detroit (33-27)  Pittsburgh (28-32)
Last 10 Games: Detroit (5-5)  Pittsburgh (6-4)
My Two Cents: Pittsburgh isn’t quite the doormat they’ve been in years past, but this is still a series the Tigers [...]



Former Tiger Prospect Check

By Blake VandeBunte • Jun 4th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Andrew Miller, Atlanta Braves, Cameron Maybin, Florida Marlins, Gorkys Hernandez, Jair Jurrjens, Pittsburgh Pirates

The Atlanta Braves made a pair of noteworthy moves on Wednesday.  They officially parted ways with 300-game winner, Tom Glavine.  Glavine spent the bulk of his career with Braves and will certainly be wearing a Braves cap on his Hall of Fame plaque in a few years.
The other move they made is a bit more [...]



C-Mo Mashes

By Blake VandeBunte • Apr 19th, 2009 • Category: 2009 Season, Craig Monroe, Pittsburgh Pirates

Remember Craig Monroe?  It seems like he’s been gone forever, but he played with the Tigers as recently as 2007, but since then it’s been pretty hard to keep track of where the guy was.
Monroe’s peak with the Tigers came from 2003-2006 when he hit for some pretty impressive power numbers, totaling 89 home runs [...]



NL Central Preview

By Blake VandeBunte • Mar 12th, 2008 • Category: 2008 season, Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds, Houston Astros, Milwaukee Brewers, Pittsburgh Pirates, St. Louis Cardinals

Chicago Cubs

2007 Record: 85-77, 1st in NL Central 6th in NL.  Lost in NLDS.
Main Transactions:

Resigned Kerry Wood to a one year deal.
Traded Jacque Jones to the Tigers for Omar Infante.
Traded Omar Infante and Will Ohman to the Braves for Jose Ascanio.
Signed Kosuke Fukudome to a four year deal.
Signed Jon Lieber to a one year deal.

Projected [...]



Robertson Dazzles, Jones Implodes

By Blake VandeBunte • Mar 9th, 2008 • Category: Carlos Guillen, Marcus Thames, Nate Robertson, Pittsburgh Pirates, Todd Jones

The Tigers took on the Pittsburgh Pirates today in Lakeland and got a terrific performance out of Nate Robertson. The Tigers continue to stretch out their starting pitching after starting them all at two innings per outing. Robertson went four innings today giving up one hit and walking no one while striking out [...]