THE PIRATES...are currently 53-79 and 21.5 games out of first place (were 65-67 and 12.5 games out after 132 games last year)...Have lost eight of their last 10 games and 13 of their last 17...Have gone 5-16 in their last 21 games...Lost a season-high six straight games between 7/9-17...Won a season-high four straight games on two occasions (between 7/4-8 and 5/29--6/2)...Are 26 games under .500 for the first time this season and for the first time since 9/11/96 (59-85)...Were at the .500 level just once (at 2-2 on 4/7)...Have gone 13-27-3 in series thus far with two sweeps...Went 9-15 during the month of April, 14-13 in May, 11-16 in June, 11-14 in July and 8-21 in August...Went 38-48 before the All-Star break and have gone 15-31 since. ...Are hitting .257 (296-for-1150) with runners in scoring position, including a 1-for-17 clip the last two games (1-for-13 Thursday and 0-for-4 Wednesday).

GILES FILES: Outfielder BRIAN GILES is tied for fifth in the National League RBI race with 107...Brian picked up RBI #107 and #108 last year
on 9/8 (game #131/team game #140) and finished the season with a team-high 115.

YO! ADRIAN: Since returning from the D.L. on 8/7, ADRIAN BROWN has led off 21 of the last 22 games and has gone 30-for-86 (.349) with 17 runs scored...In addition, he has recorded a .411 on-base percentage in that time (39-for-95).

Aug 28, 2000 Courtesy of Mike Gordon  mike@pirates.pirateball.com
FINALLY: With five months of the season almost complete and 128 games already played, the Giants are making their first visit to Pittsburgh this season; the last of the N.L. teams to do so...The Pirates went 3-3 against San Francisco at Three Rivers last year and have gone 92-77 against the Giants in the 30-year history of the stadium.

HOW THE WEST WAS LOST: The Pirates have gone 11-23 against teams from the West Division this season (6-9 at home and just 5-14 on the road)...They are 0-3 in a stretch of 13 straight games against teams from that division.

Aug 25, 2000 Courtesy of Mike Gordon  mike@pirates.pirateball.com
THE PIRATES...are currently 52-73 and 18.0 games out of first place (were 61-64 and 13.5 games out after 125 games last year)...Had the day off yesterday...Returned home Thursday morning from a nine-game, 10-day  road trip to Houston (0-3), Cincinnati (2-1) and St. Louis (1-2)...Have split their last four games after losing 5-of-6 and 8-of-10...Lost a
season-high six straight games between 7/9-17...Won a season-high four straight games on two occasions (between 7/4-8 and 5/29--6/2)...Are a season-low 21 games under .500 for the fourth time...Have been at the .500 level just once (at 2-2 on 4/7)...Have gone 13-25-3 in series thus far with two sweeps...Went 9-15 during the month of April, 14-13 in May, 11-16 in June and 11-14 in July...Have gone 7-15 thus far in August...Went 38-48 before the All-Star break and have gone 14-25 since...Are hitting .259 (281-for-1085) with runners in scoring position.

Beginning tonight the Pirates will play seven straight games - and 14 of their next 20 - at Three Rivers Stadium...The club just completed a 19-game stretch in which it played 16 games on the road (6-13 in that span)...The Pirates will play 20 of their final 37 games at Three Rivers as they prepare to close the 31-year-old facility on October 1.

Outfielder BRIAN GILES, last week's N.L. Co-Player of the Week, has homered in six of the last 10 games and has reached base safely in 26 of his last 46 plate appearances (nine games - .565 OB%)...He has eight RBI over the last four games and is tied for third in the National League with 105 RBI...Brian picked up RBI #105-106 last year on 9/7 (game #130/ team game #139) and finished the season with a team-high 115.

The Pirates have homered in four straight games (eight total) and in nine of their last 11 contests (18) after going a season-high six consecutive games without one...The club is on pace to hit 183 homers this season after hitting a club-record 171 last year.

KRIS BENSON has gone 0-5 in his last seven starts after going 4-1 in his previous eight (last victory came on 7/8 vs Minnesota)... RICH LOISELLE has posted a 5.40 ERA (6.2ip/4er) in nine games since returning from injury on 8/3... PAT MEARES has gone just 5-for-31 (.161) in his last 10 games... WARREN MORRIS has just three hits in his last 30 at bats (.100) and has gone 36-for-171 (.211) in his last 48 games... KEVIN YOUNG has gone just 4-for-33 (.121) in his last nine games.

Aug 22, 2000 Courtesy of Mike Gordon  mike@pirates.pirateball.com
THE PIRATES...are currently 51-71 and 16.5 games out of first place (were 61-61 and 12.0 games out after 122 games last year)...Took two-of-three from the Reds over the weekend...Have lost nine of their last 13 games and 13 of their last 18...Lost a season-high six straight games between 7/9-17...Won a season-high four straight games on two occasions (between 7/4-8 and 5/29--6/2)...Have been a season-low 21 games under .500 on two occasions (last time following Saturday's loss)...Have been at the .500 level just once (at 2-2 on 4/7)...Have gone 13-24-3 in series thus far with two sweeps...Went 9-15 during the month of April, 14-13 in May, 11-16 in June and 11-14 in July...Have gone 6-12 thus far in August...Went 38-48 before the All-Star break and
have gone 13-23 since...Are hitting .260 (277-for-1064) with runners in scoring position including .297 (11-for-37) over the last four games.

The duo of JASON KENDALL and BRIAN GILES leads the club in every offensive statistic kept except for sacrifice bunts and strikeouts...The two have combined to score 24 of the Pirates' last 45 runs (53% - eight games)...Kendall is batting .346 (27-for-78) over his last 20 games.

NO YARDWORK: The staff has not allowed a home run in each of the last
two games following an eight-game opponents home run streak...The hurlers have allowed 19 homers over the last 10 games and 13 over thelast six...Wednesday night in Houston, the Pirates' pitching staff surrendered six home runs, the first time the Buccos have done so since 4/17/74 at Wrigley Field.

JIMMY ANDERSON has won three of his last four decisions and is 2-1 with a 2.74 ERA (46.0ip/14er) in his last six starts... MIKE BENJAMIN has gone 15-for-41 (.366) with four doubles, a triple, a home run and six RBI in his last 17 games... EMIL BROWN has gone 11-for-42 (.262) with two homers and nine RBI in his last 14 games... JASON KENDALL has gone 27-for-79 (.342) with 18 runs scored in his last 20 games... JOSIAS MANZANILLO has not given up a run in six of his last seven appearances (10.1ip/2er) and has allowed just five earned runs in his last 17 games (23.2ip/1.90 ERA)... ARAMIS RAMIREZ has gone 49-for-168 (.292) with 31 RBI in his last 48 games... JOHN VANDER WAL has gone 17-for-52 (.327)
with three home runs, 11 RBI and 12 runs scored in his last 18 games... KEVIN YOUNG has hit safely in 16 of his last 20 games (24-for-71, .338).

Aug 21, 2000 Courtesy of Mike Gordon  mike@pirates.pirateball.com
GILES NAMED N.L. CO-PLAYER OF THE WEEK
         The National League today announced that Pittsburgh outfielder BRIAN GILES and Colorado infielder TODD HELTON have been named its Co-Players of the Week for the week ending August 20.
          In six games, Giles hit .523 (11-for-21) with three doubles, one triple, three home runs, eight RBI and six runs scored. His slugging percentage for the week was 1.190 and he recorded a .583 on-base percentage, leading the NL in both categories. He ranked second in extra base hits and batting average, and tied for second in total bases.
Helton hit .484 (15-for-31) in eight games with eight runs scored, seven doubles, four homers and 12 RBI. He led the NL in hits, total bases and extra base hits, and was third in batting average.
           This is the fourth time in his career that Giles has won the weekly honor. He won it twice last year, first between May 3-9 and then again between August 30-September 5. He also picked up the award May 1-7 this season.
           Brian will receive a specially-engraved timepiece from the Bulova Company for being named N.L. Player-of-the-Week.

Aug 12, 2000   Courtesy of Mike Gordon  mike@pirates.pirateball.com
Pirates Team of the 80's
Catcher - Tony Pena (73)
First Base - Willie Stargell (70)
Second Base - Johnny Ray (36)
Shortstop - Tim Foli (62)
Third Base - Bill Madlock (71)
Outfielders - Andy Van Slyke (86), Barry Bonds (69), Dave Parker (61)
Starters - John Candelaria (44), Bob Walk (42)
Reliever - Kent Tekulve (73)

Andy Van Slyke was the player who received the most overall votes
(2,768).

The closest race was at second base, where Johnny Ray edged Phil Garner
by just 88 votes.

Aug 11, 2000
The Pittsburgh Pirates today reinstated right-handed pitcher Todd Ritchie from the disabled list and recalled lefthander Jeff Wallace from Nashville (AAA). They replace righthander Francisco Cordova (bone spur in right elbow) and lefty Chris Peters (synovitis in left elbow), both of whom were placed on the 15-day disabled list.

April 16, 2000
       Jimmy Anderson insisted that he wasn't trying to prove anything to his teammates, some of whom criticized his selection as the Pirates' fifth starter in spring training.

The results suggested otherwise.

       Anderson pitched eight scoreless innings Saturday afternoon and combined with Mike Williams on a five-hitter as the Pirates shut out the New York Mets, 2-0, at Three Rivers Stadium.
Anderson held the Mets to five singles, none of which came after the fourth inning. Not a bad second start for the 24-year-old left-hander, who edged Pete Schourek for the fifth starter's job, thus creating some negative feedback
from first baseman Kevin Young and right fielder Brian Giles. 

April 12 --Kris Benson was rocked for three homers and seven runs as the Pirates lost their third consecutive game, 7-3, before 11,335 at Three Rivers Stadium.  Benson struck out a career-high nine batters in seven innings, but he also gave up nine hits and two walks.

April 9th--PHOENIX - Pirates reliever Jason Christiansen sat in front of a VCR monitor Saturday afternoon, meticulously reviewing his ninth-inning performance against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
       He analyzed his outing pitch by pitch and, at times, frame by frame.
The review he gave himself was better than the one he gave home plate umpire Tim McClelland.
      Let's just say it wasn't a thumbs up.
      "He was making me throw a perfect pitch every time," Christiansen said, shaking his head.
That was too much to ask. And so it was that Christiansen issued walks to the first two batters, setting the stage for Bernard Gilkey's two-out, bases-loaded single that sent the Pirates to a 6-5 loss at Bank One Ballpark.