North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

Bryan Reynolds carried the Pittsburgh Pirates back from a four-run deficit with four hits and two home runs before Brandon Lowe launched the go-ahead homer in the ninth to complete a wild 6-5 win over the Athletics. Neil and Doug break down Reynolds’ huge night, Mitch Keller’s polarizing start and the disastrous first-inning defense that nearly buried the Pirates. They also discuss Endy Rodriguez’...

Brandon Lowe has hit 17 home runs, provided strong defense at second base and become one of the most important players in the Pirates’ improved offense. Despite that production, Lowe sits outside the leaders in the first All-Star voting update. Alex Stumpf examines the cases for Lowe, Bryan Reynolds and Paul Skenes, the crowded National League field and why Pittsburgh’s eventual selection might no...

The Pittsburgh Pirates fell below .500 after an embarrassing 11-2 loss to the Athletics. DiNardo and Neil discuss a complete failure from the players, coaching staff and front office as poor defense, a lifeless offense and another rough Jared Jones start buried the Pirates early. They also examine the continued mishandling of Carmen Mlodzinski, Marcell Ozuna’s place on the roster and whether this...

The Pirates scored just 26 runs while going 2-4 against the Dodgers and Marlins. Jim and DiNardo discuss how much the offense is missing Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin and whether this lineup has enough depth to survive without them. Joey Bart appears close to returning, which creates another decision behind the plate. Will Henry Davis continue catching, or has Endy Rodriguez earned a bigger opport...

Alex Stumpf looks at another frustrating Pirates series loss, this time to the Marlins, and why Pittsburgh’s 6-9 record in Paul Skenes starts is becoming a real problem. Skenes wasn’t perfect Sunday, but he gave the Pirates another quality start. The offense failed with runners in scoring position, the bullpen gave up key runs, and Pittsburgh once again failed to capitalize with its ace on the mou...

Paul Skenes struck out 10 over six innings, but the Pirates lost his start for the sixth consecutive time in a 4-2 defeat to the Marlins. Jim and Doug discuss another missed opportunity behind Skenes, the offense’s struggles with runners on base, Brandan Bidois in the eighth inning, Isaac Mattson’s return and Bryan Reynolds’ strong season. The NS9 Postgame Show is powered by Primanti Brothers. Hos...

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The Pirates were tied with the Marlins through six innings before the bullpen unraveled in an 8-3 loss at PNC Park. Wilber Dotel allowed four runs in the seventh, Antwone Kelly surrendered two more in the eighth, and Nick Gonzales had another difficult night defensively at third base. Doug and Tyler break down Braxton Ashcraft’s start, the bullpen collapse, Endy Rodríguez’s home run, Brandon Lowe’...

The Pirates had a chance to make a statement this week against the Braves and Dodgers, but instead, a 1-5 stretch exposed some real concerns. Alex Stumpf breaks down why the pitching staff suddenly feels like the biggest issue, from Mitch Keller’s recent struggles to the rotation’s workload questions with Paul Skenes, Braxton Ashcraft, Jared Jones, and Bubba Chandler. He also looks at the bullpen...

The Pirates offense gave them a chance, but once again the pitching staff could not hold up. Mitch Keller lasted just four innings, the bullpen gave up more runs, and Pittsburgh wasted home runs from Rafael Flores and Brandon Lowe in an 8-6 loss to the Dodgers. Tyler and Neil break down Keller’s continued struggles, the ongoing bullpen problem, Evan Sisk’s rough outing, Rafael Flores’ big night at...

The Pirates pulled off one of their best wins of the season, overcoming Shohei Ohtani and a 6-1 deficit against the Dodgers behind Tyler Callihan’s first two Major League home runs. But the bigger story is Oneil Cruz. Alex Stumpf breaks down Cruz landing on the injured list with a fracture, why the reported 4-6 week timeline may not be as simple as it sounds, and how big of a loss this is for a Pi...

The Pirates looked dead. Down 6-1 to the Dodgers, missing Oneil Cruz and Konnor Griffin, and staring at a fifth straight loss, Pittsburgh somehow found a way back. Neil and Doug break down Tyler Callihan’s huge night, including the first two home runs of his MLB career, one of them coming off Shohei Ohtani. They also get into Jared Jones’ start, Carmen Mlodzinski’s rough outing, Spencer Horwitz’s...

Marcell Ozuna was supposed to be one of the Pirates’ biggest offensive additions this offseason, but through more than 200 plate appearances, the production still has not been there. On today’s episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf looks at Ozuna’s slow start, how it compares to past veteran struggles from Rowdy Tellez and Tommy Pham, and why the DH-only profile makes this situation different for the Pi...

The Pirates got off to the exact start they needed against the Dodgers, with Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn going back-to-back in the first inning while Paul Skenes looked sharp early. Then everything fell apart. Jim and Doug break down another ugly bullpen collapse, a disastrous seventh inning, the Pirates’ continued issues against left-handed pitching, the frustration with Marcell Ozuna’s produ...

The Pirates were supposed to be built around pitching, but through early June, it has been the offense carrying them. On today’s OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down how Pittsburgh’s lineup has become one of the better units in baseball, why Ryan O’Hearn, Brandon Lowe, Spencer Horwitz, Endy Rodriguez, Nick Gonzales, Oneil Cruz, and Konnor Griffin have helped change the identity of this team, and why t...

Jim and DiNardo recap a rough series in Atlanta where the Pirates were swept by the Braves and once again had games get away from them late. They’ll look back at what went wrong, preview the upcoming Dodgers series, and go through the latest updates on Konnor Griffin, Brandon Lowe, and Oneil Cruz. But the main conversation is the bullpen. The Pirates keep getting enough starting pitching to stay i...

Bubba Chandler’s final line got ugly, but there was more to this outing than the box score. On today’s OffBeat, Alex Stumpf looks at why the Pirates used Mason Montgomery as an opener, how that helped Chandler settle in early, and why the fastball command was the biggest positive from his appearance. It was not a clean finish, but after a rough stretch for Chandler, the Pirates may have found some...

The Pirates were swept in Atlanta after another frustrating loss to the Braves, and this one falls heavily on the offense. Spencer Horwitz opened the game with a leadoff homer, Bubba Chandler gave the Pirates a strong outing behind Mason Montgomery as the opener, but the bats failed to capitalize on multiple chances. Jim and DiNardo break down the missed opportunity in the third inning, Tyler Call...

The Pirates dropped their second straight game in Atlanta, falling 6-3 to the Braves as Braxton Ashcraft was hit harder than we’ve seen in a while. Jim and Tyler break down Ashcraft’s outing, why the starting pitching has become a concern over the last couple weeks, and how the bullpen at least kept the Pirates within reach again. They also get into the offense’s chances against Spencer Strider, T...

Johan De Los Santos is one of the more exciting young names in the Pirates system right now. Jim and Anthony Murphy break down the 17-year-old infielder’s early stateside performance, his advanced bat-to-ball skills, elite speed, defensive future, and why he is already starting to climb prospect lists. Murphy also shares what stood out from seeing De Los Santos live in Bradenton, including the app...

Mitch Keller’s struggles continued at Truist Park as the Pirates dropped the series opener to the Braves after briefly taking a 3-1 lead. Keller allowed six runs in 4.2 innings, and while the bullpen kept the game from getting worse, the offense went quiet after a three-run third inning. DiNardo and Ryan Alexander break down Keller’s recent stretch, why the rotation suddenly feels less stable, the...

Ken Rosenthal reported the Pirates are being aggressive in their search for bullpen help, and after another late collapse, it’s easy to see why. Alex Stumpf breaks down the current state of the bullpen, the lack of reliable internal answers, and why Pittsburgh may need to make a move sooner than later. Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZY250XUYiS-yX7xOQCd...

The Pittsburgh Pirates bounced back from one of their worst losses of the season with a much-needed win over the Houston Astros. Neil and Doug break down Jared Jones’ return, Carmen Mlodzinski’s strong bulk outing, Ryan O’Hearn continuing to produce, Oneil Cruz staying hot, and why this Pirates offense suddenly feels completely different. They also discuss the Pirates taking two of three in Housto...

Paul Skenes has been the most reliable arm the Pittsburgh Pirates have had, but this latest stretch has looked different. After allowing 15 runs, 13 earned, over his last four starts, Skenes once again failed to get through five innings against the Houston Astros despite throwing a career-high 109 pitches. Alex Stumpf breaks down why this does not feel like panic time, but why it is fair to say Sk...

The Pittsburgh Pirates had another huge night from the offense, including a grand slam from Henry Davis, three hits from Spencer Horwitz, and more production throughout the lineup. Somehow, it still was not enough. Neil and Doug break down the Pirates’ brutal 11-9 loss to the Houston Astros, where the bullpen surrendered eight runs over the final two innings and turned what looked like another com...