North Shore Nine: A Pittsburgh Pirates Podcast

Jared Jones is getting closer to returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates, and his first rehab start with Bradenton could put him on track to rejoin the rotation by late May. But once Jones is ready, the Pirates will have a real decision to make. Alex Stumpf breaks down where Jones fits, why his fastball/slider combo still gives the Pirates a different look, and how his return could impact Carmen Mlodz...

The Pittsburgh Pirates missed a chance to sweep the Milwaukee Brewers, falling 5-0 in a rough offensive showing at American Family Field. Jim and DiNardo break down a game where the Pirates managed just two hits, struck out 18 times, and had no answer for Kyle Harrison, who dominated over six shutout innings. They also discuss the Sunday lineup decisions, Joey Bart’s continued struggles, whether R...

Pirates survive in Milwaukee and take another road series from an NL Central opponent. Tyler and Neil break down the 6-3 extra-inning win over the Brewers, including Mitch Keller’s steady start, Don Kelly’s quick hook to Isaac Mattson, another strong night from the bullpen, and how the offense found a way against Jacob Misiorowski’s ridiculous velocity. Plus, Konnor Griffin keeps showing signs, Ni...

Edward Florentino has quickly become one of the most exciting names in the Pittsburgh Pirates farm system, and this week on Bucs On Deck, Jim and Anthony Murphy take a closer look at why the young outfield prospect is generating so much attention. After a huge 2025 breakout between the complex league and Bradenton, Florentino is already viewed as one of the Pirates’ top prospects and one of the mo...

Paul Skenes was nearly perfect, Konnor Griffin had the first big moment of his young career, and the Pirates rolled to a 6-0 win over the Brewers in a massive early-season NL Central matchup. On this NS9 Postgame Show powered by Primanti Bros., DiNardo and Tyler break down Skenes taking a perfect game into the seventh inning, how efficient and dominant he looked, and why a no-hitter feels like it...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are off to a much better start, but there’s one problem: the rest of the NL Central looks good, too. On this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down why the Pirates’ path to the postseason may be tougher than expected, even if they continue playing competitive baseball. The Cardinals are young and interesting, the Reds have a similar pitching-first formula, the Cubs have...

The Pirates dropped the series finale to the Texas Rangers, losing 6-1 on a rough night against Jacob deGrom. Bubba Chandler battled traffic early before Texas broke the game open, while Oneil Cruz provided the lone Pirates run with his eighth home run of the season. Jim and Neil break down Chandler’s command issues, why this start should not create panic, Konnor Griffin’s early MLB adjustment per...

Braxton Ashcraft turned in one of the best starts by a Pirates pitcher this season, and Alex Stumpf breaks down why it mattered far beyond the box score. From the efficiency, to the pitch mix, to the in-game adjustments, this episode of OffBeat looks at why Ashcraft’s latest outing felt like a major step forward. Alex dives into Ashcraft’s seven-inning performance, how his slider and sinker worked...

The Pirates answered in a big way in Texas. Jim and Neil break down Pittsburgh’s 8-4 win over the Rangers, highlighted by a four-run ninth inning, another huge night from the lineup, and a dominant seven-inning outing from Braxton Ashcraft. They also dive into Oneil Cruz’s absolute missile off the foul pole, key production from Bryan Reynolds, Brandon Lowe, and Marcelo Ozuna, and what this win mea...

Andrew McCutchen faced the Pittsburgh Pirates as an opponent again, but the biggest story wasn’t what he said. It was what he wouldn’t say. In this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down McCutchen’s first comments to Pittsburgh media since joining the Texas Rangers, the questions that had to be asked, and why the non-answers may have revealed just as much as any quote could have. From the dis...

The Pirates dropped this one 5-1 in Texas, and Doug joined DiNardo live from Globe Life Field to break it all down on the NS9 Postgame Show Powered by Primanti Bros. They dive into Carmen Mlodzinski’s rough outing and why one bad start still doesn’t change the bigger conversation around his role in the rotation. They also talk about the weird turning point in the game with Nick Yorke’s glove misha...

Andrew McCutchen is set to face the Pirates, and OffBeat takes a hard look at everything that led to this moment. Alex Stumpf breaks down McCutchen’s place in franchise history, why his return to Pittsburgh in 2023 felt so meaningful, why the relationship with the organization seemed to fracture, and why a reunion in 2026 no longer made baseball sense. This episode dives into the emotion of McCutc...

The Pirates are 13-9 and playing some really good baseball right now. On this episode of Bucco Brew, we break down what’s gone right for Pittsburgh, including a strong record, one of the better ERAs in baseball, and the kind of overall play that has fans starting to believe this team might actually be onto something. We also dig into the part of this team that still feels shaky: the bullpen, espec...

Wilber Dotel’s MLB debut was not perfect, but it was still a really encouraging first look. Alex Stumpf breaks down what stood out from Dotel’s outing, why the Pirates were willing to call him up now, and what his long-term role could look like in Pittsburgh. From the fastball touching 100 to the bigger picture of the Pirates’ pitching depth, this episode looks at why Dotel could be more than just...

The NS9 Postgame Show Powered By Primanti Bros. Ryan and Cody break down the Pirates 6-3 victory over the Rays to take the series and finish the homestand 4-3. The boys discuss Mitch Keller's much needed start where he goes seven strong innings with just two runs allowed, no walks and five strikeouts to help save a bullpen that was on fumes. Ryan and Cody also talk about the offense coming through...

The North Shore Nine Postgame Show Powered by Primanti Bros. Jim and Tyler will be live from NS9 Tailgate Day at PNC Park following today's game between the Pirates and Rays. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jim and Anthony Murphy are back on Bucs on Deck to break down one of the more intriguing young bats in the Pirates system: Axiel Plaz. They dig into what makes his power so real, why his defensive development behind the plate matters so much, and how his hot start in Greensboro is putting him back on the radar as a legit catching prospect in the organization. If you want a better feel for Plaz’s l...

Bubba Chandler looked like a big leaguer, Oneil Cruz delivered the swing that changed the game, and the Pirates took care of business in a 5-1 win over the Rays. Tyler and Jim break down Bubba’s command and poise, Cruz’s go-ahead homer, Brandon Lowe’s late insurance, and a lineup that keeps finding different ways to produce. The vibes were high at PNC Park with fireworks, City Connects, and a team...

Konnor Griffin had a rough moment in Thursday’s loss, but Alex’s big takeaway was how well the young infielder handled it. After a costly error, Griffin didn’t hang his head — he answered with a triple, an infield hit, and the kind of steady mindset that suggests he’ll be just fine as he keeps learning at the major league level. Subscribe to North Shore Nine for more Pittsburgh Pirates podcasts, p...

Pittsburgh Pirates GM Ben Cherington joins North Shore Nine for a long-awaited wNS9+ conversation. In this interview, we talk through the criticism, the progress, and whether Cherington deserves more credit for where the Pirates are today. The conversation touches on roster construction, the team’s improved pitching foundation, offseason moves, organizational direction, and what still needs to hap...

The NS9 Postgame Show Powered By Primanti Bros. Ryan and Cody discuss the sloppy, wild affair in which the Pirates lost in extra innings to split the series with the Nationals. The guys break down the shoddy defense and decision making as well as the pitching by Braxton Ashcraft and the bullpen. They also talk about how the Pirates offense came alive and battled back from being down 4-0 with 15 hi...

Did the Pirates just find the best way to use Carmen Mlodzinski? In this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down the Pirates’ 2-0 win over the Washington Nationals and explains why the opener strategy with Mason Montgomery followed by Carmen Mlodzinski worked so well. From Mlodzinski’s splitter usage to the third-time-through-the-order conversation, this episode looks at how Pittsburgh may hav...

The Pirates are back in the win column after a 2-0 shutout of the Nationals, and this one was all about the pitching. DiNardo and Jim break down Carmen Mlodzinski’s dominant outing after following Mason Montgomery in an opener role that worked exactly as planned. They dive into why the strategy made sense, how Mlodzinski attacked the Nationals lineup, and why he continues to make the fifth starter...

The Pirates dropped a frustrating one to the Nationals, but the biggest talking point wasn’t just Mitch Keller’s rough start. It was the late-game decision to pinch hit for Brandon Lowe, who has been one of Pittsburgh’s hottest bats and already homered earlier in the game. In this episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down why that moment stood out, what Lowe has already meant to the Pirates line...

The Pirates let one slip away in a 5-4 loss to the Nationals, and Tyler and Doug break down exactly how it happened. They dig into Don Kelly’s controversial seventh-inning pinch-hit decision for Nick Yorke over Brandon Lowe, Mitch Keller’s rough outing, and why this felt like a game Pittsburgh should have won. They also hit on some bright spots, including homers from Lowe and Joey Bart, signs of l...