Pittsburg, PA
Pirates Could Be Team ‘No One’ Wants To Face In 2025
Pitching wins championships is an adage that has stood the test of time in baseball, and the Pittsburgh Pirates may not be far off from having a chance to prove that true again
MLB.com’s Will Leitch broke down one reason each team should be thankful, and for the Pirates, he tabbed their pitching staff and how dangerous they could be if everything clicked and they sneaked into the playoffs.
“Paul Skenes is reason enough to be thankful, of course, but don’t forget Jared Jones and Mitch Keller,” Leitch writes. “If the Pirates are ever able to sneak in the playoffs — and they just might in 2025 — that’s a triumvirate no one will want to deal with.”
Everything with the Pirates’ pitching staff starts and ends with Paul Skenes, who strung together one of the best first seasons in MLB history en route to winning the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year. Skenes was the Pirates’ first pitcher in franchise history to earn the accolade and the second player to do so, joining outfielder Jason Bay in 2004.
Skenes went 11-3 with a 1.96 ERA in 23 starts and he set a Pirates rookie record with 170 strikeouts over 133 innings pitched. He was also the first pitcher in MLB history to have an ERA below 2.20 and over 150 strikeouts in their first 21 games and the second pitcher since 1913 to have an ERA below 2.00 through their first 22 appearances. Pittsburgh’s ace was also the the first rookie pitcher to start an All-Star game since Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Hideo Nomo in 1995.
Beyond Skenes, though, Jared Jones and Mitch Keller are also solid in their own right. Jones went 6-8 with a 4.14 ERA over 22 starts, though, a strained right lat that cost him two months in the second half hindered his rookie season. Before the All-Star break, Jones was 5-6 with a 3.56 ERA over 16 starts.
Keller endured similar struggles that resulted in him finishing the season 11-12 with a 4.25 ERA. After the All-Star break, Keller was 1-7 with a 5.65 ERA.
Luis Ortiz also flashed promise with his strong ending to the 2024 season and Pittsburgh has top prospect Bubba Chandler knocking on the door to reach the big leagues. Chandler is MLB Pipeline’s No. 15 prospect and second-ranked pitching prospect in baseball.
There’s no disputing how good the Pirates’ pitching staff can be if everyone stays healthy and lives up to expectations. If they can get more production on offense to support their pitching staff, Pittsburgh may very well be the dangerous team no one would want to see in October.
Make sure to visit Pirates OnSI for the latest news, updates, interviews and insight on the Pittsburgh Pirates
Pittsburgh Regional Transit has started to install its ReadyFare vending machines as the agency prepares to roll out its new fare payment system.
PRT said it’s working to roll out its new ReadyFare system and has started to install the new machine at some of its light-rail stations.
The new machines recently were installed at PRT’s Gateway station in Downtown Pittsburgh.
PRT said that as it prepares to roll out the new system, current ConnectCard holders will receive a card in the mail with instructions on how to request a ReadyFare card.
The new ReadyFare cards will be able to be purchased at the new machines for $1.
PRT said that riders will be able to transfer any balances they have on a ConnectCard to the new ReadyFare cards using an online balance transfer form.
Pittsburg, PA
About 5 pounds of bees removed from Acrisure Stadium scaffolding ahead of Morgan Wallen concerts
Acrisure Stadium is buzzing with excitement ahead of the back-to-back Morgan Wallen concerts. Except it’s not the fans generating all the excitement — it’s about 5 pounds of honeybees.
The Fine Family Apiary in Monongahela said it was contacted on Wednesday about a swarm of bees clustered on the stage scaffolding. The apiary put the swarm in a “nuc box” and took them home before moving the bees into full-size equipment.
Owner Al Fine estimates the swarm weighed about 4 to 5 pounds and consisted of 12,000 to 15,000 bees. All said, it took less than two hours to get the job done.
Why do bees swarm?
Swarming is how honeybees propagate, Fine explained. According to Penn State Extension, during swarming, the queen and about half the workers leave their home to establish a new nest. The bees will form a temporary cluster, hanging out while scouts search the surrounding area for a more permanent home in hollow spaces like tree cavities or, occasionally, the walls of a home.
Swarms can stick around for several hours or days until they’re ready to move, Penn State Extension says. Meanwhile, the colony left behind is temporarily without a leader until a new queen is established.
With the swarm at Acrisure Stadium removed, Morgan Wallen’s show is ready to go on. The country music megastar will bring his I’m The Problem Tour to Pittsburgh on June 5 and June 6, along with multiple acts like Brooks & Dunn and Ella Langley.
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