Today’s  Pittsburgh Pirates game at the Chicago Cubs has been officially postponed,due to snow, until tomorrow at 2:20 pm  Air time will be 1:55 pm on Beaver County Radio.

Taillon tosses 1-hitter, Pirates top Reds 5-0
By WILL GRAVES, AP Sports Writer
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pittsburgh’s Jameson Taillon dominated the struggling Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, allowing just one hit while picking up the first shutout of his career as the surprising Pirates rolled to a 5-0 victory.
Taillon (2-0) struck out seven and walked two. The lone hit he surrendered came on Tyler Mahle’s single to center with one out in the third. Taillon even added an RBI single off Mahle (1-1) in the second.
A night after missing a start due to concerns over a bruised right foot, Gregory Polanco turned on a Mahle pitch and sent it into the right-field seats for a two-run homer in the fifth. Corey Dickerson tacked on a solo drive later in the inning, his first with Pittsburgh after being acquired in a trade with Tampa Bay.
Polanco and Josh Harrison each had two hits for the Pirates. Polanco drove in two runs to push his total to 13. The right fielder didn’t reach 13 RBIs last season until June 3.
Mahle lasted just 4 2/3 innings in his sixth major league start. The rookie was sparkling while limiting the Chicago Cubs to one hit over six innings in his 2018 debut, but couldn’t keep the surging Pirates in check.
Mahle allowed five runs and nine hits. He came undone in the fourth when the Pirates pushed across four runs.
The struggling Reds were dealt a serious blow in the fourth inning when third baseman Eugenio Suarez fractured his right thumb when he was hit by a Taillon pitch. He took first base after being tended to by trainers but was removed in favor of Cliff Pennington when Cincinnati took the field in the bottom of the inning.
Cincinnati managed just two baserunners after Suarez’s exit, both coming on two-out walks in the seventh and the ninth.
The Pirates are relying heavily on their young rotation if they want to be a factor in the competitive NL Central and Taillon has looked very much like the ace Pittsburgh envisioned after trading Gerrit Cole to Houston in the offseason.
Manager Clint Hurdle sent Taillon back out for the ninth for the first time in Taillon’s career and after walking Pennington with two outs, Taillon retired Joey Votto on a lineout to left to give the Pirates their first solo one-hitter since A.J. Burnett accomplished the feat against the Cubs on July 31, 2012.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Pirates: RHP Joe Musgrove remains in a non-throwing period after being placed on the disabled list last week with a right shoulder strain. General manager Neal Huntington said the plan remains for Musgrove — who excelled after being moved from the rotation to the bullpen last season for Houston — to work toward being a member of the rotation in Pittsburgh.
Reds: LHP Brandon Finnegan (left biceps strain) will make a rehab start for Triple-A Louisville on Monday.
UP NEXT
Reds: Visit Philadelphia for three games starting Monday. Cody Reed will make his 2018 debut for the Reds. The 24-year-old is 1-8 with a 6.75 ERA in 22 career games for Cincinnati.
Pirates: Begin a six-game, seven-day road trip in Chicago on Monday against the Cubs. Pittsburgh went 4-5 last season at Wrigley Field. Ivan Nova (0-1, 6.10 ERA) faces Chicago’s Tyler Chatwood (0-1, 1.50 ERA).
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Suarez powers Reds past Pirates 7-4Suarez powers Reds past Pirates 7-4
By ALAN SAUNDERS, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eugenio Suarez hit a tiebreaking three-run homer in the eighth inning, and the Cincinnati Reds cooled off the Pittsburgh Pirates with a 7-4 victory on Saturday night.
Pittsburgh opened the season with six wins in seven games and then jumped out to a 4-0 lead against Cincinnati in the second. But the Reds chipped away at the deficit before Suarez finished the job.
Joey Votto hit a sacrifice fly in the third, and Jesse Winker added an RBI single in the fifth. Suarez then tied it at 4 with a two-run single off Dovydas Neverauskas with two out in the sixth.
Suarez came up again with two on in the eighth and drove a 0-1 fastball from George Kontos (0-1) over the wall in left. He finished with three hits.
Wandy Peralta (1-0) pitched two scoreless innings for the win and Raisel Iglesias worked the ninth for his second save.
Cincinnati right-hander Sal Romano allowed four runs and seven hits in five innings. He struck out one and walked one.
Corey Dickerson hit a two-run double for Pittsburgh in the first. Josh Harrison added a sacrifice fly in the second, and Adam Frazier had an RBI single.
But Cincinnati’s pitching tightened up after that, retiring 16 straight Pirates from the third through eighth innings.
Chad Kuhl struck out seven in five innings for Pittsburgh. He was charged with two runs and five hits.
TRAINING ROOM
Reds: OF Scott Schebler (right elbow) missed his fourth straight game after being hit by a pitch Sunday against Washington. The impact did damage to the ulnar nerve in Schebler’s elbow and he is dealing with a lack of feeling in his hand as result. The Reds are still contemplating a move to the disabled list.
Pirates: RF Gregory Polanco was a late scratch with right foot discomfort after fouling a pitch off his foot on Friday night. He is day to day. Frazier replaced him in the lineup. … RHP Joe Musgrove (right shoulder strain) will begin throwing next week in Chicago.
UP NEXT
Reds: Tyler Mahle (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will pitch the series finale on Sunday afternoon. Mahle, 23, will be making just his sixth career start, but it’ll be his third against Pittsburgh. He made his major league debut against the Pirates last August.
Pirates: Jameson Taillon (1-0, 3.38 ERA) will make his second start of the season. He tied a career high with nine strikeouts against the Minnesota Twins on Monday.

Moran and Marte lead streaking Pirates over Reds 14-3
By JOHN PERROTTO, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rookie Colin Moran had four hits and three RBIs, and Starling Marte hit a bases-loaded triple to lead the streaking Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds 14-3 on Friday night.
Moran’s two-run single with two outs in the third inning just dropped in front of diving center fielder Billy Hamilton and put the Pirates ahead for good at 4-2. Marte’s triple keyed a six-run sixth inning that included Corey Dickerson’s two-run double as Pittsburgh extended its lead to 10-2 while playing through a steady rain.
Pittsburgh is off to a 6-1 start following an offseason in which the Pirates traded five-time All-Star center fielder Andrew McCutchen and ace pitcher Gerrit Cole.
Dickerson had three hits, including a triple, and Jordy Mercer had two doubles among his three hits. The Pirates had 15 hits, including two each by Marte and Josh Harrison. Harrison also drove in two runs and Josh Bell drew three walks.
Gregory Polanco hit a two-run double during a four-run seventh that made it 14-2. He has six extra-base hits and 11 RBIs in seven games.
Trevor Williams (2-0) scattered two runs over 5 1/3 innings despite allowing 10 hits. He pitched six hitless innings to win at Detroit last Sunday in his first start of the season.
Luis Castillo (0-2) allowed four runs and six hits in five innings and has a 9.00 ERA through two starts. His 3.12 ERA in 15 starts last season led NL rookies.
Jesse Winker had three hits for the Reds, and Joey Votto, Jose Peraza and Castillo added two each. Cincinnati hit into three double plays and stranded 10 runners in losing for the fifth time in six games.
Moran and Mercer hit back-to-back RBI doubles in the second inning. The Reds tied it in the third on run-scoring singles by Winker and Votto but didn’t score again until the ninth.
Clay Holmes, a 25-year-old right-hander, pitched the final two innings for Pittsburgh in his major league debut and allowed one run.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RF Scott Schebler (bruised right elbow) missed his third straight game. He was injured last Sunday when hit by a pitch from Washington LHP Sean Doolittle.
UP NEXT
Cincinnati RHP Sal Romano (0-1, 4.50 ERA) is to start against RHP Chad Kuhl (1-0, 6.35) on Saturday night. Romano gave up three runs in six innings against Washington ast Sunday, when Kuhl allowed four runs in 5 1/3 innings at Detroit.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

Polanco’s two-run homer lifts Pirates over Reds, 5-2
By JOHN PERROTTO, Associated Press
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gregory Polanco hit a two-run home run during a four-run fifth inning to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Cincinnati Reds 5-2 on Thursday night.
Polanco broke a 1-1 tie when he drove a ball into the shrubbery in center field off Homer Bailey (0-2). Polanco also had a tying sacrifice fly in the third inning, giving him three RBIs as the Pirates won for the fifth time in six games.
Steven Brault (2-0) pitched one-run ball over five innings in his first start this season. The left-hander allowed three hits, struck out four and walked four. He took over the rotation spot left by Joe Musgrove, who has a right shoulder strain.
Brault also got the win in the opener last Friday when he worked three scoreless innings in relief at Detroit.
Bailey allowed five runs — four earned — and seven hits in 4 2/3 innings with three walks and two strikeouts. He is 3-10 with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts in March and April during his 12-year career.
Josh Harrison started the Pirates’ fifth by drawing a leadoff walk, and Polanco followed with his second home run. Corey Dickerson hit an RBI triple with one out and scored when shortstop Jose Peraza fumbled Francisco Cervelli’s two-out grounder for an error.
The Reds’ Adam Duvall hit a solo home run, his second, in the eighth inning off George Kontos.
Cincinnati, which has lost four of five, scored the game’s first run in the second. Scooter Gennett came home on the second of Brault’s two wild pitches in the inning.
Dickerson also doubled, and he and Harrison each had two of Pittsburgh’s nine hits.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Reds: RF Scott Shebler (bruised right elbow) was not in the lineup after being hit by a pitch in Cincinnati’s previous game Monday but is expected to play Friday. … LHP Brandon Finnegan (strained left biceps) is scheduled to make a rehab start Monday for Triple-A Louisville then be activated from the disabled list if all goes well. … RHP Kevin Shackelford (strained forearm) is close to throwing a bullpen session.
Pirates: SS Jordy Mercer (jammed right pinkie finger) returned after sitting out Wednesday’s loss to Minnesota and went 1 for 2 with a double and two walks.
UP NEXT
Reds RHP Luis Castillo (0-1, 10.80 ERA) will face RHP Trevor Williams (1-0, 0.00) on Friday night in the second game of the four-game series. Castillo allowed six runs in five innings in a loss to Washington last Saturday in his first start of the season. Williams pitched six hitless innings last Sunday to win at Detroit.
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More AP baseball: https://apnews.com/tag/MLBbaseball

The Pittsburgh Pirates got the home schedule of to a good start with a 5-4 victory Monday afternoon over the Minnesota Twins in the home opener at PNC Park.

The Bucs now move to 4-0 to start the season. The twins are now 2-2 on the young season.

Jamison Taillon got the win after a stellar 5 2/3 innings. Colin Moran hit a Grand Slam Home Run in the First inning to lead the Bucs to victory.  The Pirates scored 5 runs on only 5 hits to take a 5 to 0 lead after one inning.  Another rocky performance by relievers Santana, Smoker led to 4 Twins runs in the sixth as Taillon tired and was removed after allowing two runs.

George Kontos came in to pitch a scoreless ninth and gain his second career save and his first of the season.

The Pirates are off tomorrow and the series will conclude with the Twins on Wednesday evening. The Bucs will send Ivan Nova to the mound looking to bounce back from his season opening rocky performance in Detroit last Thursday. The Twins will counter with Jake Odorizzi who will be making his first start of the season.

Tune into A.M. Beaver County with Matt Drzik and Pat Septak tomorrow morning for all of the highlights of today’s game.