PITTSBURGH, PA - JULY 19: Jameson Taillon #50 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers a pitch in the first inning during the game against the Milwaukee Brewers at PNC Park on July 19, 2016 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Justin Berl/Getty Images)
The Pittsburgh Pirates are one of the oldest MLB teams, being founded in 1887.
Most recently, they won championships in 1960, 1971, and 1979. They’ve produced a number of elite players in and after those years including, but not limited to, Barry Bonds, Roberto Clemente and Willie Stargell. Though they fell into the lower ranks of the MLB standings for a long time after, missing the playoffs for two decades and having a 20-year streak of losing seasons, they’ve reemerged recently.
In 2011, the team was above .500 after the All-Star break for the first time since 1992, and the following year they were in first place of the AL Central at the break. However, both teams collapsed late in the season. Though from 2013 to 2015, Pittsburgh reached the playoffs for three consecutive years and even finished with a 98-win season in 2015.
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While they haven’t made the playoffs since then, there is optimism at PNC Park due to a fun and surprising team. Josh Bell and Melky Cabrera anchor the lineup with each hitting over .360 currently. Two-time All-Star Chirs Archer anchors the pitching rotation, while Felipe Vasquez has 12 saves in the season.
On May 14 and 15, the Pirates will head out west to take on the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field. The Diamondbacks are a young team currently grooming their farm system. For Pirates fans, hopefully, Pittsburgh can pick up a few wins. Tickets start at $8.
After that, the Pirates will head out to San Diego to take on the Padres. With Manny Machado, Fernando Tatis Jr, and Eric Hosmer manning the infield, San Diego has become a team to watch. Tickets for the four-game series range from $16 and go to $150.
On May 21, Pittsburgh will head back East to PNC Park and square off against the Colorado Rockies. In Trevor Story and Nolan Arenado, they have one of the most exciting duos at the five and six positions. Tickets begin at $9 for each of the three games in that series.
Below is the Pirates’ schedule for the month of May:
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May 14 – @ Arizona Diamondbacks
May 15 – @ Arizona Diamondbacks
May 16 – @ San Diego Padres
May 17 – @ San Diego Padres
May 18 – @ San Diego Padres
May 19 – @ San Diego Padres
May 21 – VS Colorado Rockies
May 22 – VS Colorado Rockies
May 23 – VS Colorado Rockies
May 24 – VS Los Angeles Dodgers
May 25 – VS Los Angeles Dodgers
May 26 – VS Los Angeles Dodgers
May 27 – @ Cincinnati Reds (First of doubleheader)
May 27 – @ Cincinnati Reds (Second of doubleheader)
May 28 – @ Cincinnati Reds
May 29 – @ Cincinnati Reds
May 30 – VS Milwaukee Brewers
May 31 – VS Milwaukee Brewers
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