Justin Guerriero stories, Page 36
Pirates call up 2020 1st round pick Nick Gonzales from Triple-A
As Paul Skenes prepares to make his MLB debut this weekend, another top performer at Triple-A Indianapolis (and fellow former first-round draft pick) is also getting the call up to Pittsburgh. The Pirates are promoting infielder Nick Gonzales, selected seventh overall by the Pirates in the 2020 MLB Draft, a...
Before Paul Skenes, the Pirates had 5 No. 1 overall draft picks: A look at their MLB debutsVideo
The excitement surrounding a No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates arguably has never been higher, with pitcher Paul Skenes earning his much-anticipated call-up to the big leagues to start Saturday at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs. However, the situation is far from foreign for the Pirates, who...
Pirates shut down by Angels bullpen, drop series finale
After five innings Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked to be sitting pretty, having taken a two-run lead over the Los Angeles Angels and chasing starter Jose Soriano. But that advantage evaporated almost instantly, with starter Martin Perez and reliever Luis Ortiz imploding in the sixth to...
Luis Ortiz embracing bullpen role, demonstrating value as reliever for Pirates
So far this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have asked pitcher Luis Ortiz to wear multiple hats coming out of the bullpen, even as he acclimates to that new role with the club. Through parts of two previous seasons with the Pirates, the 25-year-old Ortiz was primarily as a starter. A...
Fresh off grand slam, Pirates’ Edward Olivares committed to making most of opportunitiesVideo
From the moment the ball left his bat, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Edward Olivares needed little reassurance that he’d gotten every bit of it. In the bottom of the third inning of Monday’s series-opening contest against the Angels, with the bases loaded, Olivares crushed the first pitch he saw from Los...
Pirates rally to beat Rockies, win 1st series since early April
If the last few weeks have served as any guide, the three-run hole the Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves in early Sunday afternoon should have been more than enough to sink them and lead to yet another loss. After all, the Pirates have managed three or more runs only twice in...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington offers thoughts on Paul Skenes’ path, Henry Davis’ demotion
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington conducted his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan on Sunday afternoon, wrapping up as the club’s top prospect, Paul Skenes, prepared to make his seventh start for Triple-A Indianapolis. With Skenes posting a 0.39 ERA, 41 strikeouts and six walks to date at...
‘It’s just atrocious’: Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen rips strike zones of MLB umpires
When it comes to major-league batters’ recognition skills and their ability to win pitch-by-pitch battles with their mound opponents, Andrew McCutchen was unflinching in identifying a key component that’s out of a hitter’s control and subject to change nightly. “The strike zone’s horrible,” the Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter said before...
9th inning rally falls short, as Pirates fall to lowly Rockies for 5th straight loss
If their Friday night loss to the Colorado Rockies proves anything for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s that playing one of MLB’s worst teams offers no antidote to their ongoing issues, namely figuring out how to emerge from a frustrating multi-week offensive slump. The Rockies, who came to PNC Park with...
Amid offensive struggles, Pirates demote catcher Henry Davis to Triple-A
As one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ No. 1 overall draft picks closes in on a highly anticipated MLB debut, Friday afternoon brought news that another will navigate an early career disruption. All eyes are on pitcher Paul Skenes, selected atop the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pirates, who is expected...
In 1st year with Penguins, Lars Eller earned paycheck, making notable impact
Which first-year player brought in by Kyle Dubas made the biggest impact this season for the Pittsburgh Penguins? That’s debatable. With his solid presence down the stretch as the starting goalie for the final three weeks of the season, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has a strong case. Winger Reilly Smith and...
Late-game bullpen struggles sink Pirates, who settle for series split with Milwaukee
The Pittsburgh Pirates let an opportunity to take three of four games from the Milwaukee Brewers slip through their fingers Thursday, falling 7-5 at PNC Park because of a late-game bullpen meltdown and a shaky start by Mitch Keller. Aroldis Chapman (0-2, 6.75 ERA) was charged with the loss and...
Major offseason deep dive into power play’s deficiencies sure to be in store for Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell probably spoke for many of his teammates when asked earlier this season why the power play could not seem to gain any traction. “I wish I had an answer,” Rakell said in March. “I would be the first guy to change something.” The Penguins’ power...
After seamless transition to Penguins, Michael Bunting looks to be key piece in futureVideo
In back-to-back games at the end of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season, winger Michael Bunting scored his 20th goal of the campaign, only for both scores to be taken away. He was credited with a goal in the third period April 14 against Boston, his second of the game, but a...
From even-strength aptitude to power-play incompetence, a situational look at the Penguins’ seasonVideo
Like most teams across the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins had some facets of their game that were strong and others that were weaker. But perhaps more so than a majority of clubs, the contrast between areas was quite pronounced. In a nutshell, the Penguins were at their best in traditional...
Reilly Smith takes ownership of disappointing debut campaign with Penguins
Acquiring winger Reilly Smith just before last year’s NHL Draft represented the first major offseason move Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas made after being hired to lead the club’s front office. Bringing in Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round pick in...
Despite disappointing finish, Tristan Jarry enters offseason as Penguins’ No. 1 option in net
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry received votes of confidence from coach Mike Sullivan and president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas during the club’s recent end-of-year sit downs with local media. However, Jarry’s deployment — benching, to be more accurate — over the final few weeks of the season might...
Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler, armed with new outlook and curveball, off to hot start in AltoonaVideo
Few people go through high school without navigating some sort of event or experience that becomes impossible to forget. Like gum stuck on the bottom of your shoe, whatever that teenage situation was, however trivial, it can stay with you for years. Pittsburgh Pirates pitching prospect Bubba Chandler had good...
Penguins reassign defenseman Ryan Shea to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ahead of AHL playoffs
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Ryan Shea, placed on waivers Thursday by the club and cleared Friday, was formally re-assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton of the American Hockey League on Saturday. Shea arrives with one game left in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s regular season, an away contest Saturday evening at the Lehigh Valley Phantoms. Unlike their NHL...
Penguins prospect Tristan Broz inks 3-year entry-level contractVideo
Tristan Broz, a promising prospect of the Pittsburgh Penguins, turned pro Saturday, inking a three-year entry-level contract with the club. Broz, 21, will join the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the remainder of their season on an amateur tryout contract (ATO). Wilkes-Barre/Scranton plays one more regular-season game before the Calder Cup playoffs...
Duquesne, Robert Morris alter football schedules, add Mercyhurst for 2024
Duquesne and Robert Morris announced scheduling alterations to their 2024 football season Friday, with both teams now set to face the Mercyhurst in the Lakers’ inaugural campaign at the Division I level. Mercyhurst revealed earlier this month that 24 of its athletic programs would be making the jump from the...
Goalie prospect Joel Blomqvist among players Kyle Dubas expects to push for NHL next season
Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas has made no secret of his belief that the organization needs to get younger fast. In a perfect world, the Penguins will develop and acquire youthful talent that will crack the NHL, learn from the club’s current core of Sidney Crosby,...
Penguins’ Kyle Dubas named associate GM of Team Canada for ’24 World Championship
Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas has been added to the front office staff of Team Canada ahead of the 2024 IIHF World Championship held in Prague and Ostrava, Czechia, from May 10-26. Dubas is set to serve as an associate general manager for the Canadian men’s...
Bethel Park’s Justin Meis aims to keep climbing Pirates farm system ladder
It’s been nearly three years since the Pittsburgh Pirates drafted pitcher Justin Meis in the 10th round (No. 283 overall) of the 2021 MLB Draft, but the euphoria has yet to wear off for the Bethel Park native, who played collegiately at Eastern Michigan. Adding to the still-surreal feeling of...
Penguins’ Kris Letang played through ‘myriad of injuries for a long time’ this season
Pittsburgh Penguins alternate captain Kris Letang was blunt when asked how he was feeling physically a few days before the end of the regular season. “I feel like you should feel after 81 games,” he said, responding to a media inquiry about several end-of-year maintenance days that kept him out...
