Kevin Gorman stories, Page 25
20/20 vision: Oneil Cruz becomes 10th Pirates player to reach home run-stolen base milestone
Oneil Cruz already had eclipsed one mark and knew he was a home run away from reaching another, so he took a swing at the first pitch he saw from Cincinnati Reds left-hander Brent Suter. When Cruz sent Suter’s slider 411 feet screaming to center field for his 20th home...
Oneil Cruz reaches 20/20 but Reds rough up Mitch Keller for 8 runs to win series opener
Mitch Keller couldn’t find the strike zone, and when he did the Cincinnati Reds pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander. Where Keller tied a career high by giving up eight earned runs and a season-high five walks, the Pirates couldn’t touch Reds righty Nick Martinez’s changeup. Martinez recorded a career-best nine...
Nick Gonzales trusts instincts to come through in clutch for Pirates
Nick Gonzales was facing an 0-2 count with two outs and runners on first and third in the eighth inning, so the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman was looking for a pitch to hit. Even though he wasn’t expecting one. “I thought he was going to throw something in the dirt,...
Oneil Cruz scores winning run as Pirates beat Cardinals to avoid series sweep
The Pittsburgh Pirates are counting on Oneil Cruz’s speed for spectacular plays, and the converted center fielder provided a pair of them against the St. Louis Cardinals. Cruz made a fantastic diving catch to rob Masyn Winn of a hit in the first inning, but it was what he did...
For Pirates rookie Billy Cook, 1st home run of MLB career came on a wing and a prayer
When the Pittsburgh Pirates called up Billy Cook, it caused his family to scramble for flights in to make it to PNC Park in time to see his major league debut. Where that required a wing, his first home run came after a prayer. Cook said one with teammate Henry...
Pirates bullpen blows lead as Cardinals use 6-run 7th inning to cruise to 3rd straight win
For the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s a familiar refrain: The bullpen blew it. The Pirates couldn’t protect the one-run lead provided by Billy Cook’s three-run home run – the first of his major league career – in the sixth inning against the St. Louis Cardinals. Masyn Winn’s game-tying homer was the...
Pirates select Jake Woodford to start against Cardinals, placed Kyle Nicolas on 15-day IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of right-handed pitcher Jake Woodford from Triple-A Indianapolis so he can start Wednesday against the St. Louis Cardinals. To make room for Woodford on the active roster, right-handed reliever Kyle Nicolas was placed on the 15-day injured list (retroactive to Sept. 17) with a...
Pirates rookie Nick Yorke notches 1st MLB hit, picks up 2 more in St. Louis
Nick Yorke didn’t know when he was going to get his first major league hit, but the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie second baseman knew exactly who was getting the souvenir ball once he did. When Yorke singled to right-center off Lance Lynn in the fifth inning of a 3-1 loss to...
Pirates struggle to score against Cardinals, who clinch season series with win
The Pittsburgh Pirates got eight hits, including three by rookie second baseman Nick Yorke, but continued to struggle to score against the St. Louis Cardinals. It cost them the season series against their NL Central rival. Rookie Jordan Walker hit the go-ahead home run with a solo shot in the...
Could All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds be the next prominent Pirate to switch positions?
There was something different about the pregame drills Bryan Reynolds was doing along the left-field line Sunday, as the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star outfielder was on his knees fielding grounders in foul territory. That Pirates bench coach Don Kelly used a fungo bat to hit balls to Reynolds while wearing an...
On Roberto Clemente Day, Pirates honor the late Hall of Famer by wearing his retired No. 21
Derek Shelton rarely wears a game jersey in the dugout, but the Pittsburgh Pirates manager proudly wore his home white with the No. 21 on the back as MLB celebrated Roberto Clemente Day. What made it even better for Shelton is he wore it for a win that involved a...
Rookie RF Billy Cook shines on Roberto Clemente Day as Pirates top Royals
All of the Pittsburgh Pirates wore No. 21 in celebration of MLB’s Roberto Clemente Day, but rookie Billy Cook paid tribute in ways that captured the essence of the late Hall of Fame right fielder’s style of play. Cook prevented the Kansas City Royals from scoring a run, turning a...
‘Good in center field now’: Pirates’ Oneil Cruz embracing challenge of switch from shortstop
When the Pittsburgh Pirates moved Oneil Cruz from shortstop to center field, the greatest concern for talent evaluators was not whether he could play the position but rather if he would be willing. Blessed with size, speed and an elite arm, the 6-foot-7 Cruz has shown in flashes how the...
Bobby Witt Jr.’s 2 extra-base hits, 3 RBIs boost Royals past mistake-prone Pirates
Bobby Witt Jr. is one of baseball’s burgeoning stars, and the Kansas City Royals shortstop showed the Pittsburgh Pirates why he’s an American League MVP candidate. The 24-year-old Witt recorded his 100th RBI of the season on a solo home run in the first inning, then added two more on...
Whether Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes can return this season ‘still to be determined’
The Pittsburgh Pirates got some more clarity on the back issues bothering Ke’Bryan Hayes but don’t appear too optimistic that the Gold Glove third baseman will be ready to return for games this season. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Hayes was recommended rehabilitation after being examined by...
‘You don’t see that play often’: How the Pirates turned a rare 5-4-6 double play against Marlins
The Pittsburgh Pirates were clinging to a two-run lead with runners on first and second base with no outs in the fifth inning when Paul Skenes threw a 2-2 sinker low and away to Connor Norby, having no idea that the resulting bouncer would produce a rare double play. How...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates GM ‘not perfect’ but makes a case for continuity over cost
For all of the reactions to Ben Cherington’s public vote of confidence in Derek Shelton returning as Pittsburgh Pirates manager next season, one of the most interesting is the assumption that it really isn’t his to say. The suggestion is that Cherington is only the general manager and answers to...
Bailey Falter takes no-hitter into 7th, as Pirates beat Marlins for series sweep
Derek Shelton made no secret of the need for left-hander Bailey Falter to follow a bullpen game against the Miami Marlins by providing a strong start for the Pittsburgh Pirates in the series finale. Falter went above and beyond, delivering the finest performance of his career by throwing six no-hit...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: ‘Fully expect’ Derek Shelton to return as manager in 2025
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington gave a vote of confidence to Derek Shelton, saying he expects him to return next season despite the likelihood of missing the playoffs for a fifth consecutive season as the field manager. “I fully expect Shelty to be the manager in 2025,” Cherington told...
Andrew McCutchen hits 3-run shot for 10th 20-homer season as Pirates top Marlins
There was no flair for the dramatic from Andrew McCutchen, except that he didn’t drop his bat until he saw the long fly ball that sailed 403 feet clear the left-center fence for a three-run home run. It was another milestone moment for McCutchen with the Pittsburgh Pirates, marking the...
Pirates catcher Endy Rodriguez ready to return to playing in games at Double-A Altoona
Missing an entire season after undergoing Tommy John surgery on his right elbow was challenging enough for Endy Rodriguez, but it made the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher appreciate how much baseball means to him. “I think being out all year makes me love the game a little bit more,” Rodriguez said,...
Paul Skenes strikes out 9 to set rookie club record, Pirates hold on to beat Marlins
Paul Skenes took care of business right away, breaking the franchise mark for most strikeouts by a rookie pitcher that stood for nine decades by fanning the second batter he faced. The Pittsburgh Pirates phenom then tried to put the record out of reach. Skenes had nine strikeouts and allowed...
Pirates closer David Bednar nominated for Roberto Clemente Award for 3rd time
David Bednar doesn’t need a reminder how much of an impact he can make on the community as a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates, as the two-time All-Star closer remembers what it meant to him as kid who played youth baseball in Mt. Lebanon and for Mars High School. “I...
‘One to remember’: Billy Cook makes crazy catch, 2-run double for Pirates in MLB debut
When Billy Cook wasn’t making phone calls to share his big news during his drive from Toledo to Pittsburgh, he listened to music in hopes that it would calm his nerves in the hours before his major league debut. “As I got closer, I could feel it in my stomach...
Jared Jones strikes out 9, Pirates get trio of solo home runs to beat Nationals for series split
Jared Jones got off to an inauspicious start when CJ Abrams hit his third pitch of the game out of the park, only for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander to turn in one of the best performances of his rookie season. Jones got frustrated after giving up two runs in the...
