Kevin Gorman stories, Page 29
Pirates sign 4th-round pick Eddie Rynders, a prep shortstop from Wisconsin
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced Wednesday the signing of Eddie Rynders, a shortstop from Wisconsin Lutheran High School who was a fourth-round draft pick. Rynders, who was scouted by Anthony Wycklendt, was rated the No. 229 prospect by MLB Pipeline. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder, who batted .411 as a junior and was...
GM Ben Cherington says Pirates ‘right in the middle’ of trade talks to upgrade offense
As Ben Cherington expressed his belief in the Pittsburgh Pirates in one breath, the general manager addressed their need for offensive improvement in another while talking about the July 30 trade deadline. What Cherington wanted to make clear Wednesday morning is that he won’t be making deals in reaction to...
The Skenes Show: Pirates phenom welcomes challenge of being baseball’s newest superstarVideo
Paul Skenes heard the PNC Park crowd chanting when he took the mound in the ninth inning, though the Pittsburgh Pirates phenom was so locked in that he couldn’t grasp the magnitude of the moment. The rookie right-hander has captivated the baseball world since leading LSU to the College World...
Cardinals score in 9th to beat Pirates, hand rookie Paul Skenes his 1st loss
The crowd roared when Paul Skenes took the mound for the ninth inning, chanting “M-V-P!” as the Pittsburgh Pirates gave the rookie phenom a chance to pitch the first complete game of his major-league career. In his first start since the All-Star Game, Skenes showed ruthless efficiency and made only...
Nick Gonzales drives in winning run in 8th inning as Pirates edge Cardinals
The Pittsburgh Pirates have come to expect that when Nick Gonzales comes to the plate in late-game situations, the rookie second baseman does so with a slow heartbeat and a knack for game-winning hits. Gonzales singled to score Bryan Reynolds in the bottom of the eighth inning for his eighth...
Pirates sign 5 Day 2 draft picks, including a pitcher with Westmoreland County ties
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed five college players selected on the second day of the MLB Draft — including one with Westmoreland County ties — and assigned them to the Florida Complex League in Bradenton, Fla. Pirates amateur scouting director Justin Horowitz announced the signings Monday of three pitchers, a shortstop...
Locked in: Now healthy, Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz off to a strong start to 2nd halfVideo
On Oneil Cruz’s first swing of the second half, he smoked Aaron Nola’s changeup off the base of the center-field wall at an exit velocity of 120.5 mph for an RBI double that saw him slide effortlessly into second base. That was a sign Cruz could be a catalyst for...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: Win streak could ‘clarify’ whether to be trade buyers or sellers
Ben Cherington called July an “incredibly exciting” time but also a month in baseball that can be “exhausting,” and the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager knows his work is far from done. “We’ve made July into quite a month in baseball,” Cherington said on his weekly radio show on Pirates flagship...
‘People love Jim Leyland’: Pirates get thrills, chills in anticipation of Hall of Fame induction
Don Kelly stood on the field during batting practice Saturday afternoon at PNC Park wearing a wide smile and a black T-shirt celebrating Jim Leyland’s induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. Just the thought of Leyland being enshrined among the game’s greats Sunday afternoon in Cooperstown, N.Y., gave...
Nick Gonzales singles in 9th, Pirates rally for walk-off win over Phillies
When the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied twice from early deficits to tie the Philadelphia Phillies, it didn’t just keep them in the game. It provided a belief that the best team in baseball was beatable. The Pirates believed that, even as manager Derek Shelton’s decision to rest Mitch Keller and Paul...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates fans fuming about Mitch Keller, Paul Skenes skipping Phillies
The Pittsburgh Pirates finished the first half of the season on a positive note to pull their record to .500 for the first time since April 27, giving fans a glimmer of hope they could be a playoff contender. By taking two of three at the NL Central first-place Milwaukee...
Paul Skenes’ meteoric rise aside, development process takes time for Pirates draft picks
The Pittsburgh Pirates are treating the drafting and development of Paul Skenes like a phenomenon, given his unprecedented rise from No. 1 overall pick to the starting pitcher in the All-Star Game. With Skenes serving as an anomaly by making an immediate impact, the Pirates focused on the future when...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: With Paul Skenes in a starring role, can the Pirates imagine playoffs?
The Pittsburgh Pirates were in the All-Star Game spotlight from start to finish, with rookie Paul Skenes making history in the first inning and Bryan Reynolds the final out in the ninth. As impressive as Skenes was in becoming the first player to go from No. 1 overall draft pick...
Pirates OF Bryan Reynolds lines a single in 7th inning, strikes out to end All-Star Game
Bryan Reynolds got a much different All-Star Game experience than his Pittsburgh Pirates teammate. Where Paul Skenes started for the National League and didn’t give up a hit or record a strikeout in the first inning, Reynolds was a reserve who got a knock in his first at-bat and ended...
Bethel Park’s Mason Miller brings heat to strike out Shohei Ohtani, Trea Turner in All-Star Game
As expected, a right-handed pitcher from Pittsburgh dominated the All-Star Game with his power pitching. Move over, Pirates rookie Paul Skenes. Make room for Bethel Park native Mason Miller. The 25-year-old Oakland A’s closer topped triple digits on eight of his 12 pitches and struck out Los Angeles Dodgers superstar...
Pirates rookie Paul Skenes shines in All-Star Game, makes quick work of Aaron Judge
Baseball fans got their wish, as Paul Skenes faced Aaron Judge in the All-Star Game. New York Yankees star Juan Soto made good on his promise to get his teammate a first-inning at-bat, drawing a full-count walk against the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander to set up the monster matchup between...
All-Star live file: Pirates rookie Paul Skenes shines in making quick work of Aaron Judge
Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes got out of a jam in the top of the first inning, when he walked Shohei Ohtani and Bryce Harper hit a two-out double to left off Baltimore’s Corbin Burnes to put a pair of runners in scoring position but got William Contreras to ground out. That...
Pirates load up on college arms, more middle infielders on Day 2 of MLB Draft
When the Pittsburgh Pirates picked three prep prospects on the first day of an MLB Draft that was considered loaded with college talent, it raised eyebrows and begged a question. General manager Ben Cherington was asked Sunday night why the Pirates opted for high-ceiling high schoolers over high-floor college players...
Pirates give scout his flowers by wearing Hawaiian shirts in war room for MLB Draft
When cameras showed the celebration inside the Pittsburgh Pirates’ war room after they made their first-round pick Sunday night in the MLB Draft, it showed a room full of people in matching shirts. That was how the Pirates paid tribute to the area scout who showed up to the draft...
MLB Draft Day 2: Pirates take another prep shortstop, load up on college pitchers
A look at the Pittsburgh Pirates’ picks on the second day of the MLB Draft: • With their first choice, at No. 83 overall in the third round, the Pirates selected left-handed pitcher Josh Hartle of Wake Forest. The 6-foot-5, 210-pounder was an All-American as a sophomore, when he went...
Pirates pick smooth defensive prep shortstop Wyatt Sanford in 2nd round
The Pittsburgh Pirates chose another prep shortstop in Wyatt Sanford of Independence, Texas, with the No. 47 overall pick in the second round of the MLB Draft on Sunday. The 6-foot-1, 175-pound Sanford, a Texas A&M recruit, is ranked the No. 35 prospect by MLB.com and No. 42 by Baseball...
Pirates make ‘easy’ pick by taking RHP Levi Sterling of Notre Dame HS at No. 37 overall
When the Pittsburgh Pirates selected right-handed pitcher Levi Sterling in the MLB Draft, they made it sound as if it was as easy as his delivery. The Pirates picked Sterling, of Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, Calif., with their second pick in the MLB Draft, No. 37 overall...
Pirates pick ‘potential 5-tool superstar’ in prep shortstop Konnor Griffin in 1st round of draftVideo
When the Pittsburgh Pirates saw that Konnor Griffin was available at the No. 9 pick in the MLB Draft on Sunday night, their war room erupted in celebration that they could draft the prospect considered to have the highest ceiling. The Pirates used their first-round selection Griffin, a 6-foot-4, 215-pound...
‘That’s the stage people want to pitch on’: Pirates rookie Paul Skenes excited to start All-Star Game
Even as Paul Skenes said skyrocketing from No. 1 overall pick to National League starter in the All-Star Game in a year “doesn’t feel like anything out of the ordinary,” the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander couldn’t hide his excitement about pitching against baseball’s best players. During an in-game interview on...
With Paul Skenes shining, Pirates under pressure to draft immediate help in 1st round
As the Pittsburgh Pirates bask in the buzz that surrounds Paul Skenes, who has gone from No. 1 overall pick to National League starting pitcher in the All-Star Game, they enter the MLB Draft with a top-10 pick for the fifth consecutive year. With the No. 9 overall selection, however,...
