Kevin Gorman stories, Page 31
Pirates waste strong start by Paul Skenes, as Rays rally in 8th against Colin Holderman
Paul Skenes surrendered a home run on his first pitch, then held the Tampa Bay Rays scoreless over his next 97 as the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander went seven innings for the first time. And it wasn’t enough to earn a decision, let alone a win. The Rays rallied for...
Pirates place closer David Bednar on injured list, recall lefty reliever Justin Bruihl
Pittsburgh Pirates two-time All-Star closer David Bednar is headed to the 15-day injured list (retroactive to June 20) with a strained left oblique muscle. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Bednar was not available Saturday because of left side tightness he felt in his throwing program. Lefty reliever Aroldis Chapman, a...
‘We want to add to the team’: Pirates GM Ben Cherington turning to trade market for offense
With the Pittsburgh Pirates in the thick of wild-card contention, Bob Nutting and Ben Cherington are in regular discussions about adding a major-league bat to improve their chances of making the playoffs. Given that the July 30 trade deadline is still five weeks away, the Pirates general manager explained Saturday...
Pirates owner Bob Nutting: ‘Incredibly important’ to take advantage of playoff window
Now that the Pittsburgh Pirates have found a corporate partner to put a patch on their jerseys, club chairman Bob Nutting believes they soon could pull something out of their Sheetz-logo sleeves. With Ke’Bryan Hayes, Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller signed to long-term contracts and rookie right-handers Jared Jones and...
Made to order: Pirates sign 3-year agreement to wear red Sheetz logo patch on game jerseys
Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting admits he was slow to embrace the idea of adding advertising to Major League Baseball’s game uniforms, that it took time to get used to the change. “The idea of putting a logo on a uniform is something baseball just hadn’t done,” Nutting said, “so...
Ke’Bryan Hayes chasing confidence Bryan Reynolds displaying at plate for Pirates
Even after Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a home run Tuesday against the Cincinnati Reds, the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman couldn’t shake the feeling in his head that he wasn’t where he wanted to be at the plate. When Bryan Reynolds smacked a solo shot that proved to be the game winner...
‘His legacy is going to live on’: Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen reflects on death of Willie Mays
Upon learning that the player known as the game’s greatest center fielder had passed, Andrew McCutchen thought about his interactions with the pioneer who called him “Pittsburgh” and whose personality and play paved the path for the likes of himself, Rickey Henderson, Barry Bonds and Ken Griffey Jr. “Before all...
Nick Lodolo outduels Bailey Falter, Santiago Espinal homer leads Reds past Pirates
If the Pittsburgh Pirates thought beating the Cincinnati Reds was going to be as easy as 5-4-3, they were wrong. The Pirates turned three double plays in the first three innings, all starting with grounders to third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes throwing to Nick Gonzales at second base and relayed to...
Paul Skenes silences Reds as Pirates break tie in standings with NL Central rivals
When Paul Skenes attacked the Cincinnati Reds with his four-seam fastball by flirting with triple digits on four of his first five pitches, he found that their hitters were sitting on his heater. The Reds responded with back-to-back hits against the fastball, scoring a run in the first inning. But...
Confidence factor: Why Pirates pitchers have full faith in veteran catcher Yasmani Grandal
Yasmani Grandal isn’t hitting anywhere near his weight and admittedly made an inexcusable mental error that allowed the Colorado Rockies to steal home Saturday night, a blemish for any catcher. Yet there’s a reason the Pittsburgh Pirates find value in the 35-year-old Grandal, and it has everything to do with...
Josh Fleming, Jason Delay deliver for Pirates in bounce-back win over Rockies to clinch series
The Pittsburgh Pirates turned to a pair of new arrivals for emergency spot starts, and left-handed reliever Josh Fleming and catcher Jason Delay required no extra incentive. Battery mates at Triple-A Indianapolis, both used their second chances to provide prominent performances as the Pirates bounced back from a double-digit defeat...
Rockies pound Jared Jones, bullpen to hand Pirates most lopsided loss of season
Jared Jones had matched his career high in earned runs when Colorado Rockies third base coach Warren Schaeffer noticed that Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Yasmani Grandal was lobbing the ball back to the mound. So Schaeffer, a Vandergrift native and Greensburg Central Catholic graduate, tipped Ryan McMahon to be on alert....
Pirates place Henry Davis on concussion IL, recall Jason Delay to serve as backup catcher
When Henry Davis took a foul ball off the face mask Friday night at Colorado, it proved to be worse than expected. Not only was the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher removed from the game but he was placed the catcher on the seven-day concussion injured list before Saturday’s game against the...
Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds, Jack Suwinski homer to push Pirates past Rockies
The high altitude of Coors Field proved to be the perfect antidote to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ slumbering lumber. Bryan Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen and Jack Suwinski homered to provide run support to propel the Pirates to a 5-2 win over the Colorado Rockies on Friday night in the first of a...
Pirates place RHP Hunter Stratton on 15-day IL, select LHP Josh Fleming
The Pittsburgh Pirates made a series of roster moves before Friday’s game against the Colorado Rockies, bringing back a former reliever to a bullpen dealing with an injury. The Pirates placed right-hander Hunter Stratton (2-1, 4.26 ERA, one save) on the 15-day injured list with a right triceps strain and...
Pirates hope 1st homer a step in the right direction for catcher Henry Davis
Henry Davis makes it clear he doesn’t care about anything but winning, so the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher isn’t the type to seek solace in making hard contact when it’s a foul ball. When Davis pulled a ball nearly 400 feet in the fifth inning Wednesday in St. Louis, it was...
Pirates trade LHP Jose Hernandez to Los Angeles Dodgers for cash considerations
Jose Hernandez is headed back to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Two days after designating the left-handed reliever for assignment, the Pirates traded Hernandez to the Dodgers on Thursday night for cash considerations. The Pirates picked Hernandez in the 2022 Rule 5 Draft from the Dodgers, and he was 1-3 with...
Mitch Keller gives up 2 home runs as Cardinals beat Pirates to win series
Mitch Keller has had an impressive stretch of streaks for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the one that came to an end against the St. Louis Cardinals proved to be the difference in the game. Keller hadn’t surrendered more than one home run in a game since Sept. 20 at the...
In bullpen shakeup, Pirates activate RHP Dennis Santana, option RHP Ryder Ryan
The Pittsburgh Pirates added right-hander Dennis Santana to their active roster before Thursday’s game at the St. Louis Cardinals, the latest move in their bullpen shakeup. The 28-year-old Santana, claimed Tuesday off waivers from the New York Yankees, adds another veteran arm to the relief corps. The 28-year-old has a...
Pirates reliever Kyle Nicolas pitches with conviction in fanning 5 against Cardinals
Kyle Nicolas has had his share of moments ranging from the emphatic to the erratic this season, so the Pittsburgh Pirates reliever wanted to focus on filling up the strike zone against the St. Louis Cardinals. The result was Nicolas’ most impressive outing, as the right-hander struck out the heart...
Sonny Gray strikes out 9, Cardinals have 11 hits in win over Pirates
Sonny Gray seemed off at the start as the St. Louis Cardinals right-hander allowed the first two batters he faced to reach base. After walking Andrew McCutchen and giving up a double to Bryan Reynolds, Gray struck out the next three Pittsburgh Pirates on his way to recording nine strikeouts...
Pirates cut ties with Ben Heller, claim IF/OF Niko Goodrum
One day after he gave up seven runs in the 10th inning against the Minnesota Twins, the Pittsburgh Pirates designated right-handed reliever Ben Heller for assignment. The 32-year-old allowed 11 earned runs in two appearances for the Pirates, giving up nine hits, one walk and four hit batters to post...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates ‘better than one call’ but would like to see umpires get it right
Henry Davis had just watched video replay of the first-inning foul tip that was called a passed ball and cost the Pittsburgh Pirates a run in a game they lost in extra innings to the Minnesota Twins on Sunday. So it would be safe to assume the Pirates catcher wasn’t...
Twins take advantage of Pirates reliever Ben Heller’s disastrous 10th to prevent sweep
After a bullpen game Saturday followed by a short start from rookie Jared Jones, the Pittsburgh Pirates were down to their last reliever when the game went into extra innings. So they turned to right-hander Ben Heller, in hopes his second appearance would fare better than his first. Instead, it...
Preparing to succeed: How Connor Joe became the most consistent player in Pirates’ lineup
When Connor Joe’s name is mentioned, the reflex response from the Pittsburgh Pirates has been to talk about his preparation. Joe is nothing if not prepared, a label he wears as a badge of honor. But Joe is changing the conversation, as the first baseman/outfielder has been the most consistent...
