Kevin Gorman stories, Page 5
Pirates have message for starting rotation hopefuls: Be ready to pitch, whatever the role
As Ben Cherington discussed how the Pittsburgh Pirates are going to manage their starting rotation for the remainder of the season, the general manager interrupted his train of thought to explain an exception. “We’re not declaring that one pitcher is in the rotation and one pitcher is not, aside from...
Pirates promoting Konnor Griffin, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, to Double-A Altoona
Konnor Griffin has rocketed to the top of prospect rankings by dominating Class A in his first full season of professional baseball. Now, the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting the 19-year-old shortstop to Double-A Altoona, a source confirmed Sunday to TribLive. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound Griffin, selected No. 9 overall in the...
Dansby Swanson’s sacrifice fly in 8th helps Cubs beat Pirates, win 3-game series
With veteran left-hander Andrew Heaney moving to the bullpen and the starting rotation in flux, the Pittsburgh Pirates gave Carmen Mlodzinski a look with his first start since mid-May. Where the right-hander responded by holding the Chicago Cubs to one hit over four innings, Heaney’s debut in relief proved disastrous...
Pirates GM provides updates on returns of Oneil Cruz, Endy Rodriguez, Jared Jones
Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz, who was injured in an outfield collision Tuesday at Milwaukee, is getting “better every day” but “not quite ready” to come off the seven-day concussion injured list. General manager Ben Cherington addressed Cruz’s recovery from the concussion Sunday afternoon on his weekly radio show....
Full Count: Al Oliver hopes Pirates Hall of Fame induction opens doors to Cooperstown
Al Oliver finally got the Hall call he was waiting for — not the one everyone talks about — and treated it with the same approach he did when a pitch he liked came across the plate. Oliver knows if he’s ever going to be elected to the National Baseball...
Pirates snap scoreless streak against Shota Imanaga but Cubs rally for 2 runs in 8th to win
The Pittsburgh Pirates finally cracked the code against Chicago Cubs lefty Shota Imanaga, and rookie right-hander Mike Burrows rose to the moment by getting out of a bases-loaded jam to keep the score even. But the Cubs came through in the clutch, breaking a tie by scoring two runs in...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates catcher Henry Davis discusses art of the deke, plays at the plate
For this week’s Bucs Beat Q&A, TribLive sat down with Pirates catcher Henry Davis: You deked Miguel Andujar on a 9-4-2 play at the plate against the Cincinnati Reds on Aug. 8. What’s the key to selling a deke? I don’t know. My head coach in college (Dan McDonnell) told...
Jack Suwinski’s 9th-inning home run beats Cubs as Pirates snap 5-game losing streak
The moment was one Jack Suwinski could only dream about. Playing in his hometown and in front of his family at Wrigley Field, he knew one swing could change the outcome. Chicago Cubs closer Daniel Palencia was bringing the heat, touching 101.6 mph on the radar gun with his first...
Pirates recall RHP Colin Holderman, LHP Evan Sisk, DFA LHP Ryan Borucki in bullpen shakeup
With its bullpen battered by the past two series, the Pittsburgh Pirates addressed it by making a number of roster moves before Friday’s series opener at the Chicago Cubs. The Pirates recalled right-hander Colin Holderman and lefty Evan Sisk from Triple-A Indianapolis and optioned rookie righty Cam Sanders and designated...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: MLB Network gives glimpse into mind of Pirates ace Paul Skenes
Mark DeRosa thought he got screened by Paul Skenes. When the Team USA manager called the Pittsburgh Pirates ace to pitch him on playing in the World Baseball Classic next spring, Skenes didn’t answer. But Skenes called right back and readily accepted. “I had this pitch I was going to...
Pirates place CF Oneil Cruz on 7-day IL, lose C/1B Endy Rodriguez to season-ending surgery
The Pittsburgh Pirates will be without Oneil Cruz for at least a week but lost Endy Rodriguez for the remainder of the season. The Pirates placed Cruz on the seven-day concussion injured list Wednesday after the center fielder left Tuesday’s game to be evaluated for a head injury following a...
Pirates playing the ‘short’ game by having Jared Triolo, Isiah Kiner-Falefa switch positions
After years of being blocked at third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates by one of the best defenders in baseball, Jared Triolo viewed the trade of Ke’Bryan Hayes as a bittersweet opportunity. Although Triolo is a Gold Glove winner, he also is someone who studies the game and its best...
Bullpen blows up as Reds pound Pirates for 14 runs for 4-game series split
There was a long stretch of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates when a four-run deficit would have been insurmountable even if their pitching was impenetrable. Those roles were reversed Sunday afternoon, when the Pirates got offensive production but their bullpen couldn’t stop the bleeding as the Cincinnati Reds scored...
‘Bet on it’: Pirates GM confident Bubba Chandler will make MLB debut this season
If Ben Cherington were a gambling man, the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager would be willing to bet top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler will make his major-league debut this season. The Pirates are playing the waiting game with the 22-year-old Chandler, a 6-foot-3, 218-pound right-hander who is ranked the No. 4...
Full Count: Pirates icon Andrew McCutchen mentors Liover Peguero to tap into potential
After Liover Peguero hit three home runs in one game Aug. 2 at Coors Field, Andrew McCutchen approached the 24-year-old infielder and provided a pop quiz: Do you know who was the last Pittsburgh Pirates player to hit three homers in a game in Denver? Peguero had no idea, even...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates catcher Joey Bart talks recovering from concussion, learning 1st base
In this week’s Bucs Beat Q&A, TribLive’s Kevin Gorman sits down with Pirates catcher Joey Bart: You grew up in Atlanta but have family roots in Western Pennsylvania, specifically Lower Burrell. Have you had a chance to see some of your relatives while playing for the Pirates? More so connecting...
Pirates survive Chase Burns, rally behind Bryan Reynolds’ triple
Chase Burns came with a reputation as a fireballer whose four-seam fastball flirts with triple digits, and the Cincinnati Reds rookie right-hander lived up to his billing with 10 strikeouts in six innings. Despite a dominant performance by Burns, his first major-league victory continued to elude him as the Pittsburgh...
After simple advice, Pirates catcher Henry Davis hopes homer signals turnaround at plate
For all of the work Henry Davis has done in the batting cage trying to find his way out of a funk at the plate, the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher got some simple but sage advice from a baseball lifer. After taking early batting practice Thursday, it was a conversation with...
Paul Skenes tosses 6 scoreless innings as Pirates pound Reds for shutout victory
The return of Ke’Bryan Hayes with the Cincinnati Reds brought a warm reception from a crowd that cheered the first third baseman in Pittsburgh Pirates history to win a Gold Glove. The better ovation was saved for Paul Skenes, who continued to build his candidacy for the National League Cy...
After being traded to Cincinnati, Ke’Bryan Hayes returns with Reds to play Pirates
Don Kelly said it would be weird to see Ke’Bryan Hayes in red after so many years wearing black and gold while playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he became baseball’s premier defensive third baseman. Hayes used the same word to describe dressing in the visiting clubhouse and sitting in...
Dennis Santana plans to ‘turn the page’ after early struggles as Pirates’ new closer
Dennis Santana had blown a save for the second time in three appearances, surrendering two earned runs in the ninth inning of a 4-2 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday afternoon. That it came only five days after a disastrous outing in Colorado where the Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed...
Giants score 2 runs off Dennis Santana in 9th inning to beat Pirates, win series
A week after being swept at home by the Pittsburgh Pirates, the San Francisco Giants came to PNC Park and nearly returned the favor. The Giants tied the score in the eighth inning against Isaac Mattson and scored two runs in the ninth off Dennis Santana for a 4-2 win...
Returns of Johan Oviedo, Dauri Moreta ‘a win’ for Pirates rehab and sports performance team
As senior director of sports medicine for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Todd Tomczyk often is the bearer of bad news when he delivers a weekly injury report often filled with updates on season-ending surgeries. This week, Tomczyk got to do a celebratory lap. The returns to the major-league mound of starter...
Pirates reliever Cam Sanders turns in MLB debut performance suitable for framing
Cam Sanders was still riding the “roller coaster of emotions” after making his major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates when he joked that he finally got the feeling back in his legs after the game. As the son of seven-year veteran pitcher Scott Sanders, Cam grew up in big...
Logan Webb strikes out 10, Giants hit 3 homers off Mike Burrows to beat Pirates
Only six days after Mike Burrows used his changeup to finish off a series sweep of the San Francisco Giants with a six-inning gem, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander faced Logan Webb in a rematch. Where Webb commanded the strike zone in recording 10 strikeouts without a walk, Burrows was frustrated...
