Kevin Gorman stories, Page 54
A’s hammer Roansy Contreras in 1st inning, hold off Pirates rally to win series
When the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Oakland A’s on Monday to move into sole possession of first place in the NL Central, manager Derek Shelton was quick to caution it was too early to focus on the standings. It was a wise warning. The worst team in baseball hammered Pirates...
A’s knock around Mitch Keller to snap Pirates’ 6-game winning streak
On paper, it looked like a pitching mismatch. The Pittsburgh Pirates started Mitch Keller, who had won seven of eight decisions and had at least eight strikeouts in his last seven starts. The Oakland A’s countered with James Kaprielian, who hadn’t won in any of his six decisions and gave...
Andrew McCutchen’s sacrifice fly in 8th inning lifts Pirates to win over A’s
Andrew McCutchen was only three knocks shy of reaching the 2,000-hit milestone, but the Pittsburgh Pirates star settled instead for drawing three walks, including one with the bases loaded. When he came to bat with the game tied and a runner in scoring position in the eighth inning, McCutchen delivered...
Pirates GM: Top prospects Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez to split catching duties at Indianapolis
By promoting Henry Davis to join Endy Rodriguez at Triple-A Indianapolis, two of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top three prospects are only a step away from the major leagues. That they play the same position puts them in each other’s path. It’s a problem Pirates general manager Ben Cherington plans to...
‘We’re looking at one of the elite closers’: Pirates impressed by David Bednar’s dominanceVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton has gone to great lengths to avoid labeling David Bednar as anything other than a high-leverage or back-end reliever out of the bullpen. After Bednar clinched a series sweep of the St. Louis Cardinals on Sunday with his fourth consecutive save — and third in...
Pirates promoting catcher Henry Davis, No. 1 overall pick in 2021, to Triple-A Indianapolis
Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, is one step closer to the majors. The Pittsburgh Pirates promoted the 23-year-old catcher, ranked the No. 3 prospect in their system by Baseball America and MLB Pipeline, to Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, a source confirmed to the...
Rich Hill delivers deepest start for Pirates, who sweep Cardinals for 5th straight win
Rich Hill treats every day he’s scheduled to start as the perfect day to pitch, so an 11:35 a.m. start for a game livestreamed on Peacock was no bother for the 43-year-old left-hander. After delivering his deepest start of the season for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Hill received a standing ovation...
After uncertainty, reliever Chase De Jong ready to return in multi-inning role for Pirates
When Chase De Jong returned to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday, he already knew his role. Where his new locker was located was another story, as he scanned the clubhouse to search for his jersey. Almost a month after being designated for assignment and clearing waivers, De Jong was back...
Pirates setting alarms early for Sunday’s 11:35 a.m. start against Cardinals on Peacock
Andrew McCutchen wasn’t interested in a reminder that the Pittsburgh Pirates will need to set early alarms for their game against the St. Louis Cardinals at 11:35 a.m. Sunday that will be live-streamed on Peacock. Before the Pirates star could hit the snooze alarm on the conversation, he was reminded...
Ke’Bryan Hayes smashes 3-run home run as Pirates rally to beat Cardinals
Ke’Bryan Hayes added a toe tap to his swing as a way to find balance and load up for pitches, so when Giovanny Gallegos hung a slider over the heart of the plate, Hayes tapped the dirt and showed pull-side power. Hayes smashed it 421 feet into the left field...
After trading Robert Stephenson, Pirates turn to new options for 7th-inning role in bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates have expressed confidence that once a game reaches the seventh inning, their bullpen can close the door on a victory. After trading right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson to Tampa Bay for minor-league shortstop Alika Williams on Friday, the Pirates now have to determine who will serve as the...
Pirates trade RHP Robert Stephenson to Tampa Bay for minor-league SS
The Pittsburgh Pirates continued to shake up their bullpen, trading right-handed reliever Robert Stephenson on Friday to the Tampa Bay Rays for minor league infielder Alika Williams. To fill Stephenson’s spot on the active roster, the Pirates recalled infielder Mark Mathias from Triple-A Indianapolis. Mathias, 28, batted .275/.370/.325 with two...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: After a miserable May, Pirates must prove they can win at home
Where the Pittsburgh Pirates sounded ready to send Mayday distress signals at the start of their series at San Francisco, they talked like Giants killers after taking two out of three against baseball’s hottest team for their first series win in a month. The Pirates entered May with a 20-9...
Mitch Keller serves as stopper as Pirates beat Giants for 1st series win in a month
Mitch Keller served as the stopper for another Pittsburgh Pirates streak and put his name in the club’s record books in the process. Inspired by another strong start from Keller and an offensive outburst, the Pirates beat the San Francisco Giants, 9-4, on Wednesday afternoon at Oracle Park for their...
David Bednar earns 1st save in a month as Pirates’ bullpen puts Giants on lockdown
It had been a month since his last save opportunity, so David Bednar couldn’t wait to run to the mound at Oracle Park and close the door on the San Francisco Giants. One problem: The Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star closer couldn’t figure out how to open the door to exit the...
Bullpen comes up big for Pirates in close win over Giants
The San Francisco Giants used an opener, and it backfired. The Pittsburgh Pirates turned to their closer, and he fired back. Connor Joe homered off John Brebbia in the first inning, Rodolfo Castro scored the winning run on a wild pitch, and All-Star closer David Bednar earned his first save...
Pirates OF Jack Suwinski makes a splash by hitting 2 home runs into McCovey Cove
When Jack Suwinski smacked Anthony DeSclafani’s changeup over the right-field bleachers at Oracle Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder had no idea the ball had a splash landing in McCovey Cove. “I wasn’t aware of that,” Suwinski said on the AT&T SportsNet postgame show. “I think I found out in the...
Giants pound 18 hits in blowout win over Pirates, who drop below .500
The Pittsburgh Pirates ran into the hottest team in baseball, and the San Francisco Giants pounded them into submission. Five players had three-hit games for the Giants, who compiled 18 hits and did the majority of their damage in the second and seventh innings in a 14-4 win Monday afternoon...
Ji Hwan Bae rewards Pirates’ trust in center field with spectacular catches in Seattle
When the ball came off J.P. Crawford’s bat at an exit velocity of 99.9 mph, Ji Hwan Bae turned and chased it toward the center-field wall but had trouble tracking it with the sun directly overhead. Bae glanced at the wall straight ahead, then realized the ball had veered to...
Eugenio Suarez hits 3-run home run in 10th inning to boost Mariners past Pirates
After rallying to force extra innings, the Pittsburgh Pirates could only watch when Eugenio Suarez launched a Robert Stephenson slider that sailed over the left-field fence for a walk-off win. Suarez’s three-run blast in the bottom of the 10th, Seattle’s third homer of the game, boosted the Mariners to a...
Pirates place Vince Velasquez on 15-day IL, recall righty reliever Cody Bolton for bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday placed right-handed starter Vince Velasquez on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort and recalled righty reliever Cody Bolton from Triple-A Indianapolis. Velasquez was removed from Saturday’s 5-0 loss at Seattle after allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk in two innings....
Vince Velasquez leaves with elbow discomfort, as Pirates strike out in Seattle shutout
Vince Velasquez’s return to the starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t last long, as the right-hander pitched only two innings against the Seattle Mariners before being removed. The Pirates later announced that Velasquez left the game with right elbow discomfort, the same issue that kept him out since leaving...
‘Years in the making:’ After struggles as starter, Pirates’ Mitch Keller evolves into ace
When Mitch Keller hears his name mentioned as a potential All-Star and Cy Young candidate after the first two months of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander can’t suppress his smile. Then Keller makes it clear he’s in no way satisfied with the early success. What Keller really wants is...
Pirates activate RHP Vince Velasquez to start Saturday, DFA RHP Duane Underwood Jr.
As expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates activated right-hander Vince Velasquez from the 15-day injured list Saturday so he can return to the starting rotation. The corresponding move, however, was unexpected. To make room on the 26-man active roster, the Pirates designated right-handed reliever Duane Underwood Jr. for assignment. Velasquez (4-3, 3.06...
‘Those home runs will come’: Homerless streak doesn’t faze Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
From the sound of the ball off his bat, Ke’Bryan Hayes thought he had a chance. The Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman watched it sail over Arizona right fielder Pavin Smith and off the Clemente Wall at PNC Park. “Off the bat, I felt like I stayed through it good,” Hayes...
