Kevin Gorman stories, Page 57
1st-place Pirates are hottest team, biggest story in baseball
The Pittsburgh Pirates are riding an MLB-best seven-game winning streak, have swept back-to-back series for the first time in almost five years and are off to their best start in three decades. The Pirates (16-7) are the hottest team and the biggest story in baseball, a reversal of fortunes in...
Vince Velasquez strikes out 10 as Pirates sweep Reds for 7th straight win, move into 1st place
Vince Velasquez reduced his repertoire to essentially two pitches, and his four-seam fastball and slider were so effective the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander produced his best performance of the season. Velasquez struck out 10 — nine on breaking balls — while tossing a two-hitter over seven scoreless innings in a 2-0...
After 13-year wait in minors, Drew Maggi hopes to make MLB debut with Pirates
Drew Maggi spent a lifetime chasing his dream of playing in the major leagues, but the two-hour drive from Altoona to Pittsburgh gave the 33-year-old infielder time to reflect on the journey by looking at photos from his 12 stops with six organizations over five minor-league levels. “It was a...
Pirates place OF Bryan Reynolds on bereavement list, recall INF Drew Maggi
The Pittsburgh Pirates made several roster moves Sunday morning, including one that could involve a major league debut. The Pirates recalled infielder Drew Maggi from Double-A Altoona and placed outfielder Bryan Reynolds on the bereavement list. To make room on the 40-man roster, first baseman/designated hitter Ji-Man Choi (left Achilles...
Quality start streak ends but bullpen shines as Pirates win 6th in a row
One impressive streak came to an end for the Pittsburgh Pirates but not at the expense of the more important one. The string of 11 consecutive quality starts by Pirates pitchers ended when left-hander Rich Hill was pulled after five innings. Instead, they got a quality finish. Yohan Ramirez and...
‘No brainer’: Pirates extend manager Derek Shelton’s contract beyond 2023 season
Derek Shelton’s message to the Pittsburgh Pirates never wavered, even as they traded away top players amid a major rebuild and endured the embarrassment of successive 100-loss seasons. Shelton preached positivity and believing in the process, which has been rewarded with the best start in three decades and a contract...
‘The missing piece’: Pirates feeding off Andrew McCutchen for best start in three decades
That Andrew McCutchen is back with the Pittsburgh Pirates and they are within striking distance of first place in the NL Central is not lost on the 36-year-old right fielder/designated hitter, who has a point to prove. This isn’t the old Cutch, but rather a return to the Cutch of...
Pirates beat Reds to stretch winning streak to season-best 5 games
Carlos Santana turned his right shoulder, shrugging off a brushback pitch by Cincinnati Reds reliever Ian Gibaut. Santana shrugged off another before taking a called strike on a changeup. “I knew he was going to try to pitch inside, but I never lost my focus,” Santana said. “I wanted to...
Roansy Contreras makes quality start as Pirates jump out to early lead, hold on to beat Reds
The Pittsburgh Pirates spotted Roansy Contreras a four-run, first-inning lead with back-to-back home runs by Connor Joe and Jack Suwinski, then let the right-hander shut down the Cincinnati Reds. Contreras walked off to an ovation in the seventh inning after delivering the 10th consecutive quality start by a Pirates pitcher,...
Pirates to induct ElRoy Face, Bob Friend, Dick Groat, Kent Tekulve into 2nd Hall of Fame class
When the Pittsburgh Pirates announced their inaugural Hall of Fame, Kent Tekulve started to wonder where he stacked up against the franchise’s all-time greats. Teke came to a humbling conclusion. “You almost think about it that, if I get really lucky and they work down the list far enough that...
Pirates pitchers proving they can go deep into games with 7 consecutive quality startsVideo
Rich Hill had thrown 94 pitches through five innings and had a double-digit lead when Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton sent the 43-year-old left-hander out to pitch the sixth inning Monday at Colorado. Hill responded with an 11-pitch inning, striking out C.J. Cron on a 70-mph curveball, getting Elias Diaz...
Mark Mathias has 4-hit game as Pirates pound 16 hits in blowout win over Rockies
After going extra innings in back-to-back games at St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Pirates welcomed their biggest blowout of the season with open arms and free-swinging bats. They were aggressive in attacking Colorado Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland, scoring seven runs in the first two innings, and continued to pour it on...
Don Leppert, 1B coach for World Series Pirates, dies at 91
Donald George Leppert spent four decades in baseball, and some of his most memorable moments in a lifetime filled with them came while playing for and coaching with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Leppert hit a home run on the first pitch of his first major-league at-bat, later served as the first...
Connor Joe ‘excited’ to return to Colorado but quickly becoming fan favorite with PiratesVideo
Connor Joe’s eyes lit up at the mention of his first road trip to Colorado, bringing back fond memories of Rockies fans chanting his surname. Joe is pumped to play at Coors Field again when the Pittsburgh Pirates visit for a three-game series that starts Monday night, even if he’ll...
Tommy Edman hits bases-loaded single in 10th to lift Cardinals to walk-off win over Pirates
Andrew McCutchen came through in the 10th inning again for the Pittsburgh Pirates. This time, the St. Louis Cardinals had an answer. Tommy Edman hit a bases-loaded single to score Tyler O’Neill and lift the Cardinals to a 5-4 walk-off win over the Pirates on Sunday afternoon at Busch Stadium...
Pirates place LHP Rob Zastryzny on 15-day IL with left elbow discomfort, recall Yohan Ramirez
A day after Rob Zastryzny allowed one run on one hit and two walks at St. Louis, the Pittsburgh Pirates placed the left-handed reliever on the 15-day injured list with left elbow discomfort. Pirates senior vice president of baseball operations Bryan Stroh, filling in for the general manager on the...
Andrew McCutchen’s homer in 10th lifts Pirates past Cardinals
On Jackie Robinson Day, Andrew McCutchen paid tribute to the man who broke baseball’s color barrier with a home run and a hat tip. McCutchen, one of four Black American players on the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit a towering two-run leadoff homer in the top of the 10th inning to boost...
Pirates place 1B/DH Ji-Man Choi on IL with Achilles strain, recall INF-OF Tucupita Marcano
The Pittsburgh Pirates took a big bat out of the middle of their batting order when first baseman/designated hitter Ji-Man Choi was placed on the 10-day injured list Saturday with a strain of his left Achilles tendon. To replace Choi on the active roster, the Pirates recalled infielder/outfielder Tucupita Marcano...
Looking for a leadoff: Pirates searching to replace Oneil Cruz at top of the batting order
When Oneil Cruz fractured his left ankle on Easter, the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t just lose their starting shortstop but a leadoff hitter who proved he could get on base, hit for power and whose speed made him a threat on the basepaths. Cruz slashed .282/.331/.541 with 18 extra-base hits and...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: With JT Brubaker out, Pirates starting to sweat starting pitching depth
When Ben Cherington dabbed a black towel on the beads of perspiration on his forehead while talking to reporters Wednesday morning near the home dugout at PNC Park, it appeared the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager was battling the sunshine on his face. Then again, he could have been sweating about...
Pirates starter JT Brubaker has Tommy John surgery on right elbow, to miss 14-16 months
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced right-handed pitcher JT Brubaker underwent Tommy John surgery Wednesday to reconstruct the ulnar collateral ligament in his right elbow and will be out 14-16 months. The Pirates revealed news of Brubaker’s surgery, which was performed by Arlington, Texas-based orthopedic surgeon Dr. Keith Meister, after their 7-0...
Astros shut out Pirates behind Alex Bregman’s 3-run homer to win series
Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dauri Moreta had lived up to his “Big Bank” nickname by not allowing an earned run and giving up only one hit with eight strikeouts through his first five appearances. When Moreta gave up a single and a walk in the seventh inning against the Houston Astros,...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: Door remains open on Bryan Reynolds contract extension talks
Ben Cherington had “nothing to report” in negotiations with outfielder Bryan Reynolds, but the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager hasn’t closed the door on contract extension talks. Reynolds had set Opening Day on March 30 at Cincinnati as a deadline to get a deal done, and the sides reportedly had agreed...
Whether it’s swinging a bat or a sword, Pirates DH Ji-Man Choi happy to make MLB history
After Ji Hwan Bae hit a three-run home run for a 7-4 walk-off win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night at PNC Park, Ji-Man Choi approached his countryman in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse and asked to pose for a photo. They stood shoulder to shoulder in front of Bae’s...
Pirates SS Oneil Cruz discharged from hospital; RHP JT Brubaker seeks 2nd opinion on elbow
Two days after undergoing surgery to repair his fractured left ankle, Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop Oneil Cruz was discharged from Allegheny General Hospital wearing a cast and will have to go months without bearing any weight on his left leg. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop is expected to go two months without...
