Kevin Gorman stories, Page 7
As personal catcher for Paul Skenes, Henry Davis takes no credit for Pirates star’s success
When it comes to catching Paul Skenes, Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Henry Davis takes zero credit for the success of the two-time All-Star right-hander and accepts all of the blame. That’s not to say Davis doesn’t enjoy being behind the plate for the 2024 National League Rookie of the Year and...
Pirates SS/OF Konnor Griffin rises to No. 1 prospect in MLB Pipeline’s top-100 rankings
The Pittsburgh Pirates have the top prospect in baseball, as MLB Pipeline elevated shortstop/outfielder Konnor Griffin to No. 1 in its top 100 rankings Thursday. The 6-foot-4, 225-pound shortstop/outfielder has a .324/.400/.511 slash line with 16 doubles, 13 home runs, 53 RBIs and 42 stolen bases in 79 games split...
Pirates 2nd-round pick Angel Cervantes announces he will attend UCLA; 4 picks sign
Pittsburgh Pirates second-round draft pick Angel Cervantes stunned the baseball world Wednesday night when he announced he would bypass professional baseball to attend UCLA. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound right-hander from Downey (Calif.) Warren High School, who doesn’t turn 18 until Aug. 21, was selected with the No. 50 pick in the...
After succession of sweeps, Pirates hoping they can find way to show some consistency
When Spencer Horwitz saw the ball clear the center-field fence for his first career grand slam, he turned toward Pittsburgh Pirates first-base coach Tarrik Brock as he rounded the bag and let out a primal scream. It served as a release of anger amid a blissful celebration and was a...
Behind Spencer Horwitz’s grand slam, Bailey Falter’s strong start, Pirates sweep Tigers
Spencer Horwitz picked the perfect time to start swinging a hot bat, as the Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman followed back-to-back three-hit games with an even bigger feat. Horwitz smacked his first career grand slam in the second inning, boosting the Pirates to a 6-1 win over the Detroit Tigers on...
Pirates could get relief for bullpen, as lefty Ryan Borucki takes a step toward returning
The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking forward to getting some relief for their bullpen, as several pitchers took positive steps in their recoveries from injuries. Left-hander Ryan Borucki, on the injured list since June 21 with low back inflammation, threw strikes on six of seven pitches in a scoreless inning for...
Wishing on a star: Pitching to Paul Skenes was dream come true for 9-year-old Riley Wheaton
When Riley Wheaton followed Paul Skenes around PNC Park on Tuesday, his favorite part came when they got to the bullpen. That’s where the 9-year-old got to pitch to his favorite major leaguer. It was a wish-come-true moment for Wheaton, who celebrated his final round of chemotherapy by recording 10...
Doubling down: Mitch Keller gets run support, as Pirates hit 8 doubles to defeat Detroit
In a bizarro world game for the Pittsburgh Pirates, Mitch Keller got run support, Oneil Cruz made an alert baserunning play to steal a run and they capitalized with runners in scoring position. The Pirates reversed their regular results by repeatedly taking advantage of mishaps by the American League-best Detroit...
‘Enjoying every bit of it’: Pirates 1st-round pick Seth Hernandez signs for $7.25 million bonus
Seth Hernandez laughed as he struggled to fasten the front of his Pittsburgh Pirates jersey, joking that buttons weren’t his forte. But it was in that moment that it hit Hernandez that his dream had become a reality: He was officially a professional baseball player. The Pirates signed their first-round...
‘It’s unbelievable’: Andrew McCutchen passes Pirates great Willie Stargell on MLB hits leaders
Andrew McCutchen didn’t windmill his bat or launch a blast into the upper deck but his base hit Monday night against the Detroit Tigers conjured memories of Willie Stargell anyway. When McCutchen dropped a bloop single to shallow center field in the fourth inning, he passed the Pittsburgh Pirates great...
Pirates sign trio of picks from draft class in 3B Murf Gray, RHP Jack Anker, SS Matt King
The Pittsburgh Pirates signed their first wave of draft picks Monday, adding three college players to their minor-league system. Third baseman Murf Gray and right-handed pitcher Jack Anker of Fresno State and shortstop Matt King of Arizona State became the first players from their draft class to sign with the...
Dealing with distraction of trade deadline rumors ‘not an easy time’ for last-place Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates are well aware of the type of talk that surrounds a team sitting in last place in the National League Central in late July, knowing they will be sellers at the MLB trade deadline. The difference this year is the trade chips aren’t limited to just the...
Pirates hit rock bottom in another lopsided loss, as AL-worst White Sox sweep 3-game series
Before the Pittsburgh Pirates could put an end to their most embarrassing series, there were dark clouds hovering over PNC Park. If ever there was a symbolic moment for the Pirates’ season, it came just as they were being swept at home by the worst team in the American League...
GM Ben Cherington treating trade deadline as way to improve Pirates in 2026 ‘and beyond’
The MLB Draft was winding down, the Home Run Derby hadn’t started and trade-deadline talk already was heating up, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said on his weekly radio show. Cherington said the calls started Monday night and expects them to continue until baseball’s trade deadline July 31. “Every...
White Sox spoil sellout, score in double digits again as Pirates’ bullpen blows early lead
The Pittsburgh Pirates had the perfect recipe for a breakout game: a sellout crowd, a starting pitcher who didn’t allow a hit through four-plus innings and the cushion of an early three-run lead. That they found a way to blow it is the story of this season. The Chicago White...
Pirates hoping Oneil Cruz turns Home Run Derby success into superstardom
Andrew McCutchen watched Oneil Cruz crush majestic moonshots in the Home Run Derby, absolutely stealing the show at the All-Star Game festivities in Atlanta, and allowed his mind to drift. If the Pittsburgh Pirates icon has one wish, it’s that the mercurial 6-foot-7, 240-pound center fielder can learn to tap...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pitching to Oneil Cruz in Home Run Derby a ‘privilege’ for Stephen Morales
What was it like to pitch to Oneil Cruz in the Home Run Derby? It was amazing. First of all, it’s a privilege for me just to have the opportunity to be picked by him to have the opportunity to be the one throwing to him and help him out...
White Sox pound Pirates, who open 2nd half with 1 of most lopsided losses of the season
If there was optimism for the Pittsburgh Pirates to put a disappointing first half behind them, it was because they opened the second half against one of baseball’s worst teams: the Chicago White Sox. That didn’t prevent the Pirates from continuing their misery against American League opponents. They suffered one...
Pirates notebook: Liover Peguero returns with versatility; starting rotation resets after break
Liover Peguero has bounced back and forth between Triple-A Indianapolis and the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now that he’s back in the major leagues, look for him to bounce around the infield. Once a top-10 prospect, the 24-year-old has made 28 starts at shortstop, 22 appearances at third base, nine starts at...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Why the Pirates should ‘stay open-minded’ leading up to trade deadline
Ben Cherington wasted no time to address the Pittsburgh Pirates after a failure of a first half in which they fired the manager, tied a dubious major-league record and endured the pendulum swing of successive sweeps that involved back-to-back series with shutout wins and losses. On what is generally considered...
Pirates start 2nd day of MLB Draft by picking Puerto Rican shortstop, Arizona catcher
On the second day of the MLB Draft, the Pittsburgh Pirates loaded up on college hitters. The Pirates professed they picked the best players available Sunday night in a pair of right-handed prep pitchers from southern California in Seth Hernandez (No. 6) and Angel Cervantes (No. 50) and college sluggers...
MLB Draft Analysis: Pirates take best available with prep pitchers in 1st 2 picks, will address needs later
When the MLB Draft started with stunners for the first two selections, the Pittsburgh Pirates were prepared to pivot in a number of different directions with the No. 6 overall pick. They believed the odds were against Seth Hernandez slipping to them, so they were “super excited” to take the...
Pirates pick another California prep pitcher, add a pair of college hitters in draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates continued to stockpile starting pitching in the MLB Draft, selecting right-hander Angel Cervantes in the second round, but added a pair of college hitters to finish out the first day. A 6-foot-3, 195-pounder from Downey (Calif.) Warren High School, Cervantes is a UCLA commit who has a...
Pirates take top prep pitcher Seth Hernandez with No. 6 pick of 1st round in MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates have two of baseball’s top young starting pitchers in Paul Skenes and Jared Jones, but that didn’t stop them from selecting another right-hander from southern California in the first round of the MLB Draft. Seth Hernandez was considered the top right-handed pitching prospect in the draft, so...
Pirates ace Paul Skenes named All-Star starting pitcher for 2nd straight year
For the second consecutive year, Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes has been named the starting pitcher for the National League in the All-Star Game. The 6-foot-6, 260-pound right-hander received official word Saturday in a phone call from Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, who asked for “one inning of domination.”...
