Kevin Gorman stories, Page 76
Oneil Cruz, Bligh Madris make dazzling debuts as Pirates crush Cubs
Oneil Cruz promised there were plenty of hard hits traveling long distances to come for the Pittsburgh Pirates, and he didn’t disappoint in his long-awaited season debut. The 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop put on a dazzling display of speed, arm strength and power at the plate that showed why he was...
After playing waiting game, Pirates No. 1 prospect Oneil Cruz arrives with plans to stay
Oneil Cruz not only got a taste of playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates last October but gave a glimpse of greatness: After setting a club Statcast-era record with a 118.2-mph exit velocity in his debut, he dropped to one knee to hit an ankle-high pitch for a home run the...
‘Now’s the time that he’s going to help us’: Pirates call up top prospect in SS Oneil Cruz
The Pittsburgh Pirates are making the much-anticipated promotion their fans have been awaiting by calling up Oneil Cruz, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound shortstop who is their No. 1 prospect. Pirates manager Derek Shelton confirmed after Sunday’s 4-3 win over the San Francisco Giants that Cruz and outfielder Bligh Madris will be...
‘Just unbelievable’: Pirates rookie Jack Suwinski hits 3 homers in walk-off win over Giants
Jack Suwinski already was amid his first multi-home run game of his career when Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton asked the 23-year-old rookie outfielder a question while he waited in the hole in the eighth inning. “Did you ever have three homers in a game?” Shelton said. “He said, ‘No.’...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: ‘There’s a chance’ Oneil Cruz could be promoted this homestand
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington didn’t rule out the possibility that shortstop Oneil Cruz, the club’s top prospect, could be promoted to the majors during the final four games of this homestand. “There’s a chance, sure,” Cherington said Sunday on his radio show on 93.7 The Fan. “We’ll have...
Pirates come up short against Giants in SS Liover Peguero’s major-league debut
All eyes were on Liover Peguero as fans clapped in unison for the 21-year-old shortstop who made the jump from Double-A Altoona to starting at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates in his major-league debut. Peguero faced a full count with two outs and runners on first and second in the...
Pirates lefty reliever Cam Vieaux delivers Father’s Day present in MLB debut
After spending seven years in the minor leagues, Cam Vieaux was finally pitching for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park when Evan Longoria came to bat with two outs and runners on first and second base. The 28-year-old left-handed reliever was full of nerves but concentrated on keeping the same...
Surprise at shortstop: With Tucupita Marcano on covid-IL, Pirates promote Liover Peguero
With Pittsburgh Pirates fans awaiting the arrival of top prospect Oneil Cruz, another shortstop prospect was the subject of a surprise roster move before Friday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants. No one was more surprised than Liover Peguero. “I still can’t believe this,” Peguero said Friday night after...
Homers by Luis Gonzalez, Joc Pederson boost Giants past Pirates
Zach Thompson was one the Pittsburgh Pirates’ most effective starting pitchers last month, but the right-hander was off target from the start against the San Francisco Giants. Two pitches he missed in particular proved to be the difference. Luis Gonzalez and Joc Pederson hit solo home runs, and Giants left-hander...
Pirates All-Star CF rediscovers swing to get ‘back to the Bryan Reynolds we know and love’
After struggling to find his swing for the first two months of the season, Bryan Reynolds finally is starting to feel like himself. That’s a simply stated but powerful development for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Especially if it means Reynolds is returning to All-Star form. Over the eight-game road trip to...
Surprise at shortstop: With Tucupita Marcano on covid-IL, Pirates promote Liover Peguero
With Pittsburgh Pirates fans awaiting the arrival of top prospect Oneil Cruz, another shortstop prospect was the subject of a surprise roster move before Friday night’s game against the San Francisco Giants. No one was more surprised than Liover Peguero. “I still can’t believe this,” Peguero said Friday night after...
Pirates place OF Canaan Smith-Njigba on 60-day IL, call up LHP Cam Vieaux
Only three games into his major-league career, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba is headed for the 60-day injured list with a nondisplaced fracture of the schaphoid bone in his right wrist. The Pirates selected the contract of 28-year-old lefty reliever Cam Vieaux from Triple-A Indianapolis, where he was 3-0 with...
Analysis: Pirates could send important message by finally promoting top prospect Oneil Cruz
With every loss, the chorus of calls for Oneil Cruz to be called up to the Pittsburgh Pirates has grown louder, and the patience to prioritize the development of the 6-foot-7 shortstop has worn thinner. The Pirates lost nine consecutive games on a road trip to Atlanta and St. Louis...
Pirates snap 9-game losing streak behind Bryan Reynolds’ homer, David Bednar’s 8-out save
After the Pittsburgh Pirates lost their ninth consecutive game, manager Derek Shelton hoped aloud that someone would come through with a big hit and execute a pitch to stop the slide. The best bets to do that were Bryan Reynolds and David Bednar. Both delivered in a big way. Reynolds...
Pirates OF Canaan Smith-Njigba, C Jason Delay have unforgettable moments in MLB debuts
Canaan Smith-Njigba had prepared his whole life for his major league debut, so he wasn’t going to complain about spending nearly two games in the Pittsburgh Pirates dugout before getting in a game. When he got the call to pinch hit for Yu Chang with two outs in the ninth...
Cal Mitchell breaks up no-hit bid by Miles Mikolas in 9th as Cardinals crush Pirates
The outcome was long decided when Miles Mikolas reached the 100-pitch mark, yet the St. Louis Cardinals had no intention of pulling the 33-year-old right-hander from the game. Mikolas was one out away from making history when Pittsburgh Pirates rookie Cal Mitchell hit a 2-2 curveball for a double over...
Crazy plays, errors plague Pirates against Cardinals in 8th consecutive loss
Just when the Pittsburgh Pirates appeared run down during a seven-game losing streak, the St. Louis Cardinals made them chase them around the diamond in a rundown for the ages. Score it a fielder’s choice 6-4-2-5-6-2. That was part of a sequence of wild plays in the fourth inning of...
Pirates blow 5-run lead to Cardinals to suffer 7th consecutive defeat
When Mitch Keller walked off the mound at Busch Stadium, the right-hander had tossed five scoreless innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates were holding a five-run lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. Then came the collapse. Dylan Carlson hit a three-run home run as the Cardinals rallied with a five-run sixth...
Pirates recall IF Hoy Park, OF Canaan Smith-Njigba, RHP Bryse Wilson
The Pittsburgh Pirates made roster moves that increased the number of position players available for their four-game series at St. Louis — which includes a doubleheader Tuesday — but leaves their bullpen short. The Pirates recalled infielderHoy Park and outfielder Canaan Smith-Njigba from Triple-A Indianapolis before Monday’s game at St....
Pirates rookie Tucupita Marcano providing pop at top of order, solid defense at 2B
Tucupita Marcano has found himself in new positions for the Pittsburgh Pirates, playing left field when there was a shortage of outfielders before moving to second base when the infield was in need. Against Atlanta, it was at the top of the order. Batting leadoff just ahead of Bryan Reynolds...
Adam Duvall homers twice as Braves sweep Pirates, who lose 6th straight
Where Bryan Reynolds found his groove in Atlanta, the Pittsburgh Pirates dug a ditch. Reynolds rediscovered his swing and homered in back-to-back games, but Adam Duvall hit two home runs as the Braves went deep four times in a 5-3 win Sunday afternoon at Truist Park to sweep the four-game...
Ozzie Albies hits grand slam to cap 8-run 7th inning as Braves rally past Pirates
The Atlanta Braves had turned a two-run deficit into a two-run lead when Ozzie Albies came to bat with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh against the Pittsburgh Pirates. After falling behind to an 0-2 count, Albies fouled off three Chris Stratton pitches before connecting on a...
Diego Castillo embracing role as Pirates shortstop, even if it’s temporary
The surprise of spring training, Diego Castillo earned a spot on the Opening Day roster in part because of his bat. Now he’s the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting shortstop, even if only temporarily, thanks to the consistency of his glove. Only 47 games into his major-league career, the 24-year-old super-utility player...
Spencer Strider shines as Braves win 9th consecutive, hand Pirates 4th straight loss
It’s not often that Roansy Contreras isn’t topping the Statcast pitch velocity chart, as the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander throws a four-seam fastball that sits at 96 mph and hits the high 90s. The top five velocities Friday night, however, all belonged to Spencer Strider. The Atlanta Braves rookie right-hander...
After ‘trials and tribulations,’ Travis Swaggerty finds perfect timing for Pirates debut
Amid the hoopla surrounding his arrival with the Pittsburgh Pirates, Travis Swaggerty took time Sunday afternoon in the home dugout at PNC Park to reflect on his road to the major leagues. In that moment, Swaggerty thought about what he calls the “trials and tribulations” of his professional baseball career...
