Kevin Gorman stories, Page 50

For Nick Gonzales and Liover Peguero, spending spring training with the Pittsburgh Pirates showed how close they are to making the major leagues and how far they still have to go. With Gonzales at second base and Peguero at shortstop — both are capable of playing on the other side...

The Pittsburgh Pirates got another strong start from Mitch Keller, who recorded three strikeouts and tossed three scoreless innings. Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer, and Lolo Sanchez added a solo shot in the four-run eighth inning as the Pirates beat the Toronto Blue Jays, 7-2, on Tuesday afternoon in...

The Pittsburgh Pirates’ first day of cuts in spring training included catcher Henry Davis, the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick. The Pirates reassigned Davis and outfielders Matt Gorski and Lolo Sanchez to their minor league camp Tuesday afternoon, following their 7-2 win over the Toronto Blue Jays at LECOM...

Now that he’s no longer a rookie, Cal Mitchell came to spring training without the nerves the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder had felt in the past but with a newfound sense of purpose. With 69 major league games under his belt — including coming through in a big moment to break...

The first time Luis Ortiz faced the New York Yankees, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander held them to two runs on three hits while striking out five over five innings in only his second major-league start. His Grapefruit League game didn’t go as well. The Yankees tagged Ortiz for five runs...

When Derek Shelton was asked about potential backups at shortstop, second base and third base, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager kept mentioning the name of a non-roster invitee to spring training. That Chris Owings can play all three infield positions, as well as several others, is the primary reason why he’s...

The Pittsburgh Pirates got a dose of good news and bad news Sunday afternoon. The good news: JT Brubaker struck out four while allowing one hit in three scoreless innings, and the Pirates got two-run hits from a pair of players trying to make the Opening Day roster in a...

BRADENTON, Fla. — When David Bednar saw the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic, the Pittsburgh Pirates closer’s mind drifted to his first All-Star Game last summer. His teammates will include 21 All-Stars and four MVPs in Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Mike Trout and three-time Cy Young Award...

Ji-Man Choi twice drove in Ke’Bryan Hayes but it wasn’t enough for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Philadelphia Phillies used a four-run third inning for a 4-3 win in a Grapefruit League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Hayes...

In his first at-bat of spring training, Bryan Reynolds took an Aaron Nola four-seam fastball for a ball to work a 3-0 count against the Philadelphia Phillies in a Grapefruit League game Monday at LECOM Park. Typically, the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star outfielder would step out of the batter’s box to...

Ji Hwan Bae got the Pittsburgh Pirates off to a fast start against the Baltimore Orioles, but it proved to be their only run. The Pirates and Orioles played to a 1-1 tie Friday night in a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Bae hit a leadoff...

Chase De Jong arrived in Bradenton last year as a nonroster invitee coming off season-ending knee surgery and making the move from the starting rotation of the Pittsburgh Pirates to a reliever role. If Bradenton feels more like home for De Jong this year, it’s because he bought a house...

With a split squad playing the New York Yankees at home and the Toronto Blue Jays on the road, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to two of the pitchers in contention to start on Opening Day. Where Mitch Keller gave up a pair of home runs to the Yankees in a...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates chose Travis Swaggerty out of South Alabama with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, they got an outfielder with a reputation as the best hitter in college baseball. Despite some setbacks, both personal and professional, Swaggerty is still trying to swing his...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Luis Ortiz focused on throwing four-seam fastballs against Baltimore lefty Franchy Cordero, falling behind in the count after failing to find the strike zone on his first three pitches. Finally, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander got a called strike on a belt-high heater and a swing and miss...

BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates got their first spring training win, thanks to a fast start and a pair of home runs. Tucupita Marcano and Canaan Smith-Njigba both drove in a pair of runs as the Pirates jumped out to a five-run lead, and Nick Gonzales and Jason Delay...

BRADENTON, Fla. — One week after going into cardiac arrest and requiring CPR at Pirate City, Ernie Withers threw the ceremonial first pitch to the doctor who saved his life. Wearing a black Pittsburgh Pirates jersey, Withers tossed the ball Tuesday at LECOM Park to Pirates medical director Dr. Patrick...

Batman returns to the mound at PNC Park. Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to catcher Russell Martin for the home opener against the Chicago White Sox on April 7. The moment will reunite the battery as the Pirates celebrate the 10-year anniversary...

BRADENTON, Fla. — When they ran out of the home dugout Monday at LECOM Park, Bryan Reynolds veered to left field and Andrew McCutchen to right while Jack Suwinski sprinted to center. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton unveiled a new-look defensive lineup in a Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia...

BRADENTON, Fla. — JT Brubaker felt like the Philadelphia Phillies were hunting heaters, so he wasn’t surprised when Alec Bohm sent his 2-0 sinker to left-center for a two-run homer. “Just from previous history, I know that a two-seam into Bohm isn’t the right pitch, especially behind in the count,”...

BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates opened Grapefruit League play against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, Rodolfo Castro was in the starting lineup but not at his position of preference. That Castro was across the diamond at third base with Ji Hwan Bae at second wasn’t a matter...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller focused on filling up the strike zone and fanned the first batter he faced in his first start of spring training, getting leadoff batter Cavan Biggio to go down swinging. “It’s always good to get one,” Keller said, “especially the first guy of spring.” The...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said he is pushing for the club to sign Bryan Reynolds to a long-term contract extension and isn’t ruling out the possibility of signing a player to a $100 million contract in the near future. Nutting touched on those and other topics...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryan Reynolds had casual conversations with Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting and team president Travis Williams this past week at Pirate City but said that no substantive contract extension discussions have resumed. “There’s been no talks like that, so nothing really to report there,” Ryenolds said Saturday...

BRADENTON, Fla. — Austin Hedges arrived at spring training prepared for a crash course with the Pittsburgh Pirates, learning as fast as he could about the pitching staff while teaching two of their top-100 prospects as much as he could about catching in the major leagues. Hedges realized he needed...