Pirates/MLB category, Page 186
Pirates place lefty reliever Sam Howard on 10-day IL, recall Austin Davis from Indianapolis
The Pittsburgh Pirates swapped left-handers in their bullpen Sunday, placing Sam Howard on the 10-day injured list and recalling Austin Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis. Howard, who is dealing with tendinitis in his right knee, was coming off a career-worst performance Friday night, when he allowed six runs on four hits...
Pirates farm report for June 19, 2021: Will Craig homers in Indianapolis win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 22-18) pounded out 14 hits and beat Memphis (Cardinals), 11-5. 3B Hunter Owen hit a sixth-inning grand slam, his fourth homer of the season. 1B Will Craig went 2 for 4 with a double, his fourth Triple-A home run of the season and three RBIs. He’s hitting .311...
Michael Perez, Bryan Reynolds hit 3-run blasts as Pirates rally
Where the Cleveland Indians’ right-handed hitters looked to left field for a trio of solo home runs — with one ricocheting off the rotunda — the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lefties took aim at a different target at PNC Park. Michael Perez and Bryan Reynolds hit three-run homers over the Clemente Wall...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington hopes to add a ‘ton of talent’ by draft, trades over next 6 weeks
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington is unapologetic about assessing the team’s needs, with acquiring a “ton of talent” among his top priorities. Cherington hopes to change that over the next six weeks as the Pirates have the top overall pick in the MLB Draft on July 11-13 and are...
Pirates GM ‘encouraged’ with how top-3 prospect Oneil Cruz is playing
Oneil Cruz is not only one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospects but unquestionably the hottest. The Altoona Curve shortstop is riding a 20-game on-base streak, crushing tape-measure home runs and showing off his athleticism and above-average arm. Before the Pirates promote him to Triple-A Indianapolis, general manager Ben Cherington...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington believes Mitch Keller is in a ‘good spot’ at Triple-A Indianapolis
Ben Cherington says that it was “completely coincidental” that he was in Indianapolis at the same time as Mitch Keller, but the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager used it to spend time talking with the struggling right-hander. “I really believe he’s in a good spot, and he’s committed,” Cherington said Saturday...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Want to be popular? Offer to buy the Pirates
I’m putting together a group to buy the Pittsburgh Pirates. We will bring back the Bulls, Condors, Crawfords, Hardhats, Forge, Maulers, Phantoms, Power, Spirit and Triangles, too. (That’s indoor lacrosse, pro basketball, Negro League baseball, softball, junior hockey, football, roller hockey, arena football, indoor soccer and team tennis.) Robert Morris...
Pirates farm report for June 18, 2021: Greensboro’s Aaron Shackelford hits 11th HR
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 21-18) was routed 10-1 by Memphis (Cardinals), managing just four hits. LF Anthony Alford, hitting in the leadoff spot, had two of them, going 2 for 4 with a double. C Jason Delay went 1 for 2 with a solo home run, his second. RHP Max Kranick started...
Pirates nearly blow double-digit lead, hold on to beat Indians to snap 10-game losing streak
The Pittsburgh Pirates responded to their double-digit losing streak by scoring double-digit runs for a double-digit lead — one they almost blew. After losing 10 consecutive games, the Pirates took out their frustrations early on the Cleveland Indians, then hung on for dear life. With the tying run at third...
Adam Frazier an All-Star? Pirates 2B receiving national recognition, votes for his hitting
When Adam Frazier came to bat with two outs, runners on second and third and trailing by one run and smacked the game winner over the Clemente Wall at PNC Park, his teammates mobbed him in celebration. Half of them, anyway. Frazier’s walk-off homer was part of an intrasquad batting...
As bad as Pirates are, another team is playing even worse; both could be losing for a long time
Pirates fans should circle the dates of July 19-21. It’s the second series coming out of the All-Star break. That’s when the Pirates (23-44) visit the Arizona Diamondbacks (20-50). So unless Major League Baseball implements ties between now and then, one of those teams is guaranteed to claim a victory....
Pirates farm report for June 17, 2021: Mason Martin goes deep twice in Altoona win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 21-17) beat Memphis (Cardinals) 3-2 in 11 innings. 3B Wilmer Difo hit the game-winning RBI single in the 11th. He went 1 for 5. LF Anthony Alford went 1 for 4 with an RBI single in the fifth. 2B T.J. Rivera went 2 for 4. 1B Will Craig...
U mad, bro?: Steelers fans are fretting; Penguins fans are pushing back; Pirates fans are just fed up
This edition of “U mad, bro?” touches all the bases. Oops. Sorry. Too soon? Ke'Bryan Hayes hits a home run for the Pirates, but missed first base. #Dodgers win the challenge. It remains 0-0 pic.twitter.com/uLa7FzTFVP— AM 570 LA Sports (@AM570LASports) June 9, 2021 This week we’ve got Steelers fans fretting...
With ‘no magic elixir’ for 10-game losing streak, Pirates are hoping a day off does the trick
If there was a simple solution to snapping a 10-game losing streak, Derek Shelton swears he would have done it by now. The Pittsburgh Pirates are down to hoping a day off does the trick. “There’s no magic elixir,” Shelton said. “If there was, I’d be using it already. Just...
Pirates farm report for June 16, 2021: Anthony Alford stays hot for Indianapolis
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 20-17) defeated Memphis (Cardinals), 6-1, for the second straight game. CF Chris Sharpe (.198) hit a three-run home run. LF Anthony Alford (.279) smacked a solo homer, and C Jason Delay (.226) was 2 for 4 with a home run. Alford now has six home runs and 19...
Josh Bell’s homer lifts Nationals to sweep series, hand Pirates 10th consecutive loss
With the Pittsburgh Pirates plunging toward rock bottom in a season sinking into the abyss, a familiar face delivered the final dagger. Josh Bell blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 3-1 victory Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park for a sweep of...
Colin Moran misses 3rd straight start; Pirates get good news-bad news on injured pitchers
Colin Moran remains day to day with lower back tightness, but Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he’s “confident we can avoid” having to place the first baseman on the 10-day injured list. “We’ll get him out in the cage here in a little bit, see where he’s at, how...
First Call: Mike Tomlin avoids Steelers minicamp health questions; Tyler Glasnow blames MLB pitch-grip policy for injury
Pittsburgh Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin is playing coy about some injury questions at minicamp. Tyler Glasnow went off about his injury and a possible connection to pitch-grip regulations. Marc-Andre Fleury is the new Conn Smythe favorite. And former NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue still has concerns about gambling. All that...
Pirates farm report for June 15, 2021: Indianapolis pitchers combine for 3-hitter
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-17) rolled past Memphis (Cardinals), 6-1. Five Indians pitchers combined for a three-hitter. RHP Steven Wright (3-2, 4.57) allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts in five innings to earn the win. LF Jared Oliva (.250) was 2 for 4 with a walk in his second...
Nationals dominate early, stretch Pirates’ losing streak to 9
For those wondering if the Pittsburgh Pirates finally were destined to end their losing streak, the question was answered early. On their way to an 8-1 victory Tuesday night at Nationals Park in Washington, D.C., the Washington Nationals scored five runs in the first inning, and the Pirates (23-43) never...
Pirates pitcher Tyler Anderson says changes to baseball may have caused pitchers ‘to cross the line’
With MLB cracking down on the use of illegal substances on baseballs, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Tyler Anderson said Tuesday night that repeated changes to the balls might have caused some pitchers to cross “the line” to counteract “balls that fly.” “When your pitches aren’t doing something the same, I think...
Get a covid-19 shot, score 2 free tickets to Pirates game
The Pittsburgh Pirates, who have helped facilitate the covid-19 vaccination of more than 16,000 people, are now offering free tickets as an incentive to those who are still unvaccinated. The Pirates will serve as hosts Saturday at PNC Park to Major League Baseball’s “MLB Vaccinate at the Plate” campaign that...
Tim Benz: Adam Frazier’s unique skill set leads to a remarkable start in 2021
Monday night’s 3-2 Pittsburgh Pirates loss to the Washington Nationals was rare. Not because the Pirates lost. We’re all used to that. It was rare because it didn’t feature a hit from Adam Frazier. It was just the second time in his last 16 games that the Pirates second baseman...
Pirates’ losing streak reaches eight in a row
Derek Shelton was happy with starting pitcher J.T. Brubaker’s five innings, even if they constituted barely more than half the game, even though they couldn’t prevent the Pittsburgh Pirates (23-42) from losing their eighth in a row. “As long as our starters are efficient, I’m happy with their outings,” the...
After trade from Pirates, Josh Bell turns the page, hopes for better end to story
Josh Bell wasn’t sure what might happen after the Pittsburgh Pirates’ dismal 2020 season. A different front office than the one that drafted, signed and made him a rich man was in charge now. No one was safe. During the offseason, he exchanged several text messages with teammate Jameson Taillon,...
