Pirates/MLB category, Page 197
PNC Park welcomes back fans with new safety protocols, food choicesVideo
The only contact the Pirates hope to have at PNC Park this season will be the bat hitting the ball. Because of the pandemic, team officials created a touchless experience, from mobile ticketing to individually packaged food. Officials on Monday announced the safety protocols during a news conference inside the...
Pirates notebook: Edgar Santana off roster as pitcher Kyle Keller arrives in trade from Angels
The Pittsburgh Pirates exchanged right-handed pitchers Monday, acquiring Kyle Keller from the Los Angeles Angels for undisclosed cash considerations and designating Edgar Santana for assignment. Keller, 27, was added to the 40-man roster and assigned to the Pirates’ alternate training site. He made his major league debut with the Miami...
Pirates to keep 25% capacity for home opener, April games
The Pittsburgh Pirates will keep PNC Park attendance at 25% capacity for the first 12 games of the 2021 season, according to an official. The official believed capacity could be increased for May games, but “nothing has been determined yet.” As part of easing of some covid mitigation efforts that...
Mark Madden: Pitch counts, analytics are taking away baseball’s trademark moments
Pitcher Jose Berrios of the Minnesota Twins had a no-hitter going Saturday: 6 innings, zero hits, zero walks, 12 strikeouts. (It wasn’t a perfect game. Berrios hit a batter.) Berrios was pulled by manager Rocco Baldelli. He had thrown 84 pitches. Every manager in MLB would do the same. That...
After brief look at Mitch Keller, Pirates drop decision to Cubs
The Pittsburgh Pirates are counting on Mitch Keller to prop up a starting rotation that has been retooled seriously after the trades of Joe Musgrove and Jameson Taillon and an injury to Steven Brault. But the first look at Keller in a game that mattered was a brief one Sunday....
Pirates notebook: Ke’Bryan Hayes goes on 10-day IL after straining left wrist
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ strained left wrist is worse than it first appeared, and the Pittsburgh Pirates placed him on the 10-day injured list. When manager Derek Shelton met with reporters on a video conference call early Sunday afternoon, he listed Hayes as “day-to-day” after X-rays of the wrist were negative and...
Pirates pitcher Luis Oviedo dazzles in MLB debut, with punch out for punctuation
When Luis Oviedo took the mound in the eighth inning against the Chicago Cubs, he wasn’t in awe that he was pitching in his major league debut at Wrigley Field. Even if he had never pitched above Single-A, Oviedo is confident in his belief that this is exactly where he...
Ke’Bryan Hayes leaves with sore wrist, Pirates give up homers in loss to Cubs
The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated when Ke’Bryan Hayes started the season with a bang by hitting a home run on Opening Day, as the rookie third baseman showed he could be a catalyst for the young club. So, it’s understandable that the Chicago Cubs capitalized when Hayes left the game with...
Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes leaves game against Cubs with wrist pain
CHICAGO — Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes left Saturday’s game against the Chicago Cubs with discomfort in his left wrist. Hayes walked and scored on Kevin Newman’s two-out single in the first inning, but he jammed his left hand diving back to first on a pickoff attempt. Erik González...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: Most of baseball’s flaws involve wasted time
The Pirates season started well Thursday. Prize rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes hit a home run in the first inning. As Hayes rounded the bases, he was doubtless dreaming of escaping from Pittsburgh at the earliest possible opportunity. If he could have, Hayes would have crossed home plate, sprinted to the dugout,...
Cole Tucker, Jared Oliva left off Pirates’ alternate training site roster for ‘skills development’
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that their alternate training site will be comprised of 31 players who will play 13 games in April, though two players on their 40-man roster are conspicuously absent. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Saturday that shortstop Cole Tucker and outfielder Jared Oliva remain in Florida for...
State lawmakers tout PNC Park as ideal spot for relocated MLB All-Star Game
In the wake of Major League Baseball’s decision to pull the All-Star Game from Georgia as a reaction to that state’s sweeping new voter regulations, a pair of Pennsylvania state senators have touted PNC Park as a replacement venue. State Democratic leader Jay Costa, D-Forest Hills, and Chariman of the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Duane Underwood Jr. tone setter as Pirates bullpen shines in opener
It wasn’t lost on Duane Underwood when he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates that they opened the season against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, or that he could pitch against his former team. So there was no shortage of motivation for Underwood going from the Cubs to the...
Opening Day Feats of Strength: Pirates did a lot right against Cubs, and managed to avoid what could’ve gone wrong
After that Opening Day victory in Chicago, I suppose I’ll have to adjust my predicted win total for the 2021 Pittsburgh Pirates. All the way up to 58 or 59. My minimal expectations for this club aside, Opening Day is always looked upon as its own entity anyway. Almost as...
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ home run highlights Pirates’ Opening Day win over Cubs
Ke’Bryan Hayes relished the idea of playing his first Opening Day at historic Wrigley Field, as well as a chance to show his sensational September debut was a foreshadowing of future stardom. With one swing, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman joined some rare company in club history. Hayes hit...
Pirates make roster moves before Opening Day, but don’t need to make any cuts
Thanks to a new addition, the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t have to make a final roster cut on Opening Day. To get to the 26-man roster, manager Derek Shelton said the Pirates were placing left-handed pitcher Steven Brault (lat strain) on the 60-day injured list and right-hander Cody Ponce on the...
How to watch/listen to Pirates Opening Day game
Hard to believe, but baseball’s finally back. The Pittsburgh Pirates will kick off the season — yep, it’s a normal one too, we checked — with an Opening Day game today against the Chicago Cubs in the Windy City. First pitch is set for 2:20 p.m. (Pittsburgh time). If you...
U mad, bro?: Pittsburgh fans snarl about Steelers, Ben Roethlisberger, Pitt hoops, the Pirates and our coverage of it allVideo
This is stunning. I went a whole week with no negative feedback from Steelers or Penguins fans. Nary a complaint from a reader about the Pirates. Not one angry tweet about Pitt. Not a single Facebook post lashing back at one of my columns. It was amazing. Ha! Gotcha! Happy...
Pirates bullpen breakdown: Is Richard Rodriguez better suited for setup role?
Breakout candidate Luis Oviedo, RHP The Pirates project the 21-year-old as a future starter, but the Rule 5 Draft pick, acquired from the New York Mets via trade, will start his major league career in the bullpen. The 6-foot-4, 235-pounder never has pitched above Single-A but has a four-pitch repertoire...
Making the Pirates ‘unbelievable’ for Mars alum David Bednar, who hopes to boost bullpen
When David Bednar made his pitch to make the Pittsburgh Pirates, it usually came down to a decision of whether to throw his four-seam fastball by hitters or make them chase his curveball. By recording 18 strikeouts, giving up three hits and one walk without allowing a run in 10...
After dazzling Pirates debut last season, Ke’Bryan Hayes steps into starring role before 1st Opening Day
Ke’Bryan Hayes already has established himself as one of baseball’s top prospects and a foundation piece upon which the Pittsburgh Pirates will build before ever experiencing an Opening Day in the major leagues. So, the 24-year-old can’t help but wonder what it will be like to stand along the first...
Cubs agree to deal with former Pirates catcher Tony Wolters
CHICAGO — The Chicago Cubs agreed to a one-year deal with catcher Tony Wolters and designated right-hander James Norwood for assignment Wednesday. Wolters, who figures to back up Willson Contreras, signed a minor league deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates last month and was released March 29. He is a career...
Pirates announce covid protocols for fans at PNC Park
As the Pittsburgh Pirates prepare for spectators to return to PNC Park for home games this season, they announced numerous health and safety protocols and stadium policy changes for fans to follow. The protocols follow recommendations from the CDC, Allegheny Health Network and MLB during the covid-19 pandemic. Masks will...
Pirates starting pitching breakdown: Is JT Brubaker ready for a breakout season?
Breakout candidate JT Brubaker, the team’s 2018 minor league pitcher of the year, started last season in the bullpen before moving into the starting rotation when Mitch Keller went on the injured list. After missing most of the 2019 season with forearm issues, Brubaker went 1-3 with a 4.94 ERA...
Despite rocky spring, Pirates still counting on Mitch Keller to anchor starting rotation
When Derek Shelton named Chad Kuhl the Opening Day starter, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager refused to reveal the order for the rest of his starting rotation. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington clarified the situation somewhat, affirming he expects left-hander Tyler Anderson and righties JT Brubaker, Trevor Cahill and Mitch Keller...
