Pirates/MLB category, Page 259
Pirates farm report for July 3, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 42-41) lost 7-6 to Louisville (Reds). RF Trayvon Robinson (.338) was 3 for 3 with a double, a triple and two RBIs and a run. CF Jason Martin (.244) had two hits, an RBI and a run. LF Darnell Sweeney (.271) hit an eighth-inning, two-run double to cut...
Pirates rally in 9th to beat Cubs, 6-5
There was nothing special about how the baseball came off the bats during the Pittsburgh Pirates’ ninth-inning rally Wednesday night at PNC Park. The trigger of the 6-5 victory – the Pirates’ third in a row against the Chicago Cubs — was a one-out walk on a 3-2 count to...
Pirates’ Jameson Taillon ‘encouraged’ by elbow news but still far from returning
Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher Jameson Taillon, who has missed two months with no timetable for his return, received good news recently when new images of his elbow strain showed healing. “I’m kind of encouraged by it,” he said Wednesday. But he is far from pitching in a game. He had...
Pirates bullpen’s success lessens need for long outings from starters
Back when Clint Hurdle was a player, he remembers five-man bullpens that offered fewer options for managers and more opportunities for starters to complete nine innings. But as the Pittsburgh Pirates manager noted Wednesday afternoon, that was “a long time ago.” “Now, you have seven-man bullpens, sometimes, eight-man bullpens (the...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates’ performance at PNC Park critical on and off the field
The Pittsburgh Pirates reached an important milestone Tuesday night with a 5-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs, one that tends to be symbolic of (and necessary for) a successful season. They reached the .500 mark at PNC Park. Lost amid the hoopla over Adam Frazier’s four-double game Monday and seven...
U mad, bro? Readers rip Neal Huntington, react to Phil Kessel trade
It’s been a week since I’ve checked my inbox for “U mad, bro.” And a lot has built up while I was on vacation. Penguins fans chime in on the Phil Kessel trade to Arizona. Pirates fans don’t seem to like the idea of dealing Felipe Vazquez. And Neal Huntington...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates’ Josh Bell banking on potential payday in Home Run Derby
When Josh Bell bashed three home runs against the Chicago Cubs on Monday, it never occurred on the Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman that it happened on Bobby Bonilla Day. In what has become the longest running joke in Major League Baseball, the New York Mets pay the retired slugger a...
Adam Frazier, 6 pitchers pace Pirates to another win over Cubs, 5-1
The evening storm that blew through the region Tuesday considerably cooled what had been a hot, humid day. It had little effect, though, on the simmering Adam Frazier – nor on the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Frazier homered and went 4 for 4 a day after tying a major-league...
Pirates minor league report: July 2, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 42-40) lost 6-1 to Louisville (Reds). LF Trayvon Robinson (.323) went 1 for 3 at the plate with a fourth-inning RBI single. SS Cole Tucker (.305) and CF Jason Martin (.240) each went 2 for 4. RF J.B. Shuck (.291) was 0 for 3. RHP Alex McRae...
Pirates notes: Chris Archer OK for Wednesday start, bullpen a recent strength
Chris Archer will make his scheduled start Wednesday for the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Clint Hurdle confirmed before Tuesday’s game. Left hip discomfort experienced during the veteran righthander’s prior outing had put his next scheduled start against the Chicago Cubs in doubt. “I don’t try to over-dramatize things,” Hurdle said. “You...
Five hits earn Adam Frazier another crack at Pirates’ leadoff spot
When Adam Frazier reclaimed the leadoff spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup Monday, it was supposed to be a one-night only engagement. Having five hits and tying the major-league record for doubles in a game changed that. “I didn’t ask any analytics,” manager Clint Hurdle said with a wry smile...
Pirates offense thriving under hitting coaches Rick Eckstein, Jacob Cruz
On Tuesday afternoon, Clint Hurdle called Monday night’s 18-5 victory “one of the better days that a Pittsburgh lineup has had in its history.” It was immediately after the 23-barrage against the Chicago Cubs that the Pittsburgh Pirates manager was asked about the role his team’s hitting coaches played in...
Pirates’ Trevor Williams reflects on the death of Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs
Trevor Williams didn’t know Los Angeles Angels pitcher Tyler Skaggs. But Skaggs’ death Monday at the age of 27 touched Williams deeply and reminded him to count his blessings. The Southlake (Texas) Police Department reported that Skaggs was found unresponsive in a hotel room Monday afternoon and was pronounced dead...
Pirates farm report for July 1, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 42-39) won 7-6 over Louisville (Reds). The Indians scored all seven runs in two consecutive innings with three scores in the seventh inning and four in the eighth. 1B Will Craig (.255) hit a three-run homer in the eighth inning and scored twice. LF Kevin Kramer (.272) went...
Josh Bell’s 3 home runs lead Pirates’ 18-5 win over Cubs
On a night when even Elias Diaz’s groundout traveled 108.2 mph, Clint Hurdle reflected on how the game of baseball has changed. And his thoughts went far beyond the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 18-5 victory Monday night against the National League- Central-leading Chicago Cubs. It’s how suddenly the baseball was jumping off...
Clint Hurdle content to just watch this year’s Home Run Derby
When Josh Bell steps into the batters’ box in Cleveland’s Progressive Field next Monday for the Home Run Derby, Clint Hurdle will only be a spectator, perhaps tucked into his couch in front of the TV at home. Which is just fine with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ manager, who threw nearly...
Pirates’ Adam Frazier takes advantage of Kevin Newman’s day off
Clint Hurdle didn’t write Kevin Newman’s name in the Pittsburgh Pirates starting lineup Monday night against the Chicago Cubs for the first time since June 9. Newman, whose Pirates modern-day rookie record 19-game hitting streak ended Sunday, was replaced at shortstop by Jung Ho Kang and in the leadoff spot...
Friendship guides Pirates’ Josh Bell in Home Run Derby pitcher choice
Josh Bell grew up playing baseball in the Dallas suburb of Irving, Texas, often competing against older kids because he was too good for those his own age. He was drafted in the second round in 2011, enticed to sign a big league contract when the Pittsburgh Pirates offered a...
Majority of readers support Pirates’ plan to extend netting at PNC Park
A majority of Tribune-Review readers think the Pittsburgh Pirates’ plan to extend the protective netting to the foul poles at PNC Park will make the environment at the games safer. But there is a chunk of readers who believe the onus is on fans to pay attention to the action...
Ex-Pirates slugger Bobby Bonilla made another $1.19 million
Today isn’t former Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Bobby Bonilla’s birthday, but just like every July 1 for the next 16 years, he has nearly 1.2 million reasons to celebrate. Thanks to a deferred contract put in place when Bonilla was released by the New York Mets following the 1999 season, Bonilla...
Tim Benz: History of Pirates trading closers has been spotty
If the Pirates are genuinely considering a trade of Felipe Vazquez, one thing is clear. The team better get its next closer in exchange for him. Otherwise, recent history shows us that the return for good closers the Pirates have previously had has been poor. To the credit of Neal...
John Steigerwald: Personality, not production, led to Phil Kessel, Antonio Brown trades
Two Pittsburgh teams have become a lot less entertaining since their seasons ended. Whether they both got better and closer to championships remains to be seen. The Phil Kessel trade looks like a good one for the Penguins. On paper. Kessel had to go. He wanted out, and he probably...
Pirates farm report for June 30, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 41-39) lost to Gwinnett (Braves), 5-3. RF Trayvon Robinson had three hits to raise his batting average to .320. 2B Jake Elmore (.354) was 2 for 5 with two runs. RHP Eduardo Vera (4-6, 5.60) started and took the loss, giving up three earned runs on five hits...
Pirates slugger Josh Bell gets All-Star nod; Felipe Vazquez not included
Josh Bell was named to his first All-Star Game as a reserve first baseman Sunday, but Felipe Vazquez, one of the National League’s most effective relievers, was not included on the list of pitchers initially named to the team. That could change, however, if an injury opens up a spot...
Brewers edge Pirates on Eric Thames’ 8th-inning HR
MILWAUKEE — Eric Thames is figuring out how to excel as a part-time player. Much to the dismay of the Pittsburgh Pirates. Thames homered leading off the eighth inning to lead the Milwaukee Brewers past the Pirates, 2-1, on Sunday. The Pirates dropped two of three in the series against...
