Pirates/MLB category, Page 262
Kevin Gorman: Pirates missed the mark in Mitch Keller’s PNC Park debutVideo
As PNC Park debuts go, Mitch Keller’s lacked sizzle. Not to mention a victory. Keller was as much to blame for that as the Pittsburgh Pirates are, as both his major-league debut and second start were disappointing defeats at Cincinnati and Atlanta, respectively. The buildup you would expect for a...
Pirates minor league report for June 18, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 37-31) defeated Buffalo (Blue Jays), 5-2. LHP Cam Vieaux (2-0, 4.15) earned the victory after pitching six innings with six strikeouts and two runs allowed on four hits. Vieaux did not surrender a hit through five innings. 1B Will Craig (.279) went 2 for 4 with a two-run...
Mitch Keller improves in PNC Park debut, but Pirates lose to Tigers
The Pittsburgh Pirates committed a pair of errors in one inning, leading to two unearned runs by the Detroit Tigers. They left eight runners on base after the fourth inning, and they managed only one hit in 10 tries with teammates in scoring position. Under those circumstances, no one should...
Kevin Gorman: Ray Searage wears bull’s-eye as Pirates deal with pitching problemsVideo
Ray Searage hears the criticism. How could he not? The strength of the Pittsburgh Pirates was supposed to be the pitching staff, with a strong starting rotation and a loaded bullpen. Instead, the Pirates have dealt with disaster, as pitching became their biggest problem. A dozen pitchers have spent time...
Pirates’ Hurdle likes juggling five outfielders
Clint Hurdle has five outfielders on his roster, which is one more than he usually needs. It’s a nice problem — and it could come in handy at trade deadline time — but the Pittsburgh Pirates manager said he solves it by “feel” and “conversation.” But there are constants that...
Ex-Pirate Jordy Mercer nostalgic on return to PNC Park with Tigers
It rains a lot in Taloga, Okla., these days. Which means the grass is green, the wheat crop is strong and, thankfully, the wildfires that plagued the tiny town (population, 310) last spring have not returned. The only bad news is Taloga’s favorite son isn’t playing baseball. Jordy Mercer, who...
Pirates notebook: Healthy arms could give team a needed boost
Trevor Williams will return to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation Wednesday night, and he does so as part of the reconstruction of the pitching staff. The Pirates crossed Chris Stratton off the injured list Tuesday. Williams comes off Wednesday. Meanwhile, Jordan Lyles pitched a simulated game before the team met...
First Call: Josh Bell maintains All-Star lead; what could Penguins trade 1st-round pick for?
In “First Call” Tuesday, the Pirates need to get fat against the Tigers. Josh Bell still leads in All-Star voting at first base, but not by much. Draft picks are good currency in the NHL. And Lavar Ball continues to act like a moron. Terrible Tigers Boy, the Tigers are...
Pirates minor league report for June 17, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 36-31) was idle. LHP Cam Vieaux (1-0, 4.50) is the Indians’ expected starting pitcher Tuesday night. Next: Tuesday at Buffalo (Blue Jays), 7:05 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 34-32) lost 4-2 to Harrisburg (Nationals). CF Jared Olivia (.209) and 1B Jerrick Suiter (.246) went 2 for 5 with a double...
Pirates sign four more draft choices
The Pittsburgh Pirates have 29 of their 42 draft choices under contract after four, including sixth-round outfielder Will Matthiessen of Stanford, agreed to terms Monday. Matthiessen, 6-foot-7, 220 pounds, hit .322, with 12 home runs and 52 RBIs in 57 games for Stanford this season. .@willmatthiessen is headed to the...
For reeling Pirates, upcoming schedule only makes things tougher
The most troubling thought that followed the Pittsburgh Pirates home from their 2-8 road trip wasn’t a pitching staff that seems to be in various stages of disarray and ineffectiveness. Hard to believe, but there is worse news than a 5.12 team ERA (27th in MLB) and 1.45 WHIP (26th),...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden talk Olli Maatta trade, Steelers running backs, Pirates quandary
In this week’s “Madden Monday” podcast, Mark Madden and I discuss whether Jim Rutherford did the right thing by trading Olli Maatta to Chicago. We also investigate the quality of the return in Dominik Kahun. Maatta took a lot of grief in Pittsburgh. We debate whether it was warranted. Another...
Tim Benz: Pirates bullpen shows encouraging signs vs. Marlins
I don’t want to get too crazy. Simply file this one under “credit when it’s due.” But let’s give a mild golf clap to the Pirates bullpen for helping to win the series in Miami over the weekend. Boy, it’s amazing how much facing the Marlins’ bats can help, right?...
Pirates rally past Marlins, win seriesVideo
MIAMI — Josh Bell padded his NL-leading RBI total and helped the Pittsburgh Pirates to a series-clinching victory. Bell’s go-ahead double in the seventh inning lifted the Pirates over the Miami Marlins, 5-4, on Sunday. The Pirates rallied from a 4-2 deficit on Corey Dickerson’s pinch-hit RBI double off Miami...
Pirates’ Neal Huntington said pitching staff ‘getting healthy’
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington said his team, which has lost eight of its past nine games, is in the middle of a “tough stretch, but we’re getting healthy.” Speaking Sunday on his radio show on KDKA-FM, he said pitchers Trevor Williams, Chris Stratton and Jordan Lyles, who are...
Pirates minor league report: June 15, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 35-30): Postponed by rain vs. Pawtucket (Red Sox). Next: Sunday doubleheader vs. Pawtucket ALTOONA (Double-A, 34-31): defeated Binghamton (Mets), 5-1. 1B Jerrick Suiter (.242) had a pair of RBIs, as did RF Bligh Madris. Madris (.249) hit his third homer of the season, and 3B Hunter Owen (.300)...
Pirates stumble after building lead in loss to lowly Marlins
MIAMI — For the second straight game, the Pittsburgh Pirates jumped on the Miami Marlins. This time, the Marlins answered, and Pablo Lopez and his teammates were able to lock down the Pirates the rest of the way. Lopez pitched seven strong innings and allowed three runs to help the...
Pirates minor league report for June 14, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 35-30) lost 4-2 to Pawtucket (Red Sox). The Indians got out to an early lead after 2B Jake Elmore (.364) and CF Jason Martin (.229) drove in runs to make it 2-0 in the first inning. The Red Sox scored four unanswered runs, including three in the seventh,...
Pirates snap 7-game skid with rout of Marlins
MIAMI — Steven Brault scattered eight hits over six innings, and the Pittsburgh Pirates stopped a seven-game slide by routing the Miami Marlins, 11-0, on Friday night. Brault (3-1) was hit on his left leg by Starlin Castro’s line drive in the first, but it didn’t seem to affect him...
Pirates sign No. 37 overall draft pick OF Sammy Siani, 33rd-round pick Ernny Ordonez
The Pittsburgh Pirates inked the final of their top-five picks from last week’s draft, announcing the signing of Pennsylvania high school outfielder Sammy Siani on Friday. Taken No. 37 overall in the compensatory round between the first- and second rounds, Siani is a lefthanded hitting and throwing outfielder from William...
Dario Agrazal will make MLB debut as starter for Pirates in Miami
For the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 70th game this season, they’ll turn to a 12th different starting pitcher. Right-hander Dario Agrazal was added to the Pirates’ taxi squad Friday, and the team announced he will start Saturday’s road game against the Miami Marlins. Agrazal, 24, will be making his major-league debut. Rated...
Fantasy sports: Will Pirates pitchers finally get a break in Miami?
In this week’s fantasy sports podcast, we are once again joined by Jeff Erickson of Rotowire. We start off talking about how fantasy owners had to navigate through a tricky week, dealing with some risky pitchers making multiple starts. One of those guys was the Pirates’ Joe Musgrove, courtesy of...
First Call: Strange Stanley Cup odds; Seth Meyers talks Pirates
Friday’s “First Call” features NBC’s Seth Meyers talking Pirates. Emmanuel Sanders actually saying something nice about Antonio Brown. And inconsistent odds for the Penguins and other NHL teams winning the 2020 Stanley Cup. Sliding scale The Penguins are usually one of the top offseason favorites to win the Stanley Cup....
Tim Benz: A ‘change’ is coming for Pirates 1st-rounder Quinn Priester
A change is coming for Pirates 2019 first-round draft pick Quinn Priester. Already. And that’s a good thing. Because the high school pitcher needs one. No, he’s not changing positions. Or going to back to football. The “change” I’m talking about is the one Priester is adding to his pitching...
Pirates minor league report: June 13, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 35-29) lost 11-3 to Buffalo (Blue Jays). RHP Trevor Williams (0-1, 6.00) recorded the loss in his first rehab start since being placed on the 10-day injury list May 17 with a right side strain. Williams pitched three innings with two runs allowed on four hits, a...
