Pittsburgh Pirates / MLB
With depleted bullpen, the Pirates promote right-hander Wilber Dotel for his MLB debut
Wilber Dotel was scheduled to start for Triple-A Indianapolis at Omaha when the 23-year-old right-hander got word that he had been scratched during pregame workouts. Dotel had to hurry to pack his bags and take an early morning flight to Pittsburgh so he could be at PNC Park in time...
Cedric Mullins hits 2-run homer in 13th to lift Rays past Pirates in rain-delayed marathon
A game that started ahead of schedule with a sellout crowd for Paul Skenes and the bobblehead giveaway celebrating the National League Cy Young Award winner ended six-plus hours later with a whiff. Cedric Mullins sent Yohan Ramirez’s 2-0 fastball 403 feet over the right-field wall for a two-run homer...
Tim Benz Podcasts
Pirates farm report for April 18, 2026: Rafael Flores Jr. hits 1st homer in Indianapolis win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 6-14) thumped Omaha (Royals), 11-3. 1B Rafael Flores Jr. (.206) went 2 for 3 with a double, his first home run, two runs scored and three RBIs. LF Tyler Callihan (.239) went 3 for 4 with a double and his first homer, a two-run shot. DH Enmanuel...
Pirates-Rays start time at PNC Park moved up to 3:30 p.m. due to impending storms
The Pittsburgh Pirates moved up the start time for Saturday’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays to 3:30 p.m. at PNC Park, due to impending storms. The Pirates-Rays game was scheduled to start at 4:05 p.m. Fans already are lined up along General Robinson to Federal Street to get the...
Pirates farm report for April 17, 2026: Seth Hernandez throws 5 no-hit innings for Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 5-14) lost 4-2 to Omaha (Royals). RHP Thomas Harrington (4.32) started and gave up four runs on four hits, including a homer, in four innings to take the loss. He struck out four and walked three. RHP Justin Meis (4.66) pitched three scoreless innings with four strikeouts....
Oneil Cruz homers, Brandon Lowe doubles twice against former team as Pirates top Rays
Brandon Lowe was confused when his first hit was followed by the flashing of “Home Run” on the Jumbotron and fireworks at PNC Park, given that it was a ground-rule double that bounced over the fence. Lowe turned to second base umpire Paul Clemons for clarification, double-checking that he had...
Pirates prospect watch: No. 12 prospect Jhonny Severino makes quick impact at Greensboro
Jhonny Severino Position: 3B Height: 6-2 Weight: 185 Level: High-A Greensboro Notable: The Greensboro Grasshoppers scored eight runs in the sixth inning against the Brooklyn Cyclones on Wednesday. Slugging infielder Jhonny Severino provided half that production by belting a grand slam over the left-field fence and out of the ballpark....
City Connect: A.J. Burnett returns to Pittsburgh as Pirates unveil new jerseys
The Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t need a bat signal to summon A.J. Burnett back to PNC Park. A simple phone call sealed the deal to get Burnett to serve as the narrator for the unveiling of their City Connect uniforms. Burnett wore a custom jersey with his old No. 34 on...
Pirates promote righty reliever Cam Sanders, option veteran Jose Urquidy in bullpen moves
The Pittsburgh Pirates shook up their bullpen Friday, recalling rookie right-handed reliever Cam Sanders and optioning veteran righty Jose Urquidy to Triple-A Indianapolis. Sanders, 29, made his major league debut last summer, posting an 8.10 ERA with four strikeouts, five walks and two home runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings...
Joe Starkey: Thankfully, Pittsburgh sports in much better shape as NFL Draft spotlight falls upon city
We’re not quite the City of Champions again, but we’re not the City of Chumps, either. Not anymore, and thankfully not this coming week, as the eyes of the sports world descend upon Pittsburgh for the NFL Draft. It’s easier to be a good host when you’re not wearing a...
Full Count: Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe providing pop at top of the order for Pirates
The first two players in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ batting order are a pair of left-handed hitters whose stature stands in stark contrast but whose statistics serve as almost mirror images of one another. At 6-foot-7, 248 pounds, Oneil Cruz uses his long levers to bash balls to record-breaking exit velocities...
The week ahead: Pirates to visit Rangers, Brewers
The week ahead at Rangers Tuesday, 8:05 p.m. (SN PIT) Wednesday, 8:05 p.m. (SN PIT) Thursday, 8:05 p.m. (SN PIT) • The Pirates will head west next week for an interleague series with the Rangers. Texas entered a series in Seattle this weekend with a record of 10-9, good for...
Beyond the Bylines: NFL Draft trade talk; Penguins-Flyers predictions; Pirates problems vs. Nationals
After a short absence, “Beyond the Bylines” is back with Joe Starkey and Tim Benz. In this week’s edition, they have predictions on the Penguins-Flyers series. They also have plenty of opinions on the Pirates after their spotty series against the Washington Nationals and on what the Steelers should do...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates ace Paul Skenes shows lighter side as ‘funniest person on the team’
This is a big weekend for Paul Skenes at PNC Park. The 23-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates ace, the unanimous winner of the 2025 National League Cy Young Award, was presented his trophy by 1990 NL Cy Young winner Doug Drabek prior to Friday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays. The...
Nationals outlast Pirates in 10 innings to split 4-game series
Errors, hit batters and wild pitches spoiled the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Thursday afternoon finale with the Washington Nationals, who won 8-7 in 10 innings at PNC Park to split the four-game series. But repeated offensive responses, including a four-run fifth and game-tying RBI in the bottom of the ninth, kept the...
Pirates farm report for April 16, 2026: Endy Rodriguez delivers 3 hits, 4 RBIs in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 5-13) throttled Omaha (Royals), 12-5. DH Endy Rodriguez (.179) went 3 for 4 with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored. 3B Davis Wendzel (.277) went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. RF Esmerlyn Valdez (.264) went 1 for 4 with two walks,...
Pirates starter Jared Jones entering ‘the next phase’ of return from elbow injury
Jared Jones must be the kind of injured player who provides Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk a dose of excitement and consternation. Jones, who missed all of last season with a right elbow injury and is on the 60-day injured list, told reporters Wednesday at PNC Park...
U mad, bro?: Fans already fretting over Don Kelly’s decisions, Pirates’ bullpen, Pens-Flyers playoff hostility
We’ve got to remember that Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly is only 142 games into his managerial career. That’s not an excuse for his ridiculous decision to pinch-hit for Brandon Lowe on Tuesday night during a 5-4 loss to Washington. A trained chimpanzee using an AI chatbot could’ve told Kelly...
