Justin Guerriero stories, Page 36
Jared Jones sharp as Pirates hang on to beat Cubs in 1st of 4-game series
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Jared Jones has been let down by the rest of the club on several occasions this season. Largely thanks to insufficient offense behind him, Jones took losses in three outings, all of which were quality starts, heading into his appearance against the Chicago Cubs on Thursday...
Pirates trade pitcher Roansy Contreras to Angels days after designating him for assignment
Five days after designating him for assignment, the Pittsburgh Pirates traded right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras to the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday. The Pirates received cash considerations from the Angels for Contreras. Contreras was a key return piece in the 2021 trade that sent Jameson Taillon to the New York...
3 Penguins, including Kris Letang, undergo postseason surgeries
Three Pittsburgh Penguins players — defensemen Kris Letang and John Ludvig, plus forward Matt Nieto — underwent offseason surgeries recently, president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas announced Wednesday. Letang had a fractured finger on his left hand repaired Friday, with an expected recovery time of eight weeks. On April...
Pirates battle elements, bullpen meltdown to outlast Cubs in Paul Skenes’ MLB debut
Chances are what happened Saturday at PNC Park was vastly different from what Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes had in mind when he mentally prepared for his first MLB start. Skenes likely didn’t envision a lengthy 2-hour, 20-minute rain delay pausing play between the Pirates and visiting Chicago Cubs....
Rain delay pauses Pirates game in Paul Skenes’ MLB debut
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Pirates surrendered a five-run lead to the Chicago Cubs Saturday at PNC Park, the skies opened up, with thunder and heavy rains delaying the game, which featured top prospect Paul Skenes’ MLB debut. At the time of the delay, the Pirates and Cubs were tied 6-6....
Ben Cherington, Derek Shelton aim to keep pressure off Paul Skenes for MLB debutVideo
As the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospect — one of the most dynamic across MLB in recent memory — prepared to make his big-league debut, general manager Ben Cherington and skipper Derek Shelton did their best to make Saturday afternoon at PNC Park feel as normal as possible for pitcher Paul...
In 1st at-bat post-recall, Pirates’ Nick Gonzales hits RBI singleVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales is not wired to shield himself from hard truths, however unflattering. Last year, after making his MLB debut with the Pirates and playing in 35 games with the club, his .209/.268/.348 slash line offered no illusions that, offensively, considerable improvements were needed for him to...
Pirates acquire pitcher Daulton Jefferies from San Francisco for minor-league OF
Amid the buzz of introducing top overall prospect Paul Skenes at PNC Park on Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates orchestrated a minor trade, acquiring right-hander Daulton Jefferies from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor-league outfielder Rodolfo Nolasco. Jefferies, 28, was designated for assignment by the Giants on Monday. Upon...
Pirates call up 2020 1st round pick Nick Gonzales from Triple-A
As Paul Skenes prepares to make his MLB debut this weekend, another top performer at Triple-A Indianapolis (and fellow former first-round draft pick) is also getting the call up to Pittsburgh. The Pirates are promoting infielder Nick Gonzales, selected seventh overall by the Pirates in the 2020 MLB Draft, a...
Before Paul Skenes, the Pirates had 5 No. 1 overall draft picks: A look at their MLB debutsVideo
The excitement surrounding a No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates arguably has never been higher, with pitcher Paul Skenes earning his much-anticipated call-up to the big leagues to start Saturday at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs. However, the situation is far from foreign for the Pirates, who...
Pirates shut down by Angels bullpen, drop series finale
After five innings Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked to be sitting pretty, having taken a two-run lead over the Los Angeles Angels and chasing starter Jose Soriano. But that advantage evaporated almost instantly, with starter Martin Perez and reliever Luis Ortiz imploding in the sixth to...
Luis Ortiz embracing bullpen role, demonstrating value as reliever for Pirates
So far this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates have asked pitcher Luis Ortiz to wear multiple hats coming out of the bullpen, even as he acclimates to that new role with the club. Through parts of two previous seasons with the Pirates, the 25-year-old Ortiz was primarily as a starter. A...
Fresh off grand slam, Pirates’ Edward Olivares committed to making most of opportunitiesVideo
From the moment the ball left his bat, Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Edward Olivares needed little reassurance that he’d gotten every bit of it. In the bottom of the third inning of Monday’s series-opening contest against the Angels, with the bases loaded, Olivares crushed the first pitch he saw from Los...
Pirates rally to beat Rockies, win 1st series since early April
If the last few weeks have served as any guide, the three-run hole the Pittsburgh Pirates found themselves in early Sunday afternoon should have been more than enough to sink them and lead to yet another loss. After all, the Pirates have managed three or more runs only twice in...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington offers thoughts on Paul Skenes’ path, Henry Davis’ demotion
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington conducted his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan on Sunday afternoon, wrapping up as the club’s top prospect, Paul Skenes, prepared to make his seventh start for Triple-A Indianapolis. With Skenes posting a 0.39 ERA, 41 strikeouts and six walks to date at...
‘It’s just atrocious’: Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen rips strike zones of MLB umpires
When it comes to major-league batters’ recognition skills and their ability to win pitch-by-pitch battles with their mound opponents, Andrew McCutchen was unflinching in identifying a key component that’s out of a hitter’s control and subject to change nightly. “The strike zone’s horrible,” the Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter said before...
9th inning rally falls short, as Pirates fall to lowly Rockies for 5th straight loss
If their Friday night loss to the Colorado Rockies proves anything for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it’s that playing one of MLB’s worst teams offers no antidote to their ongoing issues, namely figuring out how to emerge from a frustrating multi-week offensive slump. The Rockies, who came to PNC Park with...
Amid offensive struggles, Pirates demote catcher Henry Davis to Triple-A
As one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ No. 1 overall draft picks closes in on a highly anticipated MLB debut, Friday afternoon brought news that another will navigate an early career disruption. All eyes are on pitcher Paul Skenes, selected atop the 2023 MLB Draft by the Pirates, who is expected...
In 1st year with Penguins, Lars Eller earned paycheck, making notable impact
Which first-year player brought in by Kyle Dubas made the biggest impact this season for the Pittsburgh Penguins? That’s debatable. With his solid presence down the stretch as the starting goalie for the final three weeks of the season, goalie Alex Nedeljkovic has a strong case. Winger Reilly Smith and...
Late-game bullpen struggles sink Pirates, who settle for series split with Milwaukee
The Pittsburgh Pirates let an opportunity to take three of four games from the Milwaukee Brewers slip through their fingers Thursday, falling 7-5 at PNC Park because of a late-game bullpen meltdown and a shaky start by Mitch Keller. Aroldis Chapman (0-2, 6.75 ERA) was charged with the loss and...
Major offseason deep dive into power play’s deficiencies sure to be in store for Penguins
Pittsburgh Penguins winger Rickard Rakell probably spoke for many of his teammates when asked earlier this season why the power play could not seem to gain any traction. “I wish I had an answer,” Rakell said in March. “I would be the first guy to change something.” The Penguins’ power...
After seamless transition to Penguins, Michael Bunting looks to be key piece in futureVideo
In back-to-back games at the end of the Pittsburgh Penguins’ season, winger Michael Bunting scored his 20th goal of the campaign, only for both scores to be taken away. He was credited with a goal in the third period April 14 against Boston, his second of the game, but a...
From even-strength aptitude to power-play incompetence, a situational look at the Penguins’ seasonVideo
Like most teams across the NHL, the Pittsburgh Penguins had some facets of their game that were strong and others that were weaker. But perhaps more so than a majority of clubs, the contrast between areas was quite pronounced. In a nutshell, the Penguins were at their best in traditional...
Reilly Smith takes ownership of disappointing debut campaign with Penguins
Acquiring winger Reilly Smith just before last year’s NHL Draft represented the first major offseason move Pittsburgh Penguins president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas made after being hired to lead the club’s front office. Bringing in Smith from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for a third-round pick in...
Despite disappointing finish, Tristan Jarry enters offseason as Penguins’ No. 1 option in net
Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Tristan Jarry received votes of confidence from coach Mike Sullivan and president of hockey operations/general manager Kyle Dubas during the club’s recent end-of-year sit downs with local media. However, Jarry’s deployment — benching, to be more accurate — over the final few weeks of the season might...
