Mitch Keller’s strong start, offensive outburst help Pirates beat Reds, snap 5-game skid
Searching for a way to snap a five-game losing streak, the Pittsburgh Pirates found the most unlikely suspects to be their best candidates. Henry Davis and Marcell Ozuna – both batting below the Mendoza Line – combined for three home runs and five RBIs as the Pirates battered the National...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates rookie shortstop Konnor Griffin reflects on 1st month in majors
Konnor Griffin made his major-league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates in their home opener and lived up to the hype of being baseball’s consensus top prospect by hitting an RBI double in his first at-bat, then scoring a run in the 5-4 win over the Baltimore Orioles on April 3...
Full Count: Pirates aren’t watching scoreboard, but close NL Central race could be a ‘gauntlet’
The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the weekend on a five-game losing streak after getting swept by the St. Louis Cardinals and in last place in the National League Central, so it’s not a surprise that manager Don Kelly considers it way too early to start scoreboard watching. Yet a glance at...
Cardinals homer twice off Paul Skenes in 1st, hand Pirates 5th straight loss to sweep series
The Pittsburgh Pirates were counting on Paul Skenes to be the stopper to their losing streak and prevent a series sweep, even though the St. Louis Cardinals are the one team that have had his number. Skenes served up two home runs in the first inning, and the Cardinals pounded...
Pirates RHP Jared Jones, 3B Jared Triolo draw rave reviews after rehab assignment debuts
A pair of Pittsburgh Pirates made the first starts of their rehabilitation assignments to rave reviews, as Jared Jones was untouchable at Low-A Bradenton, and Jared Triolo was a big hit for Double-A Altoona. Jones, returning from InternalBrace surgery on his right elbow a year ago, topped triple digits on...
‘A better taste’: After spring training scare, Chris Devenski relieved for return with Pirates
Chris Devenski has a locker in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse and a deeper appreciation for pitching in the major leagues after his baseball career flashed before his eyes during a spring training game. With a pressing need for bullpen help, the Pirates on Wednesday selected the 35-year-old right-hander’s contract from...
Nick Gonzales robbed of home run as Cardinals hold off Pirates to clinch series winVideo
Trailing the St. Louis Cardinals in the bottom of the ninth inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates had the tying run on base and their hottest hitter at the plate. Nick Gonzales showed why he lives for such moments. Gonzales sent Riley O’Brien’s belt-high slider 373 feet to the left-field corner at...
Riding a hitting streak, Nick Gonzales hopes that his bat can keep him in the Pirates’ lineup
Now that Nick Gonzales has played second base, shortstop and third base for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, he’s come to expect a persistent question about his preferences. “People always ask me what’s my favorite position. I say whatever one that I’m playing that day,” Gonzales said. “Honestly, my favorite...
Cardinals pound Pirates for 3rd consecutive loss to jump ahead in NL Central standings
A day after emptying their bullpen against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to a pair of pitchers who had just rejoined the club to get them through the second game of the series. Right-hander Braxton Ashcraft returned from bereavement/family medical emergency leave to make his sixth start,...
Pirates activate Braxton Ashcraft to start, recall LHP Hunter Barco in bullpen shakeup
A day after using every reliever against the St. Louis Cardinals, the Pittsburgh Pirates shook up their bullpen with a pair of roster moves. To make room for the return of right-hander Braxton Ashcraft — who was activated from the bereavement/family medical leave list in time to start Tuesday’s game...
Wilber Dotel tops triple digits twice in tossing 4 perfect innings for Pirates out of bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates asked a lot of Wilber Dotel on Monday, targeting the 23-year-old right-hander to pitch four innings against the St. Louis Cardinals in only the third appearance of his major league career. Dotel answered the call, keeping a perfect game intact through the sixth inning by striking out...
Cardinals ruin almost-perfect night by Pirates, rally for 4 runs in 9th to win series opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates arrived Monday afternoon to the hum of an inflatable bounce house in the middle of their clubhouse, a belated birthday prank in celebration of 20-year-old rookie Konnor Griffin. What started in perfection ended in a deflating defeat. The St. Louis Cardinals rallied for four runs off closer...
Mars, WVU alum JJ Wetherholt returns to PNC Park as Cardinals rookie second baseman
JJ Wetherholt sat on the top bench of the visitors’ dugout at PNC Park, admiring the view of his hometown three hours before the St. Louis Cardinals played their series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates. For the 23-year-old rookie second baseman, a Mars alum who played three games here while...
Lefty Kyle Harrison strikes out 12 as Brewers blank Pirates to avoid series sweep
The Pittsburgh Pirates were seeking their first sweep of the Milwaukee Brewers in a decade, but Kyle Harrison proved to be a roadblock. The 24-year-old left-hander recorded a career high 12 strikeouts in six scoreless innings, and the Brewers used a five-run fourth inning for a 5-0 win Sunday afternoon...
Pirates score 3 runs in 10th for back-to-back victories, clinch series win over Brewers
The Pittsburgh Pirates had won back-to-back games in a series at Milwaukee only once in the past seven seasons, so the odds were against them when the game went into extra innings. They defied expectations with a three-run 10th inning. Bryan Reynolds hit an RBI single to drive in automatic...
Pirates place RHP Braxton Ashcraft on family leave, recall righty reliever Cam Sanders
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft on the Major League Bereavement/Family Medical Emergency list Saturday, temporarily taking a starter out of the rotation. Ashcraft, 26, is 1-1 with a 2.43 ERA, 1.01 WHIP and 32 strikeouts against nine walks in 29 2/3 innings over five starts this season....
Konnor Griffin hits 1st homer, Paul Skenes flirts with perfection as the Pirates blank Brewers
It was a night of almost perfect performances for Konnor Griffin and Paul Skenes, with the former throwing himself a birthday bash and the latter flirting with a no-hitter into the seventh inning. Griffin hit his first major-league home run on his 20th birthday, and Skenes retired the first 20...
Birthday Bash: Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin hits 1st MLB home run against Brewers
Konnor Griffin gave himself the best birthday present, hitting his first major-league home run on the day he turned 20. The Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop, baseball’s No. 1 prospect, drove Brandon Woodruff’s 1-1 fastball 386 feet to right field at a 104.4 mph exit velocity for his first career homer in...
Full Count: Pirates believe they are better suited than 2023 to sustaining a hot start
When the Pittsburgh Pirates return to PNC Park, the NFL Draft will be over so the Steelers no longer will be at center stage on the North Shore, and the Penguins could be eliminated from the Stanley Cup playoffs. The Pirates have a chance to capture the city’s attention in...
Bucs Beat Q&A: How versatile role player Billy Cook stays ready in a pinch for the Pirates
When the Pittsburgh Pirates hit a home run, Billy Cook is often at the center of the celebration. The outfielder/first baseman, who is valued for his versatility, is enjoying his role in rewarding teammates with a welder’s mask and hoisting an orange traffic cone to lead the cheers for game-changing...
Wilber Dotel responds to homer by bringing the heat in ‘impressive’ MLB debut for PiratesVideo
The third pitch of Wilber Dotel’s major league debut was a 1-1 slider below the strike zone that Junior Caminero sent 389 feet to left field for a home run, a welcome-to-the-majors moment. How the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander responded against the heart of the Tampa Bay Rays’ batting order...
For Pirates, it will be ‘weird’ to see Andrew McCutchen wearing a Rangers uniform
The Pittsburgh Pirates are preparing to see a familiar face this week, even though they admit that it will be unusual for Andrew McCutchen to be wearing a different uniform and even a new number. After spending 12 of his first 17 seasons with the Pirates, including the past three,...
Pirates get strong 7-inning start from Mitch Keller to save bullpen, beat Rays for series win
The Pittsburgh Pirates followed one of their longest games with one that was short and sweet, thanks to a strong start by Mitch Keller. With the bullpen needing relief, the veteran right-hander went above and beyond. Keller held the Tampa Bay Rays to two runs over seven innings and had...
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...
