Take 5: How Pirates bounce back from gut punch by Phillies could be a defining moment
The Pittsburgh Pirates were dealt what could be best described as a devastating knockout by the Philadelphia Phillies over the weekend, though their preferred phrase was to call it a gut punch. Which was worse: blowing 6-0 and 8-3 leads in an extra-inning loss Friday night or suffering back-to-back shutouts...
Pirates option IF/OF Nick Yorke to Triple-A Indianapolis, opening roster spot for road trip
The Pittsburgh Pirates optioned infielder/outfielder Nick Yorke to Triple-A Indianapolis following Sunday’s 6-0 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies, creating a roster opening for their six-game road trip. A corresponding move will be announced before Tuesday’s game at the St. Louis Cardinals. Yorke, 24, is batting .197/.279/.276 with three doubles, one...
Phillies pound Bubba Chandler, as Cristopher Sanchez strikes out 13 in shutout of Pirates
Despite a tear in which Kyle Schwarber had homered nine times in eight games, Don Kelly debated the difficulty of pitching around the Philadelphia Phillies slugger because of the batter behind him. The Pittsburgh Pirates knew that even by walking MLB’s home runs leader, there was no avoiding Bryce Harper....
Pirates trade SS Alika Williams to Athletics for RHP Kyle Robinson in minor league move
With Jacob Wilson on the injured list with a dislocated left shoulder and sublaxation, the Athletics were search of a shortstop. The Pittsburgh Pirates had one in the minors with major-league experience, making them perfect partners for a swap. The Pirates traded defense-first middle infielder Alika Williams to the A’s...
Pirates’ bullpen blows 5-run lead as Phillies rally for extra-inning win to open series
The Pittsburgh Pirates had celebrated too early, first when reliever Yohan Ramirez used an upside-down orange traffic cone to catch a Marcell Ozuna home run in the bullpen and then after two blasts by Brandon Lowe to build a comfortable cushion over the Philadelphia Phillies. Kyle Schwarber was ready to...
Full Count: Talking walks with Bubba Chandler, who adopted interesting attitude about alarming trend
Bubba Chandler is passionate about pitching, so the attitude the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander has adopted toward his high walk rate sounds counterintuitive: Who cares? It’s not that Chandler is carefree about issuing free passes at an alarming rate — his 15.6% walk rate ranks near the bottom of baseball...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates DH Marcell Ozuna on hitting milestone homer, winning over fans
When Marcell Ozuna hit Robbie Ray’s 1-2 slider 365 feet to left field for his fourth home run of the season in the second inning of a 5-2 loss at the San Francisco Giants on May 9, the Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter became the 167th player in MLB history with...
Pirates have decision to make with how to deploy Jared Jones when he returns from IL
Ben Cherington was diplomatic in discussing the Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen, acknowledging the inconsistency of their right-handed relievers as an area in need of improvement. Cherington believes there are three solutions to the bullpen blues, the first that the relievers will return to their norms, the second that there are pitchers...
Reliever Brandan Bidois makes MLB debut as 1st Australian to play for Pirates
Brandan Bidois was waiting for the call that would allow him to make his major league debut, so he got his hopes up every time the bullpen phone rang at PNC Park. “Every time, your heart just kind of drops and sinks out of your stomach,” Bidois said. “That first...
Rockies rip Mitch Keller for 6 runs in 5th inning to roll past Pirates to even series
For four innings, Mitch Keller was pitching to perfection as the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander required only 42 pitches to retire the first dozen batters he faced. The Colorado Rockies countered with five consecutive hits to start the fifth, batting around the order in a six-run inning to pull away from...
Manager Don Kelly compliments Oneil Cruz’s ‘most complete game’ in Pirates’ win
On a night that was all about Paul Skenes striking out 10 in eight scoreless innings, the all-around performance by Oneil Cruz was not lost on Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly. Cruz went 3 for 4 with two doubles and scored two runs, but it wasn’t just his offense that...
Paul Skenes masterful in striking out 10 in 8 scoreless innings as Pirates beat Rockies
Paul Skenes flirted with perfection for four-plus innings and took a no-hitter into the seventh, but the Pittsburgh Pirates ace kept his head down after fielding a ground ball for the final out of the eighth inning. Skenes slowly walked off the field, tipping the bill of his ballcap as...
Pirates place catcher Joey Bart on IL, recall Endy Rodriguez, swap relievers in moves
For the first time in almost a year, Endy Rodriguez is back with the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Pirates recalled the 25-year-old catcher, their 2022 minor league player of the year, from Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday to replace Joey Bart, who was placed on the 10-day injured list with an infection...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Jack Wilson jumps at chance to talk about Pirates, Konnor Griffin, coaching
Jack Wilson spent nine of his 12 seasons in the major leagues playing shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates, where he was a defensive whiz known as “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” and was an All-Star and won a Silver Slugger Award in 2004. When he’s not watching his son, Athletics shortstop Jacob...
Full Count: Luke Novosel aims to keep Pirates healthy in dream job as head athletic trainer
Luke Novosel has had a lifelong love for baseball, and his passion for the game was the bond between him and his father, Ron, to the point that he promised his paternal grandfather, Frank, that he would one day work for the Pittsburgh Pirates. For Novosel, that dream started as...
Pirates reliever Chris Devenski, manager Don Kelly suspended for intentionally throwing at Reds batter
The Pittsburgh Pirates received a double blow from MLB for intentionally throwing at a Cincinnati Reds batter when reliever Chris Devenski and manager Don Kelly were suspended. Devenski received a two-game suspension from MLB after his ejection for intentionally throwing at Sal Stewart of the Reds during the top of...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Wild week showed Pirates how they need to play to win
Ben Cherington called it a crazy week for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who started their seven-game homestand getting swept by the St. Louis Cardinals and ended it with a sweep of the Cincinnati Reds. “We got punched in the face against the Cardinals, no doubt,” Cherington said Sunday in a guest...
Konnor Griffin doubles, scores winning run, Braxton Ashcraft blanks Reds as Pirates sweepVideo
Konnor Griffin has been on a tear since the end of his teenage years, and the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie shortstop put the perfect finish on a three-game sweep of the National League Central-leading Cincinnati Reds. Griffin hit a two-out double off the center-field wall in the eighth inning, then scored...
Carmen Mlodzinski strikes out 10 as Pirates pound 19 hits, 11 walks to beat Reds
The Pittsburgh Pirates bounced back from a four-game sweep by the St. Louis Cardinals to clinch a series win over the National League-leading Cincinnati Reds with their most dominant performance of the season. Carmen Mlodzinski recorded a career-best 10 strikeouts as the Pirates had season highs with hits (19), walks...
Jared Triolo returns from rehab assignment, increases Pirates’ infield defensive options
Jared Triolo didn’t know which position he would be playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates nor did he seem to care. Triolo was just happy to be healthy and back in the home clubhouse. “Always itching to get back. Don’t like being down,” Triolo said. “But yeah, I feel like this...
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...
