Kevin Gorman stories, Page 102
3-error game by third baseman Erik Gonzalez proves costly as Padres beat Pirates
Erik Gonzalez had been the best glove on the Pittsburgh Pirates this season — save perhaps Ke’Bryan Hayes, the player he has replaced at third base — before Wednesday night’s game at San Diego. After not committing an error all season, Gonzalez had three in a dozen chances against the...
Pirates: No wrist discomfort or soreness for Ke’Bryan Hayes as rookie 3B resumes swinging
When Ke’Bryan Hayes resumed the return-to-swinging progression of his rehabilitation from a left wrist injury this week, he didn’t experience discomfort or soreness. That was the good news from Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, who said the symptoms that kept the rookie third baseman sidelined after he...
Pirates closer Richard Rodriguez completes reliever’s equivalent of a perfect game
When Austin Nola hit a deep fly to left field, the Pittsburgh Pirates had to hold their breath a moment before Ka’ai Tom made a catch at the warning track. Even before getting the final out of the 2-1 win over the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night for his...
Travis Swaggerty hits leadoff homer, as Pirates prospects start minor league season with blasts
The Pittsburgh Pirates raised eyebrows by having outfielder Travis Swaggerty report to the Indianapolis Indians, skipping a step in the minor leagues to make the jump to Triple-A. Ranked the Pirates’ No. 9 prospect by MLB Pipeline (and No. 14 by Baseball America), the 2018 first-round pick rewarded their confidence...
Mitch Keller’s strong start leads Pirates past Padres to snap 5-game losing streak
Mitch Keller had a game plan to establish command of his fastball and use it inside and out, and the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander followed every sign catcher Jacob Stallings threw down for him. The result was Keller’s longest and most successful outing of a season where he has struggled, one...
Pirates place RF Gregory Polanco on IL, select Hunter Owen from taxi squad
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right fielder Gregory Polanco on the injured list Tuesday and selected infielder/outfielder Hunter Owen to the major league roster from the taxi squad. Polanco is batting .200 with three doubles, three home runs and five RBIs through 24 games. He was 0 for 3 in the...
Pirates call Gov. Wolf lifting restrictions ‘exciting, welcomed news’ for fans at PNC Park
The Pittsburgh Pirates called Gov. Tom Wolf’s announcement that the state’s covid-19 mitigation orders will be lifted on Memorial Day “exciting and welcomed news” for their fans and community. The Pirates, who weren’t permitted to have fans in attendance for their 30 home games last season, are following Wolf’s orders...
Newest challenge for Pirates: Stopping scoreless streak after back-to-back shutouts
Derek Shelton demonstrated his dismay with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lack of offensive production by shuffling the batting order with eyebrow-raising moves amid what is now a five-game losing streak. On Sunday, the Pirates manager moved Bryan Reynolds and Colin Moran up in the order to the Nos. 2 and 3...
Padres end Tyler Anderson’s no-hit bid in 7th inning, rally to shut out Pirates
When Tyler Anderson reached the seventh inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander was aware that he hadn’t allowed a hit against the San Diego Padres — and also that the game was still a scoreless tie. Anderson wasn’t about to put pressure on himself to throw a no-hitter, let alone worry...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Return of Ke’Bryan Hayes would be boost for slumping Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates limped out of town Sunday after being swept by the St. Louis Cardinals to cap a homestand in which they lost four of five games, yet there was hope on the horizon. This rollercoaster of a season, where we have watched the Pirates lose six straight, win...
Harrison Bader’s 3-run homer off Wil Crowe lifts Cardinals to sweep of Pirates
After Wil Crowe left a hanging slider that Harrison Bader hit for a three-run homer in the first inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitcher came to a quick realization about his pitch repertoire. Though his fastball never felt better, the rookie right-hander couldn’t count on his offspeed stuff. So he...
Pirates manager: Adam Frazier’s backhand stop ‘one of best plays I have ever seen a 2B make’
The Pittsburgh Pirates weren’t sure which was more unbelievable: the backhand stop and jump-throw Adam Frazier made or the way the second baseman shrugged it off afterward. “It’s one of the best plays I have ever seen a second baseman make,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said after the 12-5 loss...
Cardinals crank out 15 hits to pound Pirates, clinch series
Trevor Cahill allowed three of the first four batters he faced to reach base and already gave up a run by the time he faced Paul DeJong with runners on first and second base in the first inning. DeJong cleared the bases with a three-run homer to get the St....
Pirates GM ‘encouraged’ by progress made by third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes with wrist injury
Ben Cherington is encouraged by the progress being made by Ke’Bryan Hayes, and the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager said Saturday he expects the rookie third baseman to join the club on its road trip. Hayes, who has been on the injured list since April 4, is throwing and running to...
Pirates 1st-rounder Travis Swaggerty to start in Triple-A Indy
When the Pittsburgh Pirates announced the rosters for their minor league affiliates, Travis Swaggerty’s name was missing from the Altoona Curve for a good reason. The Pirates decided to have the 23-year-old outfielder skip Double-A and report directly to Triple-A Indianapolis, where he will compete for playing time with Anthony...
Mistakes cost Pirates, who drop below .500 after loss to Cardinals
Searching for an outfielder, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to the waiver wire to find Ka’ai Tom. The Rule 5 pick with the memorable name had a forgettable starting debut. Tom misplayed two fly balls in left field that fell for RBI doubles and made a baserunning gaffe that might have...
Pirates lefty Sam Howard has developed into a reliever at the ready out of bullpen
As Sam Howard watches the Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers to see if they are allowing runners on base or closing on their pitch counts, he starts stretching and throwing weighted balls to get ready. Howard isn’t just waiting for the bullpen phone to ring. He’s secretly hoping the Pirates are...
Pirates’ No. 2 prospect Oneil Cruz to start in Double-A, top pick Nick Gonzales in High-A
After a season without minor league baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in the process of assigning players to their affiliates, and four of their top five prospects are on rosters at three different levels. Top prospect Ke’Bryan Hayes made the Opening Day roster but has been on the injured list...
With good glove, timely hitting, Erik Gonzalez making a case to stay in the Pirates’ lineup
When Hunter Dozier’s 107-mph rocket came streaking down the third-base line in the fourth inning, Erik Gonzalez made a stop that dropped him to the dirt. Gonzalez came up on his left knee and threw across his body to second base to start an inning-ending 5-4-3 double play. Pittsburgh Pirates...
Mitch Keller’s short start leads to long night for Pirates in loss to Royals
As Mitch Keller threw pitch after pitch — almost half of them for balls — the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander’s body language was telling: This was going to be a short start and a long night. A 47-pitch first inning doomed Keller, who got three-ball counts against four of the first...
Pirates get ‘very, very encouraging news’ on Ke’Bryan Hayes’ wrist injury
The Pittsburgh Pirates received “very encouraging news” regarding the left wrist of rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who has been on the injured list since April 4 and reaggravated the injury last Wednesday. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Hayes returned to Pittsburgh and was re-examined by specialists...
By extending MLB-best scoreless streak, Richard Rodriguez captures Pirates’ closer role
Derek Shelton has been reluctant to name a closer for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so Richard Rodriguez made it easy on his manager by seizing the job with the longest scoreless streak in baseball. Asked if that makes him The Closer — yes, with a capital C — Shelton simply shrugged....
Wilmer Difo’s pinch-hit RBI single in 7th leads Pirates past Royals
The Kansas City Royals came to PNC Park with baseball’s best record, riding a five-game winning streak and with a small-market, team-building template the Pittsburgh Pirates want to follow. In a span of three seasons, the Royals went from worst to first in the AL Central, turning a 104-loss team...
New outfielder Ka’ai Tom hoping to make quick impact on Pirates
Ka’ai Tom doesn’t hesitate to help enunciate his Hawaiian first name — it’s pronounced kuh-EYE — and the newest Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder even offered a bit of advice to their broadcasters. “Think of the apostrophe as a pause,” Tom said, “like a hiccup.” That’s the perfect analogy for Tom’s arrival,...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates back to .500, thanks to clicking ‘pen, Reynolds’ resurgence
That the Pittsburgh Pirates are at .500 only 22 games into the season wouldn’t be cause for celebration in most years — and shouldn’t be — but is bringing optimism to a club projected to lose 100-plus games. The Pirates have played all but one full game without Ke’Bryan Hayes,...
