Kevin Gorman stories, Page 104
Pirates’ Ildemaro Vargas hopes to take advantage of his versatility
The first conversation Ildemaro Vargas had with manager Derek Shelton upon joining the Pittsburgh Pirates was about which position he is most confident and comfortable playing. The Pirates value versatility above all and claimed Vargas off waivers from the Chicago Cubs because he is a switch hitter who can play...
Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes will start rehab assignment at Triple-A in ‘next day or so’
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is the closest he has been to returning to play since going on the injured list April 4 with a wrist injury. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Hayes is “responding well” to participating in a simulated game in...
Ready in a pinch: Pirates’ Wilmer Difo credits preparation for leading majors in pinch hits
When it comes to his career numbers as a pinch hitter, Wilmer Difo is hovering at the Mendoza Line. His batting average in that role was even worse when he was with the Washington Nationals. What once served as a scarlet letter, Difo now wears like a badge of honor....
Jacob Stallings injured, Pirates strand nine runners in loss to Giants
If the Pittsburgh Pirates were going to beat the San Francisco Giants, it would require the third walk-off win in as many games. Not only that, but the Pirates were without the player who hit the heroic home run Saturday night as catcher Jacob Stallings was removed from the game...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington hopes Colin Moran, Phillip Evans can avoid rehab assignments
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping first baseman Colin Moran and corner infielder/outfielder Phillip Evans return from the injured list this week and “perhaps even avoid a rehab assignment,” general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday afternoon on his weekly radio show. Moran (groin) and Evans (hamstring) were placed on the 10-day...
Jacob Stallings hits 2-run, walk-off home run to lift Pirates past Giants
Echoing a rallying cry from their glory days, Pittsburgh Pirates fans chanted the surname of Johnny Cueto in an attempt to once again rattle the San Francisco Giants starting right-hander at PNC Park. Unlike the 2013 NL wild card game, Cueto didn’t drop the ball. By the end, however, Pirates...
Adam Frazier shows staying power at 2B for Pirates, despite cameos in left field
Derek Shelton hasn’t hesitated to ask Adam Frazier to move to left field in late-game situations, knowing “he’s more than willing” to play wherever needed for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shelton, however, made it clear once again Saturday that he has no intention of moving Frazier away from second base. “I’m...
Reds rally with 4-run 10th inning to beat Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting lineup didn’t offer much promise in the way of offense, with their top three hitters missing from the batting order and only three players hitting above the Mendoza Line. Even so, the Pirates found ways to get on base and put runners in scoring position against...
Pirates injury report: Ke’Bryan Hayes making ‘very nice strides,’ pitchers ‘making progress’
Ke’Bryan Hayes remains the most prominent Pittsburgh Pirates player on the injured list, though several pitchers are making progress in their recovery while one has paused from throwing. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk called Hayes shifting from the 10-day to 60-day IL “more of a mechanical roster move,”...
Riding a 12-game hitting streak, Adam Frazier continues to ‘check boxes’ for Pirates
When Adam Frazier got a leadoff single against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, it extended his hitting streak to tie his career-best at 12 games. Afterward, the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman was more interested in talking about his second hit of the game. Frazier drove a Sean Doolittle four-seam...
JT Brubaker stops Reds’ hit parade, Troy Stokes Jr. gets 2 RBI hits as Pirates win
The Cincinnati Reds had pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates for double-digit runs in three consecutive meetings, a streak that required a stopper after the Reds scored 39 runs on 42 hits – 20 for extra bases. JT Brubaker was just the man for the job. The Pirates right-hander held the Reds...
Pirates place Kyle Crick on IL, reinstate Gregory Polanco, add LHP Chasen Shreve to bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed reliever Kyle Crick on the 10-day injured list with a right triceps strain and reinstated right fielder Gregory Polanco on Tuesday in a series of roster moves. Polanco has been out since May 4, though the Pirates never offered an explanation for his stay on the...
Ben Gamel looking forward to ‘fresh start’ with Pirates, no matter where he plays
Before Ben Gamel’s first game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Derek Shelton jokingly asked if the team’s newest acquisition — a natural outfielder — had ever played first base. If Gamel thought his first answer (two innings) was going to get him off the hook, he was in for a...
Reds rock Mitch Keller, rap out 15 hits to pound Pirates
Inconsistency has been Mitch Keller’s calling card this season, so it was a promising sign for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander when he retired the side on six pitches in the first inning. The Cincinnati Reds didn’t go down so easily in a six-run fourth, knocking Keller out of the game...
By adding Ben Gamel, Pirates prioritize center field, versatility of infielders to play first base
When a rash of injuries left the Pittsburgh Pirates short-handed at first base, third base and in the outfield this weekend, they responded with a series of roster moves to address their shortcomings. When push came to shove, the Pirates prioritized center field. Rather than rely on infielders Wilmer Difo...
Pirates designate Todd Frazier for assignment
With first baseman Colin Moran on the 10-day injured list and third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes on the 60-man IL, the Pittsburgh Pirates are in need of help at both corner infield positions. It won’t be coming from Todd Frazier. The Pirates designated Frazier for assignment Monday to make room on...
Pirates’ Hunter Owen enjoys making MLB debut after ‘crazy cool experience’ in year awayVideo
When Hunter Owen accompanied the Pittsburgh Pirates on their road trip on the taxi squad, he knew being added to the major league roster was a possibility but considered it a remote one. So far-fetched that when told Derek Shelton wanted to talk with him, Owen figured that it was...
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...
