Kevin Gorman stories, Page 114
Pirates rookie outfielder Jared Oliva’s black book has new entries for his first MLB hits
Jared Oliva started jotting down notes in a black book in the fall of his freshman year at Arizona, a way for the wide-eyed walk-on to track his progress at tryouts for the defending national champions. “I was trying to make the team,” Oliva said. “There’s 55 dudes for a...
Pirates homer 4 times, Chad Kuhl shines in shutout of Cubs in home finale
The home finale for the Pittsburgh Pirates started the same way as their home opener almost two months earlier, with automated crowd noise cheering a Colin Moran home run at an otherwise empty PNC Park. What was drastically different is Moran’s was the first of a season-high four homers by...
Catcher Jacob Stallings voted Pirates’ MVP by sports writers
When the Pittsburgh Pirates started the season, catching was the position of primary concern. A year earlier, Jacob Stallings had been designated for assignment and cleared waivers. Now, he was being counted on as the starter. Not only did Stallings solidify that spot, but the 30-year-old became the Pirates’ most...
Adam Frazier, Ke’Bryan Hayes hit back-to-back homers to lead Pirates past Cubs
The Pittsburgh Pirates started Wednesday’s game the same way Jacob Stallings ended their walk-off win the night before, with Adam Frazier and Ke’Bryan Hayes hitting back-to-back home runs in the first inning. “We went back-to-back-to-back homers,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton cracked. “We just waited 24 hours to do it.” It...
Oneil Cruz’s accident in Dominican Republic latest legal issue involving Pirates playerVideo
As if owning the worst record in baseball wasn’t bad enough, the Pittsburgh Pirates received another brutal blow when one of their top prospects was involved in an accident that killed three people. When Dominican Republic investigators found Oneil Cruz was driving under the influence of alcohol and past a...
Pirates introduce reward-based benefits program for season-ticket holders in 2021
The Pittsburgh Pirates introduced Wednesday an enhanced, reward-based benefits program called Pirates Points for season-ticket holders for the 2021 season. Pirates season-ticket holders can earn points “based on longevity and commitment level” that can be redeemed for discounts at the clubhouse store, ticket discounts, free subscriptions to MLB.TV, a flexible...
Jacob Stallings hits walk-off home run to help Pirates beat Cubs, snap 5-game losing streak
Steven Brault finished the season on a high note, and Jacob Stallings provided the big finish. After Brault pitched seven scoreless innings, only to see the Pittsburgh Pirates blow a two-run lead, Stallings smacked an Andrew Chafin fastball into the left-field seats for a walk-off home run to lift the...
Report: Pirates prospect Oneil Cruz was driving under the influence in collision that killed 3 in Dominican Republic
Dominican Republic investigators say Oneil Cruz, one of the top prospects for the Pittsburgh Pirates, was under the influence of alcohol when he was involved in a collision Monday night that killed three people, according to an ESPN report. Oneil Cruz está siendo acusado de provocar la muerte de tres...
Weary from losing 12 of 13 games, Pirates limp toward finish line
In a shortened season that rookie manager Derek Shelton repeatedly referred to as “a sprint, not a marathon,” the Pittsburgh Pirates are limping toward the finish line. The Pirates lost 12 of 13 games leading into the final week of their 60-game campaign, blowing strong pitching performances over the weekend...
Pirates bullpen blows another lead, wastes Joe Musgrove’s 11-strikeout performance
Frustrated by the feeling he was carrying the weight of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff on his shoulders, Joe Musgrove took a “selfish mentality” to the mound against the St. Louis Cardinals. Musgrove recorded a career-best 11 strikeouts in six shutout innings, only to see the bullpen blow the lead...
Pirates trade 3 minor-league pitchers, 2 for international bonus pool money
The Pirates made three trades involving prospects Sunday, two for additional capacity in the 2019-20 international bonus pool and another to complete an earlier deal with the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates sent left-handed pitcher Domingo Robles to St. Louis and right-hander Conner Loeprich to Baltimore, both for international bonus pool...
Rotating designated hitter has led to disastrous results for Pirates
From the start, Derek Shelton had no designs on designating a designated hitter. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager preferred a rotation, using that spot to keep players in the lineup but off the field. The results have been disastrous. The Pirates have used six players as designated hitters, a position new...
Pirates second baseman Kevin Newman goes on 10-day IL after being hit by a pitch
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost Kevin Newman for the remainder of the season when he suffered a contusion to the peroneal nerve on his left knee after being hit by a pitch Saturday night. Newman was hit by reliever Genesis Cabrera’s 97 mph fastball with one out in the ninth of...
Pirates bullpen blows Mitch Keller’s 6-inning no-hit gem vs. Cardinals
Of all their pitcher-catcher conversations, Jacob Stallings never mentioned to Mitch Keller through six scoreless innings that the St. Louis Cardinals had failed to get a hit off the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander. “I did not say a word about the no-hitter,” Stallings said. “Maybe I should have. Maybe it would...
Finding Pirates leadoff hitter has Derek Shelton searching for signs of consistency
For all his lineup shuffling this season, Derek Shelton had tinkered the least with the first spot in the batting order. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager used only four hitters there, starting with Kevin Newman, then Adam Frazier and Cole Tucker before trying out Erik Gonzalez. That changed Friday, when Shelton...
Troubles continue for Trevor Williams, as Cardinals sweep Pirates in doubleheader
It was a bad sign from the beginning for Trevor Williams, who gave up a home run to the first batter and another in the second inning to tie for the major league lead in home runs allowed. That another start ended in another loss is the story of Williams’...
How Steven Brault’s complete trust in Pirates catcher Jacob Stallings led to a complete gameVideo
Steven Brault wanted to throw instead of thinking, so the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander skipped the scouting report, decided not to shake off any signs and placed total trust in catcher Jacob Stallings. “We decided before the game that I wasn’t going to shake. I wasn’t going to think. I was...
Pirates place Cole Tucker on 7-day concussion injured list after fall at Cincinnati stadium
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed outfielder Cole Tucker on the seven-day concussion injured list Thursday after he slipped and hit his head on a concrete floor at Cincinnati’s Great American Ball Park. “Obviously, any time you have something like that, it’s precautionary,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “It’s just better off...
Gregory Polanco’s homer, Steven Brault’s complete game help Pirates snap losing streak
Despite striking out at an alarming rate and owning one of the worst batting averages in baseball, Gregory Polanco received a vote of confidence this week from the Pittsburgh Pirates. General manager Ben Cherington cited Polanco’s hard contact as an encouraging sign, and field manager Derek Shelton was enthused about...
Pirates taking a swing at solving their strikeouts, other problems at the plateVideo
After the Pittsburgh Pirates struck out 45 times while being swept in a four-game series by the Reds, Derek Shelton couldn’t wait to get out of Cincinnati. The Pirates manager blames the whiffs partly on his insistence of an aggressive approach at the plate and partly on strong pitching performances...
Pirates impressed with Ke’Bryan Hayes’ defensive instincts at 3rd base
Derek Shelton was the first to pump the brakes on the hyperbole surrounding the defensive play of Ke’Bryan Hayes by reminding everyone there was a seven-time Gold Glove third baseman in Colorado by the name of Nolan Arenado. Now, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager marvels on a nightly basis at Hayes’...
Luis Castillo outduels JT Brubaker as Reds shut out Pirates for their 8th consecutive loss
The Pittsburgh Pirates were looking for a bounce-back game by JT Brubaker, as the rookie right-hander was seven days removed from his worst start of the season. What they got was a pitcher’s duel. And Brubaker was better, just not good enough to win. Brubaker pitched four scoreless innings before...
Blake Cederlind’s fastball touches 99 mph in a major league debut for Pirates as easy as 1-2-3
Blake Cederlind couldn’t sit still, bouncing around the bullpen until he heard the phone ring. That’s when he got excited, knowing his major league debut was about to go down. The Pittsburgh Pirates have been awaiting Cederlind’s arrival since spring training, when he turned heads with a sizzling fastball that...
Reds rely on first time around the order to hand Pirates 7th consecutive loss
The Pittsburgh Pirates have reached the point of their season where it has become obvious they are the worst team in baseball — only for them to painfully prove it in different ways every game. The Cincinnati Reds found out the first time around the order would be enough, scoring...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington: We need great players
With about nine months on the job and his first season as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager down to its final two weeks, Ben Cherington is getting a better sense of where the organization stands. “Better,” Cherington said. “Not complete.” The Pirates made a major move Sept. 1 by calling up...
