Kevin Gorman stories, Page 120
While celebrating Jackie Robinson’s legacy, Pirates’ Josh Bell hopes for cultural changeVideo
After a tumultuous week that made Josh Bell take a long look at and have some candid conversations about the world outside of baseball’s bubble, the Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman found a way to focus on positives. It started with celebrating the significance of the sacrifice Jackie Robinson made in...
A day after his 1st MLB victory, Pirates option Cody Ponce to alternate training site in Altoona
One day after he earned his first career victory in his first major-league start, the Pittsburgh Pirates optioned right-hander Cody Ponce to their alternate training site in Altoona, according to the MLB transactions page. The Pirates have yet to announce the move. Ponce threw 5 2/3 scoreless innings in the...
Pirates trade Jarrod Dyson to Chicago White Sox for international bonus pool money
In what could be the first of many moves by the Pittsburgh Pirates before the MLB trade deadline, they dealt Jarrod Dyson to the Chicago White Sox and opened up a starting spot in center field. Pirates general manager Ben Cherington announced the deal Friday afternoon. The Pirates will receive...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Cody Ponce, Nik Turley have milestone night in sweep of CardinalsVideo
Cody Ponce was disappointed when Derek Shelton visited the mound with two outs in the sixth inning, not by the Pittsburgh Pirates manager pounding him on the chest but rather by asking for the baseball. “It was bittersweet, because I wanted to finish it,” Ponce said, “but I knew going...
Cody Ponce shines in first start as Pirates blank Cardinals to sweep doubleheader
The Pittsburgh Pirates arrived in St. Louis in a two-game funk, with a roster depleted by injury and demoralized following a no-hitter by giving up 10 runs to the Chicago White Sox. A doubleheader was the last thing the Pirates needed. But a sweep of the Cardinals proved the perfect...
Former Pirates first-round pick Will Craig gets the call to make major-league debut at Cards
When Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton called Will Craig into his office Thursday morning, the conversation was short and sweet. The magnitude, however, was major. “I think my exact words were, ‘Hey, do you want to play in a big-league game?’” Shelton said. “A big smile came across his face.”...
Pirates place Keone Kela, Colin Moran on IL, recall reliever Nick Mears, 1B Will Craig
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed closer Keone Kela on the 10-day injured list and corner infielder Colin Moran on the seven-day concussion IL on Thursday. Both moves are retroactive to Aug. 24. Kela has been out with right forearm inflammation since leaving the Aug. 21 game against the Cleveland Indians in...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: After the Pirates played, the sports world spoke up, shut downVideo
The sports world spoke up and shut down. Many Black baseball players and select MLB teams followed the lead of the NBA by sitting out their games Wednesday night, shifting the focus of the season from covid-19 concerns to racial and societal injustice. If video of the shooting of Jacob...
White Sox hit 4 home runs, pound Pirates for 2-game series sweep
A day after being no-hit by Lucas Giolito, Cole Tucker wanted to ensure there would be no encore. Knowing he was batting leadoff, Tucker made up his mind the moment he awoke. “Just from Pitch 1, I wanted to go out there and kind of change the narrative of how...
Pirates trade for lefty reliever Austin Davis, sending Phillies cash, player to be named
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired left-handed reliever Austin Davis on Wednesday, sending cash considerations and a player to be named in a trade with the Philadelphia Phillies. Davis, 27, was 0-0 with a 21.00 ERA and 3.67 WHIP in four appearances for the Phillies this season before being designated for assignment...
Right-hander Cody Ponce to start for Pirates in doubleheader Thursday at St. Louis Cardinals
Right-hander Cody Ponce, who accompanied the team on the trip as part of the taxi squad, will start one of the games of Thursday’s doubleheader against the St. Louis Cardinals, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. The Pirates are playing the games at Busch Stadium to make up for the...
Colin Moran, Keone Kela unavailable as Pirates continue to monitor their injuries
A day after Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton declared infielder Colin Moran and closer Keone Kela “available” to play against the Chicago White Sox, the team’s director of sports medicine said both players are still unavailable while being monitored for injuries. Moran is being evaluated for concussion-like symptoms after a...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates knew they were in danger of being no-hit by Lucas Giolito
With the way Lucas Giolito was showing command of his pitches and mixing his fastball and changeup, Derek Shelton knew by the fourth or fifth inning that “it was the best stuff I’ve seen him have.” The Pittsburgh Pirates manager saw plenty of Giolito the past two seasons in the...
Lucas Giolito throws MLB’s first no-hitter this season as White Sox blank Pirates
When Erik Gonzalez came to bat in the bottom of the ninth inning, Chicago White Sox right-hander Lucas Giolito was one out away from throwing a no-hitter against the Pittsburgh Pirates. Gonzalez didn’t want to be a footnote as the final out. “I was a little bit mad,” Gonzalez said,...
Changes in approach, arm angle increased confidence of Pirates reliever Geoff Hartlieb
If Geoff Hartlieb looks like a different pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, it’s entirely by design. He’s made adjustments head to toe, from his approach and arm angle to fixing his footwork. All of the changes have led to a more confident Hartlieb, who is embracing his newfound...
Cole Tucker’s outfield glove story is as good as gold — or platinum, depending on the day
By Cole Tucker’s count, he’s only 34 days into his career as a center fielder but that hasn’t stopped him from wearing a Platinum Glove one day or a Gold Glove the next. When the Pittsburgh Pirates approached the shortstop about playing the outfield for the first time, there was...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Gregory Polanco snapping out of slump helps Pirates exhale
Before he broke out of his slump, Gregory Polanco heard about it every day. In the batting cage, from Pittsburgh Pirates hitting coach Rick Eckstein. Or in the office of Pirates manager Derek Shelton. They saw hard contact and believed Polanco would start hitting. And they wanted him to see...
Gregory Polanco snaps out of slump as Pirates pound Brewers for 2nd straight win
Derek Shelton predicted that Gregory Polanco’s bat was coming around. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager saw something special in the right fielder in spite of his low batting average and high strikeout rate. Shelton believed Polanco was too healthy and too talented for his struggles to continue, and the hard hits...
How the Pirates pitchers fighting for 1 spot became four-fifths of starting rotation
Derek Holland can be candid to a fault, so the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander didn’t hesitate to call 2020 a circus, from the shutdown of spring training to what he calls Camp Covid to a shortened 60-game season interrupted by postponements. That has made this season something of a juggling act...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: A web gem, bunt single make for a Kuhl victory for the PiratesVideo
There are dates that Chad Kuhl remembers and dates he can’t forget, so there is a huge difference in his memory between June 15 and June 25 on the 2018 calendar year. But both became significant on Friday night, when Kuhl pitched five innings and registered his first victory in...
Bryan Reynolds’ four-RBI night helps Pirates snap four-game losing streak, beat Brewers
For a team that was offensively scuffling, Derek Shelton sure was confident the Pittsburgh Pirates would rediscover the timing on their swings sometime soon. The rookie manager preached patience and positivity while predicting that the hard-hit balls by struggling hitters such as Bryan Reynolds eventually would pay off. Reynolds went...
MLB announces that Pirates, Reds will make up postponed games with pair of doubleheaders
The Pittsburgh Pirates and Cincinnati Reds will make up their two games postponed last weekend with a pair of doubleheaders on separate dates in September, MLB announced on Friday. The games, originally scheduled for Aug. 15-16 at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati, were postponed after a Reds player tested...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington already listening to trade talk, says no players are off limits
With the MLB trade deadline 10 days away, Ben Cherington made it clear the Pittsburgh Pirates are active in trade talks, and no one in the organization is untouchable. Cherington is approaching his first trade deadline as Pirates general manager with the mindset of making the club stronger for the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: It’s really bad when Shane Bieber has more wins than the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t decide which was worse, how Shane Bieber blanked them in a 2-0 win or that the Cleveland Indians right-hander has more wins this season (five) than they do (four). But who’s counting? The Pirates (4-17) not only have the worst record in baseball but the worst...
Struggling Pirates no match for Shane Bieber, Indians
With a struggling offense and several starters sitting out, the last thing the Pittsburgh Pirates needed was to face one of baseball’s best pitchers. Shane Bieber showed no mercy. The right-hander had 11 strikeouts in six scoreless innings, as the Cleveland Indians beat the Pirates, 2-0, on Thursday night at...
