Kevin Gorman stories, Page 3
Monster Mash: Konnor Griffin breaks out with 2 home runs as Pirates roll over Red Sox
FORT MYERS, Fla. — Konnor Griffin was still searching for his first hit of spring training when he faced left-hander Ranger Suarez, a 2024 All-Star and the marquee free-agent addition of the Boston Red Sox. When Suarez hung a curveball over the middle of the plate, Griffin showed why he’s...
Dennis Santana, Gregory Soto hope to provide Pirates right-left punch in high-leverage relief
BRADENTON, Fla. – When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Gregory Soto, one of the players who welcomed him was the very man who had the most to lose by the arrival of the two-time All-Star left-handed reliever. Dennis Santana remembers Aroldis Chapman doing the same for him in June 2024, when...
Pirates’ Bubba Chandler comes out firing, but fastball command leads to 4 walks in loss to Yankees
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bubba Chandler was feeling his four-seam fastball, so he turned to steal a glance at the scoreboard behind him after his third pitch of his first start of spring training. The radar gun clocked it at 100.6 mph. Short on sleep and over-caffeinated on coffee, the 23-year-old...
Pirates infielder Jack Brannigan breaks nose on bad hop, 2 relievers shut down by arm injuries
BRADENTON, Fla. — Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Jack Brannigan sustained multiple injuries to the nasal complex when a bad hop hit him in the face in Sunday’s split-squad game at the Philadelphia Phillies. Pirates senior director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Brannigan was re-examined Monday morning by team physicians and...
Brandon Lowe proving to Pirates that he’s small in stature, big on providing power
BRADENTON, Fla. — Brandon Lowe smiled as soon as it was noted his statistics belie his stature, knowing he appears smaller in person than his generous listing of 5-foot-10, 181 pounds. The left handed-hitting Lowe knows the 39-home run, 99-RBI season on his resume is the type of power production...
Mitch Keller unveils ‘absurd’ new-look changeup as Pirates top Rays in home opener
BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller has a reputation for his ever-expanding repertoire, but the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander’s newest pitch is simply an old offering with a twist. Keller unveiled a changeup with a new grip in his first Grapefruit League start, tossing two scoreless innings in a 7-4 win over...
After rising to top 10 Pirates prospect, right-hander Wilber Dotel shows stronger command
SARASOTA — When Wilber Dotel got word that he would be the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting pitcher for the Grapefruit League opener, his mind drifted to his days of watching spring training games as a fan. Now, the 23-year-old right-hander is a prospect on the doorstep of the major leagues. After...
Ryan O’Hearn homers in debut as Pirates pound Baltimore in Grapefruit League opener
SARASOTA — Ryan O’Hearn wasn’t sure what to do when he received a rousing ovation before his first at-bat at Ed Smith Stadium wearing a Pittsburgh Pirates uniform. It was the spring training opener, so O’Hearn didn’t want to tip his batting helmet. But he appreciated the support from Baltimore...
Confidence key as Bubba Chandler tries to win spot in Pirates starting rotation
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bubba Chandler cruised through his first three major-league games, earning a four-inning save in his debut and wins in his next two appearances before the Milwaukee Brewers dealt the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher his first blowout. The Brewers scored nine runs on nine hits and three walks in...
Preparing for World Baseball Classic, Pirates ace Paul Skenes shines in simulated gameVideo
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was a simulated game but one that Paul Skenes treated like a warm-up for the World Baseball Classic, considering the lineup of hitters he was facing. The Pittsburgh Pirates ace tossed three impressive innings against Oneil Cruz, Bryan Reynolds, Marcell Ozuna and Nick Gonzales before a...
Gold Glove winner Jared Triolo comes out swinging for Pirates’ starting job at third base
BRADENTON, Fla. — On the eve of the first full-squad workout at Pirate City, Jared Triolo didn’t know which position he would be playing for the Pittsburgh Pirates in spring training. “I’m not sure,” Triolo said Sunday. “I’m just going to go where I’m instructed.” The Pirates value Triolo’s versatility,...
Going deep: Pirates top prospect Konnor Griffin hits 1st batting practice homer against live pitching
BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin’s batting practice has become must-watch viewing, as the teenage sensation puts on an air show by hitting balls onto the metal roof of the batting cages at Pirate City. The 19-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop offered a different display of power Wednesday, when he drilled his...
Mitch Keller embraces role mentoring Pirates pitchers, wants to show consistency all season
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was in the quiet moments that Mitch Keller spoke loudest for the Pittsburgh Pirates last season, even if the conversations were barely above a whisper. To young Pirates pitchers after struggling in a start, Keller served as the calming voice who offered reassurance there would be...
Bryan Reynolds concentrating on how to improve his swing without hitting panic button
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryan Reynolds is a man of few words, so the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder didn’t bother to mince them when asked about the object of his offseason. “Fixing my swing, which I did,” Reynolds said. “Now we just have to translate that over to live (batting practice) then...
Pirates counting on DH Marcell Ozuna’s magnetic personality to rub off on Oneil Cruz
BRADENTON, Fla. — Marcell Ozuna was all smiles as he stretched his legs in activation drills before the first full-squad workout of spring training, and it wasn’t just because his $12 million free agent contract with the Pittsburgh Pirates had been finalized. The 35-year-old Ozuna had a companion in Oneil...
With arrivals of All-Stars, Pirates GM proclaims this team the ‘most talented group we’ve had’
BRADENTON, Fla. — Don Kelly was pumped to see the new All-Star additions to the Pittsburgh Pirates on the field together for the first time, as sluggers Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna made their Pirate City debuts in black and gold. Only to be upstaged by Paul Skenes...
Batman Returns: A.J. Burnett accepts invitation to Pirates camp to mentor pitchers
BRADENTON, Fla. — The request for help came in the form of a phone call instead of a bat signal, but A.J. Burnett was ready to respond to the Pittsburgh Pirates in an instant. Burnett said he was “thrilled” to receive an invitation from manager Don Kelly to visit Pirate...
Power in The Password: Outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia makes strong 1st impression on Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — Spencer Horwitz marveled at the home run display by a group of hitters that included Jhostynxon Garcia while standing on the infield Saturday at Pirate City during batting practice. When the right handed-hitting Garcia launched a ball over the fence at the 410-foot mark in right-center of...
Pirates promote Cibney Bello to assistant pitching coach after Thomas Whitsett resigns
Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly learned weeks before the start of spring training there would be a change to his coaching staff, which made for a difficult decision. The Pirates promoted Cibney Bello to the major-league staff as the assistant pitching coach to replace Thomas Whitsett, who resigned for personal...
Pirates catcher Henry Davis hopes deep dive into biomechanics data improves his hitting
BRADENTON, Fla. — Since selecting Henry Davis with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the Pirates have raved about his obsessive work ethic and effort to improve at and behind the plate. Davis knows he’s a better hitter than his batting average suggests. Given that the...
Pirates great Elroy Face, Baron of the Bullpen and pioneer of closer role, dies at age 97
Known as the “Baron of the Bullpen,” Elroy Face was a pioneer for modern-day closers in baseball who made the forkball famous and played a vital role for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1960 World Series champions. A three-time All-Star, Face owns Major League Baseball’s career record for most wins in relief,...
Konnor Griffin eyes starting shortstop job for Pirates, shows ‘no fear’ in facing Paul Skenes
BRADENTON, Fla. — Konnor Griffin swears he set the same expectations for spring training as last year, when he was less than a year removed from high school and wanted to be a sponge who soaked up every ounce of information he could in big-league camp. Griffin knows the baseball...
Baseball won’t sleep on Paul Skenes, even if Pirates ace has ‘no more made-up pitches’Video
BRADENTON, Fla. — Whether Paul Skenes was straight-faced serious or acting intentionally ignorant to protect a new pitch before its unveiling in a game, only the Pittsburgh Pirates ace knows. But Skenes swore that he’s never heard of the “sleeper” despite a revelation late last month on MLB Network that...
‘Andrew will always be a Pirate’: Marcell Ozuna signing could spell end of McCutchen era
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ben Cherington is aware one of his most celebrated moves this offseason could be his most controversial for the Pittsburgh Pirates, considering what the writing on the wall means for a franchise great. By agreeing to a one-year contract worth $12 million with free-agent slugger Marcell Ozuna,...
Adding Marcell Ozuna solves DH dilemma but creates confusion in projecting Pirates roster
A team once infamously dubbed a “hodgepodge of nothingness” by Dennis Eckersley now has a lineup littered with All-Stars after the Pittsburgh Pirates added another in Marcell Ozuna. By agreeing with Ozuna to a one-year contract worth $12 million Monday, the Pirates not only pushed their payroll above $100 million...
