Kevin Gorman stories, Page 32

Even as Aroldis Chapman closes in on becoming the all-time leader in strikeouts by a left-handed reliever, the Pittsburgh Pirates were worried about opponents taking free bases against him. Chapman’s 40.7% strikeout rate was countered by his 25.9% walk rate and compounded by runners taking liberties by stealing five bases...

When searching for comparisons to Paul Skenes and his 10-month path from being selected with the No. 1 overall pick to making his first start in the major leagues, one name rings most prominent. Where the Pittsburgh Pirates are pumped for the first MLB start by Skenes against the Chicago...

In what is expected to be the most anticipated debut by a starting pitcher since Stephen Strasburg in 2010, the Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting Paul Skenes to the major leagues, a source confirmed to TribLive. The 21-year-old right-hander, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft and regarded...

Oneil Cruz has given the Pittsburgh Pirates several scares by tweaking the left ankle that required surgery last season, yet director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk considers it more of an issue of treatment. After his latest sign of discomfort on a single to right in the sixth inning Monday...

Quinn Priester has a tendency to pitch to contact, as the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander was getting ground balls at a 68.5% rate. The Los Angeles Angels put the ball in the air Tuesday night, pounding Priester for seven of their 15 hits, including a three-run home run by Kevin Pillar....

Mitch Keller was soaked with sweat from the heat and humidity and just seven pitches shy of reaching 100, but the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander made it clear that he wanted the ball for the ninth inning. “Just empty the tank,” Keller said. “They’re giving me the opportunity, just give it...

Rowdy Tellez understood the optics of getting caught admiring his work when his 100.6-mph line drive to right field ricocheted off the top of the Clemente Wall and bounced back into the outfield. In an instant, Tellez went from watching what he thought was a home run to sprinting and...

Yasmani Grandal has had a front-row seat for two of the featured attractions in baseball, starting behind the plate for Paul Skenes at Triple-A Indianapolis and Jared Jones for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In the span of five days, the two-time All-Star catcher was witness to why they are more than...

The Pittsburgh Pirates wanted to see top prospect Paul Skenes check off an important box in his development by having the 6-foot-6½-inch right-hander make his first start on four days of rest. Skenes checked off another by surrendering the first home run of his professional career, as Buffalo’s Will Robertson...

As Jared Jones walked off the field in the seventh inning, a chorus of cheers erupted from the rain-drenched fans in honor of the best start yet by the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander. Jones allowed only one hit in seven scoreless innings while tying his career best with 10 strikeouts...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Michael A. Taylor, it was with the intention of adding a pure center fielder with a Gold Glove on his resume to improve their outfield defense. What they got for the first eight games of the season was a player whose bat was better than...

The Pittsburgh Pirates bottomed out in the Bay, especially when they had chances to cash in. If the Pirates (14-18) losing 13 of their past 16 games to complete a freefall from first place in the NL Central to the basement of division standings in a two-week stretch isn’t alarming,...

The Pittsburgh Pirates ended their West Coast trip to the Bay Area the same way they started it: by getting shut out. The Oakland Athletics got an early lead on solo home runs from Abraham Toro and Tyler Nevin and cruised to a 4-0 win Wednesday afternoon to sweep the...

When Kyle Nicolas switched from starter to reliever last season, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said the right-hander “looked like a different pitcher.” Since getting shelled for six runs on three hits — including a grand slam — in his major-league debut at the Chicago Cubs last Sept. 19,...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates got a leadoff single by Ke’Bryan Hayes then loaded the bases in the first inning, it looked like a promising start. They wouldn’t get another hit until the ninth inning. The Pirates took their offensive ineptitude to another level, held to a season-low two hits in...

The firsts came in waves so fast that Hunter Stratton almost had to pinch himself while standing at his locker in the home clubhouse at PNC Park, recounting his amazement at his string of monumental moments. On the day his first child was due, the right-handed reliever learned that he...

The Pittsburgh Pirates got back-to-back home runs from Bryan Reynolds and Ke’Bryan Hayes for a three-run lead in the top of the 10th inning, then held their breath to see whether their closer could hold it. After giving up a two-run homer, David Bednar recorded three strikeouts to help the...

The catcher position has been a paradox for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The defensive whiz who won the starting job last year is out for the season after injuring his elbow swinging a bat. The two-time All-Star brought in for veteran leadership has been sidelined since spring training. The backup brought...

A scoreless game came down to the 2023 National League saves leaders pitching the ninth inning, and San Francisco’s Camilo Doval escaped a bases-loaded jam against the Pittsburgh Pirates. David Bednar wasn’t as fortunate. Patrick Bailey hit a three-run home run to lift the Giants to a 3-0 walk-off win...

The Pittsburgh Pirates made a roster move to shake up their bullpen Friday, recalling right-hander Kyle Nicolas and optioning Ryder Ryan to Triple-A Indianapolis. Nicolas appeared in four games for the Pirates last season, allowing seven runs on seven hits with seven strikeouts and four walks in 5 ⅓ innings....

The Pittsburgh Pirates are raising flags. Not enough of them are the Jolly Roger. The Pirates (13-13) won nine of their first 11 games (including five consecutive), lost nine of their next 11 (including six consecutive) then split a four-game series with the NL Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers. That’s the very...

The Milwaukee Brewers took advantage of mishaps by the Pittsburgh Pirates to take a three-run lead, then nearly let it slip away in similar fashion in the final inning. The Brewers scored three runs in the third inning after reaching base on an error, one hit, two walks and two...

When it comes to pitch counts and innings management, Ben Cherington is doing a balancing act between having open lines of communication and keeping the Pittsburgh Pirates’ plans close to the vest. The Pirates general manager on Wednesday afternoon addressed two hot-button topics surrounding the team: the pitch count of...

Pittsburgh Pirates top pitching prospect Paul Skenes saw his scoreless streak end at 14 innings when he allowed his first runs of the season Wednesday afternoon at Omaha. Skenes had seven strikeouts and hit season highs by throwing 71 pitches in 4 1/3 innings in his fifth start for Triple-A...

David Bednar had pitched the previous two games, so the Pittsburgh Pirates wanted to be careful before deciding whether the two-time All-Star closer was available for the ninth inning Tuesday night. Pirates manager Derek Shelton believed Bednar reported to PNC Park with the mindset that he wanted to pitch, so...