Kevin Gorman stories, Page 37
Jared Triolo delivers winning RBI in 12th, Jose Hernandez earns save as Pirates win opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates got an extra-inning win on Opening Day thanks to a hit by a player in his first season opener and a save by a pitcher who wasn’t even supposed to be on the active roster. Jared Triolo singled in the winning run in the top of the...
Henry Davis earns Opening Day start at catcher for Pirates, Connor Joe to bat leadoff at Marlins
Henry Davis, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2021 MLB Draft, will make the first start behind the plate of his major league career Thursday for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day in Miami. Davis is one of two Pirates players, along with second baseman Jared Triolo, making their...
Pirates DFA Canaan Smith-Njigba, 2 others to make Opening Day roster room for pitchers
In the span of a year, Canaan Smith-Njigba went from starting in right field for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Opening Day at Cincinnati to being designated for assignment to make room on the active roster. Smith-Njigba was one of three casualties to clear 40-man roster space before Thursday’s season opener...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Despite poor projections, Pirates plan to surprise people
For all of the focus on their shortcomings at the start of spring training, the Pittsburgh Pirates are out to prove something to their naysayers: They are going to surprise people this season. After back-to-back 100-loss campaigns, the Pirates stunned the baseball world by starting 2023 with the best record...
300 game: Pirates star Andrew McCutchen starts season sitting 1 home run shy of milestone
After a season of meeting milestones — his 2,000th hit, 1,000th walk and 400th double — Andrew McCutchen came up one short of joining the 300-home run club last year. The Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter, a five-time All Star, four-time Silver Slugger and 2013 NL MVP, is sitting at 299...
Previewing the Pirates: Mitch Keller tops starting rotation that awaits Paul Skenes’ arrival
For as much as Derek Shelton loves to play coy about his Opening Day lineup, the Pittsburgh Pirates were only a week into spring training when the manager revealed Mitch Keller would be the starting pitcher. Of course, that news was revealed on the heels of Keller agreeing to a...
Previewing the Pirates: Adding Aroldis Chapman boosts bullpen led by David Bednar
The Pittsburgh Pirates had the most efficient closer in baseball last season, as two-time All-Star David Bednar led the majors by converting 93% of his save opportunities. What stood out about their bullpen, however, was how many relievers thrived in high-leverage situations: Sinkerballer Colin Holderman ranked ninth in MLB in...
Previewing the Pirates: Michael A. Taylor cements CF, Edward Olivares adds OF depth
The Pittsburgh Pirates played a game of musical chairs in their outfield in spring training, trying multiple players in center field in an effort to improve their defense before settling on one with a Gold Glove. The late-spring signing of Michael A. Taylor cemented center field but caused more movement,...
Jake Lamb’s 2-run single lifts Pirates past the Blue Jays in Grapefruit League finale
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington has found that spring training can have bookends to the conversations he has at its start and before making Opening Day roster decisions. Cherington didn’t know Jake Lamb personally before this spring, but the 33-year-old corner infielder/outfielder made quite the impression on the Pirates,...
Jared Jones wins spot in starting rotation, Luis Ortiz in bulk role as Pirates make final cuts
That the sensation of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates was a right-handed pitcher they drafted and developed was no surprise. But Jared Jones kept checking boxes to earn a spot in the starting rotation. That the 22-year-old Jones, a 2020 second-round pick, made the club and 2023 No. 1...
Lefty Martin Perez throws 3 scoreless innings in final spring start, but Yankees beat Pirates
Martin Perez was warming up in the bullpen when he heard familiar voices calling for him. It was the Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander’s daughter and son, who were present for his final start of spring training. Having his family there for support was a sign Perez is ready for the start...
Previewing the Pirates: Infield should be improved with Jared Triolo starting at 2B
Jared Triolo was wearing a microphone for SportsNet Pittsburgh on Saturday when asked if it was sinking in that he had earned the starting job at second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That revelation came by way of deduction, with Ji Hwan Bae out since March 5 with a left...
Solid start against Red Sox puts Pirates RHP Jared Jones in position for spot in rotation
Jared Jones pitched on a day he wasn’t supposed to, but the 22-year-old right-hander might have solidified a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation in the process. Jones flashed a four-seam fastball that averaged 96.7 mph and touched triple digits and mixed it with a slider to strike out...
‘Bulldog’: How Pirates catcher Henry Davis improved defense to make push for starting job
When the Pittsburgh Pirates told Henry Davis to concentrate on catching this offseason so he could report to spring training at his natural position, it was all the 2021 No. 1 overall draft pick needed to hear. Davis is nothing if not renowned for his work ethic, and Pirates teammates...
Pirates reliever Dauri Moreta to miss season after undergoing Tommy John surgery
Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Dauri Moreta underwent Tommy John surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his elbow and will be out 14-16 months, per a report by MLB.com. The 27-year-old Moreta went 5-2 with a 3.72 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with one save in 58 innings over...
After Tommy John surgery, Pirates pitcher Johan Oviedo finds inspiration from Aroldis Chapman, others
With 32 starts last season, Johan Oviedo was a workhorse for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so the right-hander treated the soreness in his right arm as an afterthought in hopes that it would be resolved by rest. “I kept telling myself it was probably something minor, and after a week, it’s...
David Bednar throws scoreless inning in 1st appearance of spring, as Blue Jays beat Pirates
The Toronto Blue Jays teed off on left-hander Bailey Falter for a pair of home runs in a three-run first inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates answered with two of their own. But the Pirates were focused less on rallying for a comeback than on who was coming back. The game...
Creighton uses height advantage, depth to cruise past Akron in 1st round
When Creighton coach Greg McDermott chose to exploit its considerable height advantage over Akron by planting 7-foot-1 center Ryan Kalkbrenner in the paint, he knew the Zips could counter by stretching the floor and keeping up the frenetic pace. What Creighton couldn’t have counted on was Akron star Enrique Freeman’s...
Connor Joe wants to show more power production, positional flexibility for Pirates
If returning to the same team for a second consecutive spring training provided any comfort for Connor Joe, the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder/first baseman hasn’t altered his approach. After constantly bouncing around baseball, Joe avoided arbitration by signing a one-year, $2.125 million contract, which amounted to a $1.39 million raise. What...
Giancarlo Stanton smashes 3 homers, including grand slam, as Yankees pound Pirates
Giancarlo Stanton smashed three home runs, including a grand slam, that totaled 1,334 feet in distance in a stunning spring training display of ferocity and velocity by the New York Yankees slugger. Stanton went 3 for 3 with eight RBIs as the Yankees rolled to a 12-0 win over the...
Oakland embraces Cinderella story in ultimate underdog role against heavily favored Kentucky
While advocating for the NCAA Tournament to avoid expansion, Oakland coach Greg Kampe dropped a dime by noting Wednesday marked the 70th anniversary of the real-life inspiration for “Hoosiers,” the ultimate underdog and quintessential basketball movie. For the love of Fang Mitchell and Coppin State, everyone loves a Cinderella story...
Brent Honeywell Jr. aims to prove to Pirates he’s more than a screwball
Brent Honeywell Jr. doesn’t want to be known for one pitch, especially considering his signature is a screwball. Pardon the 28-year-old right-handed reliever for being downright defensive about his pitch repertoire. Statcast shows that he throws six pitches — Honeywell claims he has eight in his arsenal — and he...
Now healthy, 1B Rowdy Tellez ready to provide power production, better defense for Pirates
At the outset of spring training, Rowdy Tellez was more worried about finding the timing of his swing than his production at the plate. Just when his production at the plate started to become worrisome, Tellez took one swing that showed his potential for production. After Ke’Bryan Hayes and Jack...
Oneil Cruz crushes 2 home runs, 6 RBIs as Pirates pound Phillies for 16 hitsVideo
Oneil Cruz continues to crush home runs, as the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop hit a pair that traveled a combined 822 feet in going 3 for 4 with six RBIs on Monday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Cruz got some company from Rowdy Tellez, as both hit three-run shots in a six-run...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington addresses decisions to reassign Paul Skenes, sign Domingo German
The Pittsburgh Pirates were preemptive with Paul Skenes, informing the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick that he wasn’t going to make the Opening Day roster and would start the season in the minor leagues. So their roster move to reassign the right-hander to minor league camp Sunday came as...
