Kevin Gorman stories, Page 51
‘I refuse to be in that situation’: As Pirates plummet, Andrew McCutchen aims to avoid collapse
As their season spirals further away from an amazing April and closer to the bottom of the NL Central standings, the Pittsburgh Pirates are searching for solutions to stop their descent. Since a 20-9 start, the Pirates (41-52) are playing at a .333 winning percentage, have lost twice as many...
Giants score 5 runs in 10th for series sweep as Pirates continue freefall
The Pittsburgh Pirates are plunging toward last place in the NL Central, a freefall for which they don’t seem to have any answers. The Pirates tied San Francisco in the eighth inning but left the bases loaded, allowing the game to go into extra innings. Joc Pederson’s sacrifice fly gave...
Pirates’ Quinn Priester, 2019 1st-round draft pick, pumped to make MLB debut
After a comebacker bounced off his calf in the first inning Friday night, Quinn Priester returned to the dugout and was informed by Indianapolis Indians manager Miguel Perez he was being pulled from the game. The 22-year-old right-hander was in for a sweet surprise. “He was like, ‘We’re not risking...
Pirates activate Andrew McCutchen from 10-day IL, option Rodolfo Castro to Indianapolis
Andrew McCutchen is back with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Rodolfo Castro is headed to the minors. The Pirates made a pair of roster moves before Sunday’s game against the San Francisco Giants, activating McCutchen (right elbow inflammation) from the 10-day injured list and optioning Castro to Triple-A Indianapolis. McCutchen, 36, is...
Pirates bullpen blows Johan Oviedo’s strong start as Giants score twice in 8th for win
Johan Oviedo came into his first start of the second half with six consecutive losses, a streak the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander desperately wanted to end against the San Francisco Giants. Oviedo delivered a strong start, tying his career high with 10 strikeouts while allowing only one hit before exiting with...
Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin focusing on future of rotation shaken by injury
As Oscar Marin faces the pressure of filling spots in the starting rotation this season, the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach can’t help but keep an eye on the future after they loaded up on pitching in the draft. Marin was thrilled the Pirates selected LSU right-hander Paul Skenes with the...
Pirates’ mishaps in 7th inning prove costly as Giants rally for comeback win
The way the Pittsburgh Pirates blew a lead against the San Francisco Giants had their fans ready to blow a gasket. Austin Hedges, the veteran catcher starting for his defense, allowed a passed ball that put the tying run at third base and the go-ahead run at second. Rookie right...
Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen shakes off All-Star snub, hopes to have strong 2nd half
On the eighth anniversary of his All-Star Game home run, Andrew McCutchen was in no mood to reminisce Friday afternoon about playing in the Midsummer Classic. Asked what he remembers about his solo shot off the American League’s Chris Archer to lead off the sixth inning to join Ralph Kiner,...
Led by No. 1 pick Paul Skenes, 5 Pirates in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects rankings
The Pittsburgh Pirates have five players in Baseball America’s new Top 100 Prospects list, including two new additions. The Pirates’ new top prospect is Paul Skenes, the LSU right-hander selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. Skenes is ranked sixth by Baseball America, behind Cincinnati...
Pirates transfer struggling pitcher Roansy Contreras to Florida Complex League
The Pittsburgh Pirates transferred the option of struggling right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis to their Florida Complex League team. After going 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 21 games, including 18 starts, last season, the 23-year-old Contreras entered the season expected to be one of...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Start to 2nd half should answer key questions for the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates open the second half of the season Friday with more questions than answers, especially after winning 20 of their first 30 games followed by winning only 21 of the next 60. Let’s start with this: Was April an anomaly? If so, is another late-season collapse inevitable? When...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Starting with Paul Skenes, Pirates went all in on drafting pitchers
After the Pittsburgh Pirates won the inaugural lottery for the No.1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, general manager Ben Cherington intentionally decided not to see any of the top prospects play live. “That was because I don’t trust myself to not bring bias into the room when I do...
Pirates’ Mitch Keller gives up home run, records strikeout in All-Star debut
In an All-Star Game defined by a pair of catches at the wall in the first inning, Mitch Keller had no such luck. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander gave up the game’s first run on a solo homer by Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz to give the American League...
‘Take what the draft gives you’: Pirates continue run on college players in MLB Draft
When the Pittsburgh Pirates owned the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, they employed a strategy to sign Louisville catcher Henry Davis to a below-slot bonus and used the savings to entice four top-100 prep prospects to bypass college scholarships with over-slot bonuses. This year, after the Pirates selected LSU...
2nd-day draft picks are sign Pirates could be pooling bonus money to entice prep prospect
Leading up to the MLB Draft, there was speculation that the Pittsburgh Pirates would bypass the top two prospects in favor of someone who would sign a below-slot bonus so they could spread their savings. That’s a strategy Pirates general manager Ben Cherington employed with the No. 1 overall pick...
Pirates load up on college players on 2nd day of MLB Draft with 1st baseman, 7 pitchers
When the Pittsburgh Pirates made a run on college pitchers by selecting seven consecutive on the second day of the MLB Draft, it was influenced by their scouting and the success of a 2022 pick. Call it the J.P. Massey Effect. The Pirates took Massey out of Minnesota in the...
Pirates pick Vanderbilt right-handed reliever Patrick Reilly in 5th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Vanderbilt right-hander Patrick Reilly in the fifth round of the MLB Draft on Monday, adding a reliever with high strikeout and walk numbers. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Reilly made 14 career starts for the Commodores but pitched mostly out of the bullpen, averaging 11.7 strikeouts and 5.8...
Pirates pick WVU right-hander Carlson Reed in 4th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected West Virginia right-hander Carlson Reed in the fourth round of the MLB Draft on Monday afternoon, adding a pitcher who has been both a starter and a closer in his college career. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Reed has a three-pitch mix featuring a mid-80s changeup, a slider...
Pirates pick Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in 3rd round
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in the third round of the MLB Draft, adding a slugger at a position of need in their system. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Forrester batted .341/.485/.522 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 61 games for the Beavers...
How putting down his bat helped Paul Skenes become Pirates’ No. 1 overall pick
Paul Skenes already was college baseball’s best two-way player when he made what he calls the hardest decision of his life, leaving the U.S. Air Force Academy to transfer to SEC powerhouse LSU. Skenes concentrated on pitching, and the 6-foot-6½, 260-pound right-hander delivered one of the most dominant seasons in...
Pirates add Michigan State SS Mitch Jebb, prep RHP Zander Mueth with 2nd, 3rd picks in MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Michigan State shortstop Mitch Jebb in the second round of the MLB Draft on Sunday night in Seattle. Jebb, 21, batted .337/.438/.495 with 15 doubles, seven triples, one home run and 36 RBIs this past season for the Spartans. He also shined in the wood-bat Cape...
Pirates select LSU pitcher Paul Skenes with No. 1 overall pick in MLB Draft
That Paul Skenes possessed a special mix of pitches was obvious, as the LSU right-hander relied on a triple-digit fastball and wicked slider to dominate college baseball in a way few others have ever done. What impressed the Pittsburgh Pirates was the combination of character off the field and competitiveness...
Pirates opt for LSU pitcher Paul Skenes over outfielder Dylan Crews with MLB Draft’s top pick
The Pittsburgh Pirates owned the first overall selection in the MLB Draft for the sixth time in franchise history, giving them the rare opportunity to have their pick of baseball’s best prospects. The Pirates took the advice of LSU coach Jay Johnson, who suggested to MLB Network that they pick...
Pirates squander Mitch Keller’s 7 scoreless innings as Diamondbacks get walk-off win
For almost six innings, Mitch Keller was unhittable. For seven innings, the All-Star right-hander held the Arizona Diamondbacks scoreless. What Keller started, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t finish. The Diamondbacks tied the score on an Alek Thomas solo home run in the eighth inning, and Corbin Carroll hit a bases-loaded single...
With No. 1 choice, Pirates can take best prospect or spread wealth
For the sixth time in franchise history, the Pittsburgh Pirates have the opportunity to select the best prospect in baseball with the first overall pick in the MLB Draft. Whether they will do so remains to be seen. With a deep draft class where LSU teammates Dylan Crews and Paul...
