Kevin Gorman stories, Page 55
Ji Hwan Bae rewards Pirates’ trust in center field with spectacular catches in Seattle
When the ball came off J.P. Crawford’s bat at an exit velocity of 99.9 mph, Ji Hwan Bae turned and chased it toward the center-field wall but had trouble tracking it with the sun directly overhead. Bae glanced at the wall straight ahead, then realized the ball had veered to...
Eugenio Suarez hits 3-run home run in 10th inning to boost Mariners past Pirates
After rallying to force extra innings, the Pittsburgh Pirates could only watch when Eugenio Suarez launched a Robert Stephenson slider that sailed over the left-field fence for a walk-off win. Suarez’s three-run blast in the bottom of the 10th, Seattle’s third homer of the game, boosted the Mariners to a...
Pirates place Vince Velasquez on 15-day IL, recall righty reliever Cody Bolton for bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday placed right-handed starter Vince Velasquez on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort and recalled righty reliever Cody Bolton from Triple-A Indianapolis. Velasquez was removed from Saturday’s 5-0 loss at Seattle after allowing four runs on seven hits and one walk in two innings....
Vince Velasquez leaves with elbow discomfort, as Pirates strike out in Seattle shutout
Vince Velasquez’s return to the starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t last long, as the right-hander pitched only two innings against the Seattle Mariners before being removed. The Pirates later announced that Velasquez left the game with right elbow discomfort, the same issue that kept him out since leaving...
‘Years in the making:’ After struggles as starter, Pirates’ Mitch Keller evolves into ace
When Mitch Keller hears his name mentioned as a potential All-Star and Cy Young candidate after the first two months of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander can’t suppress his smile. Then Keller makes it clear he’s in no way satisfied with the early success. What Keller really wants is...
Pirates activate RHP Vince Velasquez to start Saturday, DFA RHP Duane Underwood Jr.
As expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates activated right-hander Vince Velasquez from the 15-day injured list Saturday so he can return to the starting rotation. The corresponding move, however, was unexpected. To make room on the 26-man active roster, the Pirates designated right-handed reliever Duane Underwood Jr. for assignment. Velasquez (4-3, 3.06...
‘Those home runs will come’: Homerless streak doesn’t faze Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
From the sound of the ball off his bat, Ke’Bryan Hayes thought he had a chance. The Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman watched it sail over Arizona right fielder Pavin Smith and off the Clemente Wall at PNC Park. “Off the bat, I felt like I stayed through it good,” Hayes...
Pirates leave bases loaded in 8th, lose series to Rangers
Johan Oviedo was immaculate in the fourth inning and anything but in the first, when he surrendered a leadoff home run and gave up three runs to the Texas Rangers. It proved to be a deficit the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t overcome. The Pirates had their chances late in the game,...
Johan Oviedo throws immaculate inning, becoming 2nd Pirates pitcher to do so in May
The Pittsburgh Pirates went 2,495 days between their pitchers throwing an immaculate innings, then needed only 20 days to do it again. Johan Oviedo completed the feat by striking out three batters on nine pitches in the fourth inning Wednesday afternoon against the Texas Rangers. It was the second immaculate...
In win, Rangers take advantage of Pirates’ mishaps
Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates struggled from the start against the Texas Rangers, Rich Hill wasn’t in the mood to make excuses or shift blame to anyone or anything else. On a night the 43-year-old left-hander recorded nine strikeouts, Hill took full responsibility for the three-run sixth inning that allowed...
Luis Ortiz earns 1st win, Tucupita Marcano hits grand slam as Pirates beat Rangers
Luis Ortiz had been hit-or-miss in his first two starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so to change it up the 24-year-old rookie right-hander turned to the newest addition to his pitch repertoire against the hottest-hitting team in baseball. Ortiz used a changeup to complement his fastball/slider combination against the Texas...
Tucupita Marcano becoming a bright spot for Pirates while serving as a stopgap at shortstop
Tucupita Marcano came to bat with two runners on base in the fifth inning but got behind in the count after swinging at a slider and fouling off a changeup against Arizona’s Merrill Kelly. Marcano worked a full count then smacked a tying, two-run double to the right-field corner for...
Pirates doomed by wild pitches, errors in loss to Diamondbacks
Whether it was wild pitches or errant throws, the Pittsburgh Pirates were off the mark against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it cost them a chance at a series win. Five wild pitches and a trio of throwing errors were the most prominent mistakes to doom the Pirates in an 8-3...
‘It’s vital’: At age 37, 1B Carlos Santana has provided major defensive upgrade for Pirates
Carlos Santana doesn’t want to hear about his age, scoffing at suggestions that, at 37, he’s too old to be an everyday player or that he’s nearing the end of his major-league career. The Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman is proving naysayers wrong this season, as he ranks at the top...
Pirates pound 17 hits to dominate Diamondbacks, move into 1st-place tie
When the Pittsburgh Pirates last played at PNC Park, they scored a grand total of nine runs over a six-game homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies. This time, the Bucs brought their bats. Behind a seven-run fourth inning and Bryan Reynolds’ three-run homer in the fifth, the...
Backup catcher Jason Delay proves that production at plate plays for Pirates
Amid the clamoring for the Pittsburgh Pirates to promote top prospects Endy Rodriguez or Henry Davis, backup catcher Jason Delay has quietly proven to be more productive than anticipated. Where starting catcher Austin Hedges is hitting .143, Delay has a team-best .339 batting average (19 for 56) in 21 games...
Behind a pair of solo homers, Tyler Wells’ 1-hitter over 7 innings, Orioles blank Pirates
After not allowing a home run in his first five starts, Roansy Contreras gave up one in each of his past two starts. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander never had surrendered more than one homer in a game. The Baltimore Orioles changed that by the second inning. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar...
‘Nobody sees behind the scenes’: At 43, Pirates lefty Rich Hill has strict routine between starts
Rich Hill is the oldest pitcher in baseball, with more salt than pepper in his beard but fewer ice packs on his body than the average fan would expect from a 43-year-old in his 19th season in the major leagues. If you were expecting Hill to resemble Eddie Harris, the...
Cedric Mullins hits for cycle with 3-run homer vs. Pirates
The Baltimore Orioles were clinging to a one-run lead when Cedric Mullins came to bat with two on and two outs in the eighth inning, searching for the elusive hit to complete one of baseball’s rarest feats. Mullins drove Duane Underwood Jr.’s 1-1 changeup 376 feet to right field for...
‘I’m going to reach all of them:’ Pirates star Andrew McCutchen eyes milestone moments
For all the fanfare that surrounded his return to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andrew McCutchen passed a major milestone in his baseball career this week with barely a written word or whisper of congratulations. If not for a daily milestone tracker kept by team historian Jim Trdinich as the five-time All-Star,...
Pirates RHP Vince Velasquez resumes throwing, ‘very encouraging’ news for elbow discomfort
The Pittsburgh Pirates got “very encouraging” news regarding starting pitcher Vince Velasquez, who has resumed throwing after leaving last Thursday’s start at Tampa Bay with right elbow discomfort. The 30-year-old right-hander is projected to throw a live bullpen session early next week. Velasquez probably will require a rehabilitation assignment before...
Pirates focus on development of Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez as catchers despite big bats
With two of their top three prospects playing the same position, the Pittsburgh Pirates separated catchers Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis so both could play behind the plate on an everyday basis. The Pirates sent Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis and Davis to Double-A Altoona in an effort to accelerate their...
Rockies rough up Pirates on 11 hits, including a pair of Jurickson Profar home runs
With their seven-game losing streak behind them, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked to Luis Ortiz to provide the same kind of spark the rookie right-hander gave them in his major-league debut last September. Instead, they went down in flames. A tied game took a turn in the fourth inning, when first...
Pirates continue roster shuffle, adding hot bat from Triple-A
Ben Cherington said Monday he wasn’t satisfied with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ depth, so the general manager is shaking up the roster after they endured a season-worst, seven-game losing streak. A day after adding veteran Chris Owings to stabilize the shortstop position, the Pirates added a hot bat to the lineup...
After struggling amid Pirates’ losing streak, Rodolfo Castro gets redemption with homer
When Rodolfo Castro hit Kyle Freeland’s belt-high fastball, he knew that it had a chance. Then again, the Pittsburgh Pirates infielder hit the ball to left-center, the deepest part of PNC Park. So there was a moment of uncertainty as it sailed toward the bullpen and just over the outstretched...
