Kevin Gorman stories, Page 59
With Pirates SS Oneil Cruz out, Rodolfo Castro ‘ready for whatever position they need me to play’
Rodolfo Castro’s heart dropped when Oneil Cruz fractured his left ankle in an awkward slide and home-plate collision Sunday, feeling a sense of sorrow and frustration for his friend and fellow Dominican. “It hurts a lot because he’s like my brother, and it hurts the team, too,” Castro said through...
Oneil Cruz’s broken ankle overshadows Pirates’ series-clinching win over White Sox
The Pittsburgh Pirates got a big win from starting pitcher Johan Oviedo but suffered an even bigger loss when manager Derek Shelton revealed shortstop Oneil Cruz fractured his left ankle during a home plate collision. The sight of Cruz writhing in pain on the dirt as benches cleared in the...
Armed with a sinking slider, reliever Dauri Moreta brings electric energy to Pirates’ bullpen
As much as the Pittsburgh Pirates have embraced the swagger and electric energy that Dauri Moreta has brought to their bullpen, they are marveling at one of the right-handed reliever’s pitches. While playing catch with Moreta, Duane Underwood Jr. couldn’t help but notice that Moreta’s slider moves two ways, first...
Pirates dealt a ‘big blow’ as shortstop Oneil Cruz fractures ankle in home plate collision
After an awkward slide and collision with Chicago White Sox catcher Seby Zavala, Oneil Cruz was in obvious pain, and his left leg bent at an odd angle underneath him. Cruz slid backward to inch away from home plate before turning onto his right side. As benches cleared in the...
Vince Velasquez exits early, Andrew McCutchen homers late as White Sox snap Pirates’ win streak
Vince Velasquez got goosebumps in anticipation of making his first start for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park, and the right-hander had extra motivation in facing his former Chicago White Sox teammates. What Velasquez didn’t have was control. Velasquez was pulled in the third inning after allowing five runs on...
Pirates triumphant in Andrew McCutchen’s return behind Bryan Reynolds’ 6 RBIs
The black-clad crowd chanted M-V-P during the introduction of Andrew McCutchen in his return for the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing back that Buctober feeling to PNC Park. The trade that sent McCutchen to the San Francisco Giants five years ago came full circle when fans later serenaded the player the Pirates...
‘A great memory’: Rich Hill to start Pirates home opener 6 years after near no-hitterVideo
When Rich Hill takes the mound for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home opener Friday against the Chicago White Sox, it will bring back memories of a night where he flirted with perfection and took a no-hitter into the 10th inning at PNC Park. That game is a good memory for the...
‘This is where I needed to be’: Andrew McCutchen revels in PNC Park return as a Pirate
Andrew McCutchen leaned back into his chair and imagined hearing “No. 22” and his name announced while wearing black and gold again before his first at-bat with the Pittsburgh Pirates back at PNC Park. McCutchen allowed his mind to wander with anticipation about the emotions and energy the ovations will...
Behind Carlos Santana’s homer, Mitch Keller’s strong start, Pirates beat Red Sox for sweep
Carlos Santana was making solid contact, so the Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman believed he was close to making an offensive impact. Santana, who hit .105 (2 for 19) in his first five games, went 2 for 4 with his first home run as a Pirate and an RBI double to...
Pirates will have highest slot value ever with No. 1 overall draft pick, 3rd-highest bonus pool
The Pittsburgh Pirates will have the highest slot value ever for the No. 1 overall pick and the third-highest bonus pool to use for the 2023 MLB Draft, per a report by MLB.com. After winning the inaugural draft lottery, the Pirates learned Tuesday that the slot value for the first...
Pirates rookie Ji Hwan Bae has Monster game with 1st career homer, spectacular catch
Ji Hwan Bae had a Monster night, one that left everyone in Boston green with envy. The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie was the talk of Tuesday’s game against the Red Sox, thanks to a pair of amazing plays he made to bookend the 4-1 win. Bae hit his first career home...
Ji Hwan Bae hits 1st career homer, Bryan Reynolds adds 2 RBIs as Pirates top Red Sox
Ji Hwan Bae picked a towering target and a historic ballpark to hit the first home run of his career, and Bryan Reynolds made some personal history of his own by going deep for the third consecutive game. Bae blasted an improbable two-run home run over the famed Green Monster...
Pirates place catcher Austin Hedges on 7-day concussion IL, add Tyler Heineman as backup
After using eight players at the position last season, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ catching carousel has started early. The Pirates placed Austin Hedges on the seven-day concussion injured list Tuesday and selected the contract of Tyler Heineman, who will join Jason Delay as the backstops while Hedges is out. To make...
‘You can be (ticked) off’: Henry Davis, Pirates prospects motivated by assignment to Altoona
ALTOONA — Henry Davis was blunt as could be about his minor-league assignment, starting this season with the Altoona Curve again after finishing last year with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Double-A affiliate. The No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 MLB Draft, the 23-year-old catcher doesn’t dance around any notions that...
Henry Davis, Liover Peguero to start at Altoona as Pirates announce minor league rosters
ALTOONA — The Pittsburgh Pirates announced their minor league assignments Monday, revealing that MLB Pipeline top 10 prospects Henry Davis and Liover Peguero will return to Double-A Altoona to start the season. Davis, the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, slashed .207/.324/.379 but played in only 31 games after being...
Reds homer twice off Pirates starter Vince Velasquez to win opening weekend series
The Pittsburgh Pirates like the pitch repertoire right-hander Vince Velasquez offers but believe he needs to stay in the strike zone to be effective as a starting pitcher. Just not up in the zone. Velasquez surrendered a pair of solo home runs in his Pirates debut as the Cincinnati Reds...
Pirates move starter JT Brubaker to 60-day IL, claim righty reliever Edwin Uceta off waivers
The Pittsburgh Pirates don’t know the severity of JT Brubaker’s arm injury except that it’s serious enough to keep him out of the starting rotation for the next two months. The 29-year-old right-hander, who left spring training with right elbow/forearm discomfort, was moved from the 15-day injured list to the...
Analysis: Pirates would be better to pay Bryan Reynolds’ asking price than include an opt-out
Asked if he could envision signing a player to a $100 million contract in the near future, Pirates chairman Bob Nutting told the Tribune-Review that it was “definitely inside the realm of possibility.” Nutting knew that it would be met with skepticism by a fan base that views him as...
Last to make Pirates roster, reliever Rob Zastryzny’s 1st Opening Day worth the wait
CINCINNATI — Rob Zastryzny wanted to absorb the atmosphere of his first Opening Day but was trying to keep his emotions in check after days of uncertainty if he even would make the Pittsburgh Pirates. A non-roster invitee to spring training, the 31-year-old left-hander’s status was the ultimate cliffhanger. Zastryzny...
Despite reported ‘agreement on dollars,’ Pirates, Bryan Reynolds fail to extend contract
CINCINNATI — The deadline for a deal passed without the Pittsburgh Pirates and Bryan Reynolds finalizing a contract extension, which the star outfielder wanted to complete by first pitch on Opening Day. MLB insider Jon Heyman of the New York Post tweeted Thursday afternoon that “while there’s agreement on dollars”...
Oneil Cruz shines as Pirates rally past Reds for Opening Day win
CINCINNATI — The first Opening Day for Oneil Cruz will go down as one to remember, as the Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop started their scoring with a solo home run and ended it by driving in the winning run. The 6-foot-7 shortstop went 1 for 2 with two runs scored and...
Pirates notebook: Rookies offer different reactions to starting nods on Opening Day
CINCINNATI — Ji Hwan Bae was surprised to see his name in the Opening Day lineup at second base for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Canaan Smith-Njigba wasn’t surprised at all to be starting in right field. Derek Shelton had different reasons for starting a pair of rookies Thursday against the Cincinnati...
Pirates notebook: Ke’Bryan Hayes hoping for a healthy Opening Day, Mitch Keller’s wait is over
CINCINNATI — Ke’Bryan Hayes is hoping for an Opening Day that more closely resembles his first than his last, even though he has 70 million reasons to feel the opposite. If the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman prefers the two-run homer he hit as a rookie in the 2021 opener against...
Entering 4th season as manager, Derek Shelton expects that Pirates ‘have a team that’s better’
CINCINNATI — Derek Shelton sat in the visiting dugout at Great American Ball Park on the eve of Opening Day, believing his fourth season managing the Pittsburgh Pirates finally will bring progress. If that’s received with a shrug, it’s because Shelton’s first three seasons have been a bit of a...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Johan Oviedo uses positive spin to earn starting role for Pirates
Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation appeared set at the start of spring training and his bet to make the Opening Day roster was as a reliever, Johan Oviedo was absolutely positive that he wanted to be a starting pitcher. The 25-year-old right-hander worked in a relief role for the...
