Pirates/MLB category, Page 101
With season spiraling, Pirates promoting top-10 prospects Endy Rodriguez, Liover Peguero
With their season spinning out of control, the Pittsburgh Pirates are turning to a trio of their top-10 prospects for help. In addition to right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester, who will make his major-league debut Monday against Cleveland, the Pirates are promoting catcher Endy Rodriguez and shortstop Liover Peguero from Triple-A...
‘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 farm report for July 15, 2023: Alika Williams’ 3 hits, homer not enough for Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 41-47) dropped an 8-3 decision to Omaha (Royals). 2B Alika Williams (.301) was 3 for 4 with a solo home run. C Endy Rodriguez (.268) was 2 for 4 with two doubles. RF Miguel Andujar (.364) knocked in his 63rd run of the season. 1B Aaron Shackelford (.232)...
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 to promote top pitching prospect Quinn Priester; will start vs. ClevelandVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates are set to make yet another high-profile promotion of one of their top prospects, as Saturday afternoon manager Derek Shelton confirmed rumors that right-handed pitcher Quinn Priester will join the club and start Monday at home vs. Cleveland. Priester, 22, was the Pirates’ first-round selection, No. 18...
Pirates farm report for July 14, 2023: Endy Rodriguez belts grand slam in Indianapolis win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 41-46) hammered Omaha (Royals), 13-5. C Endy Rodriguez (.265) went 3 for 4 with a grand slam, his sixth homer. He scored three runs, drove in five and walked. SS Liover Peguero (.261) went 2 for 5 with a pair of homers, his first and second. DH Miguel...
Pirates sign 4 players from 2023 MLB Draft class
Ahead of their Friday evening home game against San Francisco, the Pittsburgh Pirates took some key steps toward locking in their 2023 MLB Draft class, putting pen to paper with a handful of selections. A shortstop and three right-handed pitchers officially signed with the Pirates, with the four players present...
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,...
All-Star appearance an unforgettable experience for Pirates’ Mitch Keller
Already enjoying himself during the pre-All Star Game festivities at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Mitch Keller received some news that took his excitement to an even higher level. During batting practice ahead of the Home Run Derby on Monday, Keller was approached by National League skipper Rob Thomson. “Thomson came up...
Mark Madden: Exclusion of Barry Bonds shows how Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke
Barry Bonds has rarely groused publicly about his exclusion from the Baseball Hall of Fame. But he presented his case thusly on a recent podcast: “I was vindicated. I went to court, I was in federal court, and I won my case, 100 percent. Where is the vindication of me...
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...
First Call: A good reason why the Pirates should not trade closer David Bednar
Between now and the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline, one topic figures to be the subject of plenty of debate amond Pittsburgh sports fans: Should the Pirates trade All-Star closer David Bednar? MLB.com got the ball rolling Thursday, naming Bednar one of the six All-Stars most likely to be dealt...
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...
Altoona Curve to retire No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente
If the answer is “Roberto Clemente and Adam Hyzdu,” what the heck could the trivia question possibly be? In a little more than a week, Clemente and Hyzdu will be the only players to have their numbers retired by the Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The...
Pirates to begin 2024 season in Miami, face Orioles in home opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates will begin their season on the road for the eighth straight year in 2024 when they visit the Miami Marlins for a Thursday, March 28, opener. The team announced its full 2024 schedule Thursday. After four games in Miami and three in Washington, the Pirates will face...
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...
First Call: Minkah Fitzpatrick finally tops best-safety list; Saquon Barkley to ‘pull a Le’Veon?’
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick had spent most the offseason so far picking up plenty of figurative silver medals in the ultimately meaningless realm of “Best Of” lists. • In May, it was Pro Football Network that rated Fitzpatrick as the NFL’s second-best safety behind the Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin...
Mark Madden: Nice draft pick, Pirates. Now don’t screw it up
The Pittsburgh Pirates took LSU pitching phenom Paul Skenes with the first pick of the MLB Draft. That’s step one. Step two is to not screw it up. Don’t keep Skenes in the minors till June next season by way of manipulating an extra year of team control via Super...
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...
First Call: Flyers social media mishap; Steelers lose data analyst; ex-Pirate is All-Star MVP
There surely have been more than a few instances of Zoom calls originating in Western Pennsylvania that have included the words “Flyers (stink)” and another word that begins with the same letter. But Tuesday, it happened on a call staged by Philadelphia Flyers employees themselves. During a live stream of...
