Pirates/MLB category, Page 113
After throwing 16 scoreless innings, Pirates’ Mitch Keller honored as NL Player of the Week
Mitch Keller became the second Pittsburgh Pirates player this season named National League Player of the Week, joining outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who was so honored last month. Keller is the first Pirates pitcher named NL Player of the Week since Jameson Taillon in April 2018. Keller, 27, won both starts...
Behind ace Mitch Keller — and despite struggles — Pirates near 1st through season’s opening quarter
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a .154 winning percentage since the last day of April, but look at those standings: They are only 1½ games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. How did that happen? The division isn’t offering serious competition at the moment. The Brewers (23-17)...
Pirates farm report for May 14, 2023: Jared Triolo’s 4 RBIs help Indy crush St. Paul
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 18-20) crushed St. Paul (Twins), 15-3. The Indians scored five times in the fourth innings and had a seven-run outburst in the top of the ninth. 3B Jared Triolo (.294) was 3 for 5 with four RBIs. RF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.194) was 3 for 5 with three RBIs....
Mitch Keller dominant while striking out 13 in Pirates victory
No one needed to tell Austin Hedges about Mitch Keller’s dominance Sunday in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 4-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles. Nonetheless, when Orioles players walked to the plate, holding bats that turned out to be useless in most cases, they kept marveling at what the Pirates’ ace pitcher...
Pirates notebook: Ben Cherington shows patience as catchers Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis develop defensively
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday he understands fans’ eagerness to see if minor-league catchers Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis can help the major-league club, but he wants to continue to monitor their development in Triple-A and Double-A. “We came into the season with pretty simple, but pretty...
Pirates farm report for May 13, 2023: Matt Fraizer smacks 3 doubles in Altoona win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-20) took care of St. Paul (Twins), 3-1. LHP Kent Emanuel (8.15) started and went four innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out four. Four relievers combined to shut St. Paul out the rest of the way. RHP Cody Bolton (2.03) allowed two...
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...
Pirates farm report for May 12, 2023: Playing right field, Henry Davis gets 2 more hits for Curve
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 16-20) was held to five hits in a 2-1 loss to St. Paul (Twins). 1B Malcom Nunez (.200) went 1 for 3 and hit his third home run. LF Ryan Vilade (.279) was 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. SS Nick Gonzales (.274) was 1...
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...
Pirates closer David Bednar embraces role as native son
After making 13 of a possible 29 appearances in March/April — one inning almost every other day — David Bednar pitched just twice in the first 10 days of May. There wasn’t any need for a closer during the ongoing period when the Pittsburgh Pirates lost nine of 10 and...
Pirates farm report for May 11, 2023: Cal Mitchell homers in Indianapolis loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 16-19) blew a 5-1 lead and lost 8-7 to St. Paul (Twins). LHP Cam Alldred (5.00) started and allowed two runs, one earned, on one hit and three walks in three innings. He struck out five. RHP JC Flowers (4.15) walked four in one inning and gave up...
U mad, bro?: Pirates fans already turn sour from May slump; Penguins fans grumble about missing playoffs
The honeymoon appears to be over for the Pittsburgh Pirates. And for Penguins coach Mike Sullivan. And for football owner Antonio Brown. Pittsburgh sports fans chime in on all those topics and more in this week’s “U mad, bro?” We begin with “Frogger33” on Twitter. I was on WPXI’s “The...
‘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 farm report for May 10, 2023: Quinn Priester makes 2nd straight strong start
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 16-18) beat St. Paul (Twins), 4-2. RHP Quinn Priester (3-3, 5.40) won his second straight start, allowing two runs on six hits, including a home run, with two walks and four strikeouts in six innings. LHP Angel Perdomo (3.14), RHP Cody Bolton (2.19) and RHP colin Selby (3.21)...
Pirates out-executed in series-losing defeat to Rockies
A week ago, as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ eventual seven-game losing streak was getting underway, at least it could be said that the club was beating lesser opponents. That argument lost some steam Wednesday, however, with the Pirates falling 4-3 to the Rockies at PNC Park to drop two of three...
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...
Pirates farm report for May 9, 2023: Henry Davis blasts 2 more homers for Altoona
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 15-18) was beaten up by St. Paul (Twins), 11-3. LHP Caleb Smith started and gave up eight runs, all earned, on seven his and four walks in 3.2 innings. 2B Nick Gonzales (.267) went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk. C Endy Rodriguez (.260) was...
Pirates’ Josh Palacios learns hot bat doesn’t matter if your phone’s dead
When Josh Palacios went to dinner Monday night with Indianapolis Indians teammates Chavez Young and Vinny Capra, he never imagined that disaster would strike. He didn’t forget his wallet, and there was nothing wrong with the food at the hibachi restaurant in Minneapolis’ Mall of America. Those things the Pittsburgh...
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...
Behind Mitch Keller’s shutout, Rodolfo Castro’s HR, Pirates top Rockies to snap 7-game skid
There was never a conversation about taking Mitch Keller out of the game, not with the way the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander was dealing against the Colorado Rockies with confidence and pinpoint control. The pressure of pitching in a scoreless game was relieved when Rodolfo Castro hit a line drive over...
Pirates switch shortstops, adding Chris Owings, anticipate RHP Luis Ortiz starting Tuesday
Searching for stability at shortstop and a starting pitcher, the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday turned to Triple-A Indianapolis for a pair of roster moves made in hopes of stopping their seven-game losing streak. The Pirates selected the contract of 31-year-old Chris Owings and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup...
