Pirates/MLB category, Page 124
JT Brubaker leads Pirates past Twins, but Andrew McCutchen hit by pitch in left hand
The Pittsburgh Pirates got a dose of good news and bad news Sunday afternoon. The good news: JT Brubaker struck out four while allowing one hit in three scoreless innings, and the Pirates got two-run hits from a pair of players trying to make the Opening Day roster in a...
‘Being part of it is really special’: Pirates players thrilled to participate in World Baseball Classic
BRADENTON, Fla. — When David Bednar saw the Team USA roster for the World Baseball Classic, the Pittsburgh Pirates closer’s mind drifted to his first All-Star Game last summer. His teammates will include 21 All-Stars and four MVPs in Mookie Betts, Paul Goldschmidt, Mike Trout and three-time Cy Young Award...
Phillies’ big inning drops Pirates in spring training game
Ji-Man Choi twice drove in Ke’Bryan Hayes but it wasn’t enough for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Philadelphia Phillies used a four-run third inning for a 4-3 win in a Grapefruit League game at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater, Fla. The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first inning when Hayes...
Pirates adjusting to love-hate relationship with baseball’s new pitch clock in spring training
In his first at-bat of spring training, Bryan Reynolds took an Aaron Nola four-seam fastball for a ball to work a 3-0 count against the Philadelphia Phillies in a Grapefruit League game Monday at LECOM Park. Typically, the Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star outfielder would step out of the batter’s box to...
Ji Hwan Bae gets Pirates off to a fast start in 1st inning but they play Orioles to a tie
Ji Hwan Bae got the Pittsburgh Pirates off to a fast start against the Baltimore Orioles, but it proved to be their only run. The Pirates and Orioles played to a 1-1 tie Friday night in a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota. Bae hit a leadoff...
Now that Chase De Jong has found a home with Pirates, he’s working on a new pitch
Chase De Jong arrived in Bradenton last year as a nonroster invitee coming off season-ending knee surgery and making the move from the starting rotation of the Pittsburgh Pirates to a reliever role. If Bradenton feels more like home for De Jong this year, it’s because he bought a house...
Yankees homer twice off Mitch Keller to pound split-squad Pirates, who tie Blue Jays on road
With a split squad playing the New York Yankees at home and the Toronto Blue Jays on the road, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to two of the pitchers in contention to start on Opening Day. Where Mitch Keller gave up a pair of home runs to the Yankees in a...
Former Pirates No. 1 pick Travis Swaggerty takes a big swing at rebuilding his reputation
When the Pittsburgh Pirates chose Travis Swaggerty out of South Alabama with the No. 10 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft, they got an outfielder with a reputation as the best hitter in college baseball. Despite some setbacks, both personal and professional, Swaggerty is still trying to swing his...
Oneil Cruz, Travis Swaggerty belt homers, but Pirates fall short against Tigers
Shortstop Oneil Cruz smacked his first home run of spring training, and outfielder Travis Swaggerty crushed a three-run homer in the eighth inning, but the Pittsburgh Pirates fell short against the Tigers, 8-7, on Wednesday at Publix Field in Lakeland, Fla. Cruz hit a two-run shot 355 feet to the...
Pirates among 17 teams possibly on MLB’s local media broadcast lineup
NEW YORK — Major League Baseball added three executives to its new local media department as it prepares for a possible takeover of local broadcasts for 17 teams amid the financial deterioration of the Bally and AT&T SportsNet regional sports networks. Doug Johnson was hired as senior vice president and...
For Pirates flamethrower Luis Ortiz, mixing in a changeup could round out starter’s repertoire
BRADENTON, Fla. — Luis Ortiz focused on throwing four-seam fastballs against Baltimore lefty Franchy Cordero, falling behind in the count after failing to find the strike zone on his first three pitches. Finally, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander got a called strike on a belt-high heater and a swing and miss...
Nick Gonzales, Jason Delay homer as Pirates beat Orioles for 1st win of spring training
BRADENTON, Fla. — The Pittsburgh Pirates got their first spring training win, thanks to a fast start and a pair of home runs. Tucupita Marcano and Canaan Smith-Njigba both drove in a pair of runs as the Pirates jumped out to a five-run lead, and Nick Gonzales and Jason Delay...
‘So blessed to be alive’: A week after collapsing at Pirate City, Ernie Withers throws 1st pitch
BRADENTON, Fla. — One week after going into cardiac arrest and requiring CPR at Pirate City, Ernie Withers threw the ceremonial first pitch to the doctor who saved his life. Wearing a black Pittsburgh Pirates jersey, Withers tossed the ball Tuesday at LECOM Park to Pirates medical director Dr. Patrick...
A.J. Burnett will throw out 1st pitch to Russell Martin at Pirates home opener
Batman returns to the mound at PNC Park. Former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher A.J. Burnett will throw out the ceremonial first pitch to catcher Russell Martin for the home opener against the Chicago White Sox on April 7. The moment will reunite the battery as the Pirates celebrate the 10-year anniversary...
Tim Benz: Why gambling on the Pirates has become the most popular bet on MLB boards
Over much of the past 40 years, betting on the Pittsburgh Pirates has been a good way to lose a lot of money. But based on some early movement this season, the Pirates are a popular pick among baseball gamblers. According to Max Meyer of Caesars Sportsbook, no one is...
Pirates start Jack Suwinski in center, signaling shift for Bryan Reynolds
BRADENTON, Fla. — When they ran out of the home dugout Monday at LECOM Park, Bryan Reynolds veered to left field and Andrew McCutchen to right while Jack Suwinski sprinted to center. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton unveiled a new-look defensive lineup in a Grapefruit League game against the Philadelphia...
Ke’Bryan Hayes homers, JT Brubaker fans 5 but Phillies use fast start to beat Pirates
BRADENTON, Fla. — JT Brubaker felt like the Philadelphia Phillies were hunting heaters, so he wasn’t surprised when Alec Bohm sent his 2-0 sinker to left-center for a two-run homer. “Just from previous history, I know that a two-seam into Bohm isn’t the right pitch, especially behind in the count,”...
Mark Madden: If Bob Nutting wanted to ‘find a way’ to sign Bryan Reynolds, it would be done
Spring training for the Pirates has only just started, and the horse manure is piling up as fast as the pitch clock will allow. The attendant stooge media and subservient blogging fanboys will have you believe this will be a good season. Depends on your definition of “good,” one supposes....
‘I want it really bad’: Rodolfo Castro has sights set on winning Pirates’ starting job at 2B
BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates opened Grapefruit League play against the Toronto Blue Jays on Saturday, Rodolfo Castro was in the starting lineup but not at his position of preference. That Castro was across the diamond at third base with Ji Hwan Bae at second wasn’t a matter...
Mitch Keller makes strong start but Blue Jays pound Pirates for 3 homers in spring opener
BRADENTON, Fla. — Mitch Keller focused on filling up the strike zone and fanned the first batter he faced in his first start of spring training, getting leadoff batter Cavan Biggio to go down swinging. “It’s always good to get one,” Keller said, “especially the first guy of spring.” The...
Pirates owner Bob Nutting addresses Bryan Reynolds talks, RSN collapse, payroll issues
BRADENTON, Fla. — Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting said he is pushing for the club to sign Bryan Reynolds to a long-term contract extension and isn’t ruling out the possibility of signing a player to a $100 million contract in the near future. Nutting touched on those and other topics...
With Bryan Reynolds contract talks at standstill, Pirates owner Bob Nutting pushing for deal
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryan Reynolds had casual conversations with Pittsburgh Pirates chairman Bob Nutting and team president Travis Williams this past week at Pirate City but said that no substantive contract extension discussions have resumed. “There’s been no talks like that, so nothing really to report there,” Ryenolds said Saturday...
‘Catching is gold’: Pirates prospects Henry Davis, Endy Rodriguez absorb veteran advice
BRADENTON, Fla. — Austin Hedges arrived at spring training prepared for a crash course with the Pittsburgh Pirates, learning as fast as he could about the pitching staff while teaching two of their top-100 prospects as much as he could about catching in the major leagues. Hedges realized he needed...
AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh in peril as Warner Bros. Discovery intends to exit regional sports
Warner Bros. Discovery, owner of AT&T SportsNet Pittsburgh, wants to exit the regional sports network business — and soon — in a move that could potentially leave the Pittsburgh Pirates and Penguins without a primary TV home. The Wall Street Journal first reported that WBD informed the professional sports teams...
Pirates pitcher JT Brubaker seeks sense of normalcy, ready to take next step as a starter
BRADENTON, Fla. — When the Pittsburgh Pirates returned to Pirate City for spring training, JT Brubaker found a sense of normalcy — something that’s been missing for the right-hander since 2018. After being shelved with forearm soreness in 2019, the 29-year-old has dealt with a variety of disruptions and distractions...
