Pirates/MLB category, Page 159
Pirates farm report for April 8, 2022: Travis Swaggerty delivers walk-off hit
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 1-2) beat Omaha (Royals), 3-2, on a walk-off single by DH Travis Swaggerty (.231) in the bottom of the ninth. 3B Hunter Owen (.667) walked and CF Ji-hwan Bae (.286) singled before Swaggerty’s heroics. SS Oneil Cruz (.300) went 2 for 4 with a stolen base, his second....
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Ke’Bryan Hayes news overshadowed Opening Day for Pirates
Ke’Bryan Hayes dominated the news cycle on Opening Day, first for reasons the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman was thrilled about but then for being removed before the first inning was completed. Hayes agreed to an historic contract extension with the Pirates, renewing faith that the club has at least one...
Pirates farm report for April 7, 2022: Rodolfo Castro sparks Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 1-2) split a doubleheader with Omaha (Royals). The Indians won the opener, 5-3, taking the lead for good with a three-run fifth. 2B Ji-hwan Bae and DH Brendt Citta had RBI singles in the inning. SS Oneil Cruz singled and stole a base. He was 1 for 3...
Clemente Award winners wear ’21’ on caps
WASHINGTON — Washington Nationals designated hitter Nelson Cruz pulled his gameday hat off a hook by his clubhouse locker Thursday to show a “21” patch was stitched onto the back to honor Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente. Like other winners of the humanitarian award named in memory of Clemente, Cruz...
Ke’Bryan Hayes’ exit in 1st inning casts a cloud over opener, as Cardinals pound Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated Opening Day by agreeing to a historic contract extension with Ke’Bryan Hayes, only to hold their breath after watching the 25-year-old third baseman exit the game with an injury. Just hours after agreeing to the richest contract in Pittsburgh Pirates history, an eight-year deal worth $70...
Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes on leaving opener after forearm spasm: ‘No pain anywhere’
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who agreed to the richest contract in franchise history then left the season opener after a spasm of his left forearm, told the Tribune-Review that it was “just a cramp” with “no pain anywhere.” Hayes was removed by medical staff in the bottom of...
Headlined by Oneil Cruz, Pirates spread 6 top-100 prospects across minor league affiliates
When the Pittsburgh Pirates announced the rosters for their four minor league affiliates, their six top-100 prospects as ranked by Baseball America were spread across the top three levels. Shortstop Oneil Cruz (No. 14) and right-hander Roansy Contreras (80) will start the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, middle infielders Nick Gonzales...
Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes returns to starting lineup in time for Opening Day at St. Louis
After missing the final week of spring training with a sprained ankle, Ke’Bryan Hayes returned in time to start at third base in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day lineup at the St. Louis Cardinals. Hayes is one of only three returning Pirates starters from the 2021 opener, along with center...
Pirates finalize Opening Day 28-man roster, signing OF Jake Marisnick, C Andrew Knapp
The Pittsburgh Pirates finalized their 28-man Opening Day roster, signing outfielder Jake Marisnick and catcher Andrew Knapp to one-year contracts to address depth at their positions. Marisnick’s contract will pay him $1.3 million while Knapp’s deal is for $800,000 plus incentives, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. To make room...
Baseball’s back: Catch the Trib’s exclusive online MLB preview section
It’s Opening Day, and the Tribune-Review has you covered from the first pitch to the final out this season. To get you prepped, the Trib has compiled an MLB preview, which can be found exclusively as part of our eTrib offering. If you are a print subscriber, you already have...
U mad, bro?: Readers bubbling over Mitch Trubisky’s future, state of Pirates for Opening Day
I’ve got nothing to be angry about this week. I’m taking off a day early. I’m going to Boston for the Frozen Four. I’ll see some of my family that I haven’t seen since the pandemic hit. I cleaned up at the casino on some Final Four and hockey bets....
Hopelessness springs eternal for Pirates fans
It’s been a winter of discontent for Pirates fans. It started Dec. 1 when the Pirates traded catcher Jacob Stallings, a player beloved by fans and his teammates, not long after he won a Gold Glove award for his excellent 2021 season. It was perceived by the Pirates faithful as...
Pirates sign 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes to 8-year, $70 million deal as franchise cornerstone
The Pittsburgh Pirates made Ke’Bryan Hayes their franchise cornerstone just hours before first pitch on Opening Day, reaching an agreement on an eight-year, $70 million contract that is the richest in club history. The deal, first reported by MLB insider Robert Murray and confirmed by the Tribune-Review, includes a club...
Predicting the World Series champ, award winners for 2022 MLB season
NL MVP Juan Soto, Nationals Soto has the best eye in baseball, drawing an MLB-best 145 walks against 93 strikeouts last season. He didn’t put up eye-popping power numbers, slashing .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs and 95 RBIs, and finished second in MVP voting. Soto could see more strikes with...
Large bobbleheads give Pirates pause before unveiling at PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates management is mulling a lineup change to a set of large bobbleheads that are expected to be featured in PNC Park’s expanded kids area after officials said two of the life-size figurines did not meet their expectations. “We ordered a total of five life-sized, fun, vintage replica-style bobbleheads...
Pirates to serve up Pittsburgh food and drink this season at PNC Park
The Pirates and PNC Park teamed with restaurants and chefs to bring a taste of Pittsburgh into the stadium this baseball season. New menu items include Fat Head’s beer from the South Side, a burger from Station in Bloomfield, and a Reuben hot dog topped with house-made corned beef from...
Q&A with Pirates manager Derek Shelton: ‘I trust that we’re going to win in Pittsburgh’
On the opening day of his third spring training as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, Derek Shelton discussed how nothing about his two-year tenure has been normal — and why it’s made him a better leader. Serving as the steady hand steering a sinking ship, Shelton has endured a roster reconstruction as...
Pirates lefty reliever Aaron Fletcher finds funky delivery suits his style, gives bullpen a new look
Aaron Fletcher will be the first to tell you he’s funky. The left-handed reliever has a low-quarters delivery and relies more on movement than overpowering pitches. Fletcher didn’t share that he throws sidearm when he joined the Pittsburgh Pirates in spring training after being claimed off waivers from the Seattle...
Pirates farm report for April 5, 2022: Indy opens with loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 0-1) dropped its season opener to Omaha (Royals), 4-1. RF Cal Mitchell produced Indianapolis’ only run on a solo homer in the sixth. SS Oneil Cruz went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a walk. 1B Mason Martin and LF Canaan Smith-Njigba each went 2 for 4....
Phillies pound Pirates in Grapefruit League finale, as spring training injury toll mounts
The Pittsburgh Pirates limped out of spring training with a loss. The injuries hurt more than the outcome. With the two players vying for the starting job in left field, Anthony Alford and Greg Allen, both headed for the injured list, the Pirates relied upon the positional versatility of their...
Pirates make final cuts of spring training but don’t have a backup catcher on 28-man roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates made their final cuts of spring training, though there are likely more moves to come. The Pirates reassigned five players, including three catchers, to the minor leagues following a 5-1 loss to the Philadelphia Phillies in their Grapefruit League finale Tuesday afternoon at BayCare Ballpark in Clearwater,...
Previewing the Pirates: Creativity with pitching staff could lead bullpen to take on bigger role
The transformation of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitching staff has involved such turnover the past two seasons that only four pitchers — two starters and two relievers — remain on the active roster. The Pirates are counting on JT Brubaker and Mitch Keller to serve as anchors for their rotation and...
PNC Park continues to rank among MLB’s top ballparks
Of all the baseball stadiums in all the towns in all the world … PNC Park is among the best. Regularly. Hold your head high, Pittsburgh. You’ve got one of the best Major League Baseball parks there is. And while the team that plays there has rarely been viable after...
Previewing the Pirates: With Bryan Reynolds at center of outfield, questions are in corners
Last year, the Pittsburgh Pirates started spring training with Bryan Reynolds locked into the lineup at left field and Gregory Polanco in right, so the question was who would win the starting job in center field. This year, it’s the opposite. Reynolds shifted to center field late last April after...
Diego Castillo makes Opening Day roster, then hits 6th homer as Pirates top Orioles
Diego Castillo attended his first MLB game at PNC Park last summer after he was acquired by the Pittsburgh Pirates and assigned to the Double-A Altoona Curve. His next will be on Opening Day. The sensation of spring training, Castillo earned a spot on the Pirates roster for Thursday’s season...
