Pirates/MLB category, Page 160
PNC Park getting enhancements in advance of Pirates’ season opener
Pirates fans will see something new at PNC Park for the home opener April 12 — starting at 4:12 p.m. to mirror the 4/12 date — against the Chicago Cubs. In what the team is calling “the continued evolution of PNC Park,” there will be new social gathering spaces in...
First Call: Phil Kessel grabs active consecutive games streak lead; Pirates face nemesis on Opening Day
Monday’s “First Call” shows us how former Pittsburgh Penguin Phil Kessel took over the NHL’s consecutive games streak. A pair of Metropolitan Division teams suffered home losses. The Eastern Conference has its first team locked into the playoffs. And the Pirates will be facing a familiar opponent on Opening Day...
Pirates OF Greg Allen leaves game with left hamstring discomfort in loss to Rays
The Pittsburgh Pirates already were down one outfielder when they played the Tampa Bay Rays in their spring training home finale, then lost another who was projected to be a starter. Left fielder Greg Allen, who hit a leadoff triple, was removed because of left hamstring discomfort after sliding in...
Pirates tab RHP JT Brubaker as Opening Day starter at St. Louis, their 7th in as many years
JT Brubaker will be the Opening Day starting pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates when they visit the St. Louis Cardinals on April 7, manager Derek Shelton announced Sunday during the AT&T SportsNet telecast. Brubaker is the seventh different pitcher to start the opener in as many years. The 28-year-old right-hander...
Pirates preview: Versatility valued from infield featuring several Gold Glove candidates
When Derek Shelton discusses the Pittsburgh Pirates infield, the only things set in stone is that Ke’Bryan Hayes will be playing third base and Roberto Perez will be behind the plate. The rest is written in pencil, with a big eraser at the ready. That has more to do with...
Michael Chavis snaps out of slump with homer as Pirates beat Red Sox
Michael Chavis doesn’t know which position he will play for the Pittsburgh Pirates, given that he has played games at first, second and third base and even right field since being acquired from Boston last July. So long as he is in the lineup, Chavis is happy. “My preference is...
For Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes, staying healthy is key to winning Gold Glove
BRADENTON, Fla. — Ke’Bryan Hayes started spring training with the goal of being available to play every game this season, knowing a left hand/wrist injury was one of two things that stood in the way of the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman winning a Gold Glove as a rookie. The other,...
Despite spring statistics, Jose Quintana on track for starting job as Pirates tie Toronto
When the Toronto Blue Jays turned a pair of plays that glanced off the gloves of Pittsburgh Pirates infielders into a pair of runs, they counted against Jose Quintana’s spring training statistics. That didn’t faze the 33-year-old left-hander, who signed a one-year free-agent contract with the Pirates for the opportunity...
Ranking Reynolds: Pirates CF Bryan Reynolds earns MLB top 10 ranking, tops trade wish lists
BRADENTON, Fla. — When MLB Network ranked the top 10 center fielders in baseball, Bryan Reynolds was thrilled to see he was at No. 4 after playing the position for only one season with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds was ranked behind Mike Trout of the Los Angeles Angels, George Springer...
Pirates trade with Arizona for infielder Josh VanMeter; designate outfielder Jared Oliva
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired infielder Josh VanMeter from the Arizona Diamondbacks for a minor league pitcher Thursday in a move that required the shuffling of their 40-man roster. VanMeter, 27, slashed .212/.297/.354 with 17 doubles, two triples, six home runs and 36 RBIs last season for Arizona. He spent two...
Amid reports of trade speculation, Bryan Reynolds homers as Pirates rally to tie Orioles
On a day that started with Bryan Reynolds being the subject of trade speculation, he provided a no-doubter. Reynolds drilled a Tyler Wells fastball 349 feet over the right-center field fence for his second home run of spring training for the Pittsburgh Pirates, who tied the Baltimore Orioles, 4-4, on...
By building a bond with pitching coaches, Anthony Banda found home in Pirates’ bullpen
BRADENTON, Fla. — The warm welcome by the Pittsburgh Pirates took Anthony Banda by surprise. He was no stranger to transactions, having been traded three times and purchased before being claimed off waivers, so he wasn’t sure what type of reception to expect. When Pirates players invited Banda to dinner,...
Diego Castillo homers twice for MLB-leading Pirates but Bryon Buxton’s slam lifts Twins
Spring training statistics are relatively meaningless, so the Pittsburgh Pirates aren’t about to celebrate that they lead all major-league teams with 27 home runs through 12 Grapefruit League games. If that sounds improbable, consider Diego Castillo leads the Pirates in homers after hitting two in a 9-4 loss to the...
After watching Braves win World Series, Bryse Wilson eyes spot in Pirates’ starting rotation
BRADENTON, Fla. — Bryse Wilson was only 22 when he started Game 4 of the 2020 NLCS, outdueling Clayton Kershaw as the Atlanta Braves beat the Los Angeles Dodgers to take a 3-1 series lead. So it was hard for Wilson to swallow that the Braves traded him to the...
Analysis: Pirates pass on star power to prioritize development of ‘unicorn’ prospect Oneil Cruz
That Oneil Cruz won’t be on the Opening Day roster of the Pittsburgh Pirates might have stunned a frustrated fanbase but shouldn’t come as a shock, given their history of treating prized prospects with kid gloves. When the Pirates optioned the 6-foot-7 shortstop, ranked their No. 1 prospect by Baseball...
Pirates option top prospect Oneil Cruz to Triple-A Indianapolis in latest round of spring cuts
Oneil Cruz won’t be on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day roster. The Pirates optioned the 6-foot-7 shortstop, ranked their top prospect by Baseball America, to Triple-A Indianapolis on Tuesday afternoon. Cruz batted .333 (5 for 15) with a 1.066 OPS in five Grapefruit League games this spring, hitting two home...
Pirates’ Mitch Keller stretches scoreless streak in win over Red Sox
Mitch Keller gave up back-to-back singles, putting Boston Red Sox runners on first and second with one out in the top of the fourth inning. It was the type of scenario that saw the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander go into meltdown mode the past three seasons. This time, Keller heated up....
Pirates view reliever Heath Hembree’s experience as ‘unbelievably valuable’ to bullpen
In the biggest moment of his baseball career, Heath Hembree remembers receiving the phone call in the bullpen, tossing a couple warm-up pitches and realizing that he needed to use the restroom. “When they called and said I was in the game,” Hembree said, “I had to go to the...
Pirates have 3-way competition for backup catcher, a role that takes on importance in April
BRADENTON, Fla. — It was a diversion by Derek Shelton, a way for the Pittsburgh Pirates manager to avoid a question about a secondary position battle that could come to the forefront early this season. What do you need from a backup catcher? “We haven’t even talked about carrying a...
Diego Castillo homers off Gerrit Cole but Yankees blast five bombs to beat Pirates
TAMPA — Diego Castillo has gone about his business quietly in spring training, making a positive impression on the Pittsburgh Pirates while bouncing around the infield and making consistent contact. When New York Yankees ace Gerrit Cole grooved an outside fastball, Castillo drove it over the right-field fence for a...
Yoshi & Vogey: Pirates’ odd couple sharing laughs, first base, designated hitter duties
BRADENTON, Fla. — Daniel Vogelbach greeted the media contingent that follows Yoshi Tsutsugo with a bow and a smile in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse at LECOM Park, teasing his new teammate about being covered as if he were the president of Japan. When asked about the fast friendship he has...
Anthony Alford snaps out of slump with home run, but Orioles rally past Pirates
SARASOTA, Fla. — Anthony Alford spent spring training swinging and missing as the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder was hitless with nine strikeouts in his first 12 at-bats. When Alford finally connected, he made it count. Alford hit a two-run home run over the right-field fence off Keegna Akin in the fifth...
Pirates option top pitching prospect Roansy Contreras, infielder Rodolfo Castro to Triple-A
SARASOTA, Fla. — A threat to touch triple digits, Roansy Contreras gave a glimpse of how his fastball plays in a dazzling major league debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates late last September. The Pirates’ top pitching prospect won’t be in their Opening Day starting rotation, however, as the 22-year-old right-hander...
‘They owned it’: Pirates play to strengths of David Bednar, Chris Stratton in closer role
BRADENTON, Fla. — Anthony Banda joined the Pittsburgh Pirates just days after the trade deadline, when they dealt Richard Rodriguez to the Atlanta Braves and created an opening in the most critical role in the bullpen. Instead of finding talk of using a closer-by-committee approach to replace Rodriguez — who...
Pirates valued at $1.32 billion, ranking 23rd in Forbes’ annual list of MLB franchises
The value of the Pittsburgh Pirates rose 3% to $1.32 billion, according to Forbes’ annual ranking of baseball franchise values. The New York Yankees continue to rank first at $6 billion, followed by the Los Angeles Dodgers ($4.075 billion), Boston Red Sox ($3.9 billion), Chicago Cubs ($3.8 billion) and San...
