Pirates/MLB category, Page 173

Derek Shelton knew he would have to mix and match to reconstruct a Pittsburgh Pirates bullpen decimated by ineffectiveness, injuries and trades, especially over the final two months of the season. The Pirates have turned a starter into a reliever, transformed a veteran from a multi-innings eater into a high-leverage...

The Pittsburgh Pirates arrived in St. Louis trying to snap a five-game losing streak. Now, they are on the brink of sweeping the Cardinals and spoiling their Hall of Fame weekend at Busch Stadium. Where the Cardinals presented red jackets to some of their all-time greats in a pregame ceremony,...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 45-49) held on to beat Toledo (Tigers), 5-4. SS Cole Tucker (.232) went 1 for 3 and hit his sixth home run, a solo shot in the seventh. 3B Hunter Owen (.234) went 1 for 4 with a homer, his 14th. CF Jared Oliva (.234) went 2 for...

Once he made contact, Yoshi Tsutsugo watched the ball and pointed his bat toward the home bullpen in right-center field at Busch Stadium as the ball sailed over the outstretched glove of Lars Nootbaar. Tsutsugo’s first home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates was a pinch-hit solo shot that traveled 397...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 44-49) blanked Toledo (Tigers), 5-0. RHP Max Kranick (2-3, 4.97) threw six scoreless innings, allowing four hits and no walks, fanning three. LHP Sam Howard, rehabbing an oblique injury, threw two perfect innings of relief with two strikeouts. RHP Tyler Bashlor (2.92) pitched a perfect ninth. RF Jared...

Mitch Keller’s season has been a head scratcher, especially for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander, so trying to make sense out of his mastery of the St. Louis Cardinals is something of a mystery. Where Keller’s struggles with his fastball command got him demoted to the minors midseason, he was at...

After a bout with covid-19, Chad Kuhl is back with the Pittsburgh Pirates but the right-hander will be used in a new role. Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Kuhl, reinstated to the active roster on Friday after being out since Aug. 2, will pitch out of the bullpen “as of...

Roberto Clemente’s birthday was this past Wednesday. If Clemente were still alive, Gregory Polanco would be his superior in right field, but only marginally. Keep in mind Clemente would be 87. Clemente’s birthday sparked debate over how the Pirates might have fared had Clemente not been killed in that New...

Friday’s “First Call” puts stats behind some impressive Pittsburgh Steelers pass rushing efforts so far this preseason. Antonio Brown gets into a practice fight with a Tennessee Titans player. The Pirates try to find some solid ground in St. Louis. More news on Robert Morris ice hockey transfers. And Pittsburgh’s...

If you were mad that this week’s “U mad, bro?” was delayed by a day, I apologize. I was at a work function in Las Vegas for two days. However miffed you may have been doesn’t even approach my level of anger with some of the cards I got on...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 43-49) lost to Toledo (Tigers), 5-2. RHP Miguel Yajure (.343) is continuing a rehab stint in the minors for a forearm injury and got the start after being reinstated from the 60-day IL. He allowed one run on two hits with six strikeouts and a walk in four...

There wasn’t much promise in the post-trade deadline Pittsburgh Pirates, and they didn’t make any after dealing away their All-Star second baseman, a starting pitcher and three relievers, including the closer. The Pirates won their final two games of July to finish the month with an 11-14 record, their best...

JT Brubaker watched in disbelief as the ball sailed over the left field wall at Dodger Stadium, courtesy of Max Muncy muscling a sinker on the outside corner only four pitches into the bottom of the first inning. It was the first of four home runs the Los Angeles Dodgers...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 43-48) was held to three hits in a 6-0 loss to Toledo (Tigers). 3B Erik Gonzalez (.174) went 1 for 2 with a double and a walk and made an error. CF Jared Oliva (.212) and C Taylor Davis each went 1 for 3. SS Cole Tucker (.228)...

Lefty reliever Sam Howard started his minor-league rehabilitation assignment, but right-hander Chad Kuhl and outfielder Anthony Alford are on track to return to the Pittsburgh Pirates first. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Kuhl (3-6, 4.43 ERA in 14 starts), who went on the covid-19 injured list Aug....

Derek Shelton never considered benching Rodolfo Castro for his baserunning blunder against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday. Instead, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager treated it as a teaching moment. When Castro failed to tag up at third on a Hoy Park lineout to left field, Shelton didn’t hesitate to note...

Wil Crowe was looking to get the Los Angeles Dodgers to make soft contact, a game plan that was working for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander. What went wrong is how the ball kept landing in gaps. The Dodgers hit leadoff doubles in four of the first eight innings on their...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 43-47) was blasted by Toledo (Tigers), 7-1. 1B Michael Chavis (.280) went 3 for 4 with a double. DH Hunter Owen (.236) went 1 for 3 with an RBI. RF Bligh Madris (.265) was 1 for 3 with walk and a run scored. SS Cole Tucker (.232) went...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates hired Ben Cherington as general manager, he made the acquisition of talent his top priority. Through trades and the draft, Cherington has his fingerprints all over their foundational rebuild. Where the Pirates have plodded through this season with one of the worst records in majors, their...

The Pittsburgh Pirates made three mistakes that proved costly against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and only two of them came on swings by left-handed batters against lefty relievers. A baserunning gaffe by Rodolfo Castro, who failed to tag up at third, prevented the Pirates from scoring a run in the...

The Pittsburgh Pirates officially signed Yoshi Tsutsugo to a major league deal and made the first baseman/outfielder active for Monday’s game at the Los Angeles Dodgers. To make room on the roster for Tsutsugo, the Pirates on Monday designated outfielder Ka’ai Tom and first baseman John Nogowski for assignment. Tsutsugo...

Yoshi Tsutsugo has not lived up to his billing since leaving his native Japan to play professionally in the United States. The Pittsburgh Pirates became the third major-league organization to take a shot at unlocking Tsutsugo’s talent after the infielder/outfielder washed out with the Tampa Bay Rays and Los Angeles...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 43-46) was shut out 8-0 by St. Paul (Twins). LF Ka’ai Tom (.278) was 2 for 4. 3B Tucupita Marcano (.238) also had a hit. Catcher Taylor Davis (.273) and CF Chris Sharpe (.206) each doubled. RHP Max Kranick (1-3, 5.91) allowed five runs (one earned) on five...

Dillon Peters was solid in his Pittsburgh Pirates debut. Yet it wasn’t enough to keep the Pirates from losing 2-1 to the Milwaukee Brewers on Sunday at PNC Park. Peters (0-1) took the loss after being recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis before the game. The left-hander gave up two runs (one...