Pirates/MLB category, Page 193
Jacob Stallings injured, Pirates strand nine runners in loss to Giants
If the Pittsburgh Pirates were going to beat the San Francisco Giants, it would require the third walk-off win in as many games. Not only that, but the Pirates were without the player who hit the heroic home run Saturday night as catcher Jacob Stallings was removed from the game...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington hopes Colin Moran, Phillip Evans can avoid rehab assignments
The Pittsburgh Pirates are hoping first baseman Colin Moran and corner infielder/outfielder Phillip Evans return from the injured list this week and “perhaps even avoid a rehab assignment,” general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday afternoon on his weekly radio show. Moran (groin) and Evans (hamstring) were placed on the 10-day...
Pirates farm report for May 15, 2021: 4 Bradenton pitchers combine on no-hitter
BRADENTON (Low-A, 7-4) Four pitchers combined on a no-hitter in a 2-0 victory over Dunedin (Blue Jays). RHP Jose Maldonado, an international free agent signing, started and went two innings, striking out four and walking one. RHP Cameron Junker, a 2019 10th-round pick out of Notre Dame, followed with a...
Jacob Stallings hits 2-run, walk-off home run to lift Pirates past Giants
Echoing a rallying cry from their glory days, Pittsburgh Pirates fans chanted the surname of Johnny Cueto in an attempt to once again rattle the San Francisco Giants starting right-hander at PNC Park. Unlike the 2013 NL wild card game, Cueto didn’t drop the ball. By the end, however, Pirates...
Adam Frazier shows staying power at 2B for Pirates, despite cameos in left field
Derek Shelton hasn’t hesitated to ask Adam Frazier to move to left field in late-game situations, knowing “he’s more than willing” to play wherever needed for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Shelton, however, made it clear once again Saturday that he has no intention of moving Frazier away from second base. “I’m...
Pirates farm report for May 14, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 5-4) beat Toledo (Tigers), 6-2. RHP James Marvel started and went 5.1 innings, giving up two runs on six hits and striking out six. RHO Shea Spitzbarth pitched a scoreless inning of relief to get the win. C Andrew Susac went 2 for 4 with a home run...
Rookie pitcher, Gregory Polanco lead Pirates to win in 11th
During the Pirates’ 3-2 victory Friday night against the San Francisco Giants, the winning team struck out 17 times and only four of its 13 batters hit safely. Second baseman Adam Frazier made what looked like the defensive play of the game – in left field – until he was...
Pirates’ Ben Cherington says Gregory Polanco, Mitch Keller will continue to get opportunities
Gregory Polanco leads the Pittsburgh Pirates in stolen bases with four, but that’s not the reason he remains in right field and bats fifth in the order with a .202 batting average (before Friday). Mitch Keller has the highest ERA (7.81) and WHIP (1.81) among Pirates starters, but manager Derek...
Jury seated in Pirates pitcher’s sexual assault trial, testimony to begin Monday
Testimony in the sexual assault trial of former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez will begin Monday morning in a Westmoreland County courtroom. Twelve jurors and two alternates were seated Friday for what is expected to be a three-day trial after Vazquez was accused of having sexual relations with a 13-year...
Pirates lift mask mandate for fully vaccinated fans at PNC Park
The Pirates announced Friday that fully vaccinated fans will no longer need to wear a face mask at PNC Park. On Thursday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eased public health guidelines for mask wearing, allowing people to safely stop wearing masks inside in most places as well as...
Pirates farm report for May 13, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 4-4) lost 6-5 to Toledo (Tigers). The Indians scored all five of their runs in the second inning, which was highlighted by a three-run homer by DH Anthony Alford. 1B Christian Bethancourt also homered in the second. Alford and RF Dustin Fowler finished with two hits apiece. Matt...
Tennessee buddies Wil Crowe, Will Craig reunite in Pirates’ loss to Giants
On another night, perhaps in a game with a different outcome, the confluence of Wil and Will would have been a story worth retelling for years. But at PNC Park on Thursday night, Wil Crowe’s mostly effective five-inning start and Will Craig’s first major-league home run weren’t enough to prevent...
Pirates notebook: Phil Evans goes on IL, replaced by Will Craig
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost another first baseman Thursday when Phil Evans was placed on the 10-day injured list with a left hamstring strain. Evans, who is hitting .216, replaced Colin Moran (left groin strain) at first base and batted third Wednesday before leaving the 4-1 loss to the Cincinnati Reds....
First Call: Steelers already underdogs in opener; ex-Penguin in mix for Rangers coaching job?
Thursday’s “First Call” shows little faith in the Pittsburgh Steelers to start 2021 on the right foot. A former Pitt Panther basketball player is getting his coaching start in the Bronx. Meanwhile, a former Penguin is hoping to continue his coaching career in Manhattan. And the Pirates need to get...
Pirates farm report for May 12, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 4-3) won 5-3 over Toledo (Tigers). 1B Will Craig went 3 for 3, hit his third home run of the season and doubled. 2B Kevin Kramer belted a two-run homer in the third inning. SS Cole Tucker and DH Chris Sharpe doubled. Beau Sulser started and went five...
Reds rally with 4-run 10th inning to beat Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting lineup didn’t offer much promise in the way of offense, with their top three hitters missing from the batting order and only three players hitting above the Mendoza Line. Even so, the Pirates found ways to get on base and put runners in scoring position against...
Pirates injury report: Ke’Bryan Hayes making ‘very nice strides,’ pitchers ‘making progress’
Ke’Bryan Hayes remains the most prominent Pittsburgh Pirates player on the injured list, though several pitchers are making progress in their recovery while one has paused from throwing. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk called Hayes shifting from the 10-day to 60-day IL “more of a mechanical roster move,”...
Riding a 12-game hitting streak, Adam Frazier continues to ‘check boxes’ for Pirates
When Adam Frazier got a leadoff single against the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday night, it extended his hitting streak to tie his career-best at 12 games. Afterward, the Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman was more interested in talking about his second hit of the game. Frazier drove a Sean Doolittle four-seam...
Pirates farm report for May 11, 2021
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 3-3) won 4-3 over Toledo (Tigers). The Indians had four hits, all of which were home runs. 1B Will Craig belted a pair of solo shots, including one in the seventh inning for what proved to be the winning run. CF Travis Swaggerty homered to lead off the...
JT Brubaker stops Reds’ hit parade, Troy Stokes Jr. gets 2 RBI hits as Pirates win
The Cincinnati Reds had pounded the Pittsburgh Pirates for double-digit runs in three consecutive meetings, a streak that required a stopper after the Reds scored 39 runs on 42 hits – 20 for extra bases. JT Brubaker was just the man for the job. The Pirates right-hander held the Reds...
Pirates place Kyle Crick on IL, reinstate Gregory Polanco, add LHP Chasen Shreve to bullpen
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed reliever Kyle Crick on the 10-day injured list with a right triceps strain and reinstated right fielder Gregory Polanco on Tuesday in a series of roster moves. Polanco has been out since May 4, though the Pirates never offered an explanation for his stay on the...
Ben Gamel looking forward to ‘fresh start’ with Pirates, no matter where he plays
Before Ben Gamel’s first game with the Pittsburgh Pirates, manager Derek Shelton jokingly asked if the team’s newest acquisition — a natural outfielder — had ever played first base. If Gamel thought his first answer (two innings) was going to get him off the hook, he was in for a...
Famous Honus Wagner baseball card gets Wiz Khalifa-inspired remix from DJ Skee
The 1909 Honus Wagner T206, considered the most famous baseball card in the world, features a stoic-looking Wagner, who played for the Pittsburgh Pirates from 1900-1917. A new remix version of the card issued by Topps offers a 21st century update, with inspiration from Pittsburgh’s own, rapper Wiz Khalifa. As...
Reds rock Mitch Keller, rap out 15 hits to pound Pirates
Inconsistency has been Mitch Keller’s calling card this season, so it was a promising sign for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander when he retired the side on six pitches in the first inning. The Cincinnati Reds didn’t go down so easily in a six-run fourth, knocking Keller out of the game...
By adding Ben Gamel, Pirates prioritize center field, versatility of infielders to play first base
When a rash of injuries left the Pittsburgh Pirates short-handed at first base, third base and in the outfield this weekend, they responded with a series of roster moves to address their shortcomings. When push came to shove, the Pirates prioritized center field. Rather than rely on infielders Wilmer Difo...
