Pirates/MLB category, Page 196
U mad, bro?: Pirates fans vent; Steelers fans deflect criticism; Penguins fans reject concerns about Jeff Carter
Want a real reason to be mad, Pittsburgh sports fans? Here’s one for you. There will be no “U mad, bro?” next week. I know. I know. I can feel the anger welling up inside of you already. But it’s time for a vacation. Contrary to popular belief, I don’t...
Gregory Polanco homers off Joe Musgrove as Pirates beat Padres
Gregory Polanco was scuffling so much at the plate that the Pittsburgh Pirates gave their right fielder successive days off against the San Diego Padres to work on the timing of his swing. Polanco returned to the lineup just in time. The Pirates bet on a batting order filled with...
Pirates rookie Ke’Bryan Hayes back swinging, but not ready to return from IL
Ke’Bryan Hayes took a “step in the right direction” by taking swings in the batting cage, but the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman isn’t ready to return from the injured list yet. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said the club is being careful to monitor how Hayes, out...
Auction for rare Honus Wagner baseball card already hits $110,000
The 1909 T206 Honus Wagner baseball card is considered to be the Holy Grail by many in the sports collectible world, with only a few dozen known to exist. But another card featuring the Hall of Fame Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop that’s considered to be even rarer is now up for...
‘That was quite a baseball game’: Pirates beat Padres in wild, 4-hour affair
If this was supposed to be a pitcher’s duel, Blake Snell and Chad Kuhl unloaded most of their ammunition in a 75-pitch first inning that lasted 51 minutes and set the tone for a long night of baseball. Mostly bad baseball. By the time this one was over, four hours...
After no-hitter, Joe Musgrove makes bittersweet return to Pittsburgh with Padres
After tossing the first no-hitter in San Diego Padres history Friday, donating a hat and ball to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and having a mural painted in his honor at his alma mater, only one thing could bring down Joe Musgrove from the natural high he’s been riding....
Pirates turned to Wilmer Difo in a pinch, and the super utility player is delivering
When the Pittsburgh Pirates pursued Wilmer Difo in free agency, the attraction was as much for his magnetic personality as it was his switch hitting at the plate and versatility in the field. While Difo didn’t make the Opening Day roster out of spring training, he has slid seamlessly into...
Luis Oviedo struggles in relief, as Wil Myers has 5 RBIs to lead Padres past Pirates
It’s not a typo that Wil Myers spells his first name with only one L. He handed the other L to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The San Diego right fielder went 3 for 5 with five RBIs, including a two-out, two-run homer to break a tie in the sixth inning, as...
Pirates celebrate video coordinator Kevin Roach’s successful challenges against Cubs
Kevin Roach is locked in a video room next to the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse during home games at PNC Park and locked into the game, watching every play with a close eye in search of a mistake. As the team’s video coordinator, Roach collaborates with bench coach Don Kelly to...
Pirates notebook: Phillip Evans ‘ready to play everywhere’ when Ke’Bryan Hayes returns
When the Pittsburgh Pirates were counting on a rookie third baseman to bat second and provide some pop in the lineup, no one was expecting it would be Phillip Evans instead of Ke’Bryan Hayes. The 28-year-old Evans isn’t your average rookie. A journeyman who played 34 games for the New...
JT Brubaker’s 3 RBIs lead Pirates hit parade vs. Cubs
For as much as JT Brubaker loves to sling it, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander also enjoys every chance he gets to swing it. While Brubaker kept the Chicago Cubs in check with his arm, he put the Pirates ahead with one swing of the bat. Six days after Brubaker got...
With their Brackenridge captain, these flag-waving pirates are a PNC Park fixtureVideo
They are usually easy to spot high atop PNC Park — waving large skull-and-crossbones flags and sporting tricorn hats, bandanas and patches over their eyes. Some carry fake swords in waist holsters. Their captain hails from Brackenridge. These pirates aren’t after buried treasure. They’re seeking victories from a struggling baseball...
Mitch Keller delivers promising performance, 7-run inning boosts Pirates past Cubs
After a rough spring training and first outing, Mitch Keller could have wilted when he walked the first batter he faced and gave up a run in the first inning Saturday night against the Chicago Cubs. Keller’s fastball command has been an issue, so Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton was...
Pirates ‘super happy’ for Joe Musgrove after he throws 1st no-hitter in Padres history
When Jacob Stallings asked his 4-year-old son if he wanted to watch Joe Musgrove pitch for the San Diego Padres on Friday night, they had no idea they were about to witness history. Well, one of them, anyway. “We turned it on in the first inning,” Stallings said, “and he...
Mark Madden’s Hot Take: ‘Cheaters never win’ doesn’t apply for MLB
You can cheat in baseball and get away with it. Not just stretch the rules or exploit gray areas. But blatantly cheat, win, and not get punished. The biggest example is the Houston Astros. They won a World Series in 2017 via sign-stealing. They got caught and confessed. Not one...
Legendary Pirates usher Phil Coyne, whose career spanned from Forbes Field to PNC Park, dies at age 102
Phil Coyne spent eight decades as an usher for Pittsburgh Pirates games, spanning from Forbes Field to Three Rivers Stadium to PNC Park, and only one tradition lasted longer. Known as “Philly” to family and friends, Coyne ate two Oreo cookies with a glass of milk before going to bed...
Mom, dad, Pirates fans have Gregory Polanco’s back in tough times, but he also prays ‘a lot’
Gregory Polanco smiles easily, and appears to enjoy engaging in conversations about hitting, his teammates and the good fortune he sees ahead for everyone. That’s the case even now, when the Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder’s batting average sits at .150 after seven games, with no home runs or RBIs. Yet,...
Pirates trade reliever Edgar Santana to Braves for cash considerations
The Pittsburgh Pirates traded Edgar Santana to the Atlanta Braves for cash considerations Friday, four days after designating the right-handed reliever for assignment. Santana, 29, was 3-4 with a 3.31 ERA and 1.198 WHIP in 88 relief appearances over two seasons. He underwent Tommy John surgery in September 2018 and...
Tim Benz: Kevin McClatchy, former players reflect on PNC Park on the 20th anniversary of its debut
It had been a long time since something went right for the Pittsburgh Pirates. In fact, pretty much everything since the end of the eighth inning in Atlanta on Oct. 14, 1992 had been downhill. They lost their last shot at making the World Series. Their MVP went to San...
Mars graduate David Bednar’s 1-pitch outing promises to be long on memories
After several minutes of postgame handshakes, hugs and enough posing for pictures to fill several photo albums, it was time. David Bednar had to walk away from the crowd gathered along the left-field foul line at PNC Park. It wasn’t easy for Bednar, a Mars graduate, to leave his parents,...
Cubs belt 3 homers to spoil Pirates’ home opener
The first game with fans back at PNC Park was emotional for Derek Shelton, who spent his first season as Pittsburgh Pirates manager playing in an empty ballpark on the way to the worst record in baseball. So Shelton’s heart got pumping when the crowd came to life in the...
Pirates fans return to PNC Park for home openerVideo
There are plenty of indications that spring has arrived in Pittsburgh, including the recent warm temperatures. But let’s face it, spring is really just a rumor until the Pirates return to PNC Park and the fans with them. It’s bad enough having to wait through one winter to get back...
Pirates manager Derek Shelton savoring return of fans for home opener at PNC Park
On the day Derek Shelton was introduced as Pittsburgh Pirates manager, a photo captured the moment he took his family through the dugout and onto the field at PNC Park for the first time. Shelton has the framed photo hanging in his office, and it’s the closest his family has...
20 years after PNC Park opener, Pittsburgh’s Sean Casey reflects on hitting 1st homer (and his quest for the ball)
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 2021 home opener is Thursday afternoon at PNC Park. They host the Chicago Cubs at 1:35 p.m. The first regular-season game ever played at PNC Park — an 8-2 Pirates loss to the Cincinnati Reds — was April 9, 2001. That means the 20th anniversary of the...
Chad Kuhl, Pirates bullpen battered as red-hot Reds complete 3-game sweep
From the first pitch, the Pittsburgh Pirates knew they were in for a long day. And it didn’t matter whether it was starter Chad Kuhl or reliever Chris Stratton on the mound. Tyler Naquin hit Kuhl’s first pitch over the left-field fence to lead off a five-run first inning, and...
