Pirates/MLB category, Page 255
Pirates’ wild rally in 10th comes up short as post All-Star break slide continues
From the moment the baseball left Jacob Stallings’ bat in the bottom of the 10th inning at almost 92 mph, Kevin Newman’s mind raced while he carried the potential tying run Monday night: Score. Tie the game. Don’t let someone else decide the outcome. Pittsburgh Pirates third-base coach Joey Cora...
Pirates minor league report for July 22, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 50-49) was idle. The Indians have yet to announce a starting pitcher for Tuesday evening. Next: Tuesday at Syracuse (Mets), 6:35 p.m. ••• ALTOONA (Double-A, 52-45) defeated Erie (Tigers), 4-1. LHP Brandon Waddell (3-1, 2.67 ERA) earned the victory after throwing six scoreless innings with six strikeouts and...
Pirates’ Joe Musgrove puts his athleticism on display in many ways
Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Joe Musgrove was on his way to becoming a first-round draft choice in 2011. So it’s no surprise he wisely, but reluctantly, gave up football and basketball before his senior season at Grossmont (Calif.) High School. But he believes it’s best for young people to play as...
Pirates’ Clint Hurdle recalls time ‘Kissing Bandit’ ignored him
Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said he was pleased no one was injured Sunday when a 24-year-old man casually strolled onto the field and attempted to shake the hand of the Philadelphia Phillies’ Brad Miller. “It was weird,” Hurdle said. “I’ve never seen that before.” The unidentified man’s casual gait might...
Pirates’ problem may be that hitting slumps can be contagious
Don’t try to convince Josh Bell participating in the Home Run Derby has contributed to the hitting slump he carried into the Pittsburgh Pirates’ four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals on Monday night. He was struggling at the plate before he sold out for home runs July 8 at...
Pirates suspend relief pitcher Keone Kela for 2 games
The Pittsburgh Pirates suspended relief pitcher Keone Kela for two games because of an unspecified violation of his Uniform Player’s Contract. The suspension occurs simultaneously with his reinstatement from the 60-day injured list. He hasn’t pitched since May 4 while recovering from shoulder inflammation. The team announced it will have...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden preview Steelers training camp, discuss Pirates’ stumble
In this week’s “Madden Monday,” Mark Madden of 105.9 the X joins me to preview the 2019 Steelers training camp. Are we relying too much on “addition by subtraction” for hope this year? We also kick around a few position concerns such as cornerback, safety and kicker. Then we get...
Former Pirates infielder Dale Berra reflects on ‘unique’ childhood
Dale Berra was a first-round draft choice in 1975, reached the big leagues at age 20 and won a World Series ring with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 1979. But all of those events — spawned through his athletic gifts and hard work — can’t compare to the one of which...
First Call: Questions about fan on field at PNC Park during Pirates-Phillies game
In “First Call” Monday, I have so many questions about that fan who got on the field at PNC Park. Also tarp terrors and a Big Ten coach should just keep preachin’ on. I’m so confused A fan casually walked up to home plate in the middle of the Pirates-Phillies...
Pirates’ Clint Hurdle, Neal Huntington recognize human side of trade deadline
Francisco Liriano has been traded four times, three times in the lead-up to the trade deadline –including once by the Pittsburgh Pirates. Melky Cabrera has been dealt three times as a major-leaguer himself; he’s changed teams seven times. The two men combine for more than 70 years of life and...
Pirates farm report for Sunday, July 21, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 50-49) defeated Durham (Rays), 3-1. CF Jason Martin (.261) had two hits and an RBI. Pinch-hitter Will Craig (.247) hit his 19th homer, a solo shot. Dovydas Neverauskas (2-1) got the victory with two scoreless innings of relief. He struck out four. Starter Mitch Keller (7-4, 3.10) gave...
John Steigerwald: ’79 Pirates reminder of difficulty current small-market teams have
What will happen first: An American walking on Mars or the Pirates going to another World Series? Right now, I’d put my money on a Mars walk. The Pirates celebrated the 40th anniversary of their most recent World Series win Saturday night — the same night America was celebrating the...
Trevor Williams to start Monday for Pirates after missing start because of flu symptoms
Trevor Williams felt better Sunday, and he’ll return to the Pittsburgh Pirates rotation Monday. Williams will start the opener of a four-game series against the St. Louis Cardinals after he was scratched from his scheduled return in the rotation Saturday because of what the team called “severe flu-like symptoms.” Williams...
Pirates lose game, series to Phillies on 11th-inning homer
The Pittsburgh Pirates had opportunities to win Sunday’s game in the ninth and 10th innings. The Philadelphia Phillies just needed one swing to do it in the 11th. Rhys Hoskins turned on a Chris Stratton curveball for a line-drive homer down the left-field line to lead off the 11th inning...
Police: Fan who walked on PNC Park field says friend dared him toVideo
Home plate umpire Ben May slowly made sure he stayed out of the individual’s path. Philadelphia Phillies batter Brad Miller stood his ground until the casually walking fan got close enough to the batter’s box and extended his arm for a handshake Miller took a few hastened steps away in...
Neal Huntington says Pirates ‘still working through’ whether to be deadline buyers or sellers
Neal Huntington might have been playing coy, or the Pittsburgh Pirates longtime general manager might have been skillfully dodging the question. But when Huntington was asked whether the Pirates would be “buyers” or “sellers” at the trade deadline late next week, he had a philosophical and pragmatic answer. “The interesting...
Neal Huntington: ‘We fully anticipate Felipe will be closing the next (Pirates) playoff games’
The MLB trade deadline 10 days away, Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington on Sunday was asked about the prospects of trading his most-marketable player. In meeting with reporters at PNC Park minutes before first pitch of the game against the Philadelphia Phillies, Huntington explained that it was part of...
Kevin Gorman: Once baseball’s best, Dave Parker belongs in Hall of Fame
When the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated their 1979 World Series champions on Saturday at PNC Park, there was only one other place in the world Dave Parker would have rather been. That’s Cooperstown, N.Y. Parker was regarded as the best player in baseball from the mid-1970s until the early ‘80s, a...
Joe Musgrove dominates with arm, bat, legs as Pirates top Phillies
Joe Musgrove had plenty to be happy about Saturday night when he pitched the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 victory against the Philadelphia Phillies at PNC Park. His head-first slide carried the first run across the plate after his double ignited a three-run rally in the third inning in front...
Kent Tekulve’s message to Pirates closer Felipe Vazquez came from Hall of Famer
Two years ago in spring training, Kent Tekulve approached Felipe Vazquez. Tekulve, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ second all-time saves leader (he recorded 158 to Roy Face’s 191), wanted to impart some of his wisdom on the team’s current bullpen ace. “We had a 10-minute chat,” Vazquez said Saturday night when the...
Fam-a-lee forever for Pirates as they celebrate 1979 World Series championsVideo
Dressed in black jerseys with gold trim and gold pillbox baseball caps with black stripes, the 1979 “We Are Family” Pirates stood triumphantly one more time to cheers in Pittsburgh. The Pirates celebrated the 40th anniversary of their World Series championship by honoring the players in what manager Clint Hurdle...
Pirates notebook: Rookie Dario Agrazal provides big boosts to rotation
Nearly 100 games into the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation remains a work in progress. Jameson Taillon and Steven Brault remain on the injured list. Trevor Williams, who spent a month rehabbing a side strain, was scratched as the starting pitcher Saturday night while battling a severe case of...
Bullpen, offense waste strong Jordan Lyles start in Pirates loss to PhilliesVideo
Jordan Lyles described his most recent start as a “hard-to-get-out-of-bed type outing.” Lyles pitched well enough for a satisfying night’s sleep Friday. But the Pittsburgh Pirates’ playoff hopes are quickly getting put to bed. Lyles snapped out of two-month-long funk, but neither the offense nor bullpen provided any support in...
Pirates will skip Trevor Williams (flu) in rotation, Joe Musgrove moved up to start Saturday
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that Trevor Williams has been bumped from his scheduled Saturday start because of “severe flu-like symptoms,” and that Joe Musgrove’s turn in the rotation will be moved up a day to pitch in Williams’ place against the Philadelphia Philies. Williams was tagged for season highs allowed...
Francisco Cervelli works out at PNC Park, Pirates getting him work at many positions
It wasn’t just the heat wave that had Francisco Cervelli drenched in sweat in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse Friday afternoon. Members of the training staff put Cervelli through a strenuous workout in the left-field corner of PNC Park about four hours prior to Friday’s game. Cervelli was doing somersaults and...
