Pirates/MLB category, Page 257
Pirates’ Francisco Cervelli says he hopes ‘to catch again’
Francisco Cervelli, who hasn’t played since May 25 after suffering a sixth concussion, posted on Instagram on Friday that his catching career is not over. “Saying that I quit from my catcher responsibilities is inaccurate,” he wrote. “My hope is to catch again.” View this post on Instagram “Saying that...
Column: Cubs win battle, but Pirates can’t be overlooked in wild NL Central race
CHICAGO — When the Pirates acquired Chris Archer last July for some of their top prospects, it was viewed as a statement that management was ready to go for it again after having traded stars Andrew McCutchen and Gerrit Cole the previous winter. “The ownership and front office stepped up...
Pirates drop opener against Cubs on Jason Heyward’s 2-out, 8th-inning hitVideo
CHICAGO — Jason Heyward and Kris Bryant rescued the Chicago Cubs with a clutch swing and some nifty baserunning. Heyward hit a tiebreaking RBI single with two out in the eighth inning, and the Cubs edged the Pittsburgh Pirates, 4-3, on Friday in their first game after the All-Star break....
Pirates farm report for July 11, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 44-44) defeated Columbus (Indians), 5-4. RHP Mitch Keller (7-3, 3.07) threw six scoreless innings with eight strikeouts, three walks and two hits en route to the win. PH/LF J.B. Shuck (.288) had two RBIs. SS Cole Tucker (.292) was 0 for 3 with a run and an RBI....
Tim Benz: Cubs’ Joe Maddon hints at tense series vs. Pirates. Do they deserve it?
There’s a growing opinion about the Pirates across the National League. They throw up-and-in too much. This isn’t really a new thing. That reputation has been attached to the Pirates for a while. Going back years. There was the beanball war with Arizona in 2018. And there was one between...
What are Pirates’ 2nd-half needs as postseason push continues?
You can do the math, but you may not like how it adds up. The Pittsburgh Pirates will be contenders for a National League postseason berth when they resume their quest Friday at Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs. But claiming one of the five playoff spots won’t be easy....
First Call: Pirates’ price for Felipe Vazquez becoming clear; robot umpires debut
In “First Call” Wednesday, we catch wind of what the Pirates’ asking price is for Felipe Vazquez. It’s “Tacko Time” in Boston. And robot umpires make their debut. Fishing for Felipe We’ve talked about what it would take for the Pirates to get Madison Bumgarner if they stay in the...
Tim Benz: What Pirates could offer to get Madison Bumgarner
Picture it. Madison Bumgarner pitching at PNC Park in October again. I mean, for the hometown team this time. You might remember him from the wild-card game five years ago as a member of the eventual World Series champion San Francisco Giants. Right. That guy. Well, the 2014 World Series...
Podcast: MLB’s weak explanation on baseballs; Pitt’s Kenny Pickett bulks up
A lot happened during Major League Baseball’s All-Star week in Cleveland. Much of it had nothing to do with the game. Our Jerry DiPaola was on hand to cover all the angles. He’s back in Pittsburgh after the American League’s 4-3 win. We discuss commissioner Rob Manfred’s double talk...
Pirates farm report for July 10, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 44-44) is on all-star break. Right-handed pitchers Mitch Keller (6-3, 3.32), Montana DuRapau (1-1, 1.93) and Dovydas Neverauskas (1-1, 2.31) as well as late-addition right fielder Trayvon Robinson (.322) were selected for the International League all-star game Wednesday night. Next: Thursday at Columbus (Indians), 7:05 p.m. ALTOONA...
Pirates players insist their July output is sustainable
During the All-Star break, we discussed how Pirates management may view the recent surge by their players now that they are within 2 1/2 games of first place in the National League Central. They sound optimistic. But I bet the jury is still out. It should be. Because for as...
Tim Benz: Cubs manager Joe Maddon thinks he’s figured out Pirates, NL Central
When the All-Star break ends, the second half of the season will resume the same way the first half ended for the National League Central. Division rivals will be jockeying for position as all five teams reboot the schedule within 4 ½ games of each other in the standings. The...
Pirates’ Josh Bell collects 1 of NL’s 5 hits in All-Star Game loss
CLEVELAND – Josh Bell has a plan for the next time he faces the Yankees’ Masahiro Tanaka. He’s just not speaking about it publicly. If there is a next time, it could be in a World Series. Until then, Tanaka must live with the fact that Bell got the best...
Pirates farm report for July 9, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 44-44) is on all-star break. Right-handed pitchers Mitch Keller (6-3, 3.32), Montana DuRapau (1-1, 1.93) and Dovydas Neverauskas (1-1, 2.31) and right fielder Trayvon Robinson (.322) were selected for the International League All-Star game Wednesday night. Next: Thursday at Columbus (Indians), 7:05 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 47-38) is on...
Pirates ready to take aim on 1st place in NL Central
CLEVELAND — While street sweepers clear away debris from the past two days of celebrating baseball and its stars, All-Star closer Felipe Vazquez will pack up the car Wednesday morning and return to Pittsburgh with his family. But he won’t be there long. It’s off to Chicago’s Wrigley Field on...
Union looks for changes in baseball’s economics after expiration of CBA in 2021
CLEVELAND — MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred said Tuesday there has been one preliminary meeting with the union to discuss the collective bargaining agreement that expires in 2021. Tony Clark, executive director of the Major League Baseball Players Association, is concerned that the game’s economics are changing, evidenced by the delayed...
Despite record HR pace, MLB’s Rob Manfred insists balls aren’t juiced
CLEVELAND — On one side, you have American League All-Star starting pitcher Justin Verlander, who believes the baseballs are juiced this season. He has allowed a major league-high 26 home runs in only 19 starts, with perhaps 15 more outings to go. “It’s a joke,” he said Monday at All-Star...
Tim Benz: Who are the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates?
At the Major League Baseball All-Star break, the 2019 standings do a nice job telling the story of the National League Central. I’m not sure that they do as good of a job telling the story of the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates. Come to think of it, I don’t know how...
Pirates’ Josh Bell bows out in first round of Home Run Derby
CLEVELAND — Josh Bell knows a baseball game when he sees one. What unraveled Monday night at Progressive Field during the MLB’s Home Run Derby had bats and balls, TV cameras everywhere you turned and an announced crowd of 36,119. But Bell knows this: “It wasn’t really baseball in my...
Pirates farm report for July 8, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 44-44) is on all-star break until July 10. Right-handed pitchers Mitch Keller (6-3, 3.32), Montana DuRapau (1-1, 1.93) and Dovydas Neverauskas (1-1, 2.31) as well as late addition right fielder Trayvon Robinson (.322) were selected for the International League All-Star game Wednesday night. Next: Thursday at Columbus (Indians),...
Pirates’ Josh Bell bows out of Home Run Derby early; Mets’ Pete Alonso wins
CLEVELAND — Josh Bell drove a baseball 459 feet, but the Pittsburgh Pirates’ All-Star lost in the first round of the Home Run Derby, 25-18, to the Atlanta Braves’ Ronald Acuna Jr., on Monday night at Progressive Field. With best friend Jon Schwind — a hitting coach for the Triple-A...
All-Stars Austin Meadows, Charlie Morton, Gerrit Cole find there’s life after Pirates
CLEVELAND — Austin Meadows made the trip to the All-Star Game on a private jet with his wife, Tampa Bay Rays teammates Brandon Lowe and Charlie Morton, and Morton’s wife and four kids. It was hard to believe fewer than 14 months ago, Meadows was hitting .448 through his first...
Pirates’ Josh Bell refuses to say ‘I told you so’ to critics
CLEVELAND — The world was listening. Media from all over the globe, men and women carrying all sorts of video equipment, cellphones and cameras, gathered around Josh Bell’s table Monday at Huntington Convention Center. He talked about everything from the Pittsburgh Pirates’ pennant hopes in the second half of the...
Pirates’ Adam Frazier named National League Player of the Week
Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman Adam Frazier will go into the All-Star break with a National League Player of the Week award under his belt. Congrats to @A_Fraz12 on being named the NL Player of the Week!#LetsGoBucs pic.twitter.com/chjJLGtDFe— Pirates (@Pirates) July 8, 2019 In a week when the Pirates won series...
Pirates’ Josh Bell to start as DH in All-Star Game
CLEVELAND — Pittsburgh Pirates slugger Josh Bell will start in the All-Star Game, after all. National League manager Dave Roberts of the Los Angeles Dodgers said Monday that Bell will be the starting designated hitter in the All-Star Game on Tuesday night at Progressive Field. “I like that presence in...
