Pirates/MLB category, Page 269
Derek Dietrich homers 3 times as Reds beat pitching-strapped PiratesVideo
CINCINNATI — Derek Dietrich was describing his three-homer game for the media when Scooter Gennett walked past and put it in a slightly different perspective. “Anybody can hit three, Derek,” said Gennett, who did him one better in 2017. No, Dietrich’s latest big game didn’t set any records. But it...
Keller’s first MLB stay is brief as Pirates return top prospect to Triple-A
Mitch Keller’s development will continue in Indianapolis. A day after he allowed six runs in the first inning of his first major-league start, Keller was optioned to the Triple-A Indians on Tuesday. General manager Neal Huntington had been reluctant to use Keller, 23, before management considered him ready, and only...
Mitch Keller has company among Pirates who lost their debutsVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates management faced a dilemma after watching Mitch Keller’s major-league debut Monday in Cincinnati. What stretch of pitches by the 23-year-old Keller mattered most? The 41 he threw in the first inning when the Reds scored six runs? Or, the 44 he threw over his next — and final...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden debate Kessel trade idea, Pirates, Porter ripping Roethlisberger
Mark Madden joins me for “Madden Madden” a day late after the Memorial Day holiday. We debate that failed trade of Phil Kessel to the Wild. Mark and I have differing views on that front. I’m not opposed to a deal involving Kessel. But I’m down on the structure of...
Kevin Gorman: Credit Pirates GM for calling for concussion-related rule changes
Neal Huntington deserves credit for stepping out of his comfort zone as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager to challenge Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol. When Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli took a broken bat off his mask in the fourth inning Saturday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers (but didn’t remove himself...
First Call: Feel-good Jordan Staal story; Derek Dietrich punks Pirates again
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Jordan Staal’s kind gesture is heartwarming. More replay may be coming to the NHL. And Derek Dietrich continues to provoke. Jordan’s jet Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell shared some thoughts about the team chemistry that helped push his team from the seventh seed to the...
Tim Benz: Pirates leaning on surprisingly reliable Jordan Lyles
Clint Hurdle took a look at his extended pitching chart while meeting with the media before Saturday’s game against the Dodgers. It was a color-coded mashup with individual schedules, notes and cross-outs. He shrugged and gave a resigned, bemused grin. “At the back end of it, we’ve got (Jordan) Lyles...
Pirates minor league report: May 27, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 28-19) won 8-3 at Columbus (Indians). Jung-Ho Kang went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Corey Dickerson went 1 for 5 with a run scored and three strikeouts. Next: Tuesday vs. Charlotte (White Sox), 7:05 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 23-26) lost 7-3 at Portland...
Mitch Keller rocked as Pirates drop 2nd game of doubleheader to RedsVideo
CINCINNATI — Jose Iglesias has been drawing rave reviews all season for his nifty glove work. He contributed nicely at the plate Monday, too. The slick-fielding Iglesias hit his first career grand slam off Mitch Keller in the right-hander’s major league debut, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates...
Bryan Reynolds powers Pirates past Reds in Game 1 of doubleheaderVideo
CINCINNATI — After producing five outs in his first four at-bats, Bryan Reynolds was looking for a way to salvage his day. He found one. The rookie outfielder hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in Pittsburgh’s four-run eighth inning, and the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds, 8-5, on Monday in the...
Pirates’ Ken Brett authors a near-perfect Memorial Day worth rememberingVideo
Back in the old days, when finances didn’t matter, MLB teams played doubleheaders on Sundays and holidays. That’s why it was such a surprise Monday when Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play man Joe Block mentioned that the Memorial Day doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds was the first between the two old National...
Pirates acquire right-hander Yefry Ramirez from Orioles
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed their pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Yefry Ramirez from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday in a trade for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Ramirez, whose first name is pronounced “Jeffrey,” will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room on the 40-man...
Pirates add relievers to roster, move Corey Dickerson to 60-day IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a pair of right-handed relievers to their roster for Monday’s doubleheader at the Cincinnati Reds. Richard Rodriguez was added as the 26th man, while Alex McRae’s contract also was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room for McRae on the 40-man roster, the Pirates moved outfielder...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates need Mitch Keller to stabilize starting rotationVideo
I asked Neal Huntington whether he subscribed to the idea that an elite pitching prospect like Mitch Keller, ready or not, would rise to a higher level because it was required of him. The Pittsburgh Pirates general manager had a three-word answer: “Not at all.” Keller will make his major-league...
Pirates pitcher Rookie Davis relishing return to Cincinnati to face RedsVideo
When Rookie Davis underwent hip surgery in October 2017, he knew it would be a long road to recovery and that there was no guarantee he would pitch in the major leagues again. When the Pirates signed Davis to a minor-league contract during spring training and assigned him to Triple-A...
John Steigerwald: Enjoy Josh Bell before he leaves the Pirates
Enjoy the Josh Bell ride while it lasts. Going into Sunday’s game against the Dodgers, Bell had the second highest batting average in Major League Baseball at .339, he was second in RBIs with 47 and tied for fifth in home runs with 16. Bell is on pace to hit...
Pirates collapse under weight of Dodgers bats, suffer 3rd straight lossVideo
Chris Archer threw one pitch that bounced wildly to the backstop, then another the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager deposited over the fence. Archer went to three balls on 10 batters while throwing 105 pitches in only five innings. Overall, 42 percent of them missed the strike zone. That was...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates can’t afford for Mitch Keller to be a bustVideo
The Pittsburgh Pirates want you to believe there was a developmental delay that prevented them from promoting top prospect Mitch Keller to the major leagues until Memorial Day. The Pirates want you to believe that they were waiting for the 23-year-old right-hander to refine a cutter-slider at Triple-A Indianapolis to...
Pirates’ Huntington proposes rule change to help in concussion assessment
Neal Huntington hates to see any of his players injured, but catcher Francisco Cervelli is turning into a special case. “Every single time he takes a ball off the mask, you hold your breath,” the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager said Sunday. Added manager Clint Hurdle: “Unfortunately, in Francisco’s case, it’s...
Oliver Wendell Holmes, father of Clay, pleased to join Pirates’ dad’s trip
Oliver Wendell Holmes was thrilled when his son Clay, a relief pitcher for the Pittsburgh Pirates, called last week to invite him to join the team in Cincinnati for the annual dad’s trip. Yet, he chastised Clay slightly. “I told him, ‘Why didn’t you give me more notice?’ ” he...
Pirates top prospect Mitch Keller will make major-league debut Monday
Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Mitch Keller will make his major-league debut Monday when the right-handed pitcher starts the second game of a doubleheader at the Cincinnati Reds, general manager Neal Huntington announced on his weekly radio show. “We wanted to give him a handful of outings to establish this pitch,...
Pirates place Francisco Cervelli on injured list, recall Jose Osuna, Jacob Stallings
The Pittsburgh Pirates placed catcher Francisco Cervelli on the seven-day concussion injured list Sunday. The 33-year-old Cervelli, who has a history of concussions, was struck in the mask on Joc Pederson’s backswing in the Pirates’ 10-2 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers Saturday night at PNC Park. Cervelli later left...
Jung Ho Kang scheduled for rehab assignment Monday in Indianapolis
Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Jung Ho Kang said his side strain is “completely fine,” and he is scheduled to begin a rehab assignment Monday with the team’s Triple-A Indianapolis farm club. Kang has been on the injured list since May 12 and was eligible to return to the Pirates’ roster...
Pirates get to Hyun-Jin Ryu, but Dodgers pound Joe Musgrove in 7-2 L.A. win
The Pittsburgh Pirates hit Hyun-Jin Ryu better, harder and more often than anyone had hit the veteran left-hander this season. Unfortunately for them, the Los Angeles Dodgers hit Joe Musgrove more. The Dodgers pounded seven extra-base hits and 10 hits overall over five innings against Musgrove, and they extended their...
Pirates top prospect Mitch Keller reportedly will make MLB debut Monday
Top Pittsburgh Pirates prospect Mitch Keller will make his major league debut Monday, according to a report from MLB.com. Keller will start one of the Pirates’ two games that day in Cincinnati against the Reds. The Pirates have yet to announce who will start either game. Top #pirates prospect @mkeller11...
