Pirates/MLB category, Page 278
Tim Benz: ‘Adapt or die’ mentality sets in for Pirates pitcher Trevor Williams
So what’s Trevor Williams going to do for an encore? Based on his first start of 2019, maybe 2018 wasn’t his “Stairway to Heaven” after all. There still may be another high to reach. Or, in Williams’ case, another low. Like the stunningly low 1.38 ERA he posted after the...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Too early to judge these Pirates
As disheartening as the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home-opening loss was, it is worth remembering it was only their third game of the season. So it might be just premature to suggest, based on their 6-5 loss to the St. Louis Cardinals in 11 innings Monday at PNC Park, the Pirates are...
Pirates’ Colin Moran accepts new role, willing to embrace versatilityVideo
For the most part, in his first everyday major league action last season, Colin Moran proved he belonged as an MLB regular. Moran wasn’t a star by any means during his first full season at the highest level, but his .277/.340/.407 slash line with 11 home runs in 144 Pittsburgh...
Baseball for $1: Buc Night is back for Pirates fans
Go see your Bucs for a buck and wash away that foul taste after the Pirates’ home opening day loss. Buc Night is back. The Pittsburgh Pirates announced the return of the Buc Night promotion for Wednesday’s game against the St. Louis Cardinals at 7:05 p.m. at PNC Park. Fans...
Tim Benz: Early signs show Pirates coming as advertised in 2019
Before the Pirates even got to their home opener, their first three days in Cincinnati gave us a pretty good snapshot of what to expect in 2019. Sometimes the starting pitcher is going to give you six shutout innings, and you are going to win. Sometimes the starter is going...
Pirates’ Josh Bell has plenty to prove to SI, himself
For several days, Josh Bell was so focused on the Cincinnati Reds and the first series of the season, he didn’t even know about the criticism leveled against him by an anonymous scout in Sports Illustrated. The words were more than critical, however. Some might call them hurtful. Pittsburgh Pirates...
Kevin Gorman: Chris Archer shines in Pirates’ blown home opener
By the time Nick Kingham and Francisco Cervelli got their signals crossed in the 11th inning, Chris Archer’s electrifying start in his first home opener with the Pittsburgh Pirates was but a distant memory. When Paul DeJong scored the go-ahead run on a passed ball for a 6-5 victory on...
New Pirates shortstop Gonzalez disappointed with performance in field
On almost any occasion Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Neal Huntington spoke about the acquisition of Erik Gonzalez during the offseason, he beamed about the “special” defense the young shortstop could provide. So when Gonzalez’s ninth-inning error led to a blown save that ultimately resulted in a deflating home-opener loss Monday,...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates start hot but blow home opener to Cardinals
Chris Archer was so fired up to start his first home opener as a Pirate that his teammates were offering odds on how many batters it would take before the right-hander let out his first yell. Beforehand, Trevor Williams said the over/under was 1.5. The under was a safe play,...
Pirates lose home opener on an 11th-inning passed ball
Nick Kingham is 27 years old and has played baseball at many levels for most of that time. But what happened in the 11th inning of the Pirates’ home opener Monday at PNC Park is something that rarely has occurred to him in any of his games. And after it...
7-year-old opera singer from Latrobe sings anthem at Pirates home openerVideo
The performer of “The Star Spangled Banner” for the 133rd Pittsburgh Pirates home opener didn’t retreat to a star’s dressing room after walking off the PNC Park grass. She didn’t make any big-timer demands, either. It might surprise you what Latrobe native Victory Brinker most wanted after singing the national...
Hope springs eternal on Pirates’ Opening Day
It’s important to have priorities. As big-league baseball returned to Pittsburgh on Monday with the Pirates opening their home schedule at PNC Park, die-hard fans chose going to the sun-drenched yet chilly opener over work, school and other lesser priorities. “I skipped school for this, but I don’t think I’ll...
Colin Moran, Pablo Reyes inserted into Pirates starting lineup for home openerVideo
Clint Hurdle juggled his lineup for the home opener and third game of the season Monday when the Pittsburgh Pirates meet the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. After right fielder Melky Cabrera had two hits against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, he will sit Monday in favor of rookie...
First call: Backup draft plan for Steelers; Goldschmidt brings hot start to Pittsburgh
In Monday’s “First Call,” a look at a backup plan for the Steelers if they don’t draft a “Devin.” A big bat for the Cardinals is coming into Pittsburgh hot. And the Blue Jackets may finally be putting it all together. Backup plan Apparently the Steelers have a backup in...
Cold temps, clear skies set stage for Pirates’ home opener
Clear skies and bright sunshine greeted fans arriving at PNC Park on Monday morning for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home season. Yet, the temperature was 28 degrees at 8:30 a.m., with reports of it climbing no higher than 36 by first pitch at 1:05 p.m. Who didn’t scrape ice off their...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss Penguins playoff push, Roethlisberger’s radio show, Pirates opener
In this week’s “Madden Monday,” Mark Madden of 105.9 the X joins me to talk about the Penguins playoff push. How have they survived without Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang? We get into Sidney Crosby’s exceptional performance of late, playing strong tactical hockey, and the perfect playoff hole to hit....
Steve Blass, Dick Groat, Tree of Life remembrance among plans for PNC Park 2019 opener
Like all home openers, the first game of 2019 at PNC Park is not without its pregame pomp and circumstance. The Pittsburgh Pirates begin their home schedule with a game Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals. But plenty will happen on the field in the 35 minutes leading to the...
Melky Cabrera looks good batting seventh for Pirates
No season-long determinations can be — or should be — made after the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first two games. But maybe keeping Starling Marte healthy and batting second in the lineup and Melky Cabrera seventh while he mans right field in Gregory Polanco’s absence is the way to go for now....
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates hoping for another Home Opener Hero
Whether it’s a leadoff or walk-off, a solo shot, two in two at-bats or a grand slam, there is something special about the home team hitting a home run at the home opener. The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to find their next Home Opener Hero when they host the St. Louis...
Pirates Trevor Williams throws 6 innings, logs 2 RBIs in shutout win
CINCINNATI — Trevor Williams looked like himself on the mound. He looked like somebody else at the plate. Williams pitched six effective innings and drove in two runs, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the sloppy Cincinnati Reds, 5-0, on Sunday. “He was just efficient,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “His...
5 things to watch at Pirates’ home opener
Although fans have had a peek at the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates, Monday is the first time many will get to see the team in person. The Pirates split two games in Cincinnati to start the season, and that showed a tiny sample of what most expect of the Pirates this...
Pirates rained out in Cincinnati; Joe Musgrove’s start pushed back
For the third consecutive year, the Pittsburgh Pirates have had a weather-related postponement during their season-opening series. Saturday’s scheduled afternoon game in Cincinnati was not played and will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader May 27. Last season, the opener in Detroit was snowed out. In 2017,...
Pirates’ Corey Dickerson announces autism fundraising initiative
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson and his wife are pledging funds to help those with autism, the team announced. Under an initiative Dickerson is launching called “Assists for Autism,” he will donate money for outfield assists across MLB. During April, which is Autism Awareness Month, the Dickersons will donate $100...
Here’s what Opening Day taught us about the Pirates
Unless you expected the Pittsburgh Pirates to post a 162-0 record this season and Jameson Taillon to throw a no-hitter on Opening Day, you should not judge the team harshly after its two-run loss to the Cincinnati Reds. After all, they were one extra-base hit by Corey Dickerson and a...
Pirates’ rally falls short against Reds on Opening Day
CINCINNATI — The noise from a crowd of 44,049 bounced all over Great American Ball Park in a tense ninth inning Thursday, but Corey Dickerson tried not to hear it. Pitch after pitch, foul ball after foul ball — 12 of one, seven of the other — the Pittsburgh Pirates’...
