Pirates/MLB category, Page 279
Pirates director of sports medicine encouraged by Polanco’s rehab
CINCINNATI – There remains no definitive timetable for Gregory Polanco’s return from shoulder surgery, but Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk is encouraged. “He is responding well,” Tomczyk said, noting Polanco has played in three Triple-A games in Bradenton, Fla. “His biggest comment was his entire body was...
Starling Marte pulled from Pirates’ starting lineup with migraine headache
CINCINNATI — More bad health-related news arrived in the clubhouse of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday when center fielder Starling Marte was removed from the starting lineup with a migraine headache, the team announced on its Twitter account. Marte was replaced in the outfield by J.B. Shuck while Melky Cabrera...
Pirates’ Clint Hurdle appreciates ‘vibe, energy’ of Opening Day
CINCINNATI — Clint Hurdle woke up Thursday morning and made a decision he didn’t regret. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager walked from his hotel to Great American Ball Park, where his team was preparing to open the season against the Cincinnati Reds. “I walked over just to get a piece of...
Lonnie Chisenhall joins 6 other Pirates on injured list with broken finger
CINCINNATI — The Pittsburgh Pirates’ first moves of the season Thursday were not what the front office had in mind for Opening Day. The Pirates placed seven players, including starting right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall and starting pitcher Jordan Lyles, on the injured list prior to their game against the Cincinnati...
New-look Reds await Pirates in season opener
CINCINNATI — The MLB commissioner is grand marshal of the pregame parade. All major league teams are wearing patches commemorating Cincinnati’s first all-professional team. A new manager and an overhauled lineup provide intrigue. The Reds haven’t been in the Opening Day spotlight this way for years. The last time Cincinnati...
Kevin Gorman: If Pirates want a new narrative, playoffs are only answer
Neal Huntington knows as expectations have changed for the Pittsburgh Pirates, from ending a two-decade losing streak to wanting to win a World Series, so have the never-ending narratives. The Pirates general manager buys into neither the notion that the baseball club would be satisfied with finishing above .500 nor...
3 things Pirates pitchers will need to happen in 2019
Oddsmakers and media analysts aren’t overly bullish on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ chances to make the playoffs. But if the Pirates qualify for the postseason for a fourth time since 2013, it will be a sneaky-good pitching staff that carries them there. MLB.com recently named the top 10 starting rotations and...
No snow this year, but another chilly home opener predicted for Pirates
If you are planning to attend the Pirates’ home opener Monday against St. Louis you’ll want to bring a jacket. And maybe a sweater. The forecast from the National Weather Service in Moon calls for temperatures that are colder than the average for April 1, with a high of 47...
3 things to watch from Pirates hitters this season
The Pittsburgh Pirates had a winning record last season, but it was obvious what held them back from greater heights: an offense ranked 20th in the majors in runs, 25th in home runs and 17th in OPS. This was illustrated by the combined .430 winning percentage of the five teams...
Melky Cabrera starts, homers to lead Pirates past Astros in final exhibition
Injuries have plagued the Pittsburgh Pirates in right field, where Gregory Polanco will miss the start of the season while recovering from shoulder surgery and Lonnie Chisenhall was out after being hit by a pitch Monday. That left the Pirates to start 15-year veteran Melky Cabrera in their final exhibition...
Free Smiley Cookie for fans wearing Pirates gear for home opener
Regardless of the outcome of Monday’s Pirates home opener, fans can get a sweet treat at Eat’n Park restaurants. Any fan who wears Buccos gear to a restaurant that day will get a free Smiley Cookie, the restaurant chain said. The promotion lasts all day at any of Eat’n Park’s...
Astros hit four home runs to rally past Pirates in exhibition game
The Pittsburgh Pirates blew a pair of leads as they surrendered four home runs, including a pair of three-run shots, in a 12-9 exhibition loss to the Houston Astros on Monday night at Minute Maid Park. The Pirates got off to a hot start against Houston’s Forrest Whitley in the...
Jose Osuna doesn’t make trip to Houston with Pirates because of ‘lower neck discomfort’
Jose Osuna did not make the trip to Houston with the Pittsburgh Pirates because of “lower neck discomfort,” the club said in a statement, and will return to Pittsburgh this week for further examination. Osuna, a first baseman-outfielder, slashed .154/.244/.231 with three doubles, no home runs and two RBIs, striking...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss Penguins, start of Pirates season, Tom Izzo ‘controversy’
There is a lot to get into for “Madden Monday” this week with Mark Madden of 105.9 the X. We start with the Penguins and the impact of recently acquired forward Denis Sav … uh, I mean … Jared McCann. How about that spin-o-rama goal he scored Saturday night in...
John Steigerwald: Remember the 1979 Pirates? You must be old
So, how old would you have to be to remember the last time the Pirates were in the World Series? I remember it well. I was 30 years old and had been working at WTAE for four months when they opened the 1979 season at Three Rivers Stadium on April...
Jung Ho Kang homers again as Pirates tie Orioles
Jung Ho Kang finished his final Grapefruit League game at LECOM Park the same way he started the spring: with a home run. The third baseman hit his seventh homer of spring training in the first inning off Andrew Cashner, as the Pittsburgh Pirates tied the Baltimore Orioles, 1-1, on...
Five ways the Pirates pitching staff can save day
When Chris Archer pitched against the Pittsburgh Pirates in June 2017, he saw in Jameson Taillon a young starter who had good stuff but didn’t yet possess the separator pitch that would make him a major league star. When Archer joined the Pirates after being acquired from Tampa Bay in...
National League preview: $300-million men could make big difference
The marquee storyline(s) of the NL East and West divisions differ now than from when spring training began. A pair of $300 million-plus contracts sure can change things. The Philadelphia Phillies and San Diego Padres might or might not be great teams this season, but many eyes will be on...
NL Central preview: Every team (even the Pirates) in contention for playoffs
It might seem as if the Chicago Cubs have been dominating the NL Central in recent years, but is it really a dynasty when they’ve won the division just twice? The Cubs have averaged 97 wins per season over the past four years but twice had to settle for wild...
Lyles pitches Pirates past Phillies, possibly locking up final spot in rotation
Jordan Lyles possibly locked up the fifth spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ starting rotation in his final start of spring training. Lyles allowed seven hits with five strikeouts and no walks as the Pirates beat the Philadelphia Phillies, 5-3, on Saturday in a split-squad Grapefruit League game at LECOM Park...
Pirates to put Melky Cabrera, Francisco Liriano on Opening Day roster
The Pittsburgh Pirates have committed to outfielder Melky Cabrera and left-handed pitcher Francisco Liriano making their Opening Day roster. Saturday was the deadline for the Pirates to make that decision, per the retention bonus protocol. The 34-year-old Cabrera, a career .280 hitter, is expected to serve as their fourth outfielder....
Jung Ho Kang collects 2 hits, but Pirates still fall to Rays
Jung Ho Kang went 2 for 3 with a double while starting at shortstop for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Kang also registered a pair of put-outs along with a fielder’s choice, but what he didn’t do was hit a home run on a day the Pirates could have used one. The...
Jung Ho Kang’s walk-off grand slam leads Pirates past Orioles
The big news of the day for Jung Ho Kang was that he got a double — his first hit that wasn’t a home run. Then Kang hit a walk-off grand slam to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-5 victory over the Baltimore Orioles in a Grapefruit League game...
Ninth-inning rally propels Pirates past Twins
The Pittsburgh Pirates got a comeback victory thanks to a pair of minor-league call-ups and a backup. Zack Kone started a two-out rally in the top of the ninth, the Pirates tied the score on Logan Hill’s RBI single and Colin Moran’s single to center clinched a 6-5 victory over...
Pirates pitchers, Starling Marte lead way in win over Tigers
The Pittsburgh Pirates had to pitch their way out of jams to start and finish their game against the Detroit Tigers. Starling Marte hit into a run-scoring double play and scored a run to lead the Pirates to a 3-1 victory over the Detroit Tigers in a Grapefruit League game...
