Pirates/MLB category, Page 60
Pirates’ Paul Skenes named starting pitcher for NL All-StarsVideo
Adding to his ever-growing list of accomplishments, Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes is set to become the first rookie pitcher to start the All-Star Game in nearly three decades. On Friday, Arizona Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo announced Skenes, recently chosen as a National League All-Star reserve, would take the hill,...
Mark Madden: With 2nd near no-hitter, Paul Skenes has burst onto scene like few others
Paul Skenes has been pulled twice while pitching a no-hitter: Once after six innings May 17 at Chicago, then Thursday after seven innings at Milwaukee. That speaks as loudly to baseball losing its romance as it does to Skenes’ dominance. A no-hitter used to be a pitcher’s pinnacle. That’s been...
NL manager Torey Lovullo gives candid response about Paul Skenes’ chances of starting the All-Star Game
When it comes to all the buzz surrounding the prospect of Pittsburgh Pirates rookie sensation Paul Skenes starting the All-Star game, National League manager Torey Lovullo isn’t playing dumb. He’s heard it all. And the Arizona Diamondbacks bench boss may not be feeling the pressure just about starting Skenes. It...
Tim Benz: If pulling Paul Skenes was as easy as Derek Shelton says, it’s even easier to critique his decision
After the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 1-0 win in Milwaukee on Thursday, manager Derek Shelton said it wasn’t a hard decision to pull rookie pitcher Paul Skenes with a no-hitter going after 11 strikeouts over seven innings. That better not be true. That decision should’ve at least given Shelton significant pause. Forget...
‘It’s critical, period’: Pirates stress importance of hitting on draft picks following the 1st round
With Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander Paul Skenes becoming the first player in major-league history to go from No. 1 overall pick to the All-Star Game in the span of a year, it’s no wonder the focus of the MLB Draft is always on finding another generational talent. The Pittsburgh Pirates...
Pirates farm report for July 11, 2024: Po-Yu Chen fans 7 in 7 innings for Altoona
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 38-47) had a doubleheader with Columbus (Guardians) rained out. One game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Friday. The other is TBA. Next: Friday vs. Columbus (Guardians), doubleheader, 5:35 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 37-47) took care of Bowie (Orioles), 3-1, giving up a total of four...
Paul Skenes’ no-hit, 11-strikeout outing powers Pirates past Brewers for series win
When it comes to velocity, command and ability to sequence his pitches effectively, Paul Skenes continues to prove he has few equals across baseball. The Pittsburgh Pirates rookie and newly named first-time All-Star put all of those elite abilities on display Thursday afternoon against the Milwaukee Brewers, helping his club...
Pirates pull Paul Skenes after 7 no-hit innings against Brewers
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie starter Paul Skenes dazzled once again on the mound, this time on the road vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, no-hitting the opposition over seven innings Thursday. Skenes tied both his career-high in strikeouts (11) and innings pitched, throwing 99 pitches and lowering his ERA to 1.90 on the...
Frankie’s Fairy Tale: 80 years later, the story of Pittsburgh’s forgotten All-Star game and the Pirates’ anonymous All-Star player
On Tuesday, July 16 the 94th Major League Baseball All-Star Game will be played at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas. On July 11, 1944, the 12th MLB All-Star Game was played at Pittsburgh’s Forbes Field — a little more than a month after the Allied Forces invaded Europe on...
U mad, bro?: Pittsburgh fans fire barbs at Steelers’ mediocrity, Penguins’ stagnation, Pirates’ frugality
Next week, we are on vacation here at “Breakfast With Benz.” Not just a long holiday weekend, or a couple of half days in a row to run errands, spruce up the backyard and drink beer on the porch. No, my friends. I’m talking about full-on, all-out, actually leaving the...
Pirates’ previously booming bats go silent in 9-0 loss to Brewers
More evidence surfaced Wednesday night that baseball is a strange, unpredictable game. Day to day, there’s no telling what might happen. One night after scoring double-digit runs (12) for the second time in the previous five games and slugging five home runs among their 11 hits, the Pirates managed only...
Pirates farm report for July 10, 2024: Henry Davis goes 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 38-47) was held to five hits in a 3-1 loss to Columbus (Guardians). C Henry Davis (.302) went 0 for 4 with four strikeouts. DH Seth Beer (.250) went 1 for 4 with a double and a run scored. SS Liover Peguero (.269) went 1 for 4 with...
No joke, Jim Leyland became Pirates manager after surprisingly legit phone call that started his journey to the Hall of Fame
Jim Leyland was convinced the phone call that led to his first major-league managerial job — his initial step on the road to Cooperstown — was a joke. Not that he doubted his ability to manage in the majors. After all, he had been a minor-league manager for 11 seasons,...
Mark Madden: Don’t be duped. The Pirates will never spend what it takes
Pittsburgh Pirates owner Bob Nutting said GM Ben Cherington would have the flexibility to add players (and payroll) before the July 30 MLB trade deadline if the situation dictated. The situation dictates, however marginally: The Pirates are three games out of the National League’s third and final wild card. The...
Tim Benz: This clear-cut skill has made Paul Skenes an All-Star in just 10 starts
Pittsburgh Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes deserves to be an All-Star based on merit since his promotion to the Major Leagues in May. From an entertainment perspective, he should be the starter in the game as well. There is one skill in particular that has made Skenes All-Star worthy: his...
How Pirates All-Star rookie RHP Paul Skenes developed his splinker into a ‘devastating’ pitch
Only after he was drafted by the Pittsburgh Pirates last July did Paul Skenes start toying with a new pitch, one that has been called everything from dirty and disgusting to filthy and nasty to just plain “gross.” Now that the 22-year-old rookie pitcher has become the first player selected...
Projected as 1st-round MLB pick, Mars’, WVU’s JJ Wetherholt learned lessons on, off the field
Here’s the greatest lesson West Virginia’s JJ Wetherholt learned — or, more accurately, taught himself — on his way to becoming a projected top-10 choice in the MLB Draft: There’s more to hitting a baseball than taking swings in the batting cage until your hands ache. Yes, that fundamental part...
Pirates pitcher Quinn Priester limits damage vs. Brewers, records 1st victory of season
Pittsburgh Pirates pitching coach Oscar Marin trotted to the mound in the third inning Tuesday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee, hoping to settle down pitcher Quinn Priester. It was an important timeout because Priester was in the midst of surrendering two runs to the Brewers. But, as it...
Pirates slam 5 home runs in 12-2 victory against 1st-place Brewers
With leadoff hitter Andrew McCutchen taking the night off and shortstop Oneil Cruz on the bench while nursing hamstring tightness, the Pittsburgh Pirates hit the road Tuesday night and challenged the National League Central-leading Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field. The odds were against the Pirates, who are trying to...
Pirates farm report for July 9, 2024: David Bednar throws scoreless inning in Altoona rehab outing
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 38-46) and Columbus (Guardians) were rained out. The game will be played as part of a doubleheader Thursday. Next: Wednesday vs. Columbus (Guardians), 1:35 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 35-47) used six pitchers, including rehabbing major leaguers RHP David Bednar and LHP Ryan Borucki, to shut out Bowie (Orioles), 4-0....
Pirates starting pitcher Quinn Priester returns to active roster after 1 month on injured list
With Pittsburgh Pirates starting pitchers Jared Jones and Bailey Falter injured and unavailable, Quinn Priester is back on the active roster. In advance of the start of a six-game road trip, the Pirates ended the rehab assignment of Priester on Tuesday and activated him from the 15-day injured list. Priester,...
First Call: Joe Burrow praises T.J. Watt, pans Acrisure Stadium turf; hurdles falling for Paul Skenes to start All-Star Game
Tuesday’s “First Call” has some interesting quotes from Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow about T.J. Watt and the field conditions at Acrisure Stadium. Some roadblocks are falling between Paul Skenes and a potential start in the Major League Baseball All-Star Game. Plus, at least one national source isn’t optimistic about...
Despite history of DFAs and rocky outings, Pirates see potential in reliever Dennis SantanaVideo
In a way, the July 6 outing of Pittsburgh Pirates reliever Dennis Santana summarized his identity through seven years as a big-league pitcher: promising but volatile. During an eventual 5-2 loss to the New York Mets, Santana was summoned from the bullpen in the third inning after starter Bailey Falter...
Motivated by All-Star snub, Mitch Keller goes 8 innings for 10th win to propel Pirates past Mets
After being snubbed for the All-Star Game, Mitch Keller had no shortage of motivation to show he’s one of baseball’s top starting pitchers. It didn’t take long for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander to remind the New York Mets why he’s the staff ace, striking out the side in the first...
First Call: Local pitching product, multiple ex-Pirates make MLB All-Star Game; Martavis Bryant still wants the NFLVideo
Monday’s “First Call” has All-Star game nods for a few former Pirates and a Western Pa. product out in Oakland. Also, one ex-Steeler is hoping to make a comeback from injury, and another is trying to make a comeback into the league. Former Pirates parade While Paul Skenes and Bryan...
