Pirates/MLB category, Page 71
Pirates hope Bryan Reynolds’ 5-hit game puts him back on track
Derek Shelton doesn’t pretend to have the details of Bryan Reynolds’ T-Ball and Little League at-bats, but he’s pretty sure they were impressive. “This guy’s a good hitter,” Shelton said Monday night on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show after the first five-hit game of Reynolds’ MLB career led the Pittsburgh...
Mitch Keller’s strong start provides cushion for struggling bullpen in Pirates’ 8-6 victory
Reliability has not been the hallmark of the Pittsburgh Pirates this season, but Mitch Keller looks like the exception. Keller started and pitched through the sixth inning Monday night at American Family Field in Milwaukee, extending to 40 games his MLB-leading streak of lasting at least five innings. That was...
Mark Madden: Paul Skenes’ debut went from hype to humiliation for Pirates
Now that the dust has settled for a few days, let’s discuss what actually happened when Paul Skenes debuted. Stooges are going to stooge, and they mostly did after Skenes’ four-plus innings Saturday against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. (A PNC Park that was almost 3,000 short of a...
‘Everybody will get an extra day’: With Paul Skenes, Pirates switch to 6-man starting rotation
Before the Pittsburgh Pirates promoted Paul Skenes, general manager Ben Cherington said they considered giving the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick one more start at Triple-A Indianapolis. Instead, the Pirates came to the conclusion that Skenes was ready to help them win games in the major leagues — even...
Farm report for May 12, 2024: Charles McAdoo’s 5 RBIs help Grasshoppers to victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-19) lost 7-1 to Louisville (Reds). LF Ji Hwan Bae (.355) had a triple and two walks. 1B Matt Gorski (.235) was 1 for 4 with a run scored. 3B Malcolm Nunez (.270) and C Grant Koch (.156) also had singles. LHP Eric Lauer (2-2, 5.52) allowed six...
Cubs score 3 runs in extra innings to win series, as Pirates leave bases loaded in 9th
When the Pittsburgh Pirates had the bases loaded with one out in the bottom of the ninth inning in a tied game against the Chicago Cubs, it was their chance to beat an NL Central nemesis. That the Pirates came away empty proved to be a bad omen, even though...
Farm report for May 11, 2024: Canaan Smith-Njigba homers in Indianapolis loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-18) was tripped up by Louisville (Reds), 6-5. DH Canaan Smith-Njigba (.270) went 2 for 3 with his first homer, three runs scored and two walks. 2B Liover Peguero (.297) went 2 for 5 with a double and a run scored. C Henry Davis (.188) went 1 for...
Tim Benz: Paul Skenes’ arrival means the future has to be now for fumbling PiratesVideo
For a change, it felt like someone upstairs was looking out for the Pittsburgh Pirates. Well, at least for a little while. As late as 2 p.m. Saturday, the rain was teeming down on PNC Park. But by 3:30 p.m., a half hour before Paul Skenes’ first pitch, the sun...
Paul Skenes brings triple-digit heat, fans to their feet with 7 strikeouts in Pirates debut
Paul Skenes already topped triple digits with his four-seam fastball six times in the first inning against the Chicago Cubs when the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander brought fans to their feet at PNC Park. After the 6-foot-6, 260-pounder fired an 0-2 fastball to Cody Bellinger, the crowd was captivated. That...
Pirates battle elements, bullpen meltdown to outlast Cubs in Paul Skenes’ MLB debut
Chances are what happened Saturday at PNC Park was vastly different from what Pittsburgh Pirates top prospect Paul Skenes had in mind when he mentally prepared for his first MLB start. Skenes likely didn’t envision a lengthy 2-hour, 20-minute rain delay pausing play between the Pirates and visiting Chicago Cubs....
Rain delay pauses Pirates game in Paul Skenes’ MLB debut
Shortly after the Pittsburgh Pirates surrendered a five-run lead to the Chicago Cubs Saturday at PNC Park, the skies opened up, with thunder and heavy rains delaying the game, which featured top prospect Paul Skenes’ MLB debut. At the time of the delay, the Pirates and Cubs were tied 6-6....
Ben Cherington, Derek Shelton aim to keep pressure off Paul Skenes for MLB debutVideo
As the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospect — one of the most dynamic across MLB in recent memory — prepared to make his big-league debut, general manager Ben Cherington and skipper Derek Shelton did their best to make Saturday afternoon at PNC Park feel as normal as possible for pitcher Paul...
Pirates designate RHP Roansy Contreras, place 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes on IL, recall Alika Williams
The promotion of Paul Skenes to the Pittsburgh Pirates caused a chain reaction that turned one of Ben Cherington’s biggest trades into a bust as right-hander Roansy Contreras was designated for assignment. Contreras was the centerpiece of the four-player return in the trade that sent pitcher Jameson Taillon, the No....
In 1st at-bat post-recall, Pirates’ Nick Gonzales hits RBI singleVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Nick Gonzales is not wired to shield himself from hard truths, however unflattering. Last year, after making his MLB debut with the Pirates and playing in 35 games with the club, his .209/.268/.348 slash line offered no illusions that, offensively, considerable improvements were needed for him to...
Pirates farm report for May 10, 2024: Eddy Rodriguez delivers walk-off win for Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-17) lost 3-0 to Louisville (Reds). Indy managed six singles. 2B Ji Hwan Bae (.361) and SS Liover Peguero (.293) each went 1 for 3 with a walk. DH Henry Davis (.154) went 1 for 4. RHP Wily Peralta (4.50) started and pitched three scoreless innings, allowing two...
Cody Bellinger’s 4-hit game leads Cubs past Pirates as offense continues to struggle
The Pittsburgh Pirates have avoided some of the game’s biggest stars because of injuries, which sidelined the likes of Christian Yelich, Kris Bryant, Mike Trout and Dansby Swanson. Cody Bellinger, however, returned in time to torture the Pirates. After missing two weeks with a fractured rib cage, the Chicago Cubs...
Pirates acquire pitcher Daulton Jefferies from San Francisco for minor-league OF
Amid the buzz of introducing top overall prospect Paul Skenes at PNC Park on Friday, the Pittsburgh Pirates orchestrated a minor trade, acquiring right-hander Daulton Jefferies from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for minor-league outfielder Rodolfo Nolasco. Jefferies, 28, was designated for assignment by the Giants on Monday. Upon...
Pirates recall 2B Nick Gonzales, option INF Alika Williams to Triple-A Indianapolis
While the attention was on the arrival of 2023 No. 1 overall pick Paul Skenes, it was another former first-round pick that was added to the Pittsburgh Pirates’ active roster. The Pirates recalled Nick Gonzales from Triple-A Indianapolis, and manager Derek Shelton said the hot-hitting second baseman would be in...
Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has high expectations for his major-league debut
Paul Skenes had been waiting patiently for the Pittsburgh Pirates to promote him to the major leagues, so the 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick was surprised to be sleeping when the call finally came. After Skenes threw a bullpen session Wednesday morning before Triple-A Indianapolis’ game, he went home...
Mark Madden: All aboard the Paul Skenes hype train
As we count down the minutes (seconds!) to Paul Skenes’ MLB/Pirates debut Saturday, I’m rooting for no middle ground. I don’t want six innings, five hits, two earned runs and six strikeouts. That’s pretty good, but you can’t hype that. I want six innings, one hit, no runs and 12...
Even beyond Paul Skenes’ debut, Pirates-Cubs series forecasts to be pitching paradise
Paul Skenes’ Pittsburgh Pirates debut is by far the biggest draw to PNC Park this weekend. But it’s not the only one, particularly if you like pitching. The Chicago Cubs are in town to open a three-game set. They begin the series at 22-16. That’s just percentage points behind the...
Pickoffs a pick-me-up for Pirates’ Aroldis Chapman, as lefty reliever closes in on record
Even as Aroldis Chapman closes in on becoming the all-time leader in strikeouts by a left-handed reliever, the Pittsburgh Pirates were worried about opponents taking free bases against him. Chapman’s 40.7% strikeout rate was countered by his 25.9% walk rate and compounded by runners taking liberties by stealing five bases...
Pirates farm report for May 9, 2024: Ji Hwan Bae knocks in 5 runs in Indianapolis win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-16) outscored Louisville (Reds), 9-6. 2B Ji Hwan Bae (.362) went 2 for 5 with a three-run homer, his third, and five RBIs. DH Malcom Nunez (.262) went 2 for 5 with a double, an RBI and a run scored. 3B Andres Alvarez (.174) went 2 for 4...
Pirates call up 2020 1st round pick Nick Gonzales from Triple-A
As Paul Skenes prepares to make his MLB debut this weekend, another top performer at Triple-A Indianapolis (and fellow former first-round draft pick) is also getting the call up to Pittsburgh. The Pirates are promoting infielder Nick Gonzales, selected seventh overall by the Pirates in the 2020 MLB Draft, a...
Before Paul Skenes, the Pirates had 5 No. 1 overall draft picks: A look at their MLB debutsVideo
The excitement surrounding a No. 1 overall pick by the Pittsburgh Pirates arguably has never been higher, with pitcher Paul Skenes earning his much-anticipated call-up to the big leagues to start Saturday at PNC Park against the Chicago Cubs. However, the situation is far from foreign for the Pirates, who...
