Pittsburgh Pirates / MLB
Pirates promote righty reliever Cam Sanders, option veteran Jose Urquidy in bullpen moves
The Pittsburgh Pirates shook up their bullpen Friday, recalling rookie right-handed reliever Cam Sanders and optioning veteran righty Jose Urquidy to Triple-A Indianapolis. Sanders, 29, made his major league debut last summer, posting an 8.10 ERA with four strikeouts, five walks and two home runs allowed in 6 2/3 innings...
Full Count: Oneil Cruz, Brandon Lowe providing pop at top of the order for Pirates
The first two players in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ batting order are a pair of left-handed hitters whose stature stands in stark contrast but whose statistics serve as almost mirror images of one another. At 6-foot-7, 248 pounds, Oneil Cruz uses his long levers to bash balls to record-breaking exit velocities...
Tim Benz Podcasts
Beyond the Bylines: NFL Draft trade talk; Penguins-Flyers predictions; Pirates problems vs. Nationals
After a short absence, “Beyond the Bylines” is back with Joe Starkey and Tim Benz. In this week’s edition, they have predictions on the Penguins-Flyers series. They also have plenty of opinions on the Pirates after their spotty series against the Washington Nationals and on what the Steelers should do...
Bucs Beat Q&A: Pirates ace Paul Skenes shows lighter side as ‘funniest person on the team’
This is a big weekend for Paul Skenes at PNC Park. The 23-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates ace, the unanimous winner of the 2025 National League Cy Young Award, will be presented his trophy by 1990 NL Cy Young winner Doug Drabek prior to Friday night’s game against the Tampa Bay Rays....
Nationals outlast Pirates in 10 innings to split 4-game series
Errors, hit batters and wild pitches spoiled the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Thursday afternoon finale with the Washington Nationals, who won 8-7 in 10 innings at PNC Park to split the four-game series. But repeated offensive responses, including a four-run fifth and game-tying RBI in the bottom of the ninth, kept the...
Pirates farm report for April 16, 2026: Endy Rodriguez delivers 3 hits, 4 RBIs in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 5-13) throttled Omaha (Royals), 12-5. DH Endy Rodriguez (.179) went 3 for 4 with two doubles, four RBIs and two runs scored. 3B Davis Wendzel (.277) went 3 for 5 with a double and three RBIs. RF Esmerlyn Valdez (.264) went 1 for 4 with two walks,...
Pirates starter Jared Jones entering ‘the next phase’ of return from elbow injury
Jared Jones must be the kind of injured player who provides Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk a dose of excitement and consternation. Jones, who missed all of last season with a right elbow injury and is on the 60-day injured list, told reporters Wednesday at PNC Park...
U mad, bro?: Fans already fretting over Don Kelly’s decisions, Pirates’ bullpen, Pens-Flyers playoff hostility
We’ve got to remember that Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly is only 142 games into his managerial career. That’s not an excuse for his ridiculous decision to pinch-hit for Brandon Lowe on Tuesday night during a 5-4 loss to Washington. A trained chimpanzee using an AI chatbot could’ve told Kelly...
Starting to ‘feel more real’ for Jared Jones after bullpen session for Pirates at PNC Park
A change of scenery provided a positive boost to Jared Jones, who has been based in Florida all spring while working his way back from InternalBrace surgery on his right elbow. The 24-year-old right-hander threw a bullpen session to positive reviews from his Pittsburgh Pirates coaches and teammates Tuesday at...
Pirates farm report for April 15, 2026: Esmerlyn Valdez hits 4th homer in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 4-13) lost 6-4 to Omaha (Royals). RF Esmerlyn Valdez (.265) went 2 for 3 with a two-run homer, his fourth, and two walks. DH Ronny Simon (.385) went 3 for 4 with a double, run scored and RBI. LF Tyler Callihan (.220) went 2 for 5 with...
Carmen Mlodzinski tosses 6 shutout innings in relief as Pirates rebound to beat Nationals
A day after a Don Kelly decision backfired when he pinch-hit for the hottest bat in his lineup, the Pittsburgh Pirates manager took another strategic risk against the Washington Nationals. Knowing the Nationals could load the top of their lineup with left-handed hitters, Kelly opted to use lefty reliever Mason...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): This Pirates loss was squarely on manager Don Kelly
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) By at least one measurement, Brandon Lowe came into Tuesday’s game as the hottest Pirates hitter since Honus Wagner 125 years ago — and nobody would think about pinch-hitting for Honus Wagner with a game on the...
Pirates farm report for April 14, 2026: Murf Gray homers twice, drives in 7 for Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple A, 4-12) lost 6-2 to Omaha (Royals). RHP Noah Davis (1-2, 2.29) started and allowed two runs on two hits in four innings. RHP Carson Fulmer (5.56) came on and gave up four runs on four hits, including a homer, in two innings. RHP Cam Sanders (3.00) and...
Pirates’ patience rewarded as DH Marcell Ozuna snaps out of slump with RBI double
Marcell Ozuna was seeking to snap out of a slump, so an opposite-field single in the second inning would do. The Pittsburgh Pirates designated hitter — who calls himself a “petroleum guy” — wasn’t done. He was only getting warmed up. When Ozuna delivered an RBI double in the fourth...
Nationals take advantage of Mitch Keller’s command issues for early lead to beat Pirates
Mitch Keller had been the model of consistency for the Pittsburgh Pirates with three consecutive quality starts, but the veteran right-hander had command issues from the first batter Tuesday night and the Washington Nationals took advantage to build a three-run lead in the first inning. The Pirates battled back to...
Joe Starkey’s Mailbag: Should the Pirates have kept Andrew McCutchen?
You ask. I answer. It’s time for “Mailing It In,” a weekly Q&A that appears Tuesdays at TribLive.com. Most of the questions come via X, but you can also hit me up at jraystarkey@gmail.com. Let’s gooooooo … BoomBoom0105, @BoomBoom0105: Who has a higher average on June 1 — Ozuna or...
Cup of Joe (Starkey): How many more days will the Pirates spend under .500 this season? I say none
Cup of Joe: Starkey on sports in 400 words or less (sometimes more) This won’t be the first time I put my lousy prognostication skills on the line, and it won’t be the last. You might remember that back in July 2021 I predicted the Pirates to win the 2027...
Effective changeup allowing Paul Skenes to ‘flip the script’ and ‘change the way we look at pitching’
The best swing of the day against Pittsburgh Pirates starter Paul Skenes may have resulted in the worst possible outcome for the Washington Nationals. After dusting the first two Nats on strikeouts to open the game Monday, Washington shortstop C.J. Abrams turned on a 99 mph fastball from Skenes and...
