Kevin Gorman stories, Page 75

Where Washington starter Max Scherzer raised his hands and rolled his eyes and Oakland reliever Sergio Romo dropped his pants in response to MLB umpires checking pitchers for sticky stuff, the Pittsburgh Pirates’ dugout had mock applause for Tyler Anderson after he passed the checkpoint. That caused the Pirates left-hander...

David Bednar got the post-game shower — a mixture of baby powder, beer, pop and anything else the Pittsburgh Pirates could find in their home clubhouse — but knew his celebration would be short-lived. After earning the first win of his major league career in a 6-3 victory over the...

After drawing criticism for giving his starting pitchers an early hook, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton was about to get blamed for leaving Tyler Anderson in too long against the Chicago White Sox. Anderson cruised through six innings before giving up a three-run homer to Yasmani Grandal, but the Pirates...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates claimed Michael Perez off waivers to be a backup catcher, they received reports from Tampa Bay that the left-handed hitter had the ability to drive the ball. Where Perez showed flashes of power, going 3 for 3 with a two-run double and a solo home run...

Derek Shelton isn’t surprised by the second-guessing from Pittsburgh Pirates fans and followers every time he makes a decision that backfires, especially when it comes to giving his starting pitchers a quick hook. The Pirates manager does it to himself every day. “Actually, I do revisit every decision,” Shelton said...

Asked if he would be willing to jump into the Allegheny River to retrieve a home run ball like the shirtless Pittsburgh Pirates fan shown on the television broadcast, Bryan Reynolds cracked a sly smile and answered in the affirmative. “I just saw the picture of the guy doing the...

JT Brubaker had tied his career highs for strikeouts and longest outing when the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander gave up a double off the Clemente Wall to Eddie Rosario in the seventh inning. Brubaker saw left-handed hitter Josh Naylor in the on-deck circle, so he peaked out to the bullpen. Lefty...

The Pittsburgh Pirates swapped left-handers in their bullpen Sunday, placing Sam Howard on the 10-day injured list and recalling Austin Davis from Triple-A Indianapolis. Howard, who is dealing with tendinitis in his right knee, was coming off a career-worst performance Friday night, when he allowed six runs on four hits...

Where the Cleveland Indians’ right-handed hitters looked to left field for a trio of solo home runs — with one ricocheting off the rotunda — the Pittsburgh Pirates’ lefties took aim at a different target at PNC Park. Michael Perez and Bryan Reynolds hit three-run homers over the Clemente Wall...

Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington is unapologetic about assessing the team’s needs, with acquiring a “ton of talent” among his top priorities. Cherington hopes to change that over the next six weeks as the Pirates have the top overall pick in the MLB Draft on July 11-13 and are...

Oneil Cruz is not only one of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top prospects but unquestionably the hottest. The Altoona Curve shortstop is riding a 20-game on-base streak, crushing tape-measure home runs and showing off his athleticism and above-average arm. Before the Pirates promote him to Triple-A Indianapolis, general manager Ben Cherington...

Ben Cherington says that it was “completely coincidental” that he was in Indianapolis at the same time as Mitch Keller, but the Pittsburgh Pirates general manager used it to spend time talking with the struggling right-hander. “I really believe he’s in a good spot, and he’s committed,” Cherington said Saturday...

The Pittsburgh Pirates responded to their double-digit losing streak by scoring double-digit runs for a double-digit lead — one they almost blew. After losing 10 consecutive games, the Pirates took out their frustrations early on the Cleveland Indians, then hung on for dear life. With the tying run at third...

When Adam Frazier came to bat with two outs, runners on second and third and trailing by one run and smacked the game winner over the Clemente Wall at PNC Park, his teammates mobbed him in celebration. Half of them, anyway. Frazier’s walk-off homer was part of an intrasquad batting...

If there was a simple solution to snapping a 10-game losing streak, Derek Shelton swears he would have done it by now. The Pittsburgh Pirates are down to hoping a day off does the trick. “There’s no magic elixir,” Shelton said. “If there was, I’d be using it already. Just...

With the Pittsburgh Pirates plunging toward rock bottom in a season sinking into the abyss, a familiar face delivered the final dagger. Josh Bell blasted a two-run homer in the seventh inning to lift the Washington Nationals to a 3-1 victory Wednesday afternoon at Nationals Park for a sweep of...

Colin Moran remains day to day with lower back tightness, but Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said he’s “confident we can avoid” having to place the first baseman on the 10-day injured list. “We’ll get him out in the cage here in a little bit, see where he’s at, how...

Their Steve Blass Award winner remains in Bradenton, the veteran they signed to eat innings is on the 10-day injured list for the second stint and their future staff ace has been demoted to Triple-A Indianapolis. The starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates is about as patchwork as a pitching...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have the No. 1 overall pick in the MLB Draft on July 11, but are keeping their choice a secret. While filling in for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington on his weekly radio show on 93.7 The Fan on Sunday afternoon, assistant general manager Steve Sanders wouldn’t...

Wil Crowe was cruising through the Milwaukee Brewers lineup, retiring 15 consecutive batters in the first five innings when the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander took the mound for the sixth. Tim Lopes fouled off five pitches before drawing a 10-pitch walk, putting the tying run on base for the Brewers. That’s...

On the day the Pittsburgh Pirates sent a starting pitcher to the minors to work on his command, Chad Kuhl had control issues of his own. For this, he blamed the baseballs. Kuhl walked four batters and hit another to allow the Milwaukee Brewers to rally from a four-run deficit...

When Mitch Keller struggled with everything from fastball command to visible frustration on the mound, the Pittsburgh Pirates reached a point where they decided he needed a break from facing major league hitters. Pirates manager Derek Shelton announced Saturday that Keller was optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis, a stunning demotion for...

Upon returning to the Pittsburgh Pirates active roster after a stint on the injured list, Phillip Evans wore a smile almost as big as the new sunglasses that became a necessary accessory. Evans learned the hard way how to dress to play the outfield after losing a Luis Arraez routine...

After another start in which he struggled with fastball command, Mitch Keller was in no mood to make excuses just because the Pittsburgh Pirates were playing the reigning World Series champions. The right-hander’s frustration level with the recurring theme of his season was palpable following a 6-3 rain-shortened loss to...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates reached 60 games last year, it was with relief. They had completed baseball’s shortened season amid the coronavirus pandemic — even if it went down as one of the worst in franchise history. “I think last year was such an unknown; we were hoping to get...