Pirates/MLB category, Page 101
Pirates farm report for July 14, 2023: Endy Rodriguez belts grand slam in Indianapolis win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 41-46) hammered Omaha (Royals), 13-5. C Endy Rodriguez (.265) went 3 for 4 with a grand slam, his sixth homer. He scored three runs, drove in five and walked. SS Liover Peguero (.261) went 2 for 5 with a pair of homers, his first and second. DH Miguel...
Pirates sign 4 players from 2023 MLB Draft class
Ahead of their Friday evening home game against San Francisco, the Pittsburgh Pirates took some key steps toward locking in their 2023 MLB Draft class, putting pen to paper with a handful of selections. A shortstop and three right-handed pitchers officially signed with the Pirates, with the four players present...
Pirates’ mishaps in 7th inning prove costly as Giants rally for comeback win
The way the Pittsburgh Pirates blew a lead against the San Francisco Giants had their fans ready to blow a gasket. Austin Hedges, the veteran catcher starting for his defense, allowed a passed ball that put the tying run at third base and the go-ahead run at second. Rookie right...
Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen shakes off All-Star snub, hopes to have strong 2nd half
On the eighth anniversary of his All-Star Game home run, Andrew McCutchen was in no mood to reminisce Friday afternoon about playing in the Midsummer Classic. Asked what he remembers about his solo shot off the American League’s Chris Archer to lead off the sixth inning to join Ralph Kiner,...
All-Star appearance an unforgettable experience for Pirates’ Mitch Keller
Already enjoying himself during the pre-All Star Game festivities at Seattle’s T-Mobile Park, Mitch Keller received some news that took his excitement to an even higher level. During batting practice ahead of the Home Run Derby on Monday, Keller was approached by National League skipper Rob Thomson. “Thomson came up...
Mark Madden: Exclusion of Barry Bonds shows how Baseball Hall of Fame is a joke
Barry Bonds has rarely groused publicly about his exclusion from the Baseball Hall of Fame. But he presented his case thusly on a recent podcast: “I was vindicated. I went to court, I was in federal court, and I won my case, 100 percent. Where is the vindication of me...
Led by No. 1 pick Paul Skenes, 5 Pirates in Baseball America’s Top 100 prospects rankings
The Pittsburgh Pirates have five players in Baseball America’s new Top 100 Prospects list, including two new additions. The Pirates’ new top prospect is Paul Skenes, the LSU right-hander selected with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 MLB Draft. Skenes is ranked sixth by Baseball America, behind Cincinnati...
First Call: A good reason why the Pirates should not trade closer David Bednar
Between now and the Aug. 1 MLB trade deadline, one topic figures to be the subject of plenty of debate amond Pittsburgh sports fans: Should the Pirates trade All-Star closer David Bednar? MLB.com got the ball rolling Thursday, naming Bednar one of the six All-Stars most likely to be dealt...
Pirates transfer struggling pitcher Roansy Contreras to Florida Complex League
The Pittsburgh Pirates transferred the option of struggling right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras from Triple-A Indianapolis to their Florida Complex League team. After going 5-5 with a 3.79 ERA and 1.27 WHIP in 21 games, including 18 starts, last season, the 23-year-old Contreras entered the season expected to be one of...
Altoona Curve to retire No. 21 in honor of Roberto Clemente
If the answer is “Roberto Clemente and Adam Hyzdu,” what the heck could the trivia question possibly be? In a little more than a week, Clemente and Hyzdu will be the only players to have their numbers retired by the Altoona Curve, the Double-A affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates. The...
Pirates to begin 2024 season in Miami, face Orioles in home opener
The Pittsburgh Pirates will begin their season on the road for the eighth straight year in 2024 when they visit the Miami Marlins for a Thursday, March 28, opener. The team announced its full 2024 schedule Thursday. After four games in Miami and three in Washington, the Pirates will face...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Start to 2nd half should answer key questions for the Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates open the second half of the season Friday with more questions than answers, especially after winning 20 of their first 30 games followed by winning only 21 of the next 60. Let’s start with this: Was April an anomaly? If so, is another late-season collapse inevitable? When...
First Call: Minkah Fitzpatrick finally tops best-safety list; Saquon Barkley to ‘pull a Le’Veon?’
The Pittsburgh Steelers’ Minkah Fitzpatrick had spent most the offseason so far picking up plenty of figurative silver medals in the ultimately meaningless realm of “Best Of” lists. • In May, it was Pro Football Network that rated Fitzpatrick as the NFL’s second-best safety behind the Los Angeles Chargers’ Derwin...
Mark Madden: Nice draft pick, Pirates. Now don’t screw it up
The Pittsburgh Pirates took LSU pitching phenom Paul Skenes with the first pick of the MLB Draft. That’s step one. Step two is to not screw it up. Don’t keep Skenes in the minors till June next season by way of manipulating an extra year of team control via Super...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Starting with Paul Skenes, Pirates went all in on drafting pitchers
After the Pittsburgh Pirates won the inaugural lottery for the No.1 overall pick in the MLB Draft, general manager Ben Cherington intentionally decided not to see any of the top prospects play live. “That was because I don’t trust myself to not bring bias into the room when I do...
First Call: Flyers social media mishap; Steelers lose data analyst; ex-Pirate is All-Star MVP
There surely have been more than a few instances of Zoom calls originating in Western Pennsylvania that have included the words “Flyers (stink)” and another word that begins with the same letter. But Tuesday, it happened on a call staged by Philadelphia Flyers employees themselves. During a live stream of...
Pirates’ Mitch Keller gives up home run, records strikeout in All-Star debut
In an All-Star Game defined by a pair of catches at the wall in the first inning, Mitch Keller had no such luck. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander gave up the game’s first run on a solo homer by Tampa Bay Rays first baseman Yandy Diaz to give the American League...
‘Take what the draft gives you’: Pirates continue run on college players in MLB Draft
When the Pittsburgh Pirates owned the No. 1 overall pick in 2021, they employed a strategy to sign Louisville catcher Henry Davis to a below-slot bonus and used the savings to entice four top-100 prep prospects to bypass college scholarships with over-slot bonuses. This year, after the Pirates selected LSU...
Pitt pitchers Logan Evans, Dylan Simmons selected in 12th, 15 rounds of MLB Draft
Pitt right-handed pitchers Logan Evans and Dylan Simmons were chosen Tuesday in the 12th round by the Seattle Mariners and 15th round by the Cincinnati Reds on the third day of the MLB Draft. They were the 367th and 458th players drafted. Evans (6-foot-4, 215 pounds) transferred from Penn State...
2nd-day draft picks are sign Pirates could be pooling bonus money to entice prep prospect
Leading up to the MLB Draft, there was speculation that the Pittsburgh Pirates would bypass the top two prospects in favor of someone who would sign a below-slot bonus so they could spread their savings. That’s a strategy Pirates general manager Ben Cherington employed with the No. 1 overall pick...
Pirates load up on college players on 2nd day of MLB Draft with 1st baseman, 7 pitchers
When the Pittsburgh Pirates made a run on college pitchers by selecting seven consecutive on the second day of the MLB Draft, it was influenced by their scouting and the success of a 2022 pick. Call it the J.P. Massey Effect. The Pirates took Massey out of Minnesota in the...
Pirates pick Vanderbilt right-handed reliever Patrick Reilly in 5th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Vanderbilt right-hander Patrick Reilly in the fifth round of the MLB Draft on Monday, adding a reliever with high strikeout and walk numbers. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound Reilly made 14 career starts for the Commodores but pitched mostly out of the bullpen, averaging 11.7 strikeouts and 5.8...
Pirates pick WVU right-hander Carlson Reed in 4th round of MLB Draft
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected West Virginia right-hander Carlson Reed in the fourth round of the MLB Draft on Monday afternoon, adding a pitcher who has been both a starter and a closer in his college career. The 6-foot-4, 200-pound Reed has a three-pitch mix featuring a mid-80s changeup, a slider...
Pirates pick Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in 3rd round
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected Oregon State first baseman Garret Forrester in the third round of the MLB Draft, adding a slugger at a position of need in their system. The 6-foot-1, 208-pound Forrester batted .341/.485/.522 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs and 52 RBIs in 61 games for the Beavers...
Mark Madden: Picking Paul Skenes was rare, easy win for pitiful Pirates
When no single topic jumps out, refreshing sports notes are the best option. Just like the Pirates, I made the obvious choice. • Concluding that 2 + 2 = 4 shouldn’t get you congratulated. But, regardless, be glad that the Pirates drafted pitcher Paul Skenes. They have botched simpler. •...
