Pirates/MLB category, Page 111
Pirates farm report for May 27, 2023: Indy’s Aaron Shackelford homers in 3rd straight game
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 23-26) saw a comeback bid fall short in a 10-9 loss to Columbus (Guardians). Indianapolis trailed 8-0 after two innings but rallied to tie the score before Columbus added the decisive two runs in the bottom of the eighth. RHP Quinn Priester (4.96) was touched up for eight...
Vince Velasquez leaves with elbow discomfort, as Pirates strike out in Seattle shutout
Vince Velasquez’s return to the starting rotation for the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t last long, as the right-hander pitched only two innings against the Seattle Mariners before being removed. The Pirates later announced that Velasquez left the game with right elbow discomfort, the same issue that kept him out since leaving...
‘Years in the making:’ After struggles as starter, Pirates’ Mitch Keller evolves into ace
When Mitch Keller hears his name mentioned as a potential All-Star and Cy Young candidate after the first two months of the season, the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander can’t suppress his smile. Then Keller makes it clear he’s in no way satisfied with the early success. What Keller really wants is...
Pirates activate RHP Vince Velasquez to start Saturday, DFA RHP Duane Underwood Jr.
As expected, the Pittsburgh Pirates activated right-hander Vince Velasquez from the 15-day injured list Saturday so he can return to the starting rotation. The corresponding move, however, was unexpected. To make room on the 26-man active roster, the Pirates designated right-handed reliever Duane Underwood Jr. for assignment. Velasquez (4-3, 3.06...
Pirates match franchise record with 7 homers, top Mariners
With their ace, Mitch Keller, on the mound Friday night at T-Mobile Park to begin a three-game series in Seattle, the Pittsburgh Pirates probably weren’t aiming to do anything out of the ordinary offensively. But by game’s end, having tied a modern-day franchise record with seven home runs, the Pirates...
Pirates farm report for May 26, 2023: Cal Mitchell homers in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 23-25) gave Columbus (Guardians) a pretty good beating, 7-3. LF Cal Mitchell (.261) went 1 for 2 with his fifth homer and three walks. 1B Aaron Shackelford (.270) went 1 for 3 with a two-run homer, his seventh, and three RBIs. RF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.235) went 1 for...
Grand Canyon’s Jacob Wilson, son of former Pirates shortstop, has 12 strikeouts in last 478 plate appearances
Jacob Wilson came of age in baseball when the dictates of analytics removed the shame of striking out if it meant hitting more home runs. The Grand Canyon shortstop considers himself a throwback to the time when striking out equated to failure. “Striking out,” he said, “is not OK.” His...
Carlos Santana’s return to Seattle with Pirates stirs good memories
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ winning record will be in jeopardy during the team’s six-game road trip that began Friday in Seattle before turning south to San Francisco for the Memorial Day holiday. The Pirates have won more games than they’ve lost since defeating the Boston Red Sox in Fenway Park on...
Pirates farm report for May 25, 2023: Andreas Alvarez homers twice in Altoona blowout win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 22-25) gave up two in the bottom of the ninth and lost 5-4 to Columbus (Guardians). 1B Aaron Shackelford (.268) went 2 for 2 with two homers, his fifth and sixth of the season, and three RBIs. Indiananpolis had only four other hits, all singles. LF Canaan Smith-Njigba...
First Call: Steelers Pat Freiermuth deemed ‘underappreciated’; Patriots punished; Lamar Jackson on Ravens’ new offense
Thursday’s “First Call” shines a spotlight on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ most “underappreciated” player. The sleepy Pirates bats have a difficult wake-up call out west. The New England Patriots are in trouble with the NFL again. Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson is discussing his new offense. And America’s red-hot hockey team looks...
‘Those home runs will come’: Homerless streak doesn’t faze Pirates 3B Ke’Bryan Hayes
From the sound of the ball off his bat, Ke’Bryan Hayes thought he had a chance. The Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman watched it sail over Arizona right fielder Pavin Smith and off the Clemente Wall at PNC Park. “Off the bat, I felt like I stayed through it good,” Hayes...
Pirates farm report for May 24, 2023: Henry Davis drives in 4 runs in Curve victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 22-24) took care of Columbus (Guardians), 12-9.2B Nick Gonzalez (.263) went 1 for 5 and hit a two-run homer, his fourth. 1B Miguel Andujar (.293) went 2 for 4 with his fourth homer. RF Mark Mathias (.246) was 1 for 3 with his second homer and three RBIs....
Pirates leave bases loaded in 8th, lose series to Rangers
Johan Oviedo was immaculate in the fourth inning and anything but in the first, when he surrendered a leadoff home run and gave up three runs to the Texas Rangers. It proved to be a deficit the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t overcome. The Pirates had their chances late in the game,...
Johan Oviedo throws immaculate inning, becoming 2nd Pirates pitcher to do so in May
The Pittsburgh Pirates went 2,495 days between their pitchers throwing an immaculate innings, then needed only 20 days to do it again. Johan Oviedo completed the feat by striking out three batters on nine pitches in the fourth inning Wednesday afternoon against the Texas Rangers. It was the second immaculate...
Pirates RHP Vince Velasquez nears end of IL stint, expected to make next start
Vince Velasquez was back in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse Wednesday morning, repacking his suitcase in preparation for a road trip that should include his first start in three weeks. The 30-year-old right-hander is expected to return to the rotation perhaps as soon as this weekend when the Pirates visit the...
After injury scare, Duane Underwood Jr. gives up homer but throws strikes in Pirates’ loss
Duane Underwood Jr. was not minimizing the solo home run he surrendered to the Texas Rangers’ Josh Jung on Tuesday night at PNC Park. The game was a lost cause at that point — top of the eighth inning of what became the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 6-1 loss to the American...
Pirates farm report for May 23, 2023: Jacob Gonzalez homers in Altoona win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 21-24) saw a ninth-inning rally fall short in a 6-5 loss to Columbus (Guardians). LF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.222) hit a solo home run, his third, and walked. C Endy Rodríguez (.248) doubled twice, walked and scored a run. DH Aaron Shackelford (.255) hit an RBI double, and 3B...
In win, Rangers take advantage of Pirates’ mishaps
Even though the Pittsburgh Pirates struggled from the start against the Texas Rangers, Rich Hill wasn’t in the mood to make excuses or shift blame to anyone or anything else. On a night the 43-year-old left-hander recorded nine strikeouts, Hill took full responsibility for the three-run sixth inning that allowed...
Pirates’ Austin Hedges says building trust with pitchers can keep catchers in the lineup
Austin Hedges learned a long time ago that a catcher’s best friend is often the pitcher he’s entrusted to shepherd through a game. The relationship works both ways, of course, but for Hedges learning to build trust with the pitchers is one way to enter the starting lineup. “Some of...
Luis Ortiz earns 1st win, Tucupita Marcano hits grand slam as Pirates beat Rangers
Luis Ortiz had been hit-or-miss in his first two starts for the Pittsburgh Pirates, so to change it up the 24-year-old rookie right-hander turned to the newest addition to his pitch repertoire against the hottest-hitting team in baseball. Ortiz used a changeup to complement his fastball/slider combination against the Texas...
Tucupita Marcano becoming a bright spot for Pirates while serving as a stopgap at shortstop
Tucupita Marcano came to bat with two runners on base in the fifth inning but got behind in the count after swinging at a slider and fouling off a changeup against Arizona’s Merrill Kelly. Marcano worked a full count then smacked a tying, two-run double to the right-field corner for...
Madden Monday: Anger over Pirates’ decisions a matter of perspective on team’s potential
The Pittsburgh Pirates lost two out of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks this weekend. They have played six series this month and have lost five. The only series they didn’t lose was splitting a two-game road trip to Detroit last Tuesday and Wednesday. The team’s 20-8 start has been...
Pirates farm report for May 21, 2023: Quinn Priester shines again in Indians victory
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 21-23) beat Iowa (Cubs), 5-1. RHP Quinn Priester (5-3, 4.12) tossed five shutout innings, allowing five hits with two walks and two strikeouts to earn his fourth straight win this month. He threw 84 pitches, including 58 strikes. 1B Malcom Nunez (.244) was 2 for 3 with a...
Pirates doomed by wild pitches, errors in loss to Diamondbacks
Whether it was wild pitches or errant throws, the Pittsburgh Pirates were off the mark against the Arizona Diamondbacks, and it cost them a chance at a series win. Five wild pitches and a trio of throwing errors were the most prominent mistakes to doom the Pirates in an 8-3...
Pirates farm report for May 20, 2023: Henry Davis belts 10th homer for Altoona
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-23) dropped both ends of a doubleheader to Iowa (Cubs), managing a total of one run. In the opener, a 2-1 loss, RHP Vince Velasquez (0.00), rehabbing an elbow injury, started and went 4.2 innings, allowing four hits and one walk, striking out two. LHP Daniel Zamora (3.78)...
