Pirates/MLB category, Page 112
Pirates bullpen lets down Mitch Keller in loss to Diamondbacks
The decision backfired almost immediately. With the Pittsburgh Pirates up a run on Arizona, manager Derek Shelton opted to end Mitch Keller’s Saturday afternoon start at PNC Park after six innings and 84 pitches. Turning to reliever Robert Stephenson to handle the seventh, the Diamondbacks quickly plated the game’s decisive...
‘It’s vital’: At age 37, 1B Carlos Santana has provided major defensive upgrade for Pirates
Carlos Santana doesn’t want to hear about his age, scoffing at suggestions that, at 37, he’s too old to be an everyday player or that he’s nearing the end of his major-league career. The Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman is proving naysayers wrong this season, as he ranks at the top...
Josh Palacios collects 1st hit with Pirates in key moment, sparking offensive outburstVideo
Following the (totally appropriate) flair surrounding Drew Maggi’s MLB debut and first big-league hit at the end of April, little opportunity exists for any Pittsburgh Pirates player to exceed that level of hype with a milestone or accomplishment of their own. The one exception in that regard is Andrew McCutchen,...
Pirates farm report for May 19, 2023: Altoona no-hit, but Henry Davis gets on base twice anyway
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-21) and Iowa (Cubs) were rained out. The game will be made up as part of a doubleheader Saturday. Next: Saturday vs. Iowa (Cubs), doubleheader, 6:15 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 17-18) was no-hit in a 4-0 loss to Bowie (Orioles). Bowie RHP Chayce McDermott started, struck out four and...
Pirates pound 17 hits to dominate Diamondbacks, move into 1st-place tie
When the Pittsburgh Pirates last played at PNC Park, they scored a grand total of nine runs over a six-game homestand against the Toronto Blue Jays and Colorado Rockies. This time, the Bucs brought their bats. Behind a seven-run fourth inning and Bryan Reynolds’ three-run homer in the fifth, the...
Pirates activate reliever Rob Zastryzny from injured list, gain another lefty
The last player to make the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day roster out of spring training, reliever Rob Zastryzny was excited to get going this season. Unfortunately for him, his campaign was disrupted soon after it got underway, with Zastryzny placed on the 15-day injured list April 16 because of left...
Backup catcher Jason Delay proves that production at plate plays for Pirates
Amid the clamoring for the Pittsburgh Pirates to promote top prospects Endy Rodriguez or Henry Davis, backup catcher Jason Delay has quietly proven to be more productive than anticipated. Where starting catcher Austin Hedges is hitting .143, Delay has a team-best .339 batting average (19 for 56) in 21 games...
Pirates need to get right as sneaky-good Arizona Diamondbacks slither into town
After the Pittsburgh Pirates won in Detroit 8-0 on Wednesday, there’s some hope that perhaps their bats are finally heating up. And right now, there may be no pitcher in baseball hotter than current Bucs ace Mitch Keller. Both trends will have to continue this weekend as the Pirates welcome...
Pirates farm report for May 18, 2023: Termarr Johnson hits 1st homer for Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-21) defeated Iowa (Cubs), 10-5. 3B Malcom Nuñez (.233) hit two singles, a double and finished with three RBIs. Endy Rodríguez (.245) slapped an RBI double and added a triple. SS Vinny Capra (.202) smacked an RBI double. LF Cal Mitchell (.261) and 2B Nick Gonzales (.276) each...
Bullpen remains source of strength for Pirates during slump
Dauri Moreta put an exclamation point on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ win Wednesday afternoon in Detroit by striking out the side in the bottom of the ninth. He followed Robert Stephenson and Jose Hernandez — who pitched a scoreless inning each and struck out a pair — in the 8-0 win...
Pirates farm report for May 17, 2023: Drew Maggi doubles twice in Altoona rout
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-21) was edged out by Iowa (Cubs), 5-4. 1B Aaron Shackelford (.277) went 2 for 3 with two RBIs and hit his fourth home run. C Endy Rodriguez (.237) and SS Nick Gonzales (.277) each went 0 for 3 with two walks. LF Cal Mitchell went 1 for...
Rich Hill solid, long-dormant bats deliver for Pirates in win over Detroit
For nearly three weeks, the Pittsburgh Pirates had been aiming to play the kind of game they managed Wednesday in Detroit. In beating the Tigers, 8-0, at Comerica Park, the Pirates had no shortage of hits (14) and runs. They were also bolstered by a quality start courtesy of Rich...
Pirates farm report for May 16, 2023: Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis both belt homers
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 19-20) rolled to a 9-1 victory against Iowa (Cubs). C Endy Rodríguez (.245) crushed a solo home run, his fourth. SS Nick Gonzales (.284) hit his third home run of the year and drove in two runs with a double. LF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.225) also hit a solo...
Pirates’ bats remain silent in shutout loss to Tigers
Derek Shelton became the manager of the Pittsburgh Pirates partially because of his success as a hitting coach. But if he has anything in mind to fix what’s wrong with the hitters currently under his command, he wasn’t ready to talk about them Tuesday night after the Pirates’ 4-0 loss...
Baseball, Pirates, tequila come together at PNC Park
The baseball experience at PNC Park will now come with a taste of tequila after the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday announced a three-year partnership with Real Azul, a tequila brand imported from Jalisco, Mexico. The agreement includes naming rights to the premium club on PNC Park’s suite level, formerly known...
After throwing 16 scoreless innings, Pirates’ Mitch Keller honored as NL Player of the Week
Mitch Keller became the second Pittsburgh Pirates player this season named National League Player of the Week, joining outfielder Bryan Reynolds, who was so honored last month. Keller is the first Pirates pitcher named NL Player of the Week since Jameson Taillon in April 2018. Keller, 27, won both starts...
Behind ace Mitch Keller — and despite struggles — Pirates near 1st through season’s opening quarter
The Pittsburgh Pirates have a .154 winning percentage since the last day of April, but look at those standings: They are only 1½ games behind the first-place Milwaukee Brewers in the National League Central. How did that happen? The division isn’t offering serious competition at the moment. The Brewers (23-17)...
Pirates farm report for May 14, 2023: Jared Triolo’s 4 RBIs help Indy crush St. Paul
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 18-20) crushed St. Paul (Twins), 15-3. The Indians scored five times in the fourth innings and had a seven-run outburst in the top of the ninth. 3B Jared Triolo (.294) was 3 for 5 with four RBIs. RF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.194) was 3 for 5 with three RBIs....
Mitch Keller dominant while striking out 13 in Pirates victory
No one needed to tell Austin Hedges about Mitch Keller’s dominance Sunday in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 4-0 victory against the Baltimore Orioles. Nonetheless, when Orioles players walked to the plate, holding bats that turned out to be useless in most cases, they kept marveling at what the Pirates’ ace pitcher...
Pirates notebook: Ben Cherington shows patience as catchers Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis develop defensively
Pittsburgh Pirates general manager Ben Cherington said Sunday he understands fans’ eagerness to see if minor-league catchers Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis can help the major-league club, but he wants to continue to monitor their development in Triple-A and Double-A. “We came into the season with pretty simple, but pretty...
Pirates farm report for May 13, 2023: Matt Fraizer smacks 3 doubles in Altoona win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 17-20) took care of St. Paul (Twins), 3-1. LHP Kent Emanuel (8.15) started and went four innings, allowing one run on four hits and a walk, striking out four. Four relievers combined to shut St. Paul out the rest of the way. RHP Cody Bolton (2.03) allowed two...
Behind a pair of solo homers, Tyler Wells’ 1-hitter over 7 innings, Orioles blank Pirates
After not allowing a home run in his first five starts, Roansy Contreras gave up one in each of his past two starts. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander never had surrendered more than one homer in a game. The Baltimore Orioles changed that by the second inning. Adley Rutschman and Gunnar...
‘Nobody sees behind the scenes’: At 43, Pirates lefty Rich Hill has strict routine between starts
Rich Hill is the oldest pitcher in baseball, with more salt than pepper in his beard but fewer ice packs on his body than the average fan would expect from a 43-year-old in his 19th season in the major leagues. If you were expecting Hill to resemble Eddie Harris, the...
Pirates farm report for May 12, 2023: Playing right field, Henry Davis gets 2 more hits for Curve
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 16-20) was held to five hits in a 2-1 loss to St. Paul (Twins). 1B Malcom Nunez (.200) went 1 for 3 and hit his third home run. LF Ryan Vilade (.279) was 1 for 2 with a double and two walks. SS Nick Gonzales (.274) was 1...
Cedric Mullins hits for cycle with 3-run homer vs. Pirates
The Baltimore Orioles were clinging to a one-run lead when Cedric Mullins came to bat with two on and two outs in the eighth inning, searching for the elusive hit to complete one of baseball’s rarest feats. Mullins drove Duane Underwood Jr.’s 1-1 changeup 376 feet to right field for...
