Pirates/MLB category, Page 146

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost a starting pitcher and gained a reliever Saturday when Trevor Cahill went on the 10-day injured list with a left calf strain and Kyle Crick was activated from the IL. Cahill (1-5) left his most recent start Wednesday night in St. Louis after one inning. He...

Derek Shelton isn’t a fan of labels, so it’s no wonder the Pittsburgh Pirates manager is as reluctant to call Richard Rodriguez’s fastball a four-seamer as he was to name him the club’s closer. Even though batters know it’s coming — Rodriguez throws his fastball on 91.3% of his pitches,...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 10-5) beat St. Paul (Twins) 6-4 in 10 innings. SS Kevin Kramer hit a two-out, two-run home run in the top of the 10th and RHP Jandel Gustave held St. Paul scoreless in the bottom of the inning. It was Kramer’s second home run of the season. He...

Anderson v. Anderson sounds more like a legal matter than a pitching duel, and Atlanta Braves righty Ian was brokering a hostile takeover while Pittsburgh Pirates lefty Tyler was filing for bankruptcy. The Braves smacked seven home runs, including a pair of grand slams, in rolling to a 20-1 win...

When Sean Gibson sees the mural of his famous great-grandfather — all 27,000 square feet of it — he believes one of baseball’s greatest players is coming to life right there on E. 9th Avenue in Homestead. “It is just like Josh is coming out of the wall,” Sean Gibson...

Cole Tucker is back in the big leagues and the Pittsburgh Pirates have plans to keep him in the infield — at least for now. The 2014 first-round pick, a natural shortstop who played 32 games in the outfield last season, was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday to replace...

Eevn though Sam Howard grew up an Atlanta Braves fan, he intentionally avoided going to Truist Park until this weekend. Howard even declined invites for social gatherings at The Battery, the stadium’s surrounding entertainment scene. After enduring ups and downs of a baseball career that began at Cartersville High School...

Adam Frazier always has the same explanation for his hitting groove, one that doesn’t defy logic so much as it shows his superstitious nature. Knock on wood. The Pittsburgh Pirates second baseman got plenty of knocks in the 6-4 win over the Atlanta Braves in 10 innings on Thursday night,...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 9-5) fell 3-2 to St. Paul (Twins) in the resumption of a suspended game from Wednesday and won 7-3 in the scheduled game on Thursday. Plum native Alex Kirilloff, down from Minnesota on a rehab assignment as he recovers from a wrist injury, homered in both games for...

After blanking the Atlanta Braves over the final four frames in front of the biggest crowd the Pittsburgh Pirates have seen this season, Derek Shelton didn’t hesitate to call his bullpen’s performance “outstanding.” “I would say it’s right near the top,” the Pirates manager said. In a game filled with...

A Westmoreland County jury late Thursday found former Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez guilty of sexual assault of a 13-year-old girl. The jury found Vazquez guilty on 15 counts, including the most serious charges of statutory sexual assault, unlawful contact or communication with a minor, indecent assault and corruption of...

Thursday’s “First Call” features a snag in Antonio Brown’s contract with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. We celebrate a happy anniversary with Evgeni Malkin. You can already bet on who may be next year’s Trevor Lawrence in the NFL Draft. And a trio of former Pirates dusted their competition. A.B.’s knee...

Gregory Polanco picks up on tendencies, so when St. Louis Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty got him to ground into a forceout, the Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder knew what pitch to expect his next time up. So Polanco was expecting Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina to call for a fastball from Flaherty....

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 8-4) had its game with St. Paul (Twins) suspended in the eighth inning with the score tied 2-2. It will resume at 7:05 p.m. Thursday. Next: Thursday at St. Paul (Twins), 8:05 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 8-5) was blanked 2-0 by Harrisburg (Nationals). Travis MacGregor started and pitched five...

Derek Shelton doesn’t have a crystal ball, so the Pittsburgh Pirates manager couldn’t have predicted the bases-loaded predicaments his starting pitcher would face in the second inning at St. Louis. The Cardinals intentionally walked a batter to get to Trevor Cahill, only for Jack Flaherty to strike him out to...

The first conversation Ildemaro Vargas had with manager Derek Shelton upon joining the Pittsburgh Pirates was about which position he is most confident and comfortable playing. The Pirates value versatility above all and claimed Vargas off waivers from the Chicago Cubs because he is a switch hitter who can play...

Pittsburgh Pirates rookie third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes is the closest he has been to returning to play since going on the injured list April 4 with a wrist injury. Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk said Wednesday that Hayes is “responding well” to participating in a simulated game in...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 8-4) won 7-3 over St. Paul (Twins). LF Anthony Alford went 3 for 4 with a double and three RBIs. 3B Hunter Owen was 2 for 4 with three RBIs. 1B Christian Bethancourt singled twice and RF Chris Sharpe doubled. Beau Sulser started and earned the win, pitching...

Chad Kuhl, who has been on the injured list since April 22 with right shoulder discomfort, will start a rehab assignment Wednesday when he pitches for the Triple A Indianapolis Indians against the St. Paul (Minn.) Saints. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said Kuhl is expected to throw about 45...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are increasing capacity to PNC Park starting in June, the team announced Tuesday. PNC Park will have an increased capacity of about 55%, with an approximate 3-foot social distancing between seating allotments, starting June 3, per the team’s announcement. That capacity will be in effect for all...

Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Felipe Vazquez, during a police interrogation at his Strip District apartment in September 2019, initially claimed he knew his teen accuser was young and told investigators her age was why he refused to communicate with her over the previous two years. Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Michael Thompson,...

Rennie Stennett, who made baseball history twice by his mere presence in the Pittsburgh Pirates lineup as a rookie and later with seven hits in seven at-bats in a game, died Tuesday morning in Coconut Creek, Fla., after a battle with cancer. He was 72. We are saddened to relay...

Two hours before first pitch Friday night at PNC Park, Erik Gonzalez was confronted with a question that can perplex the oldest, wisest and most talented players. “How do you handle the mental pressure inherent in the game of baseball?” Gonzalez thought about it for several seconds before he conceded...

The way was cleared for the Pittsburgh Pirates to threaten and perhaps even defeat the St. Louis Cardinals on Tuesday night. Starting pitcher J.T. Brubaker settled down after allowing five runs in the first three innings and the bullpen threw 2⅓ innings worth of zeroes at the Cardinals. Then, Gregory...

The Pirates claimed infielder Ildemaro Vargas off waivers from the Chicago Cubs on Monday. Vargas, 29, is 3 for 21 this season with two doubles and two RBIs. The switch-hitter, who has played second base and shortstop this season, was designated for assignment May 15. To make room on the...