Pirates/MLB category, Page 176

Derek Holland was dressed in black and gold from head to toe, with an emphasis on the Pittsburgh gold spikes that stood out when the left-hander took the mound Wednesday night for the Pirates at PNC Park. Holland looked like someone who was auditioning to start the home opener, catering...

Neal Huntington knew the value of a strong bullpen in an era when starting pitchers are typically pulled after six innings. The former Pittsburgh Pirates general manager made what appeared to be good trades for closer Felipe Vazquez and setup man Keone Kela, hoping they could nail down tight games...

Breakout candidate Nick Burdi After Tommy John surgery in 2017 and a horrific arm injury last season, Burdi has elevated his velocity into the high 90s. Derek Shelton called his stuff “electric,” which describes the type of pitches a closer needs to be successful. He never has closed in the...

“Return to play” must be a real emotional lightning bolt. Because we’ve got people fired up about all three of Pittsburgh’s pro sports teams. Readers are ready to pounce on Antonio Brown’s “retirement,” the state stopping the Toronto Blue Jays from playing at PNC Park, Matt Murray’s glove hand, and...

Pirates manager Derek Shelton revealed Wednesday night relief pitcher Keone Kela, who has missed all of spring training 2.0 this month, has tested positive for covid-19. Kela is the fifth Pirates player to test positive. Previously, relief pitcher Blake Cederlind, outfielders Gregory Polanco and Socrates Brito and third baseman Ke’Bryan...

The game was an exhibition, a mere warm-up for what really matters. In that light, Derek Holland wasn’t concerned he allowed three runs in three innings in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-3 loss Wednesday night to the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park. The Pirates, who were 3-15 in spring training 1.0...

Pennsylvania’s Department of Health will not permit the Toronto Blue Jays to play at PNC Park in the midst of the covid-19 pandemic, officials announced Wednesday afternoon. The Blue Jays were seeking a major-league venue to play their home games after the Canadian government declared the Rogers Centre in Toronto...

Mitch Keller came to training camp armed with a more consistent changeup, hoping to convince the Pittsburgh Pirates to show as much confidence in him as he did in the new and improved pitch. The 24-year-old right-hander, the team’s top prospect, earned the No. 3 spot in the starting rotation....

Based on forecasts of rain Wednesday evening, the start time for the finale of the Pittsburgh Pirates’ three-game exhibition series against the Cleveland Indians at PNC Park has been moved to 5:05 p.m. GAME TIME CHANGE: Tonight's game vs the Indians has been moved up to 5:05pm due to the...

MLB has informed the Toronto Blue Jays that they will share PNC Park with the Pittsburgh Pirates as their home field this season, according to reports out of Canada. Sportsnet’s Hazel Mae first reported the news late Tuesday night, and the Toronto Sun confirmed that the majority of the Blue...

This is the third of a four-part position-by-position preview of the Pirates heading into Friday’s season opener in St. Louis. Friday: Bullpen In a fantasy world, let’s imagine Jameson Taillon never needed a second Tommy John surgery, and Chris Archer remained healthy and his performance matched what the Pittsburgh Pirates...

Breakout candidate Joe Musgrove He has yet to compile a winning record or an ERA under 4.06 in four seasons, but Musgrove looks poised to take his place atop the Pirates rotation. He’s no Gerrit Cole (compare paychecks), but perhaps that won’t turn out to be a bad deal the...

Wait. What’s the proposed trade? The Pittsburgh Penguins straight up for the Toronto Blue Jays? Sorry, Toronto. You are going to have to do better than that. Perhaps if you still had Kawhi Leonard on the Raptors, we could talk. But for now, don’t you think you should at least...

Derek Shelton revealed the third piece of his starting rotation Tuesday when he named Mitch Keller to start Sunday against the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium. Previously, he said Joe Musgrove and Trevor Williams will pitch the first two games of the season-opening series Friday and Saturday. Keller threw...

This is the first of a four-part position-by-position preview of the Pirates heading into Friday’s season opener in St. Louis. Thursday: Starting pitchers When you look at the thin numbers in the Pittsburgh Pirates outfield, you think of former starters and .300 hitters Corey Dickerson and Starling Marte. And you...

Breakout candidate Cole Tucker He loves the game and is athletically gifted, so Tucker might be equipped to handle a reserve role in the outfield, a position he never has played as a pro. A first-round pick six years ago, it’s Tucker’s time — somewhere. Pressure’s on Gregory Polanco Regarded...

Just when you thought MLB blurred the lines between the American League and National League this season, with interleague games and a universal designated hitter, PNC Park is ready to blow your mind. The Pittsburgh Pirates are willing to welcome with open arms their neighbors from the True North, the...

Never mind that Cole Tucker had never played outfield before. He has a knack for making dramatic debuts with the Pittsburgh Pirates, whether it’s hitting a game-winning home run or making a sliding catch. This one didn’t get a curtain call, but Tucker tipped his cap anyway. The 6-foot-3 shortstop,...

In his final outing of training camp, Trevor Williams looked like he was ready for the regular season. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander retired seven consecutive batters before leaving with two outs, a runner on third and a two-run lead. Then the bullpen blew up, as the Cleveland Indians punished the...

Rejected from playing at Rogers Centre by the Canadian government amid the coronavirus pandemic, the Toronto Blue Jays are looking into the possibility of playing home games at PNC Park this season. And the Pittsburgh Pirates are welcoming the idea with open arms. The Pirates’ home ballpark is one of...