Pirates/MLB category, Page 19
U mad, bro?: Pirates fans are fed up with Oneil Cruz, Steelers fans miffed at coverage of T.J. Watt and Aaron Rodgers
It’s one thing to stink. It’s something else to stink and be lazy in the process. Pittsburgh Pirates fans are fed up with Oneil Cruz, as he reinforced that notion this week. Meanwhile, I seemed to agitate Steelers fans with my All-Quarter-Century team, my thoughts on Aaron Rodgers and my...
Pirates farm report for June 25, 2025: Ronny Simon belts grand slam in Indy loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 43-33) blew a 5-0 lead and lost 7-5 to Omaha (Royals) in 10 innings. LF Ronny Simon (.310) went 1 for 4 with a grand slam. CF Liover Peguero (.251) went 3 for 4 with a run scored and his eighth stolen base. RF Nick Solak (.369) went...
Paul Skenes has rare rough, abbreviated outing as Pirates fall to Brewers, dropping series
Wednesday’s series finale in Milwaukee between the Pittsburgh Pirates and Brewers featured an anticipated pitching matchup as Paul Skenes faced fellow 23-year-old flamethrower Jacob Misiorowski, a rookie who had impressed over his first two big-league starts. Milwaukee came away with a 4-2 victory at American Family Field to take the...
First Call: Steelers reportedly ‘checked in’ on Jalen Ramsey; Diontae Johnson thinks Kenny Pickett will start for BrownsVideo
Wednesday’s “First Call” has Adam Schefter’s update on the Pittsburgh Steelers’ level of interest in Jalen Ramsey. An ex-Steeler thinks Kenny Pickett is going to win the Browns starting QB job. We examine some struggling Pirates. We also advance a highlight moment for the Penn State women’s hockey program. Ramsey...
Pirates’ Oneil Cruz benched for lack of hustle down 1st-base lineVideo
There’s no disputing that Oneil Cruz, with his Statcast-shattering swings and howitzer arm, is one of baseball’s unique talents. But throughout his major-league career, Cruz’s elite skills have been accompanied by mental lapses and errors in the field. Tuesday night in Milwaukee, a combination of a lack of hustle and...
Pirates farm report for June 24, 2025: Nick Solak, Billy Cook homer in Indy win
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 43-32) clobbered Omaha (Royals), 9-1. 1B Nick Solak (.368) went 2 for 4 with a three-run homer, his eighth. CF Billy Cook (.275) went 2 for 3 with a three-run homer, his first, and his 11th stolen base. He also walked and scored three runs. LF Ronny Simon...
Brewers rip 3 homers off Andrew Heaney to top Pirates, even series
Andrew Heaney had ample reason to be displeased with his last time on the hill, when he allowed a season-high seven earned runs June 19 in Detroit. But, as the 34-year-old Pittsburgh Pirates veteran noted after that game, it was far from his first rodeo in navigating through a bad...
Pirates option Hunter Stratton to Triple-A, promote Michael Darrell-Hicks in bullpen switch
The Pittsburgh Pirates announced a swap of right-handed bullpen personnel Tuesday afternoon, optioning Hunter Stratton to Triple-A Indianapolis and recalling Michael Darrell-Hicks from the Indians. Stratton on Monday did not have a strong outing against the Milwaukee Brewers. Relieving Braxton Ashcraft in the fourth inning, he allowed three runs on...
Pirates’ Nick Gonzales goes 5 for 5 in Milwaukee, setting new career high in hitsVideo
Judging by the way he described his pregame routine, Nick Gonzales would not have bet money he’d end Monday with a career high in hits. Gonzales couldn’t be kept off the bags in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-4 win over the Brewers as he went 5 for 5 with two doubles...
Bats stay hot, Pirates top Brewers using 5 relievers in bullpen game
The Pittsburgh Pirates have utilized rookie pitcher Braxton Ashcraft in a multitude of situations since calling him up to the big leagues May 26, but until Monday in Milwaukee, they hadn’t given him a start. That changed at American Family Field against the Brewers, as Ashcraft was entrusted to begin...
Mark Madden: Stench of Pirates’ best players might be the foulest
The Pittsburgh Pirates should be covered like a dumpster fire. The Hindenburg disaster. The fall of Saigon. They’re not. Let’s lay out the unvarnished truth: Don Kelly has changed little since taking over as manager. There was a short adrenaline rush, as with any coaching switch. But the Pirates still...
Pirates’ Tommy Pham hopes he’s turned a corner with ‘complicated’ vision, contact lens issuesVideo
In Tommy Pham’s debut campaign with the Pittsburgh Pirates, the lows have exceeded the highs. For much of this season, Pham has struggled to maintain a batting average north of the Mendoza line. While offering steady defense in left field, he didn’t hit his first home run until Monday’s game...
Pirates farm report for June 22, 2025: Bubba Chandler allows 6 runs in Indians loss
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 42-32) allowed a six-run inning and lost to Columbus (Guardians), 8-6. DH Ronny Simon (.308) led of with a home run. 1B Nick Solak (.365) was 3 for 3 with two walks and a run scored. RF Jack Suwinski (.259) was 1 for 3 with a double, two...
Pirates explode for 15 hits, battling heat to top Rangers, avert sweep
On the verge of being swept, as well as dropping eight of their last 10 games, the Pittsburgh Pirates took on the Texas Rangers on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park in 91-degree heat. Multiple Pirates players broke out of offensive slumps to lead the club to an 8-3 win in...
Pirates GM Ben Cherington previews approach with trade deadline on horizon
Ben Cherington remains unwilling to give up on the club he assembled for the 2025 campaign, insisting the Pittsburgh Pirates in their current iteration have potential. That said, there is an inescapable reality that Cherington recognizes: The Pirates simply haven’t been good enough over the course of the season. “I...
Pirates farm report for June 21, 2025: Esmerlyn Valdez blasts 2 homers for Greensboro
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 42-31) managed four hits in a 4-1 loss to Columbus (Guardians). C Shawn Ross (.233) went 1 for 3 with his first homer. 2B Nick Solak (.353) went 1 for 4 with a double. RF Matt Fraizer (.278) and SS Alika Williams (.253) had singles. CF Jack Suwinski...
Rangers bullpen shuts down Pirates, who drop another 1-run game for 7th loss in past 9
For a fleeting moment, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked like they had a chance to tie the score in the ninth inning against the Texas Rangers when Henry Davis drilled a ball 393 feet to center field. The ball landed in Evan Carter’s glove at the warning track, and the symbolism...
Full Count: Difference between Pirates under Don Kelly, Derek Shelton a tale of 2 1st halves
As the Pittsburgh Pirates approach the halfway point of the season, it feels like they already have played two halves: one with Derek Shelton as manager and another under the direction of Don Kelly. Where Shelton was fired May 8 amid a 12-26 start — a .316 winning percentage —...
Bucs Q&A: Pirates CF Oneil Cruz a ‘normal guy’ when it comes to making mental mistakes
What did you see on the ball that got past you in the first inning Friday night against the Rangers? It was just a hard line drive right at me. I think I trusted myself too much, and it just went by me. I just made a mistake. What has...
Bryan Reynolds returns to Pirates from paternity leave; Ryan Borucki to 15-day IL
After missing three games and part of another for the birth of his third child — another boy — two-time All-Star outfielder Bryan Reynolds returned from paternity leave to rejoin the Pittsburgh Pirates. Reynolds will start in right field and bat third in the order against the Texas Rangers on...
The week ahead: Pirates face Brewers on road, host Mets
Here’s a look at next week’s Pirates schedule: at Brewers 7:40 p.m. Monday (SN PIT) 7:40 p.m. Tuesday (SN PIT) 2:10 p.m. Wednesday (SN PIT) • The Pirates had their game in Detroit rained out June 18 and Milwaukee could relate, as that same evening, the Brewers’ contest at Wrigley...
Pirates prospect watch: Yordany De Los Santos gaining traction offensively with Bradenton
Yordany De Los Santos Position: SS/3B/2B Height: 6-foot-2 Weight: 170 pounds Level: Low-A Bradenton Notable: At first glance, Yordany De Los Santos’ .236 batting average with Low-A Bradenton hardly impresses. However, with some context, the 20-year-old De Los Santos can be viewed in a different light. De Los Santos, the...
Pirates farm report for June 20, 2025: Ji Hwan Bae has 2 hits on rehab assignment with Bradenton
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 42-30) lost 4-2 to Columbus (Guardians). RHP Thomas Harrington (4-7, 5.58) started and went 5⅓ innings, allowing four runs on four hits, including two homers. He walked two and struck out six. RHP Yohan Ramirez (3.76), RHP Michael Darrell-Hicks (0.00) and RHP Kyle Nicolas (3.72) combined to throw...
Behind Jacob deGrom, Rangers pound 13 hits to top Pirates
The Pittsburgh Pirates faced a Cy Young Award-winning pitcher for the second consecutive day, but before Jacob deGrom even took the mound there were signs this was going to be a long night. Josh Smith led off with a bloop single and scored when Sam Haggerty’s sharp grounder to center...
Pirates reliever Dennis Santana receives 4-game suspension for swiping at fan in Detroit
Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Dennis Santana was suspended four games by MLB for taking a swipe at a fan from the bullpen Thursday night during the second game of a doubleheader at Detroit. The suspension was scheduled to start Friday, when the Pirates host the Texas Rangers for the first...
