Pirates/MLB category, Page 267
Tim Benz: If Pirates, Reds weren’t so lame, they could have a decent rivalry
Given all the attention on how the Pirates may retaliate against Derek Dietrich preening after his three home runs Tuesday, tempers were a little hot Wednesday afternoon in Cincinnati. The Pirates beat the Reds, 7-2. But it wasn’t without incident. Pirates pitcher Clay Holmes, not exactly renowned for his control...
Pirates minor league report: May 29, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 29-20) won 2-0 over Charlotte (White Sox). The Indians scored two runs in the seventh inning on a line-drive RBI single from DH Jung-Ho Kang (.500) followed by an RBI sacrifice fly from 2B Kevin Kramer (.278). Kang finished 1 for 3 in his second game on...
Josh Bell homers again, Colin Moran hits 3-run shot as Pirates winVideo
CINCINNATI — Josh Bell is finishing off one of the best power-hitting months in Pittsburgh Pirates history. The switch-hitting first baseman tied the club record with his 12th homer in May, and the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds, 7-2, on Wednesday for a split of their four-game series that ended...
Honus Wagner baseball card sells privately for $1.2 million
LAGUNA NIGUEL, Calif. — A Honus Wagner baseball card has been sold privately for $1.2 million. SCP Auctions in Southern California says the 1909-11 T206 card was graded in Good 2 condition on a scale of 1 to 10 by Professional Sports Authenticator. The auction house says this example of...
Tim Benz: Josh Bell’s breakout season can be traced to 1 stat
One of the advanced analytics regularly in the dunking booth for baseball old-schoolers is exit velocity. You know, Major League Baseball’s Statcast tracking of how fast a player hits the ball off the bat. The older the baseball fan, the more likely you are to hear: “Do I really need...
Kevin Gorman: Why do Pirates keep pitching to Derek Dietrich?Video
Derek Dietrich has made a habit of admiring his home runs – a little too long for my liking – and celebrating them with choreographed moves while rounding the bases. Chris Archer took exception to Dietrich’s homer display and threw a pitch behind the Cincinnati Reds infielder last month that...
Tim Benz: Broadcasters shred Derek Dietrich as he shreds Pirates
It appears the “grandpa shaming” of Derek Dietrich has backfired. As we documented following Cincinnati’s Tuesday night victory over the Pirates, Dietrich decided to strike a pose after homering against the Pirates. Again. That got former Pirate and current team broadcaster John Wehner talking. He was on 93.7 The Fan...
Pirates minor league report for May 29, 2019
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 28-20) lost 9-4 to Charlotte (White Sox). RHP Eduardo Vera (3-4, 6.41) allowed seven earned runs on nine hits in 4 1/3 innings. Vera had two strikeouts and a walk. SS Pablo Reyes (.219) hit a two-run homer in the third inning. 1B Will Craig (.270) had a...
Derek Dietrich homers 3 times as Reds beat pitching-strapped PiratesVideo
CINCINNATI — Derek Dietrich was describing his three-homer game for the media when Scooter Gennett walked past and put it in a slightly different perspective. “Anybody can hit three, Derek,” said Gennett, who did him one better in 2017. No, Dietrich’s latest big game didn’t set any records. But it...
Keller’s first MLB stay is brief as Pirates return top prospect to Triple-A
Mitch Keller’s development will continue in Indianapolis. A day after he allowed six runs in the first inning of his first major-league start, Keller was optioned to the Triple-A Indians on Tuesday. General manager Neal Huntington had been reluctant to use Keller, 23, before management considered him ready, and only...
Mitch Keller has company among Pirates who lost their debutsVideo
Pittsburgh Pirates management faced a dilemma after watching Mitch Keller’s major-league debut Monday in Cincinnati. What stretch of pitches by the 23-year-old Keller mattered most? The 41 he threw in the first inning when the Reds scored six runs? Or, the 44 he threw over his next — and final...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden debate Kessel trade idea, Pirates, Porter ripping Roethlisberger
Mark Madden joins me for “Madden Madden” a day late after the Memorial Day holiday. We debate that failed trade of Phil Kessel to the Wild. Mark and I have differing views on that front. I’m not opposed to a deal involving Kessel. But I’m down on the structure of...
Kevin Gorman: Credit Pirates GM for calling for concussion-related rule changes
Neal Huntington deserves credit for stepping out of his comfort zone as Pittsburgh Pirates general manager to challenge Major League Baseball’s concussion protocol. When Pirates catcher Francisco Cervelli took a broken bat off his mask in the fourth inning Saturday night against the Los Angeles Dodgers (but didn’t remove himself...
First Call: Feel-good Jordan Staal story; Derek Dietrich punks Pirates again
In Tuesday’s “First Call,” Jordan Staal’s kind gesture is heartwarming. More replay may be coming to the NHL. And Derek Dietrich continues to provoke. Jordan’s jet Carolina Hurricanes general manager Don Waddell shared some thoughts about the team chemistry that helped push his team from the seventh seed to the...
Tim Benz: Pirates leaning on surprisingly reliable Jordan Lyles
Clint Hurdle took a look at his extended pitching chart while meeting with the media before Saturday’s game against the Dodgers. It was a color-coded mashup with individual schedules, notes and cross-outs. He shrugged and gave a resigned, bemused grin. “At the back end of it, we’ve got (Jordan) Lyles...
Pirates minor league report: May 27, 2019
Pirates INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 28-19) won 8-3 at Columbus (Indians). Jung-Ho Kang went 2 for 4 with two RBIs and two runs scored. Corey Dickerson went 1 for 5 with a run scored and three strikeouts. Next: Tuesday vs. Charlotte (White Sox), 7:05 p.m. ALTOONA (Double-A, 23-26) lost 7-3 at Portland...
Mitch Keller rocked as Pirates drop 2nd game of doubleheader to RedsVideo
CINCINNATI — Jose Iglesias has been drawing rave reviews all season for his nifty glove work. He contributed nicely at the plate Monday, too. The slick-fielding Iglesias hit his first career grand slam off Mitch Keller in the right-hander’s major league debut, and the Cincinnati Reds beat the Pittsburgh Pirates...
Bryan Reynolds powers Pirates past Reds in Game 1 of doubleheaderVideo
CINCINNATI — After producing five outs in his first four at-bats, Bryan Reynolds was looking for a way to salvage his day. He found one. The rookie outfielder hit a tiebreaking two-run triple in Pittsburgh’s four-run eighth inning, and the Pirates beat the Cincinnati Reds, 8-5, on Monday in the...
Pirates’ Ken Brett authors a near-perfect Memorial Day worth rememberingVideo
Back in the old days, when finances didn’t matter, MLB teams played doubleheaders on Sundays and holidays. That’s why it was such a surprise Monday when Pittsburgh Pirates play-by-play man Joe Block mentioned that the Memorial Day doubleheader with the Cincinnati Reds was the first between the two old National...
Pirates acquire right-hander Yefry Ramirez from Orioles
The Pittsburgh Pirates addressed their pitching depth by acquiring right-hander Yefry Ramirez from the Baltimore Orioles on Monday in a trade for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Ramirez, whose first name is pronounced “Jeffrey,” will be assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room on the 40-man...
Pirates add relievers to roster, move Corey Dickerson to 60-day IL
The Pittsburgh Pirates added a pair of right-handed relievers to their roster for Monday’s doubleheader at the Cincinnati Reds. Richard Rodriguez was added as the 26th man, while Alex McRae’s contract also was selected from Triple-A Indianapolis. To make room for McRae on the 40-man roster, the Pirates moved outfielder...
Kevin Gorman: Pirates need Mitch Keller to stabilize starting rotationVideo
I asked Neal Huntington whether he subscribed to the idea that an elite pitching prospect like Mitch Keller, ready or not, would rise to a higher level because it was required of him. The Pittsburgh Pirates general manager had a three-word answer: “Not at all.” Keller will make his major-league...
Pirates pitcher Rookie Davis relishing return to Cincinnati to face RedsVideo
When Rookie Davis underwent hip surgery in October 2017, he knew it would be a long road to recovery and that there was no guarantee he would pitch in the major leagues again. When the Pirates signed Davis to a minor-league contract during spring training and assigned him to Triple-A...
John Steigerwald: Enjoy Josh Bell before he leaves the Pirates
Enjoy the Josh Bell ride while it lasts. Going into Sunday’s game against the Dodgers, Bell had the second highest batting average in Major League Baseball at .339, he was second in RBIs with 47 and tied for fifth in home runs with 16. Bell is on pace to hit...
Pirates collapse under weight of Dodgers bats, suffer 3rd straight lossVideo
Chris Archer threw one pitch that bounced wildly to the backstop, then another the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Corey Seager deposited over the fence. Archer went to three balls on 10 batters while throwing 105 pitches in only five innings. Overall, 42 percent of them missed the strike zone. That was...
