Pirates/MLB category, Page 278
Pirates lose home opener on an 11th-inning passed ball
Nick Kingham is 27 years old and has played baseball at many levels for most of that time. But what happened in the 11th inning of the Pirates’ home opener Monday at PNC Park is something that rarely has occurred to him in any of his games. And after it...
7-year-old opera singer from Latrobe sings anthem at Pirates home openerVideo
The performer of “The Star Spangled Banner” for the 133rd Pittsburgh Pirates home opener didn’t retreat to a star’s dressing room after walking off the PNC Park grass. She didn’t make any big-timer demands, either. It might surprise you what Latrobe native Victory Brinker most wanted after singing the national...
Hope springs eternal on Pirates’ Opening Day
It’s important to have priorities. As big-league baseball returned to Pittsburgh on Monday with the Pirates opening their home schedule at PNC Park, die-hard fans chose going to the sun-drenched yet chilly opener over work, school and other lesser priorities. “I skipped school for this, but I don’t think I’ll...
Colin Moran, Pablo Reyes inserted into Pirates starting lineup for home openerVideo
Clint Hurdle juggled his lineup for the home opener and third game of the season Monday when the Pittsburgh Pirates meet the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park. After right fielder Melky Cabrera had two hits against the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, he will sit Monday in favor of rookie...
First call: Backup draft plan for Steelers; Goldschmidt brings hot start to Pittsburgh
In Monday’s “First Call,” a look at a backup plan for the Steelers if they don’t draft a “Devin.” A big bat for the Cardinals is coming into Pittsburgh hot. And the Blue Jackets may finally be putting it all together. Backup plan Apparently the Steelers have a backup in...
Cold temps, clear skies set stage for Pirates’ home opener
Clear skies and bright sunshine greeted fans arriving at PNC Park on Monday morning for the Pittsburgh Pirates’ home season. Yet, the temperature was 28 degrees at 8:30 a.m., with reports of it climbing no higher than 36 by first pitch at 1:05 p.m. Who didn’t scrape ice off their...
Tim Benz, Mark Madden discuss Penguins playoff push, Roethlisberger’s radio show, Pirates opener
In this week’s “Madden Monday,” Mark Madden of 105.9 the X joins me to talk about the Penguins playoff push. How have they survived without Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang? We get into Sidney Crosby’s exceptional performance of late, playing strong tactical hockey, and the perfect playoff hole to hit....
Steve Blass, Dick Groat, Tree of Life remembrance among plans for PNC Park 2019 opener
Like all home openers, the first game of 2019 at PNC Park is not without its pregame pomp and circumstance. The Pittsburgh Pirates begin their home schedule with a game Monday against the St. Louis Cardinals. But plenty will happen on the field in the 35 minutes leading to the...
Melky Cabrera looks good batting seventh for Pirates
No season-long determinations can be — or should be — made after the Pittsburgh Pirates’ first two games. But maybe keeping Starling Marte healthy and batting second in the lineup and Melky Cabrera seventh while he mans right field in Gregory Polanco’s absence is the way to go for now....
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: Pirates hoping for another Home Opener Hero
Whether it’s a leadoff or walk-off, a solo shot, two in two at-bats or a grand slam, there is something special about the home team hitting a home run at the home opener. The Pittsburgh Pirates hope to find their next Home Opener Hero when they host the St. Louis...
Pirates Trevor Williams throws 6 innings, logs 2 RBIs in shutout win
CINCINNATI — Trevor Williams looked like himself on the mound. He looked like somebody else at the plate. Williams pitched six effective innings and drove in two runs, helping the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the sloppy Cincinnati Reds, 5-0, on Sunday. “He was just efficient,” Pirates manager Clint Hurdle said. “His...
5 things to watch at Pirates’ home opener
Although fans have had a peek at the 2019 Pittsburgh Pirates, Monday is the first time many will get to see the team in person. The Pirates split two games in Cincinnati to start the season, and that showed a tiny sample of what most expect of the Pirates this...
Pirates rained out in Cincinnati; Joe Musgrove’s start pushed back
For the third consecutive year, the Pittsburgh Pirates have had a weather-related postponement during their season-opening series. Saturday’s scheduled afternoon game in Cincinnati was not played and will be made up as part of a day-night doubleheader May 27. Last season, the opener in Detroit was snowed out. In 2017,...
Pirates’ Corey Dickerson announces autism fundraising initiative
Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Corey Dickerson and his wife are pledging funds to help those with autism, the team announced. Under an initiative Dickerson is launching called “Assists for Autism,” he will donate money for outfield assists across MLB. During April, which is Autism Awareness Month, the Dickersons will donate $100...
Here’s what Opening Day taught us about the Pirates
Unless you expected the Pittsburgh Pirates to post a 162-0 record this season and Jameson Taillon to throw a no-hitter on Opening Day, you should not judge the team harshly after its two-run loss to the Cincinnati Reds. After all, they were one extra-base hit by Corey Dickerson and a...
Pirates’ rally falls short against Reds on Opening Day
CINCINNATI — The noise from a crowd of 44,049 bounced all over Great American Ball Park in a tense ninth inning Thursday, but Corey Dickerson tried not to hear it. Pitch after pitch, foul ball after foul ball — 12 of one, seven of the other — the Pittsburgh Pirates’...
Pirates director of sports medicine encouraged by Polanco’s rehab
CINCINNATI – There remains no definitive timetable for Gregory Polanco’s return from shoulder surgery, but Pittsburgh Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk is encouraged. “He is responding well,” Tomczyk said, noting Polanco has played in three Triple-A games in Bradenton, Fla. “His biggest comment was his entire body was...
Starling Marte pulled from Pirates’ starting lineup with migraine headache
CINCINNATI — More bad health-related news arrived in the clubhouse of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday when center fielder Starling Marte was removed from the starting lineup with a migraine headache, the team announced on its Twitter account. Marte was replaced in the outfield by J.B. Shuck while Melky Cabrera...
Pirates’ Clint Hurdle appreciates ‘vibe, energy’ of Opening Day
CINCINNATI — Clint Hurdle woke up Thursday morning and made a decision he didn’t regret. The Pittsburgh Pirates manager walked from his hotel to Great American Ball Park, where his team was preparing to open the season against the Cincinnati Reds. “I walked over just to get a piece of...
Lonnie Chisenhall joins 6 other Pirates on injured list with broken finger
CINCINNATI — The Pittsburgh Pirates’ first moves of the season Thursday were not what the front office had in mind for Opening Day. The Pirates placed seven players, including starting right fielder Lonnie Chisenhall and starting pitcher Jordan Lyles, on the injured list prior to their game against the Cincinnati...
New-look Reds await Pirates in season opener
CINCINNATI — The MLB commissioner is grand marshal of the pregame parade. All major league teams are wearing patches commemorating Cincinnati’s first all-professional team. A new manager and an overhauled lineup provide intrigue. The Reds haven’t been in the Opening Day spotlight this way for years. The last time Cincinnati...
Kevin Gorman: If Pirates want a new narrative, playoffs are only answer
Neal Huntington knows as expectations have changed for the Pittsburgh Pirates, from ending a two-decade losing streak to wanting to win a World Series, so have the never-ending narratives. The Pirates general manager buys into neither the notion that the baseball club would be satisfied with finishing above .500 nor...
3 things Pirates pitchers will need to happen in 2019
Oddsmakers and media analysts aren’t overly bullish on the Pittsburgh Pirates’ chances to make the playoffs. But if the Pirates qualify for the postseason for a fourth time since 2013, it will be a sneaky-good pitching staff that carries them there. MLB.com recently named the top 10 starting rotations and...
No snow this year, but another chilly home opener predicted for Pirates
If you are planning to attend the Pirates’ home opener Monday against St. Louis you’ll want to bring a jacket. And maybe a sweater. The forecast from the National Weather Service in Moon calls for temperatures that are colder than the average for April 1, with a high of 47...
3 things to watch from Pirates hitters this season
The Pittsburgh Pirates had a winning record last season, but it was obvious what held them back from greater heights: an offense ranked 20th in the majors in runs, 25th in home runs and 17th in OPS. This was illustrated by the combined .430 winning percentage of the five teams...
