Pirates/MLB category, Page 3
First Call: Steelers game in Ireland posts huge TV ratings; John Harbaugh fuzzy on Lamar Jackson’s status
Thursday’s “First Call” boasts some eye-popping ratings for Steelers-Vikings in Ireland. The Baltimore Ravens injury report is eye-catching as well. And in the Major League Baseball playoffs, one former Pirate nailed down a save for his team, while another is trying to extend his club’s season on Thursday. Early wake-up...
U mad, bro?: Mike Tomlin’s decision-making, Pirates’ failures anger fans
The Steelers are going into the bye weekend at 3-1 and in first place atop the AFC North. Nothing to complain about, right? Ha! That’s a good one! via GIPHY So long as Mike Tomlin is managing the clock and the Pirates are playing baseball, that’s never going to be...
Pirates took calculated risk by changing pitching coaches in push to maximize talent
Don Kelly repeatedly made the point that pitching was the foundation for the Pittsburgh Pirates, with Paul Skenes an overwhelming favorite to win the National League Cy Young and anchoring a staff that led MLB in shutouts and ranked in the top 10 in multiple categories. So, it came across...
Tim Benz: For Pirates fans, the MLB playoffs are a bittersweet reminder of what the sport can be — and what their team is not
A little after 7 p.m. I took a break from watching the Yankees-Red Sox playoff game between innings. I walked out on my back deck overlooking the North Side of Pittsburgh. The sunset was coloring the pastel skies over PNC Park, and I thought, “What a great night this would...
Source: Pirates won’t renew contracts of pitching coach Oscar Marin, 3rd base coach Mike Rabelo
The Pittsburgh Pirates will not renew the contracts of pitching coach Oscar Marin and third base coach Mike Rabelo, according to a league source. In addition, assistant pitching coach Brent Strom is retiring. Additional support staff moves could be coming, according to a source. The coaching staff decisions come a...
First Call: New details on Tyreek Hill’s awful ‘MNF’ injury; Browns also have a WR issue
Tuesday’s “First Call” has more information about Tyreek Hill’s gruesome injury on “Monday Night Football.” The Browns are dealing with wide receiver depth issues as well in advance of their game against the Steelers. The baseball playoffs are getting underway. And there is a quote from an MLB owner that...
Kevin Gorman’s Take 5: By keeping Don Kelly, the Pirates opt for continuity over change
After a season of moves that made little sense, it was only fitting that the Pittsburgh Pirates chose to extend the contract of manager Don Kelly on a day that three MLB teams terminated their skippers. That’s not to suggest that keeping Kelly as manager on a permanent basis isn’t...
Despite ‘very frustrating year,’ Pirates confirm that GM Ben Cherington will return in 2026
Despite the Pittsburgh Pirates enduring a 91-loss season that team president Travis Williams termed a “very frustrating year … both on and off the field,” there will be no major changes in their front office. Not only did the Pirates extend the contract of manager Don Kelly on Monday, but...
Man heads to trial on charge he gave beer to underage Pirates fan who fell at PNC Park
A man charged with buying beer at a Pirates game this year for his underage friend — who then fell more than 20 feet to the field below — waived his preliminary hearing on Monday. Ethan Kirkwood, 21, of Liberty will proceed to court on one of two counts of...
‘Higher standard for baseball in Pittsburgh’: Pirates extend contract of manager Don Kelly
The Pittsburgh Pirates’ season had just ended when general manager Ben Cherington discussed with Don Kelly the desire to extend his contract as manager, with a simple theme affirming the decision. Cherington explained that it went beyond Kelly’s success since taking over when Derek Shelton was fired May 8 after...
Behind Charlie Morton, Chris Sale, Braves beat Pirates in season finale to avoid series sweep
The Pittsburgh Pirates entered the finale of a disappointing season seeking a sweep against the Atlanta Braves, only to endure the same storyline that plagued their performance at the plate. Instead of a sweep, their bats went to sleep. From a ceremonial start by former Pirates right-hander Charlie Morton to...
Bubba Chandler shines with 6 strikeouts as Pirates beat Braves
Bubba Chandler always dreamed of pitching at Turner Field, before the ballpark closed in 2016. So Truist Park served as a perfect consolation prize for the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie right-hander from Bogart, Ga. Chandler drew a large contingent of family and friends for his first start in Atlanta and gave...
Spencer Horwitz homers twice as Pirates post pair of 4-run innings to beat Braves
Mitch Keller rarely got run support to start the season, so it proved poetic that his final start would be the one where the Pittsburgh Pirates finally came through with a big inning. Sparked by Spencer Horwitz — who went 3 for 3 with two home runs, two walks, three...
Mark Madden: Does it matter if Don Kelly returns as Pirates manager?
As the Pittsburgh Pirates mercifully put a wrap on another stinker of a season, whispers circulate that Don Kelly isn’t a lock to return as manager. Maybe that shouldn’t be surprising. Kelly replaced Derek Shelton on May 8 after previously serving as Shelton’s bench coach. Kelly never officially had the...
Pirates lose 90th game and 35th by 1 run as Reds make 2 runs stand up
The Pirates couldn’t secure a three-game sweep of the Reds on Thursday at Great American Ball Park in Cincinnati but did clinch their first 90-loss season since back-to-back 100-loss seasons in 2021-22. A two-run fifth inning by the Reds was too much for the Pirates to overcome as they dropped...
Tim Benz: Paul Skenes gives Pittsburgh a brief reminder of what September baseball can beVideo
For a guy who recently warned the Pittsburgh Pirates against the prospect of 2025 becoming a “wasted year,” Paul Skenes certainly created an enduring memory during his final outing of the campaign. Skenes pitched six scoreless innings before heading to the bench with a 2-0 lead against the Cincinnati Reds....
Paul Skenes sparkles in final start of season as Pirates top Reds in 11 innings
Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes missed out on earning his 11th win of the season Wednesday night in Cincinnati at the Great American Ball Park, but the Pirates did continue to spoil the Reds’ playoff hopes. After Skenes threw six shutout innings for his 14th outing of the season without...
Mark Madden: A reminder of better days, Andrew McCutchen belongs with Pirates
Andrew McCutchen wants to keep playing baseball, presumably for the Pittsburgh Pirates. That had better be the case, anyway. There’s little demand for 38-year-old designated hitters with zero mobility beyond markets where they can sell interest, hype, some merchandise and a few tickets as a nostalgia act. For McCutchen, that’s...
Hunter Barco gets win in MLB debut as Pirates beat Reds for 3rd straight victory
Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander Hunter Barco took a few steps out of the bullpen at the Great American Ball Park on Tuesday and took the opportunity to look around. “I was like, ‘Whoa, all right. We’re here,’” Barco said on the SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame show. Barco, who is the Pirates’ fourth-ranked...
Pirates select contract of LHP pitcher Hunter Barco, club’s No. 4 overall prospect
The Pittsburgh Pirates selected the contract of 24-year-old left-handed pitcher Hunter Barco on Tuesday, setting the stage for a late-season MLB debut by their No. 4 overall prospect. Barco, splitting this season between Double-A and Triple-A, has gone a combined 4-1 with a 2.81 ERA in 99 1/3 innings, with...
After getting the ‘better’ surgery, Pirates righty Jared Jones thrilled to be throwing again
When doctors couldn’t get good imaging of the backside of his elbow to determine the damage to his ulnar collateral ligament, Jared Jones wasn’t sure what type of surgery lay ahead. The Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander didn’t know whether he would need reconstruction of his right elbow, the preferable InternalBrace or...
Baseball America names Pirates prospect Konnor Griffin its Minor League Player of Year
Baseball America announced Monday that it has named Pittsburgh Pirates shortstop prospect Konnor Griffin its 2025 Minor League Player of the Year, a first for an Altoona Curve player. The 19-year-old Griffin, who was selected ninth overall in 2024, batted .333/.415/.527 with 23 doubles, four triples, 21 home runs, 94...
Learning to lead: Pirates believe Paul Skenes has earned the equity to be outspoken star
Paul Skenes returned from a recent road trip and discovered his locker had been moved to a more prominent spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates clubhouse, just across from franchise icon Andrew McCutchen. It was designed to give Skenes more space but also served as a not-so-subtle message that the 23-year-old...
‘We’ll see what happens’: Andrew McCutchen noncommittal about future with Pirates
As the crowd applauded in appreciation, Andrew McCutchen tipped his batting helmet before what might have been his final at-bat for the Pittsburgh Pirates at PNC Park. A franchise icon who ranks among the club’s all-time leaders in most major offensive categories, McCutchen also is aware that he is a...
Pirates farm report for Sept. 21, 2025: Nelson Velázquez’s homer seals season finale win for Indy
INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 87-62) topped Gwinnett (Braves), 6-4, in the season finale. RF Nelson Velazquez (.234) was 3 for 5 with a two-run homer, double and three RBIs. LF Sammy Siani (.261) was 2 for 5 with two RBIs and a run scored. CF Jase Bowen (.294), DH Nick Solak (.332)...
