Pirates/MLB category, Page 69

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 15-18) was beaten up by St. Paul (Twins), 11-3. LHP Caleb Smith started and gave up eight runs, all earned, on seven his and four walks in 3.2 innings. 2B Nick Gonzales (.267) went 1 for 4 with a double and a walk. C Endy Rodriguez (.260) was...

When Josh Palacios went to dinner Monday night with Indianapolis Indians teammates Chavez Young and Vinny Capra, he never imagined that disaster would strike. He didn’t forget his wallet, and there was nothing wrong with the food at the hibachi restaurant in Minneapolis’ Mall of America. Those things the Pittsburgh...

With their seven-game losing streak behind them, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked to Luis Ortiz to provide the same kind of spark the rookie right-hander gave them in his major-league debut last September. Instead, they went down in flames. A tied game took a turn in the fourth inning, when first...

Ben Cherington said Monday he wasn’t satisfied with the Pittsburgh Pirates’ depth, so the general manager is shaking up the roster after they endured a season-worst, seven-game losing streak. A day after adding veteran Chris Owings to stabilize the shortstop position, the Pirates added a hot bat to the lineup...

When Rodolfo Castro hit Kyle Freeland’s belt-high fastball, he knew that it had a chance. Then again, the Pittsburgh Pirates infielder hit the ball to left-center, the deepest part of PNC Park. So there was a moment of uncertainty as it sailed toward the bullpen and just over the outstretched...

There was never a conversation about taking Mitch Keller out of the game, not with the way the Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander was dealing against the Colorado Rockies with confidence and pinpoint control. The pressure of pitching in a scoreless game was relieved when Rodolfo Castro hit a line drive over...

Searching for stability at shortstop and a starting pitcher, the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday turned to Triple-A Indianapolis for a pair of roster moves made in hopes of stopping their seven-game losing streak. The Pirates selected the contract of 31-year-old Chris Owings and immediately inserted him into the starting lineup...

If refreshing sports notes are wrong, you don’t want to be right! Something for everybody! • Pro Football Focus projects the Pittsburgh Steelers as a possible landing spot for free-agent veteran edge rusher Kyle Van Noy. Sounds like a good idea. Fourth-round draft pick Nick Herbig isn’t a known commodity....

Pittsburgh Steelers management is still downplaying any prearranged knowledge of how pick No. 14 would work out upon completion of their draft-night trade with the New England Patriots. The Steelers are getting high marks for that deal as well as the rest of their offseason. The Pittsburgh Passion honors Franco...

Following a 10-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Sunday, Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton attempted to explain how his team went from the hottest team in baseball to the coldest almost overnight. On April 23, the Pirates had won seven consecutive games to improve to 16-7 and move...

A week ago, the Pittsburgh Pirates looked like a team that could do no wrong. Now, for the Bucs, it’s a case of anything that can go wrong will go wrong. For as good as April was for the Pirates (ending the month 20-9), May has been every bit as...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 15-17) beat Toledo (Tigers), 9-5. SS Chris Owings (.273) was 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs. LF Ryan Vilade hit a solo homer. 1B Aaron Shackelford (.301) was 2 for 3 with a home run and two RBIs. 3B Josh Bissonette (.246) was 1...

After suffering a second consecutive sweep that stretched their losing streak to seven games, the Pittsburgh Pirates can take comfort in one thing: At least they don’t play in the American League East. The Toronto Blue Jays followed the Tampa Bay Rays in sweeping a three-game series over the Pirates,...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 14-17) clobbered Toledo (Tigers), 9-1. LF Cal Mitchell (.233) went 3 for 5 with a double and his third home run. 1B Ryan Vilade (.288) went 3 for 5 with his second homer, three RBIs and three runs scored. RF Canaan Smith-Njigba (.182) went 2 for 5. 2B...

From the very first pitch, when George Springer belted Johan Oviedo’s 96 mph fastball for a single, the Toronto Blue Jays showed they arrived ready to hit. It took the Pittsburgh Pirates five innings to answer. The Blue Jays jumped out to a seven-run lead and pounded 14 hits to...

Bryan Reynolds doesn’t have an explanation for how he was riding a 10-game hitting streak while the rest of the Pittsburgh Pirates were scuffling at the plate, especially during their five-game losing streak. “I think hitting can be contagious both ways,” Reynolds said. “It’s hard to hit when nobody else...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 13-17) doubled up Toledo (Tigers), 6-3. C Endy Rodriguez (.279) went 3 for 4 with two runs scored and two stolen bases, his first of the season. 2B Nick Gonzales (.273) went 3 for 5 and stole his first base. CF Josh Palacios (.432) went 3 for 4...

Andrew McCutchen was going through his normal pregame routine of taking fly balls in the outfield when he went to plant his foot and felt it give, then slipped and awkwardly twisted his left ankle. The Pittsburgh Pirates made an 11th-hour decision to scratch McCutchen from the starting lineup, where...

The Pittsburgh Pirates got off to a strong start this season on the strength of their speed and aggressive baserunning. Against Toronto, the Pirates ran into outs. Pirates runners were thrown out twice at third base and once at home plate. As a result, they came up empty as the...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates placed Vince Velasquez on the 15-day injured list Friday, it marked the second time they were forced to replace a starting pitcher this season. The first was an easy decision: Johan Oviedo took the spot of JT Brubaker, who underwent Tommy John surgery. The second one...

The Pittsburgh Pirates placed right-handed pitcher Vince Velasquez on the 15-day injured list with right elbow discomfort, one day after he was removed following the third inning of Thursday’s 3-2 loss at Tampa Bay. The Pirates also ended the rehabilitation assignment for right-handed reliever Chase De Jong, who was activated...

Now that the Pittsburgh Pirates don’t stink for the first time in a while, it’s time to discuss them like a real baseball team. Weak links can be questioned and dissected. Is third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes a weak link? Hayes will keep playing even if that’s the case. He signed...

You can call the Pittsburgh Pirates’ three-game series in Tampa whatever you want. A reality check. A step back. A wake-up call. A litmus test. However you want to phrase it, one thing is definitely true: It was a giant disappointment. The Pirates were swept by the Rays in their...

INDIANAPOLIS (Triple-A, 12-17) beat Toledo (Tigers) 5-2. RHP Quinn Priester (2-3, 5.96) threw six shutout innings and allowed just two hits while striking out four. RHP Eli Villalobos (11.57) did not record an out in the eighth and allowed two runs on two hits and walked two. RHP Colin Selby...

Colin Holderman hates to lose, so the Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever brought some anger to the mound while trailing the Tampa Bay Rays in the bottom of the seventh inning. “I’ll tell you what, I was pretty mad going into it,” Holderman said on the AT&T SportsNet postgame show. “I...