Kevin Gorman stories, Page 44

Rich Hill is the oldest pitcher in baseball, with more salt than pepper in his beard but fewer ice packs on his body than the average fan would expect from a 43-year-old in his 19th season in the major leagues. If you were expecting Hill to resemble Eddie Harris, the...

The Baltimore Orioles were clinging to a one-run lead when Cedric Mullins came to bat with two on and two outs in the eighth inning, searching for the elusive hit to complete one of baseball’s rarest feats. Mullins drove Duane Underwood Jr.’s 1-1 changeup 376 feet to right field for...

For all the fanfare that surrounded his return to the Pittsburgh Pirates, Andrew McCutchen passed a major milestone in his baseball career this week with barely a written word or whisper of congratulations. If not for a daily milestone tracker kept by team historian Jim Trdinich as the five-time All-Star,...

The Pittsburgh Pirates got “very encouraging” news regarding starting pitcher Vince Velasquez, who has resumed throwing after leaving last Thursday’s start at Tampa Bay with right elbow discomfort. The 30-year-old right-hander is projected to throw a live bullpen session early next week. Velasquez probably will require a rehabilitation assignment before...

With two of their top three prospects playing the same position, the Pittsburgh Pirates separated catchers Endy Rodriguez and Henry Davis so both could play behind the plate on an everyday basis. The Pirates sent Rodriguez to Triple-A Indianapolis and Davis to Double-A Altoona in an effort to accelerate their...

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...

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...

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,...

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...

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...

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...

Not much was going right for the Pittsburgh Pirates against the best team in baseball. They lost starting pitcher Vince Velasquez to right elbow discomfort. They surrendered three solo home runs. And the home-plate umpire had an expanded strike zone. In the ninth inning, the Pirates finally caught some breaks...

When Vince Velasquez clutched his right elbow in the third inning Thursday afternoon, it was a sign something wasn’t right for the Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitcher. Velasquez retired the side, but when he walked off the mound he told Pirates manager Derek Shelton he was having right elbow discomfort and...

Derek Shelton started the day by having a discussion with MLB about how the pitch clock was handled by the umpire crew. He finished it watching the Pittsburgh Pirates play the Tampa Bay Rays in his office. Shelton was ejected in the top of the fourth inning of Wednesday’s 8-1...

Whether it was manager Derek Shelton getting ejected or middle infielders Rodolfo Castro and Ji Hwan Bae committing costly errors, the Pittsburgh Pirates repeatedly lost their composure Wednesday night. The Tampa Bay Rays took full advantage. The Rays scored four unearned runs early and got a pair of solo home...

The red-hot Pittsburgh Pirates went into Sunday seeking a sweep, only to have the Washington Nationals rain on their road trip. After a 2-hour, 26-minute rain delay, the Nationals pounded 15 hits to roll to a 7-2 win Sunday afternoon in Washington, D.C. The Pirates had won 10 of their...

The Pittsburgh Pirates traded catcher Tyler Heineman to the Toronto Blue Jays for infielder Vinny Capra on Sunday. Heineman, who started 52 games for the Pirates last season and three this year, was designated for assignment Wednesday. Heineman returns to Toronto, where he played 10 games for the Blue Jays...