Kevin Gorman stories, Page 49

Ji-Man Choi promised to bring a lot of smiles to Pittsburgh Pirates fans this season, and he delivered one against his former team. Choi hit his first home run of spring training, a two-run shot in the first inning, to lead the Pirates to a 6-2 win over the Tampa...

For the first five innings, the Pittsburgh Pirates couldn’t get on base. After that, they couldn’t stop scoring. The Pirates overcame a five-run deficit to beat the New York Yankees, 9-6, on Thursday night in a Grapefruit League game at George M. Steinbrenner Field in Tampa. The Yankees built a...

Ryan Vilade was standing within earshot when Canaan Smith-Njigba was asked about his old teammate becoming his new teammate with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Smith-Njigba raised his voice, making sure Vilade heard every word. “That’s my brother for life. I love my man Ryan Vilade,” Smith-Njigba said, with a smile. “Ryan...

The Toronto Blue Jays tagged starter JT Brubaker for four runs on four hits in a 7-1 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday afternoon in a Grapefruit League game before 6,905 at TD Ballpark in Dunedin, Fla. Brubaker, who had six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings and leads the...

When Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton brought Mitch Keller into his office, he casually asked the right-hander about his side session and how many pitches he threw. Then Shelton dropped a subtle surprise question. “How many do you think you’ll throw on the 30th?” Shelton asked. Keller paused and a...

The Pittsburgh Pirates announced that they have agreed to 2023 contract terms with 27 players on their 40-man roster who are pre-arbitration eligible, with one notable exception: Oneil Cruz had his contract renewed. The Associated Press reported Tuesday that the 24-year-old shortstop will be paid the major league minimum of...

Jared Triolo was hitless in his first 19 at-bats of spring training when he finally broke out of his funk Tuesday with a fly ball that was misplayed by Baltimore Orioles right fielder Dylan Beavers. After the eighth-inning double, Triolo came to bat in the bottom of the ninth with...

A pair of Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed pitchers fueled the Dominican Republic to a one-hitter in a 10-0 mercy-rule win over Israel on Tuesday in the World Baseball Classic at loanDepot Park in Miami. Starter Roansy Contreras allowed one hit and recorded four strikeouts in throwing 28 of his 41 pitches...

After a day off, the Pittsburgh Pirates used a split squad to play two games Tuesday afternoon. That meant splitting the coaching staff for the Grapefruit League games. Where manager Derek Shelton’s team took a 7-6 loss to the Baltimore Orioles at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla., bench coach Don...

Now that he is healthy and has added to his arsenal, Colin Holderman wants to prove to the Pittsburgh Pirates that he belongs in the back end of the bullpen. The 6-foot-7, 240-pound right-hander, acquired from the New York Mets last July in the Daniel Vogelbach trade, has set his...

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Duane Underwood Jr. put the finishing touches on eight innings of perfection as Puerto Rico made history in the World Baseball Classic. Underwood retired all three batters he faced in the eighth inning as Puerto Rico didn’t allow a baserunner in 10-0 mercy-rule win over Israel...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates traded for Connor Joe in December, it wasn’t lost on him that it provided a full-circle moment in a baseball career that required a circuitous route to the majors. It marked a return to the organization that drafted Joe 39th overall in the 2014 MLB Draft....

Bryan Reynolds homered for the second consecutive game, and Jack Suwinski hit his first homer of spring training but the Atlanta Braves rallied with a five-run sixth inning to beat the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Braves got took the lead on an Ehire Adrianza double and put the Pirates away with...

In his own words, Canaan Smith-Njigba was rolling. Then the Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder took a tumble that abruptly ended his season. Smith-Njigba isn’t going to allow it to ruin his dream. The 23-year-old became the first Pirates player in nine years to record an extra-base hit in his first plate...

Pittsburgh Pirates All-Star closer David Bednar put the finishing touches on Team USA’s opening game in the World Baseball Classic, and did so in emphatic fashion. Bednar struck out three of the four batters he faced in the ninth inning to seal a 6-2 win over Great Britain in Pool...

Johan Oviedo brought his family from Cuba to the United States, so his start for the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday was the first time his parents and sister saw him pitch as a professional. “They came to stay forever. They’ve been apart from me for a long time. I want...

The Pittsburgh Pirates sent minor-league right-handed pitcher Ricky DeVito to the Texas Rangers on Saturday as the player to be named to complete the trade for infielder-outfielder Mark Mathias. The 6-foot-3, 195-pound DeVito was 3-6 with a 5.40 ERA and 1.53 WHIP in 70 innings over 35 appearances, including six...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates signed Carlos Santana to a free-agent contract, they discussed how his impact could be two-fold: by addressing offseason needs at first base and in the clubhouse. The Pirates considered Santana’s positive personality and veteran leadership as important as his good glove and big bat, especially with...

When Oneil Cruz hit a leadoff home run for the Pittsburgh Pirates, it was a sign of what was to come against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Pirates jumped out to a three-run lead on Cruz’s solo shot and a two-run homer by Travis Swaggerty, only for the Phillies to answer...

Mike Burrows and Quinn Priester arrived at spring training with similar resumes — right-handed pitchers drafted out of high school and ranked among the Pittsburgh Pirates’ top 10 prospects — and the same end goal. If they have to start the season as teammates in the minor leagues, they want...

The Detroit Tigers took advantage of defensive lapses by the Pittsburgh Pirates, including a botched rundown, and answered a three-run sixth inning with one that put their Grapefruit League game away. The Tigers batted around the order in a five-run seventh to roll to a 10-7 win Thursday afternoon at...

Vince Velasquez made another strong start in his bid to solidify a spot in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ rotation, recording three strikeouts in three scoreless innings before the bullpen gave up a pair of big home runs. The Baltimore Orioles rode an Austin Hays three-run homer and a Ryan Mountcastle grand...

The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired Mark Mathias from the Texas Rangers for a player to be named, adding the versatile 28-year-old infielder-outfielder to the mix for a super-utility player. The right handed-hitting Mathias, 28, has a .256/.307/.462 slash line with six doubles, six home runs and 24 RBIs played in 46...