Kevin Gorman stories, Page 66

The arrival of one Pittsburgh Pirates rookie came at the expense of another, as infielder Rodolfo Castro was optioned Sunday to Triple-A Indianapolis to make room on the roster for outfielder Travis Swaggerty one day after making a pair of costly gaffes against the Arizona Diamondbacks. Castro, 23, batted .197...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are promoting outfielder Travis Swaggerty in time for Sunday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks, a team source confirmed. Swaggerty, 24, signed for a $4.4 million after being drafted with the No. 10 overall selection in 2018 out of South Alabama, where he was regarded as one of...

After hitting the first walk-off home run of his career and receiving a celebratory ice bath, Jack Suwinski couldn’t suppress his smile. On Faith Night at PNC Park, he turned Pirates fans into believers. Just when the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder was satisfied with extending his ninth-inning at-bat against Arizona...

Ke’Bryan Hayes quickly has earned a reputation as one of the best defensive players in baseball, so the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman shakes his head when he looks at one important statistic. Hayes had seven errors through the first 50 games this season — including three in a five-game span...

JT Brubaker’s worst enemy returned, as the right-hander set an ominous tone for the Pittsburgh Pirates by serving up long balls. Brubaker surrendered three home runs, including a two-run shot to Ketel Marte for the go-ahead runs, as the Arizona Diamondbacks went deep five times. Then it almost came back...

Watching the Pittsburgh Pirates sweep a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers had a profound impact on Ben Cherington, but not necessarily the way one would expect. “I thought it threw off my sleep schedule,” Cherington joked Friday at PNC Park. The Pirates general manager was measured in his...

David Bednar punctuated a marvelous month with a “gritty” two-inning, 50-pitch outing against the Los Angeles Dodgers and an expletive to express his excitement. After notching seven saves in May, the Pittsburgh Pirates closer was named NL reliever of the month. “It’s cool. It’s definitely an honor but, ultimately, it...

After striking out Will Smith to clinch a comeback win over the Los Angeles Dodgers on Monday night, David Bednar couldn’t contain his excitement on AT&T SportsNet’s postgame interview. When Robby Incmikoski asked him about the excitement of beating the best team in baseball, the Pittsburgh Pirates closer dropped an...

Trailing the best team in baseball by a run in the top of the ninth inning, the Pittsburgh Pirates decided to go for broke by taking a chance on a pair of plays at the plate. Diego Castillo scored from second on a Michael Perez single to right for the...

The Pittsburgh Pirates formally announced the trade with the Cleveland Guardians for corner infielder Yu Chang — and it came at the expense of a former first-round pick. To make room on the 40-man roster, the Pirates designated infielder/outfielder Cole Tucker for assignment Monday morning. Tucker, their first-round pick (No....

Trent Grisham showed bunt in the bottom of the 10th inning before the San Diego Padres gave him the green light. Grisham swung away when he saw Chris Stratton’s 2-0 fastball and drove it 368 feet off the right-field foul pole for a two-run home run to lift the Padres...

Down to playing a middle infielder at first base because of injuries, the Pittsburgh Pirates on Sunday acquired Yu Chang from the Cleveland Guardians for cash considerations, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. Chang’s arrival comes after the Pirates placed outfielder Ben Gamel and designated hitter Daniel Vogelbach (left hamstring...

The Pittsburgh Pirates were dealt another blow to their starting lineup and already depleted outfield depth Sunday when they placed Ben Gamel on the 10-day injured list with a strained left hamstring. Gamel was injured while stealing second base and left in the eighth inning of Saturday night’s 4-2 win...

When it comes to his own swing decisions, Mason Martin has changed his mentality so that he’s not searching for the perfect pitch. Now, he’s proving that his patience goes beyond the plate. Despite the Pirates dealing with depth issues at first base because of injuries, the top prospect at...

Ke’Bryan Hayes had a glaring omission on his statistics line, a big, fat zero under home runs that followed the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman through the first 40 games of the season. His first came at the perfect time. Trailing by a run with one out in the top of...

Returning to San Diego’s Petco Park this weekend is special for David Bednar, as the Padres drafted him in the 35th round out of Lafayette in 2016 and developed him into a major-leaguer. “I came up all the way with the Padres,” Bednar said. “It’s always cool to see all...

Cal Mitchell had his first pinch-me moment in the third inning of his MLB debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he caught Charlie Blackmon’s fly ball to right field and threw it back into the infield. “It was like, ‘OK, I got to have my first touch,’ ” Mitchell said....

The Pittsburgh Pirates readily acknowledge their need to manufacture runs, with a lineup that lacks the power to rely on home runs. Two swings snapped the Pirates out of an offensive funk. Jack Suwinski hit a three-run homer in the sixth inning, and Josh VanMeter added another three-run shot in...

After recording his first major league hit — an RBI single to break a scoreless tie, no less — Cal Mitchell was too worried about what was going on in the game to absorb the gravity of his career milestone. “Uh, no,” Mitchell said, sheepishly. “I had to run the...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates needed a starting pitcher and an outfielder, they turned to Roansy Contreras and Cal Mitchell in hopes that the pair of prospects would provide a boost. Where Contreras became the first Pirates pitcher in the modern era to not allow a run in his first two...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have shown signs a youth movement is coming, with Ben Cherington placing an emphasis on the development of their top prospects with an eye toward the future. The Pirates general manager is making moves in the present, however, based on different criteria. Performance remains a priority, though...

The Pittsburgh Pirates are addressing their depleted outfield depth by calling up Cal Mitchell, along with right-handed pitcher Roansy Contreras, from Triple-A Indianapolis for Tuesday’s game against the Colorado Rockies. Contreras will be the Pirates’ starting pitcher and Mitchell will start in right field. To make room on the 26-man...

After an embarrassing loss that finished off a sweep by the St. Louis Cardinals, Derek Shelton challenged the Pittsburgh Pirates to play with more energy in their series against the Colorado Rockies. When the Pirates continually put runners in scoring position but failed to generate runs, Ke’Bryan Hayes took matters...

Bryse Wilson’s struggles to stay in the strike zone, especially in his last start, got the right-hander optioned to Triple-A Indianapolis. Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton said the primary focus for Wilson is to start for Indianapolis, or at least pitch the bulk of innings in games if the Indians...

When Roberto Perez collapsed while rounding second base, the Pittsburgh Pirates catcher was hoping that he had just tweaked his left hamstring. The pop he heard told him otherwise. “I knew right away,” Perez said Monday at PNC Park, after undergoing season-ending surgery last week. “I’d never been in so...