Kevin Gorman stories, Page 69

The Pittsburgh Pirates knew they couldn’t count on Corbin Burnes to make many mistakes, given that the Milwaukee Brewers right-hander won the NL Cy Young Award last season. For five innings, Burnes was nearly untouchable. The Brewers took advantage of the Pirates’ mistakes in a four-run second inning and survived...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates were searching for a backup catcher before the season opener, they didn’t hesitate when Andrew Knapp became available because of his reputation behind the plate. With starter Roberto Perez out with a quad contusion after taking a foul tip off his left leg Friday night, Knapp...

When Roberto Perez took a foul tip off his left quad, the Pittsburgh Pirates turned to backup catcher Andrew Knapp but knew that they had to have someone else ready, in case of an emergency. That’s how Josh VanMeter learned he was the backup to the backup catcher, when Pirates...

Mitch Keller was on the mound when a Nelson Cruz foul tip hit Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Roberto Perez flush in the left leg, so the right-hander got a good view and was “definitely concerned.” “I saw it foul tip right down,” Keller said of Perez, who was set up on...

Whether it was the lack of command on his off-speed pitches or just plain bad luck, Mitch Keller got the shaft against the shift. The Washington Nationals repeatedly hit through defensive shifts against Keller on their way to pounding the Pittsburgh Pirates, 7-2, on Friday night before 13,076 at PNC...

Cole Tucker glanced at the Pittsburgh Pirates jersey hanging at his locker with No. 42 in Dodger blue before Friday’s game and couldn’t help but feel a connection to Jackie Robinson. As MLB celebrated the 75th anniversary of Robinson breaking baseball’s color barrier, the Pirates talked about the occasion as...

The Pittsburgh Pirates kept coming back to the same description of Roansy Contreras after he earned his first major league win Thursday night against the Washington Nationals. Electric stuff. The 22-year-old right-hander, ranked the Pirates’ top pitching prospect and No. 80 overall by Baseball America, had his own one-word answer...

Derek Shelton is well aware that Daniel Vogelbach isn’t your traditional leadoff hitter, but the Pittsburgh Pirates manager loves that the 270-pound designated hitter can work counts and get on base. Vogelbach led off three innings against the Washington Nationals with hits — a home run in the first, a...

The Pittsburgh Pirates have a file-and-trial policy when it comes to arbitration, attempting to avoid a hearing by reaching a settlement but not negotiating after MLB’s salary exchange date. They made an exception for Bryan Reynolds. Twenty three days after a $650,000 difference separated their salary requests, the Pirates avoided...

Wil Crowe attempted to fix his hair, still wet after rinsing the residue from the celebratory shower that was courtesy of his Pittsburgh Pirates teammates to commemorate his first major league save. “Everything under the sun has been poured on me in the last 20 minutes,” Crowe said Wednesday afternoon...

A day after the Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated the signing of Ke’Bryan Hayes to the richest contract in club history, the 25-year-old third baseman showed why he was worthy of the long-term investment. Hayes went 4 for 4, scoring two runs, driving in another and saving at least one with his...

Pittsburgh Pirates right-handed reliever Duane Underwood Jr. has resumed throwing and is making “steady progress” from the right hamstring strain sustained in the season opener. Underwood is one of a handful of Pirates players on the 10-day injured list for which the team’s director of sports medicine, Todd Tomczyk, provided...

After coming to an agreement on the richest contract in Pittsburgh Pirates history, Ben Cherington got a scare when he saw Ke’Bryan Hayes leave the season opener in the first inning. As the Pirates celebrated the official signing of Hayes to an eight-year, $70 million contract extension Tuesday before their...

Just as AT&T SportsNet’s Robby Incmikoski was about to tell the remarkable story of how Diego Castillo’s family traveled to St. Louis for his major league debut, the Pittsburgh Pirates rookie took a swing. And the story got even better. With his father and grandfather watching from the seats at...

After a strong spring training that saw him touch triple digits and show off a new weapon in his pitch repertoire, Pittsburgh Pirates starter Mitch Keller was expected to carry his confidence into the regular season. Keller’s first start came against what appeared to be the perfect opponent, given his...

Ke’Bryan Hayes is back in the starting lineup for the Pittsburgh Pirates, two days after exiting the season opener in the first inning with a muscle spasm that ran down his left thumb into his forearm. Hayes, who agreed to a club-record eight-year, $70 million contract extension Thursday, will bat...

Ke’Bryan Hayes dominated the news cycle on Opening Day, first for reasons the Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman was thrilled about but then for being removed before the first inning was completed. Hayes agreed to an historic contract extension with the Pirates, renewing faith that the club has at least one...

The Pittsburgh Pirates celebrated Opening Day by agreeing to a historic contract extension with Ke’Bryan Hayes, only to hold their breath after watching the 25-year-old third baseman exit the game with an injury. Just hours after agreeing to the richest contract in Pittsburgh Pirates history, an eight-year deal worth $70...

Pittsburgh Pirates third baseman Ke’Bryan Hayes, who agreed to the richest contract in franchise history then left the season opener after a spasm of his left forearm, told the Tribune-Review that it was “just a cramp” with “no pain anywhere.” Hayes was removed by medical staff in the bottom of...

When the Pittsburgh Pirates announced the rosters for their four minor league affiliates, their six top-100 prospects as ranked by Baseball America were spread across the top three levels. Shortstop Oneil Cruz (No. 14) and right-hander Roansy Contreras (80) will start the season at Triple-A Indianapolis, middle infielders Nick Gonzales...

After missing the final week of spring training with a sprained ankle, Ke’Bryan Hayes returned in time to start at third base in the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day lineup at the St. Louis Cardinals. Hayes is one of only three returning Pirates starters from the 2021 opener, along with center...

The Pittsburgh Pirates finalized their 28-man Opening Day roster, signing outfielder Jake Marisnick and catcher Andrew Knapp to one-year contracts to address depth at their positions. Marisnick’s contract will pay him $1.3 million while Knapp’s deal is for $800,000 plus incentives, a source confirmed to the Tribune-Review. To make room...

The Pittsburgh Pirates made Ke’Bryan Hayes their franchise cornerstone just hours before first pitch on Opening Day, reaching an agreement on an eight-year, $70 million contract that is the richest in club history. The deal, first reported by MLB insider Robert Murray and confirmed by the Tribune-Review, includes a club...

NL MVP Juan Soto, Nationals Soto has the best eye in baseball, drawing an MLB-best 145 walks against 93 strikeouts last season. He didn’t put up eye-popping power numbers, slashing .313/.465/.534 with 29 home runs and 95 RBIs, and finished second in MVP voting. Soto could see more strikes with...