Just when it looked like the Pirates might enjoy some late-inning magic, familiar frustration arrived in the form of their latest bullpen blowup. Esmerlyn Valdez delivered a pinch-hit homer to give the Pirates a one-run lead in the eighth, but Reds designated hitter Eugenio Suarez answered with a three-run shot

The Pirates certainly packed a lot into a short amount of time. They arrived at the midpoint of the season with a 41-40 record after Thursday’s 5-1 victory over the Mariners at PNC Park, which also happened to be Don Kelly’s 100th as Pirates manager. Further irony: They did it

On the golf course, Neal Shipley loves consulting his pin sheet, believing it increases his focus. The Mt. Lebanon native also appreciates caddies who keep copious notes, detailing every shot, the distance and wind involved, anything to “keep a little bit of the history.” Shipley finds the same solace with

Three batters into Wednesday’s game, this hardly looked like the latest gem for Braxton Ashcraft. Three singles allowed. Two that sizzled at least 103 mph off the bat. An early deficit for the Pirates. But if we’ve learned anything about Ashcraft this season, it’s centered around the idea of trust.

Pregame was different for Pirates general manager Ben Cherington and manager Don Kelly on Wednesday, as they held a question-and-answer session for fans inside the press conference room at PNC Park. Those in attendance asked Cherington and Kelly to assess the team through half a season. They also wanted to

Jim Trdinich couldn’t decide where to start. Standing inside PNC Park’s brand new Legacy Hall, which replaced the old team store at the base of the rotunda, the Pirates team historian simply looked around and marveled. “There’s so much stuff here,” Trdinich said. “It’s the ultimate fan cave and a

DENVER — The same as those who follow his team, Ben Cherington won’t deny that the Pirates offense has lost some of its punch without Konnor Griffin in June and Oneil Cruz for the past two weeks. At the same time, Pittsburgh’s general manager isn’t comfortable making excuses. Though he

DENVER — Nearly at the midway point of their season, in an outcome probably only a few creative thinkers expected, the Pirates have formed an identity, a facet of their game they can return to when things go awry. Offense? Yes, offense. It took longer than anyone wearing black and

DENVER -- Billy Cook’s spike did indeed make contact with Kyle Karros’ glove. It’s frustrating, sure. But it’s technically obstruction, the call ending the Pirates’ 2-1 loss to the Rockies on Saturday at Coors Field. Paul Skenes also pitched well, despite concern among the fanbase regarding his velocity. Skenes delivered

DENVER — It takes a lot to surprise Isaac Mattson in the game of baseball. The Erie native and Pitt product has played in the Frontier League and Atlantic League. He’s been traded, released and removed from the 40-man roster. The right-handed reliever also became a reliable setup man in

WEST SACRAMENTO — As Pirates players celebrated and packed bags inside the cramped visitors’ clubhouse at Sutter Health Park, Marcell Ozuna took a minute to soak in the scene. Can you blame him? It had been more than a month since Ozuna’s last homer before he went deep in the

WEST SACRAMENTO — Konnor Griffin has been in Florida testing his right arm, and what he’s feeling — nothing — has the Pirates shortstop encouraged about returning to the Major League roster soon. Appearing on 93.7 The Fan for the annual Five Alarm Marathon, Griffin said he’s been throwing out

WEST SACRAMENTO — Bryan Reynolds and Mitch Keller are the two longest-tenured Pirates, Reynolds by virtue of when he made his MLB debut, Keller when it comes to time spent in the organization. So, it’s sort of fitting to hear they have a running gag when June arrives. “We always

WEST SACRAMENTO — Whenever Jacob Wilson has had a question, from childhood through becoming a Major Leaguer with the Athletics, he always knew his dad was just a phone call away, offering advice or encouragement. But a few weeks ago, the script was flipped after Jack Wilson called his son

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — After Mitch Keller allowed five earned runs over four innings in his most recent start last Thursday against the Dodgers, Pirates manager Don Kelly bemoaned Keller’s lack of command and cited the right-hander’s difficulty finishing off batters. Kelly also said the Pirates needed to help Keller formulate

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Termarr Johnson seems to be finding his stroke. Meanwhile, a lot of great things have been happening in Greensboro, and left-hander Connor Wietgrefe has been on a roll with Double-A Altoona. Here’s a look at some news and notes from around the Pirates Minor League system. TRIPLE-A

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Ben Cherington knows the results haven’t matched expectations — internal or external — when it comes to the Pirates pitching staff. At the same time, Pittsburgh’s general manager believes a turnaround is near, emphasizing on the Pirates Insider Show Sunday on 93.7 The Fan that it’s been

Michael Keaton swung by the Pirates clubhouse at PNC Park before Sunday’s game, chatting with Konnor Griffin, Spencer Horwitz, Nick Gonzales and another famous Yinzer, manager Don Kelly. Keaton, who grew up about 20 minutes west of the city in Robinson, did not meet Paul Skenes. It's not that Skenes

Thanks to Gregory Soto shutting the door and earning his 10th save, the Pirates’ game Saturday effectively ended with a thud — only this time it was actually a good thing. The 97-mph sinker that cracked Spencer Horwitz in the shin knocked in the go-ahead run, making a 3-2 victory

Braxton Ashcraft made his 40th MLB appearance Friday at PNC Park, his 22nd start. He’s far from a seasoned veteran. However, the 26-year-old Texan is highly intelligent and does an excellent job articulating his thoughts. Which is why it wasn’t surprising to hear how Ashcraft assessed his outing following an

Kelly Rosenwasser was on a morning walk on Friday when one of her daughters called with an urgent message. Ellie Rosenwasser saw on Instagram a few Pirates players were at an area Sheetz, and attendance wasn’t optional for the baseball-crazed family. The Rosenwassers nailed the correct Sheetz and even grabbed

The numbers don’t lie. In six games against the Braves and Dodgers, the Pirates went 1-5. They didn’t score more than three runs in the first four. They had a run differential of minus-17, helped by a blowout loss on Tuesday. Brandon Lowe, however, isn’t deterred by those numbers. Speaking

Eyerolls and groans would’ve been understandable after six innings Wednesday. Ryan Ward had hit a grand slam off Carmen Mlodzinski to give the Dodgers a five-run lead. The excitement of Tyler Callihan’s fourth-inning home run off Shohei Ohtani had subsided, replaced by Endy Rodriguez grounding into an inning-ending double play.

Their time with the Pirates covered nearly 100 years. But despite playing in vastly different eras, Jack Wilson, John Candelaria and Wilbur Cooper all made important contributions to the organization while also experiencing plenty of success in Major League Baseball. That’s why they’ll comprise the Pirates’ 2026 Hall of Fame

Strange as it may sound, Paul Skenes took the mound at PNC Park on Tuesday against the Dodgers amid at least some level of concern. His ERA over his past four starts was 5.85. Skenes did not last more than 5 1/3 innings in any of them, while his average