This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The Pirates fought back in the late innings to force extras but fell 5-4 to the Giants in the 10th on Wednesday night at PNC Park.
Top 1st, 1-0 SFG: For the second straight game, Rafael Devers homered to center. His solo blast off Bubba Chandler gave the Giants (58-82) an early lead.
Bottom 4th, 1-1: The Pirates (68-72) tied the game when Landen Roupp issued a two-out walk to Esmerlyn Valdez with the bases loaded.
Top 5th, 3-1 SFG: The Giants loaded the bases after Oneil Cruz and Valdez watched a ball fall in shallow right-center. Bryce Eldridge followed with a sacrifice fly to center and Turner Hill delivered a two-out RBI single to right.

#Giants #game #wednesday

PITTSBURGH — The Pirates fought back in the late innings to force extras but fell 5-4 to the Giants in the 10th on Wednesday night at PNC Park.
Top 1st, 1-0 SFG: For the second straight game, Rafael Devers homered to center. His solo blast off Bubba Chandler gave the Giants (58-82) an early lead.
Bottom 4th, 1-1: The Pirates (68-72) tied the game when Landen Roupp issued a two-out walk to Esmerlyn Valdez with the bases loaded.
Top 5th, 3-1 SFG: The Giants loaded the bases after Oneil Cruz and Valdez watched a ball fall in shallow right-center. Bryce Eldridge followed with a sacrifice fly to center and Turner Hill delivered a two-out RBI single to right.
Bottom 7th, 3-2 SFG: The Pirates put two runners in scoring position with one out against Ryan Walker. After the Giants turned to Ryan Walker, Spencer Horwitz got his team within a run on an RBI groundout to short.

#Giants #bottom #game #bases

Esmerlyn Valdez finally found one. After 24 games without a home run, Valdez turned on a 90 mph fastball from Robbie Ray on Monday night and sent it 413 feet into the left-center-field seats at Petco Park. The ball left his bat at 111.6 mph, giving Pittsburgh its first run in 22 innings and ending the longest power drought of Valdez's young major-league career. It was the kind of swing that made him look like one of baseball's most terrifying rookies earlier this summer. It was also a reminder of why the Pirates cannot let the month that came before scare them away.
Valdez's first exposure to the majors looked almost unfair. Then pitchers adjusted, the strikeouts piled up, and the home runs vanished. That is not evidence that Pittsburgh was fooled by a hot start. It is the part of a rookie season where the league hands back the test with different questions. Now Valdez gets to answer them.
Jul 20, 2026; Bronx, New York, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez (55) hits a two-run home run during the third inning against the New York Yankees at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
Pittsburgh desperately needed somebody to do something Monday. The Pirates had gone 22 consecutive innings without scoring, matching their longest drought of the season, before Valdez stepped to the plate in the sixth inning. His slump-breaking homer did more than remove a zero from the scoreboard. It provided the first sign in weeks of the devastating power that defined his arrival.
Rafael Flores followed with an RBI double later in the inning, and Nick Gonzales eventually delivered the winning hit in the 12th as Pittsburgh escaped with a 3-2 victory. The game mattered for a team clinging to distant postseason hopes, but Valdez's swing may have mattered more for what Pittsburgh needs to learn over the final month. The Pirates already know Valdez can punish a mistake. They need to find out what happens after the league stops making as many of them. Monday's homer was his 15th despite having only 205 at-bats this season.

#pirates #first #season

This story initially appeared on PiratesBaseballNow.com
Nick Gonzales delivered the game-winning knock, and the Pirates' bullpen delivered three scoreless frames in extras in a 3-2 12th-inning win over the Padres at Petco Park on Monday night.
Top 6th, 2-0 PIT: Esmerlyn Valdez broke the scoreless tie with a solo home run off Robbie Ray to open the inning. Bryan Reynolds followed with a walk and the Padres (71-61) turned to Bradgley Rodriguez out of the bullpen. Rafael Flores Jr. added another with an RBI double to center.
Bottom 6th, 2-1 PIT: Braxton Ashcraft appeared to have gotten out of the sixth inning unscathed on what looked to be an inning-ending groundout from Jake Cronenworth. But was balk was called before the pitch, allowing Freddy Fermin to score from third.
Bottom 8th, 2-2: Down to their last strike, the Padres tied the game when Cronenworth delivered an RBI single to center off Luke Weaver.

#bottom #game #center

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Nick Gonzales led off the 12th inning with an RBI single and the Pittsburgh Pirates snapped their three-game skid with a 3-2 victory over the San Diego Padres on Monday night.
Esmerlyn Valdez homered and Rafael Flores Jr. had an RBI double in the sixth for the Pirates, who rebounded from getting swept at Dodger Stadium last weekend with just their 11th win in 31 games.
Jake Cronenworth tied it in the eighth with a two-out RBI single for the Padres, whose three-game winning streak ended with only their eighth loss in 29 games. San Diego's eight-game home winning streak also ended.
San Diego loaded the bases with one out in the 11th, but Kirby Yates (2-5) struck out Jackson Merrill and got Xander Bogaerts to line out. Merrill went 0 for 5 on his bobblehead night, striking out on three pitches with the bases loaded in both the eighth and 11th, and also failed to make a diving catch on Flores' RBI double.
After Jared Triolo scored on Gonzales' single off Jeremiah Estrada (2-3), Yohan Ramirez struck out the side in the 12th to earn his second save.

#diego #single #flores

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.
For the first time in nearly a month, the Pirates secured a series win after defeating the Red Sox 8-3 in Sunday's rubber match at PNC Park.
Bottom 1st, 2-0 PIT: The Pirates (61-65) manufactured a pair of runs on three consecutive pitches from Patrick Sandoval (1-2). Esmerlyn Valdez and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back doubles and Brandon Lowe plated the latter with a single to left.
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#back #park #patrick #esmerlyn

PITTSBURGH — For the first time in nearly a month, the Pirates secured a series win after defeating the Red Sox 8-3 in Sunday's rubber match at PNC Park.
Bottom 1st, 2-0 PIT: The Pirates (61-65) manufactured a pair of runs on three consecutive pitches from Patrick Sandoval (1-2). Esmerlyn Valdez and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back doubles and Brandon Lowe plated the latter with a single to left.
Bottom 3rd, 7-0 PIT: The Pirates sent 10 men to the plate and scored five runs in the inning. Bryan Reynolds and Brandon Lowe each had an RBI single, Nick Yorke brought home two with a base hit to center and Henry Davis chipped in a sacrifice fly.
Top 5th, 7-3 PIT: Connor Wong blasted a three-run home run to left-center off Hunter Barco (1-1) to get the Red Sox (66-58) on the board.
Bottom 7th, 8-3 PIT: Yorke delivered again for the Pirates with an two-out RBI single to right field off Raymond Burgos.

#brandon #lowe #runs #three

Spencer Horwitz's three-run double helped lift the Pirates to a 4-3 win over the Brewers at American Family Field on Monday night.
Top 3rd, 3-0 PIT: With the bases loaded and two outs, Spencer Horwitz ripped a bases-clearing double down the right field line against Brandon Sproat (3-7).
Top 4th, 4-0 PIT: Endy Rodríguez singled to open the inning and advanced to third on back-to-back wild pitches from Sproat, which prompted a pitching change. With runners on the corners and one out against Garrett Stallings, Jake Mangum tacked on another run for the Pirates (57-57) on a bunt single.
Bottom 5th, 4-1 PIT: The Brewers (69-43) didn't get their first hits off Bubba Chandler (4-8) until the fifth inning, but Joey Ortiz's RBI single got them on the board.
Bottom 6th, 4-3 PIT: Milwaukee got within one when Andrew Vaughn broke his bat for an RBI single to right field. Esmerlyn Valdez fired to third base, but the ball hopped past Nick Gonzales, allowing Jake Bauers to score from first base.

#brewers

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Spencer Horwitz hit a three-run double and the Pittsburgh Pirates extended their dominance over the Brewers this season, beating Milwaukee 4-3 on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.
Pittsburgh has won six of seven games against the NL Central-leading Brewers this season.
The Pirates jumped on Brewers starter Brandon Sproat (3-7) in the third. Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds singled and Esmerlyn Valdez walked. Horwitz followed with a bases-clearing double that staked Pittsburgh to a 3-0 lead.
The Pirates added a run in the fourth when Endy Rodriguez led off with a single and moved to third on consecutive wild pitches by Sproat, who was then replaced by Garrett Stallings, with Jacob Gonzalez still at-bat. Stallings eventually struck out Gonzalez before walking Henry Davis and giving up a soft bunt single to Jake Mangum that scored Rodriguez.
Pirates starter Bubba Chandler (4-8) held the Brewers without a hit until David Hamilton's single up the middle with two outs in the fifth. Joey Ortiz followed with another base hit that drove in Jake Bauers, who had walked leading off the inning.

#pittsburgh #horwitz #rodriguez

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.
The Pirates finally got the better of a left-handed starting pitcher and snapped a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 win over the Reds at Great American Ballpark on Saturday night.
Top 3rd, 3-0 PIT: Four walks and a base hit against Andrew Abbott (5-7) led to three runs for the Pirates (56-56). Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez drew back-to-back free passes with the bases loaded and Nick Gonzales followed with an RBI on a fielder's choice to second.
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#pghbaseballnow #four #back #ballpark

CINCINNATI (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft gave up two hits over five innings, while a pair of bases-loaded walks during a three-run third helped the Pittsburgh Pirates snap a four-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Saturday night.
Steady rain was falling in the third inning when Reds left-hander Andrew Abbott issued four walks including two with the bases loaded to Brandon Lowe and Esmerlyn Valdez to help the Pirates take a 2-0 lead.
The game was delayed one hour and 46 minutes by rain during the sixth inning.
Abbott threw 43 pitches in the third. Following his walk to Reynolds, Abbott had the grounds crew apply drying compound to the mound. His foot slipped on two of his deliveries to Valdez.
Abbott (5-7) allowed three earned runs on three hits with five walks and one strikeout on 98 pitches.

#cincinnati #reds #hits

The Diamondbacks dropped the opener of The Most Important Series of the Season™, losing 3-2 in ten innings to the Pirates. Merrill Kelly pitched well, and Max Kepler gave Arizona a 2-0 lead. But a throwing error by Kelly allowed a key Pittsburgh run, and Juan Morillo then gave up the tying score, which pushed the contest into extras. The Diamondbacks were unable to take advantage of a major Pirates gaffe, stranding the Manfred Man. A ball which was clanked off the glove of Ildemaro Vargas let the home team walk off, but the key stat tonight was the D-backs going just 2-for-14 with runners in scoring position. And one of those hits didn't score a run either.
But to focus on the positives. Merrill Kelly continued his resurgence. He finished June with an ERA above six (6.11, to be precise). But since the calendar turned to July, he has been much improved. Tonight, he allowed only an unearned run over 5.2 innings, on four hits – all of which were singles. He walked one and struck out six. [That is still an area of concern. Through nineteen starts last year, he had 7 or more K's eight times: he hasn't gone past six at all this year] He did hit a batter, Pirates' rookie Esmerlyn Valdez wearing a pitch around the wrist area, and having to leave the game in obvious discomfort. Hopefully, there's no serious damage there.
Through five innings, both Kelley and his opposite number – confusingly, called M. Keller – were basically cruising. Each side has managed to advance only one runner past first-base to that point. In the top of the second, Max Kepler led off with a single, advanced to third on a pair of outs, but was stranded there when Ildemaro Vargas grounded out. For the Pirates, they got a two-out single in the bottom of the fifth, and the runner stole second before being left there. Kelly even got a pick-off, ending the fourth by nailing the pinch-runner who had come in to replace Valdez. Rather embarrassing for them, I imagine.
Both pitchers were also being highly efficient. Through five innings, Keller had needed just 63 pitches, and Kelly less than a handful more at 67. I particularly enjoyed this strikeout by Kelly which ended the fifth inning. None of the six pitches in the zone, and zero contact by the batter on his three swings. However, my hopes of a quick recap foundered thereafter, as neither starting pitcher would make it through the sixth. Corbin Carroll and Geraldo Perdomo singled to lead off the top of the frame, though Gabriel Moreno would strike out looking, on a master-class of ABS by the Pirates catcher, which reversed two ******* to strikes, by very narrow margins.
[Conversely, Moreno was 0-for-2 in his challenges tonight. Though it is worth noting that the team's overall challenge rate when on defense is still 66.7%, significantly better than the MLB average of 58.1%.]

#innings #tonight #runner

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The good news for the Pirates is that they moved into a tie for the third National League wild card spot with a 3-2 walk-off win over the Diamondbacks at PNC Park on Monday night.
But the win came with a potential cost as star rookie Esmerlyn Valdez left the game after being hit by a pitch on his left hand.
Top 6th, 2-0 ARZ: The Diamondbacks (55-52) broke the scoreless tie on Max Kepler's two-RBI double off Mitch Keller with one out, knocking the Pirates starter out of the game.
Bottom 6th, 2-1 ARZ: Brandon Lowe got the Pirates (55-52) on the board when he plated Jake Mangum from third base on an infield single off Merrill Kelly.

#pirates #Third #Monday

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe singled home Billy Cook in the bottom of the 10th inning to rally the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.
Lowe finished a three-hit night by lacing a line drive off Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke (2-2) that smacked off the glove of Arizona first baseman Ildemaro Vargas and rolled away, allowing Cook to race home as the Pirates pulled even with the Diamondbacks for the National League's third wild-card spot.
Mason Montgomery (4-3) worked around an error by third baseman Nick Gonzales and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th to earn the victory. The Pirates' bullpen, which has been a sore spot much of the season, tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings.
Bryan Reynolds delivered a game-tying RBI double in the eighth for Pittsburgh, which lost promising rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez to a left-hand injury in the fourth inning after getting hit with a fastball by Arizona starter Merrill Kelly.
Kelly allowed one unearned run in 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out six while lowering his ERA to 4.86, the lowest it has been since early April.

#inning

Esmerlyn Valdez Makes MLB History with Clutch Hits, Fueling Pirates' Sweep of Brewers originally appeared on SportsNet Pittsburgh. Add SportsNet Pittsburgh as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Over the weekend, Pirates outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez created a unique slice of MLB doubleheader history at PNC Park.
After clubbing clinching home runs in Games 1 and 2 of Saturday's doubleheader sweep of the Brewers, Valdez became the league's first player to compile four go-ahead hits, including three go-ahead homers, during a twin bill.
In the opener, Valdez launched two homers and drove in a career-best six runs, powering the 7-6 win. The cleanup hitter for much of July, Valdez started the scoring with an RBI single, driving in Jake Mangum, who was hit by Brandon Sproat's 97-mph four-seam fastball.
Breaking a 2-2 tie in the third, the 22-year-old slugger connected on a 421-foot solo homer, and Sproat exited the game after just three innings of work.

Rookie right fielder Esmerlyn Valdez has been lighting up the scoreboard since his debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
On Saturday, the Pirates played a doubleheader against the Milwaukee Brewers and won both games largely thanks to their star rookie.
Valdez hit two home runs in Game 1 and followed it up with another dinger in Game 2. The rookie now has 10 home runs in his first 27 games, the most by any Pirates player in their first 27 games.
The rookie started his day with a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning. It was his second home run in as many days, which was already impressive.
Valdez came up with the bases loaded in the bottom of the seventh inning. He quickly cleared them with a grand slam, helping Pittsburgh take the lead.

Mike Yastrzemski hit a game-sealing grand slam in the ninth inning, Matt Olson hit a first-inning home run while tying the franchise record for consecutive games played and the Atlanta Braves defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 10-5 on Thursday.
The Braves were leading 6-5 when Yastrzemski connected off Dennis Santana for his third career slam.
Olson’s homer was a solo shot and his 25th season, opening the scoring. The first baseman played in his 740th straight game, going back to the start of the 2022 season, and tied the mark set by Dale Murphy from 1982-86.
Atlanta’s Jim Jarvis hit his first career home run, connecting for a two-run blast off Cam Sanders in a three-run fourth inning that extended the lead to 6-2. The rookie shortstop had three hits.
Pittsburgh’s Bryan Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez hit back-to-back homers in the third to cut the Braves’ lead to 3-2. Jake Mangum had four hits and three RBIs, including a two-run homer in the fourth that brought the Pirates to 6-4 and an RBI double in the sixth that made it a one-run game.

Despite getting completely and totally blanked for the first six innings of this contest, the Atlanta Braves eventually broke through and ended up pulling off a 3-0 victory in an excellent pitching performance from Grant Holmes and Atlanta's bullpen.
It would be an understatement to call this one a pitchers' duel, as both starters were dominant for the period of time where they were out there. Grant Holmes successfully navigated his way through two trips through the order as he finished with just three hits allowed and one walk conceded across five innings of work and five strikeouts. The slider and cutter were both working pretty effectively for Holmes — everything was working, really, as Holmes picked up two strikeouts on the four-seamer and three on the slider.
The only time that Holmes ran into trouble was in the third inning, which is when he found himself with two runners in scoring position with two outs after he led off the inning hitting Henry Davis and then gave up a two-out single to Bryan Reynolds. Fortunately, Holmes was able to get Esmerlyn Valdez to pop up on a four-seamer and that was that for the scoring chance. That was as close as Pittsburgh got to scoring off of Holmes before he eventually exited the game with 90 pitches after five innings.
As good as Homes was, Jared Jones was better. Jones was just about untouchable against the Braves tonight, as he struck out eight batters without giving up a hit or a walk through six innings of work. Atlanta's lineup couldn't handle him at all, which is why it was probably a huge relief for the Braves once they saw Mason Montgomery walk out for the seventh inning.
The crowd in Pittsburgh disagreed with the decision and they voiced their disapproval after Ozzie Albies ended the combined perfect game bid with a looping single out to left to give the Braves their first hit and baserunner of the game. While Jones has been kind of easing back into things following elbow issues, it certainly took a lot of the neutral intrigue out of the game once it was clear that the Pirates weren't going to let him go for the perfect game.

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
This night belonged to Ryan O’Hearn.
The Pirates first baseman slugged three home runs and drove in a franchise-record 10 runs to lift Pittsburgh to a 12-4 win over the Braves at PNC Park on Tuesday night.
Top 1st, 1-0 ATL: The Braves (52-38) put together a two-out rally against Paul Skenes (7-8), which was capped off by Mauricio Dubón’s RBI single to right field.
Bottom 1st, 4-1 PIT: The Pirates (47-45) loaded the bases with no outs against Hurston Waldrep (0-1). After Esmerlyn Valdez struck out, Ryan O’Hearn lined a grand slam over the fence in right field, the third slam of his career and his 14th home run this season.

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The Pittsburgh Pirates split their series with the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, scoring six unanswered runs and getting five scoreless innings from their beleaguered bullpen on the way to a 6-1 win in the scorching series finale. Carmen Mlodzinski piggybacked off starter Jared Jones, allowing two hits over three innings to start off the Pirates’ bullpen heroics.
Scoring Plays
Bottom 3rd, 1-0 PHI: Jared Jones walked Phillies’ nine-hole hitter Rafael Marchán. After striking out Trea Turner on a low changeup, Jones walked Kyle Schwarber, and Bryce Harper mashed a double the opposite way to plate a run.
Top 5th, 1-1: Jake Mangum doubled to lead off the fifth, then took third on a Brandon Lowe single. Esmerlyn Valdez singled Mangum home, but Ryan O’Hearn grounded into a double play that ended the rally.

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.
The Pittsburgh Pirates fell back to .500 on Tuesday, losing 8-0 in Philadelphia at the hands of likely All-Star Cristopher Sánchez. Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler pitched into the seventh inning for the first time in his young career but started to struggle late… a recipe for disaster against the steady Sánchez.
Esmerlyn Valdez stayed hot at the plate, reaching base three times and accounting for nearly half the Pirates’ baserunners.
Scoring Plays
Bottom 2nd, 2-0 PHI: The Phillies (48-38) loaded the bases with two away in the second, setting up two runners to come home on a Justin Crawford single that just missed Jared Triolo’s outstretched glove.

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft pitched six strong innings, batterymate Endy Roriguez drove in three runs and Ryan O’Hearn had three hits to help the Pittsburgh Pirates rout the Seattle Mariners 11-1 on Wednesday night.
Ashcraft (7-3) had 10 strikeouts without a walk while allowing one run and five hits. He became the first Pirates pitcher to have at least two starts in the same season with at least 10 strikeouts and zero walks since at least 1901.
Rodriguez’s two-run double opened the scoring in a five-run fourth inning against Bryan Woo (6-6) as the Pirates went ahead 5-1. Rodriguez also singled in a run in a four-run seventh that pushed the lead to 9-1.
Carmen Mlodzinski pitched four scoreless innings for his second save.
Tyler Callihan tripled home Rodriguez in the fourth, Jake Mangum, and Esmerlyn Valdez followed with run-scoring singles.