Bucs Bounty
A running account of the Pirates season, one game at a time. Box score up top, honest reaction underneath.
A 10-run fourth carried the Pirates to a 14-5 rout, a sweep of the Brewers, and a spot three games over .500 heading into the break.
Bubba Chandler struck out six, Esmerlyn Valdez homered again, and the bullpen held on as the Pirates completed a doubleheader sweep of the Brewers, 3-2.
Esmerlyn Valdez drove in six with two homers, including a go-ahead grand slam in the seventh, and the Pirates rallied past the first-place Brewers 7-6.
The Pirates hung around at 6-5 before a Mike Yastrzemski grand slam in the ninth put it away, a 10-5 loss that drops them back to .500.
Jared Jones was perfect through six, the bats stayed quiet, and the Braves broke through late to win 3-0 at PNC.
Ryan O'Hearn hit three home runs and drove in 10, and the Pirates ran past the Braves 12-4 at PNC.
The Pirates broke a 4-4 tie with a five-run eighth and beat the Nationals 11-5 in Washington.
A 7-1 win to even the series. Ashcraft gave up one run, the bats scored five in the first two innings, and the Pirates get back to .500.
A 9-5 loss to open in Washington. Keller gave up three homers, the Nationals kept adding on, and a late rally came up short.
A 6-1 win to split the series. Jones and the bullpen held Philadelphia to one run, and the bats pulled away late.
A 10-6 loss to fall behind in the series. Skenes gave up eight in four, the bats chipped away but never got close enough.
An 8-0 shutout loss in Philadelphia. Sánchez carved them up, Chandler kept it close for a while, and the offense never got going.
An 11-7 win in Philadelphia. Down 5-0 early, the bats came all the way back and then some, and the Pirates get over .500.
A 9-4 win to avoid the sweep. Keller gave them six good ones, O'Hearn drove in four, and the Pirates get back to .500.
A 9-7 loss to drop the series. The bats climbed back twice, Soto gave up a three-run homer in the ninth, and the Pirates fall to 41-42.
A 6-4 loss to the Reds. Skenes gave up four in the second, the bats tied it in the sixth, and the eighth got away.
A 5-1 win to take the series. Lowe and Davis homered, Chandler gave them a good start, and the bullpen stayed clean.
An 11-1 win to even the series. Ashcraft was excellent, the offense hung 15 hits on Seattle, and O'Hearn had a huge night.
A 3-2 loss to open the series with Seattle. Keller gave up two homers, the bullpen actually held, and the bats went quiet after the third.
An 8-6 win in Denver to avoid the sweep, behind homers from Nick Gonzales and Bryan Reynolds. The bigger story was Jared Jones leaving early after a line drive off the elbow.
A 4-3 loss in Denver to open the series. The Pirates blew a late lead and stranded the bases loaded in the ninth against a team they had no business losing to.
A 12-4 rout in Sacramento to take the series. Ryan O'Hearn drove in six, Marcell Ozuna launched one to center, and Ashcraft gave them length.
Down 4-0 after the first, the Pirates chipped away and came back to win. Two Bryan Reynolds homers, a Brandon Lowe shot in the ninth, and a bullpen that finally held up in a 6-5 win.
An 11-2 night out in Sacramento. Kurtz hit two, Jones and Mlodzinski got lit up, and the offense did nothing.
