What a night – and what a comeback! – for the Pirates last night at PNC Park. The Bucs found themselves down by five runs late in the game but rallied for a huge win, snapping their four-game losing streak.
Greg Brown has the recap.
Manager Donnie Kelly is happy to have the versatile Tyler Callihan, who was acquired from the Reds for pitcher Kyle Nicolas in spring training. Callihan has played mostly at third base since joining the team but was in right field last night.
Callihan’s first home run of his big league career came off Shohei Ohtani and bounced into the Allegheny River.
Pirates’ starter Jared Jones threw four innings and gave up two earned runs, but was behind in the count for most of the night. That drove his pitch count to 75, leading to an early exit.
The Pirates’ Mitch Keller will try to break out of a run of poor starts in the series finale tonight. Keller (5-3, 4.81 ERA) faces Dodgers lefty Justin Wrobleski (7-2, 2.62 ERA). Airtime is 6:15 with first pitch at 6:40 on WCCS.
Bad news for the Pirates on the injury front: center fielder Oneil Cruz has been placed on the ten-day injured list and is expected to miss four to six weeks with two non-displaced fractures, of the fourth and fifth metacarpals in his left hand. Cruz was injured on a slide on Saturday in Atlanta. Billy Cook was recalled from Indianapolis to fill the roster spot.
Shortstop Konnor Griffin threw from 90 feet yesterday, testing his right forearm strain. He tossed the ball at about three-quarters velocity and said afterward that it felt fine. He also took grounders but did not throw during infield practice.
Catcher Henry Davis was placed on the paternity list and replaced by catcher/first baseman Rafael Flores Jr. Flores got into the game when Endy Rodriguez left with hip soreness.
Catcher Joey Bart began a rehab assignment yesterday, going 0-for-1 with a walk and a strikeout for Bradenton before the game was suspended by rain in the fourth inning.
HOF
The Pirates have named John Candelaria, Jack Wilson, and the late Wilbur Cooper to the team’s 2026 Pirates Hall of Fame class. “The Candyman” was 124-87 in twelve years with the Bucs with a 3.17 ERA. Wilson played nine seasons in Pittsburgh and won a Silver Slugger Award and made the All-Star team in 2004. Cooper is the Pirates’ all-time winningest pitcher, with a 202-159 record, a 2.74 ERA, and 263 complete games in thirteen seasons as a Buc.
The induction ceremony will be on Friday, September 4th before the Pirates’ game against the Angels.
