All articles tagged with #pittsburgh pirates
Tarik Skubal settled after a rocky first inning to go seven innings with 11 strikeouts, Kyle Tucker snapped an 0-for-26 home skid with a go-ahead two-run single in the fifth, and Alek Thomas added an RBI hit in his Dodgers debut as Los Angeles beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-3 to extend its win streak to five.
Paul Skenes has struggled in 2026 after a strong previous season, with a noticeable drop in velocity, off mechanics, and apparent exhaustion. His ERA has surged to 3.95, and he has delivered a limited number of dominant starts while posting poor results lately, contributing to Pittsburgh’s slump and a 4.8% playoff probability. With the Pirates falling 5½ games out of the final NL wild card and his form waning for weeks, experts suggest a more aggressive rest strategy to protect his long-term value and the team’s postseason chances, potentially sidelining him for the remainder of the season to preserve their ace for the future.
Detroit blew a late lead as Kenley Jansen surrendered two two-strike homers in the bottom of the ninth—first Rafael Flores Jr. and then Brandon Lowe—to lift Pittsburgh to a 4‑3 walk-off win and clinch the series. The loss drops Detroit to 61‑66, fourth in the AL Central, five games back of the White Sox and 1.5 behind the third wild-card with 35 games left. Jackson Jobe outdueled Paul Skenes early, but the Tigers’ bullpen and offense couldn’t finish, keeping their playoff odds shrinking as they head into the next stretch of games.
Detroit jumped out to an early lead and withstood a late Pirates rally to beat Pittsburgh 8-5. Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski struggled, issuing seven walks, while Detroit’s Framber Valdez earned the win despite some hiccups. Tigers' Kevin McGonigle opened the scoring with a two‑run homer, and Pittsburgh answered late with Nick Yorke’s three‑run double and Callahan’s two‑run single, but Detroit’s bullpen closed it out as the Tigers moved to 60-64 and the Pirates dropped to 61-65.
The Pirates will push back Paul Skenes’ next start to Wednesday against the Tigers to give him extra rest; manager Don Kelly stressed it’s not injury-related. The move follows a non-dominant outing versus the Marlins, with a dip in fastball velocity and Skenes being pulled after 65 pitches, as he navigates a season that’s been trending away from his Cy Young-winning form.
Paul Skenes labored through five innings against the Marlins, yielding two runs (one earned) on eight hard-hit balls. His fastball averaged 95.7 mph (hardest 96.5), down from his season mark of 96.9, and he departed after 65 pitches as the Pirates lost. Yohan Ramírez tossed three perfect innings in relief, and Skenes struck out four to go with a 9-11 record and a 3.88 ERA. He is due to face the Red Sox next.
Pirates ace Paul Skenes exited after five innings and 65 pitches in a 2-0 loss to the Marlins, failing to reach his prior velocity (max around 96.5 mph) and yielding a solo homer and an RBI single. Pittsburgh said the decision wasn’t injury-related, and Skenes’ August starts have continued to be five innings or fewer.
The Pittsburgh Pirates routed the New York Mets 9-0 at PNC Park, highlighted by Brandon Lowe’s 25th homer of the season—the most ever by a Pirates second baseman in a single year—while Bubba Chandler pitched effectively and Nick Gonzales added a two-run double to fuel the offense in a game the Mets could not score.
Despite aggressive deadline moves and a bolstered bullpen, the Pirates’ playoff hopes hinge on Paul Skenes, who hasn’t matched his rookie-dominant form this season. His velocity has dipped, walks and homers have risen, and he’s logged several inefficient starts, including a tough outing against Milwaukee that contributed to his 10th loss in 24 starts. Pittsburgh remains in a crowded NL wild-card race behind Milwaukee and Chicago, so Skenes’ rebound—bolstered by improved run support and a stronger lineup behind him—is critical to capitalizing on the team’s midseason improvements.
The Milwaukee Brewers defeated the Pittsburgh Pirates 4-2 at American Family Field to improve to 69-43 while Pittsburgh falls to 57-57. Henderson worked six solid innings for the win, limiting the Pirates to four hits and two runs while fanning eight; Jared Jones lasted four innings with three earned runs allowed. Pittsburgh grabbed an early lead on Endy Rodriguez’s solo homer, but Milwaukee answered with Chourio’s tying homer, Vaughn’s solo shot, and Lara’s RBI single in the fifth for insurance. The Pirates were held to five hits, Pirates reliever Kirby Yates debuted in the eighth, Brewers reliever Antonio Senzatela appeared in the seventh in his Brewers debut, and Don Kelly was ejected after arguing a strike call.
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-handed reliever Lake Bachar from the Miami Marlins to bolster their bullpen ahead of the trade deadline, part of a flurry of moves that also included adding Luke Weaver, Kirby Yates and Camilo Doval. In return, Miami received three prospects: Brandan Bidois, Hyun Seung Lee and Brian Sanchez. Bachar has a 3.88 ERA over 139 MLB innings with solid strikeouts but a higher walk rate, and the Pirates gain bullpen depth with in-house reinforcements like Evan Sisk potentially returning soon. The Marlins sit higher in the NL standings and received upside in the prospects, while the Pirates, at 56-57, aim to climb back into a playoff position.
The Yankees traded right-handed reliever Camilo Doval to the Pittsburgh Pirates for two prospects, Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz, with the Pirates covering $750K of Doval’s remaining salary and the Yankees taking on $1.25M. Doval has a 4.63 ERA, 1.74 WHIP and -1.1 WAR over 66 appearances this season, and the move clears a bullpen headache for New York as they pursue upgrades before the August 3 deadline. The Pirates, already dealing with bullpen issues, hope the swap provides relief and sets a higher market price for relievers going forward.
With the 2026 MLB trade deadline looming, the Pirates acquired reliever Camilo Doval from the Yankees for cash and two lower-ranked prospects (Omar Alfonzo and Luis Cruz), hoping his high-velocity, ground-ball-heavy profile can stabilize the bullpen; the Yankees moved on from a disappointing stint by getting salary relief and two prospects, while paying part of Doval’s 2026 salary. Analysts grade the swap as an A for Pittsburgh due to upside and cost, and a C for New York for trading a flawed asset for two lower-ceiling prospects while covering much of the salary.
The Pittsburgh Pirates acquired right-hander Camilo Doval from the New York Yankees, in a trade that sends two prospects to New York while the Yankees receive catcher Omar Alfonzo and outfielder Luis Cruz. Doval, a 2023 All-Star known for his power arm and ground-ball tendency, has struggled at Yankee Stadium this season but could bolster Pittsburgh’s late-inning options. He is under team control through 2027 and is earning $6.1 million in 2026, with the Pirates taking on roughly $750,000 of the remaining salary and the Yankees contributing about $1.086 million to facilitate the deal.
The Pirates kicked off the trade deadline by acquiring Ron Marinaccio from the Padres in exchange for Dennis Santana, who was designated for assignment after another on-field altercation tied to Jose Caballero. Santana, a former Pirate with a volatile reliever history, departs as Marinaccio, who owns a 4.79 ERA over 47 innings this season, heads to Pittsburgh. The Yankees have yet to make a move, while Dodgers and Pirates have already swung bullpen trades against New York, and the piece ends by wondering whether the Yankees might show interest in the DFA’d Santana.