North Shore Nine

The Pittsburgh Pirates dropped another frustrating game in Baltimore, falling 2–1 to the Orioles on a walk-off and highlighting once again the gap between their elite pitching and a lifeless offense. Rookie ace Paul Skenes was brilliant, striking out eight over five innings while allowing just one run on 64 pitches. He now sits atop the league in strikeouts and continues to exceed even the loftiest expectations, but he received almost no support from the bats.

Spencer Horwitz delivered the only offensive highlight with a solo homer, giving the Pirates a brief 1–0 lead. Beyond that, the lineup offered little resistance, recording just two hits all night and repeatedly failing to move runners over or capitalize on scoring opportunities. Oneil Cruz and Henry Davis both continued their slumps, emblematic of a team that simply cannot find a consistent offensive rhythm.

The bullpen largely did its job, with Isaac Mattson and Kyle Nicolas battling through high-leverage innings, but when the offense manages only a pair of hits, even near-perfect pitching isn’t enough. Manager Don Kelly’s group is now well under .500, and the loss underscored the glaring need for lineup reinforcements and better player development.

For fans, it’s a familiar story: the Pirates boast one of baseball’s most exciting young arms in Skenes, yet waste his outings with an anemic attack. Until the front office finds hitters who can produce four runs a night, Pittsburgh will keep spinning its wheels. The talent on the mound is real—now the bats must catch up if the team hopes to compete in 2026.