North Shore Nine

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The Pirates needed a spark in Washington, and rookie right-hander Bubba Chandler delivered a jolt of pure electricity. Chandler fired six brilliant innings in Saturday’s 4–1 win, showing the kind of power stuff that has fans buzzing about his future. He allowed just two hits and one run, struck out seven, and didn’t issue a single walk. His fastball averaged 99.2 mph and even touched 101 on his final pitch—his 81st of the afternoon—marking his first outing of at least five innings since late July.

For much of the game, Chandler’s dominance was met with silence from the Pirates’ bats. Pittsburgh stranded four runners and went hitless with men in scoring position through six innings. But the offense finally broke through in the seventh. Andrew McCutchen lined a two-run single to right to give the Bucs a 2–1 lead, and Nick Yorke followed with a grounder that caromed off the second baseman’s glove and into right field, driving in two more for a 4–1 cushion.

The bullpen took it from there. Carmen Mlodzinski worked a clean seventh and eighth, and the Pirates closed it out without drama to secure the series win. McCutchen finished with two RBI, while Bryan Reynolds reached base twice and scored a key run.

Chandler’s performance—triple-digit heat, pinpoint command, and a fearless mix of pitches—was the story of the day. If he continues to pitch like this, he could quickly become a cornerstone of the Pirates’ rotation as they head into the offseason.