The Pirates won a marathon of a game on the West Coast tonight by the score of 3-2. It took them over 4 hours and 12 innings of bad baseball to accomplish this feat. The team is trying to dig itself out of a 7.5 game hole in the wild card chase, and winning against the Padres is an excellent start. Braxton Ashcraft was a balk away from 6 immaculate innings, Esmerlyn Valdez hit a tank of a home run, and the Pirates bullpen locked down the Friars over 6 innings of work. This includes 3 straight extra innings of not allowing the Padres to score a single run. Nick Gonzales gets to play hero as he knocks in the winning run in the top of the 12th. Watch Dinardo and I break down the game further here:

Weirdest Balk Call Ever?

Braxton Ashcraft walked off the mound after he recorded what should have been the 3rd out of the 6th inning. It would’ve been 6 shutout innings and a beautiful way to end such a great start. The home plate umpire had other ideas. He chose to call the latest balk call I have ever seen in 25 years of watching the sport. Ashcraft had to labor for another 15 pitches, which ultimately cost him a chance to go out for a 7th inning. Even if you think it was technically the right call (which I think is very disputed), you simply cannot call a balk that late. The play had already taken place, the pitch had been delivered for ages, and you stopped the play because you couldn’t make a proper call in real time. Ashcraft was done dirty, and. You will never see another team called for a balk like that ever again. Simply ludicrous stuff from what is supposed to be a professional umpiring crew.

Esmerlyn Valdez Continues to Have Special Power

@MLBView post on X ↗

The Pirates were staring at 22 consecutive innings without a run scored before Esmerlyn Valdez broke the ice with a towering moonshot in the top of the 6th. He has struggled mightily to get consistent hits during his time in the majors. However, that power and patience he possesses convinces me there is a real player in there. The team as a whole is struggling offensively, and a lot of the blame can be placed at the overall lack of power and slugging the team is doing. While the season is lost , Valdez should have a 2027 roster spot for his game changing ability to put balls into the seats at any given time. He’s just broken a major cold streak in terms of power so this is a really positive development for the rookie.