The Pirates bounced back after a miserable game 1 to take 2 of 3 from the A’s out in Sacramento. The Pirates jumped on Aaron Civale early and never looked back, winning by a very comfortable score of 12-4. The Pirates were carried tonight by Braxton Ashcraft’s incredible 6 innings and Ryan O’Hearn driving in 6 runs by himself. The Pirates are now at 38-37, and are in prime position to stack wins as they head to Colorado next. Watch Jim and Tyler break down the game in further detail here:

The Offense is Back on Track

The Pirates reminded the league that they are in fact one of the better offensive teams in baseball, scoring 12 tonight in a hitter’s paradise. What makes the offense fun in my eyes, though, is that they can score in every way, making them threats to score runs in waves like they did tonight. The team has its power guys (Cruz, Lowe), their contact guys ( Gonzales, Mangum), and their jack of all trades guys (O’Hearn, Reynolds). The Buccos hit 2 home runs, but they also got 20 batters on the basepaths tonight. They hit homers, doubles, singles, bloopers, you name it, and every single starter got at least one hit. The Pirates now sit 5th in total runs scored, and yet I think they can be even better. The team is currently 29th in the sport in terms of batting average with RISP, meaning that a little bit more clutch means we can see nights like tonight even more often. Tonight they went 5-16, which is good for a .312 average, which is a major improvement. If they are able to deliver with RISP more consistently, they could even rise to a top 3 offense in the sport. This lineup and its depth will drive this team to the playoffs more than any other part of the roster.

Ryan O’Hearn is a Beast

Ryan O’Hearn has had a rough month of June, but he put all those struggles behind him tonight as he goes 3/5, with a double and home run and 6 RBIs to his name. He gave Aaron Civale fits and only got better as the game went on. Ryan is the epitome of moves that the Pirates should be targeting with their free agent signings; he is increasingly becoming a steal based on his 2-year contract that was inked this winter. O’Hearn is clearly a clubhouse leader who has helped bring calm when things are going poorly, and he has been a consistent anchor in the middle of the lineup all season. His OPS after tonight now sits at .828, and his wRC+ is at 128. What is even more impressive is that you can argue he has only been the 3rd best outfielder on the team with how Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz have been playing. O’Hearn is pacing to be this generation’s Russell Martin if the team can sneak into the playoffs over the course of his deal.

Braxton Ashcraft is Him

I’m running out of words to describe just how much I love Braxton Ashcraft. Just an incredible young talent, and once again shoved tonight over 6 innings. He only yielded 2 runs in a place that is a nightmare to pitch in, and he induced 10 whiffs and 7 strikeouts over that period. Instead of reading the same words about his greatness, enjoy one of the best 2 seam fastballs you’ll ever see thrown.