Inches away from a sweep of a pitiful Giants team, the Pirates manage to take the rubber match this afternoon by the score of 5-2. Small ball ruled the day as the Pirates managed to score 5 runs despite recording 5 hits and none of them going for extra bases. the bullpen game was executed to perfection, with the only runs being surrendered by Khristian Curtis. the Pirates have clawed their way back to 3 games under .500 and 5 games out of a wild card spot. Watch Cody and Doug break the game down in detail here:
Oneil Cruz is Valuable Without Getting Hits
Oneil Cruz didn’t get a single hit today. He went 0-1 and struck out. Despite this, he was the heart of the offense and was involved in most of the Pirates’ offense today. He walked 3 times, drove in a run, scored a run, and stole a base today. Somehow, despite not getting a hit, he was the most valuable player in the lineup today. This shows the value of employing players with tools that Oneil provides on a nightly basis. Even when he isn’t slugging home runs, he is causing chaos on the base paths, working his way on base, and engineering runs for a struggling offense. Extending Oneil Cruz and Brandon Lowe is better for this team than any potential free agent signing.
2 of 3 Isn’t Good Enough
We have reached a point where 2 of 3 from bad teams isn’t going to cut it anymore. The Giants are one of the easiest teams the Pirates have left, and they had every chance to win all 3 games and be within 4 games of a playoff spot. Instead, we sit here with 22 games left in the season and 5 games out. Even if they do go on a big run down the stretch, they have to beat out 4 teams above them for said spot in the playoffs. Sweeping the Angels is a must as the basement of the American League is rolling into town this weekend. Give us a 7-game win streak to make us believe that this is possible; instead, all we are doing is giving Ben Cherington excuses to potentially keep his job after a big disappointment.
Spencer Horwitz Wake Up Buddy
How the mighty have fallen. Before Spencer Horwitz was sidelined with a prolonged injury, he was by far the Pirates’ most consistent hitter since the start of 2025. When he came back from his injury, his OPS was solidly in the mid-800s. After another disappointing 1-5 today, his OPS sits at a mediocre . 724. Spencer plays first base and does not provide much value to the team outside of his bat. While he’s been excellent for large stretches of his Pirates career, having a league-average bat who doesn’t hit for power or provide speed can’t be starting 1st base for a team with contending hopes. Reynolds and Horwitz are both taking up valuable real estate on top of the order and getting the most at bats. What they have been providing in August and September is unacceptable for what we’ve seen from both players.
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