The Pirates opened the Rays series with a 5-1 win at PNC Park and gave fans plenty to feel good about heading into Saturday’s NS9 tailgate. On the latest NS9 Postgame Show, Tyler and Jim broke down another strong all-around effort, led by Bubba Chandler’s most mature start of the season.
Chandler looked like a big league starter from the jump. He attacked the zone, stayed under control, and limited hard contact all night. The only real bump came in the sixth inning, but even then he kept the game from getting away and showed the kind of poise you want from a young arm still figuring things out. The Pirates’ pitching staff continues to be the backbone of this team, and Chandler added another strong outing to that growing list.
At the plate, the offense kept showing why this lineup feels different than it did a year ago. Spencer Horwitz stayed hot with three hits, Marcell Ozuna added another three-hit game as he continues to show signs of breaking out, and Brandon Lowe came through again with a huge late double in his revenge game against Tampa Bay. Oneil Cruz also stayed in the middle of everything with another big swing, launching his sixth homer of the season and continuing his monster start.
The Pirates are now 12-8 and finding different ways to win. Some nights it is a big offensive outburst. Some nights, like Friday, it is strong pitching, timely hitting, and just enough offense to get the job done. NS9 talked through all of it after the win, and if you missed it, now is the perfect time to catch up before Paul Skenes takes the mound Saturday.
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