The Pirates finished off a sweep of the Orioles with an 8-2 win, and this one felt under control almost immediately. Tyler and Doug spent most of the postgame talking about how different this team looks right now. The lineup has more length, the pressure is not all on one or two hitters, and the whole group looks more relaxed and confident.
Ryan O’Hearn set the tone early with a two-run homer in the first, then came through again in the second with a two-run double. That second inning was really the turning point. The Pirates loaded the bases, kept the line moving, and turned good at-bats into a four-run frame. Oneil Cruz drove in a run, Bryan Reynolds added a sac fly, and O’Hearn finished the damage. It was not just about power. It was about traffic on the bases and taking advantage of it.
Cruz still made his mark in a big way. He added a two-run homer later in the game and continues to look dangerous every time he steps in. Tyler and Doug also pointed to his improved work against left-handed pitching as one of the most encouraging signs of the early season.
On the mound, Braxton Ashcraft gave the Pirates exactly what they needed. He went six innings, allowed one run, did not walk a batter, and stayed in attack mode the whole time.
This was a clean win, a complete win, and another example of what the Pirates can look like when the offense has depth and the pitching throws strikes. For a team that has made too many games feel hard in recent years, this one looked easy.
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