The Pirates headed to the Bronx in the middle of their toughest stretch of the season to date, but they did so with plenty of confidence after back-to-back series wins against quality opponents. They also entered the series tied for the final National League Wild Card spot, a position they have not occupied in quite some time and one they have rarely found themselves in over the past several seasons. While taking a series from the Yankees in New York would be no easy task, the opportunity to continue climbing the standings was sitting right in front of them.
Game 1 started exactly how baseball fans love it. It was a high-scoring, back-and-forth affair that felt like it was headed toward a football score before anyone had even settled into their seats.
The Yankees struck first against Braxton Ashcraft, and poor defense certainly did not do the young right-hander any favors. With one out and Ben Rice aboard after drawing a walk, Paul Goldschmidt hit what looked like a tailor-made double play ball to Nick Gonzales at third base. Instead, the ball deflected off Gonzales' glove and rolled into the outfield. Bryan Reynolds then hesitated on his throw before spiking it into the dirt, allowing the first run to score. Those two mistakes proved to be extremely costly as Cody Bellinger followed with a single before Jazz Chisholm Jr. crushed a three-run homer into the right field seats to make it 4-0 Yankees after one inning.
Fortunately, these are not the Pirates teams of old where a four-run first inning felt like a death sentence. This 2026 offense has proven time and time again that no deficit is too large.
The Pirates immediately answered in the second inning. Ryan O'Hearn singled, Marcell Ozuna doubled, and Jared Triolo ripped a ground-rule double to bring both runners home. Later in the inning, Nick Gonzales came through with a clutch two-out single to trim the deficit to just one run at 4-3.
An inning later, the magic continued. After Bryan Reynolds worked a walk, Esmerlyn Valdez launched his astonishing 13th home run in fewer than 35 Major League games. The opposite-field blast into right gave Pittsburgh a 5-4 lead and continued what has been one of the most impressive stretches by any Pirate this season or in any season. The Magician just keeps on hitting.
Unfortunately for the Pirates, the Yankees had another answer waiting. New York jumped all over Ashcraft again in the bottom of the third inning. Chisholm Jr. connected for his second home run of the night before Jose Caballero ripped a ground-rule double to cap off another four-run inning. Just like that, the Yankees reclaimed the lead at 8-5.
Ashcraft's night came to an early end after only three innings. His final line was three innings pitched, nine hits, seven earned runs, two strikeouts, and one walk. It was easily one of the toughest outings of the season for the Big Texan.
Surprisingly, after 13 runs crossed the plate over the first three innings, the offenses completely shut down. Neither club scored again, and the Yankees held on for an 8-5 victory in the opener.
Game 2 came a day later than expected after Tuesday night's postponement, setting up the Pirates' third consecutive series featuring a doubleheader. With Gerrit Cole and Max Fried scheduled to start both games on Wednesday, the odds of winning the series felt stacked heavily against Pittsburgh.
However, this Pirates club has consistently played its best baseball with its back against the wall, and Game 2 became another example.
Cole looked nearly untouchable through the first 4.2 innings. He carried a perfect game into the fifth while striking out eight batters, and it appeared he was simply going to cruise to another dominant outing.
Then, the law firm of Gonzales and Gonzalez showed up. Nick Gonzales broke up the perfect game with a two-out single in the fifth inning before Jacob Gonzalez stepped in and launched a two-run homer into the short porch in right field to suddenly give the Pirates a 2-0 lead.
The Gonzo boys were not finished there either. Nick Gonzales added what proved to be another crucial insurance run in the seventh inning by launching a solo homer off Cole. Pittsburgh may not have had many hits to that point, but they made the ones they got count.
While the offense finally broke through, Mitch Keller quietly put together one of his better outings of the season. It may not have been the type of performance that will be remembered years from now, but it was exactly what both Keller and the Pirates needed. He tossed five scoreless innings while matching Cole pitch for pitch. He probably had enough left in the tank to continue, but pulling him after a quality, scoreless outing may prove beneficial for his confidence moving forward. Especially with Carmen Mlodzinski available to bridge the gap.
Mlodzinski handled the sixth inning without issue before running into major trouble in the seventh. Ryan McMahon doubled, Austin Wells walked, and Ben Rice stepped to the plate representing the tying run. Rice continued his tremendous season by launching a three-run homer that erased Pittsburgh's lead and tied the game at three.
Fortunately, Mlodzinski and Mason Montgomery regrouped and combined to send the game into extra innings without allowing another run.
The Pirates went to work in the tenth. Jacob Gonzalez recorded a productive fly ball that moved the automatic runner to third before Marcell Ozuna drew a walk. Jared Triolo then delivered the biggest hit of the afternoon by lining a single into left field to give Pittsburgh a 4-3 lead. Jake Mangum followed with a bloop RBI single to provide an extremely important insurance run. The Pirates threatened for even more with the bases loaded and the heart of the order coming up, but the Yankees somehow escaped trailing only 5-3.
For what felt like the first time in quite a while, Gregory Soto made quick work of the tenth inning. Soto tossed a clean, scoreless frame to lock down the victory and even the series. It was exactly the type of win the Pirates needed, responding after another late-game gut punch and punching right back to set up an opportunity to win a third consecutive series.
Game 3 turned into a good old-fashioned pitcher's duel between Bubba Chandler and Max Fried. Fried was working under a pitch limit after returning from the injured list, but that hardly mattered. He tossed five scoreless innings, struck out seven, and allowed just one hit before turning the game over to the Yankees bullpen. Angel Chivilli, Paul Blackburn, Will Warren, and Tim Hill combined to finish off the shutout, completely silencing what has been one of baseball's best offenses.
While Fried was excellent, but Bubba Chandler may have been even better. The young right-hander looked as confident as he has all season. His fastball command was outstanding, his secondary pitches consistently kept Yankees hitters off balance, and he seemed completely in control throughout the afternoon. Chandler breezed through six scoreless innings while needing fewer than 80 pitches, easily producing his best outing of the year.
The defining moment came after Chandler recorded another quick out to begin the seventh inning. Sitting at only 84 pitches, Don Kelly elected to remove his young starter with Cody Bellinger and Jazz Chisholm Jr. due up.
Regardless of the outcome, the decision was going to be heavily debated. The outcome only made the criticism louder. Kelly turned to Brandon Eisert to match up against the Yankees' left-handed hitters, but Eisert immediately looked overwhelmed by the moment. He walked the first batter with four noncompetitive pitches before allowing an RBI double to Jasson Dominguez that gave New York a 1-0 lead. On the very next pitch, Anthony Volpe lined a hanging slider into left field for an RBI single to stretch the lead to 2-0.
Just like that, Chandler's brilliant afternoon was wasted. The Pirates never found an offensive answer and dropped the rubber match by a score of 2-0 as the Yankees claimed the series.
Final Thoughts
Bubba Chandler deserved a much better ending to his night than the one he received. That was easily his best start of the season and looked every bit like the pitcher Pirates fans have been waiting to see. His command was excellent, he attacked hitters with confidence, and he gave the Pirates six-plus innings of winning baseball. If Chandler continues to pitch like that, he will become a major factor down the stretch.
The bullpen, however, continues to leave plenty of questions unanswered. While there have been stretches where it has looked much improved, it still feels like the Pirates are one or two reliable late-inning arms away from being able to consistently close out games against quality opponents. That should be near the top of the front office's priority list as the trade deadline approaches.
The offense also hit a bit of a rough patch at the wrong time. Brandon Lowe, Bryan Reynolds, and Ryan O'Hearn have carried this lineup for much of the season, but all three have cooled off simultaneously over the last several games. When those three are not producing, the lineup simply does not have the same dangerous feel to it. Getting them back into their groove will be critical as the schedule continues to get tougher.
Don Kelly also has to continue developing a better feel for the game in high-leverage situations. Pulling Bubba Chandler after just 84 pitches despite how dominant he looked will be second-guessed for quite some time, especially considering how the bullpen responded immediately afterward. Managing a young pitcher's workload is understandable, but there also has to be room to recognize when a starter has complete control of a game.
Next up for the Pirates is a crucial homestand against teams directly involved in the National League Wild Card race. The Chicago Cubs come to town for Yinzerpalooza Weekend before the Arizona Diamondbacks arrive for what could be an enormous series with postseason implications. This homestand has the potential to make or break the Pirates' season.
The next game is set for Friday night at PNC Park as Jared Jones takes the mound against Matthew Boyd. First pitch is scheduled for 6:40 PM.
