This was one of those series that felt like it could go a completely different direction depending on which version of the Pirates showed up. You had the momentum coming in, a five-game winning streak snapped in Game 1, a strong response in Game 2, and then a rubber match that had all the energy in the world behind it with the Konnor Griffin extension news. By the end of it, though, the story was pretty clear. Too many mistakes in key moments, not enough consistency, and a series that slipped away at home. Let’s break it down.
Game 1
Every team has a few games over the course of a 162-game season where you just want to throw it out the window and never speak of it again. That felt like exactly what this was for the Pirates in the opener against the Padres. Still, there are a few moments worth touching on, even if this is one you would prefer to forget entirely.
Bubba Chandler actually got off to a solid start in this one, but the same issue that has followed him early this season showed up again. The walks continue to be a problem. When he was in the zone, the stuff looked good and he was able to navigate through the lineup, but the lack of command kept putting him in less-than-ideal spots and eventually caught up to him as the game went on.
The first real turning point came on the bases, and it was not a good one. Spencer Horwitz had a hard-hit ball that deflected off not one but two Padres infielders before trickling into the outfield, and it should have been a moment that sparked a rally. Nick Gonzales read it perfectly and went first to third without hesitation. Ahead of him, though, everything broke down. Ryan O’Hearn and third base coach Tony Beasley were not on the same page at all. Beasley appeared to think the ball was knocked down cleanly before reaching right field and started waving O’Hearn, only to quickly throw up the stop sign. By that point, O’Hearn was caught in between, and once he saw Gonzales already standing at third, he had no choice but to try for home. He was out easily, and just like that, a play that should have produced a run and possibly more turned into nothing. It was a messy sequence, and while Beasley has been solid all season, this one stands out as a rare miscue.
Another moment that stood out negatively came in the fifth inning, and it is only going to add more fuel to the conversation surrounding the Pirates’ outfield defense. Jackson Merrill hit a deep fly ball toward the left field notch that had a 99-percent catch probability. Bryan Reynolds drifted back on it but never looked comfortable, and instead of settling under it, he committed to an awkward dive attempt that he had no chance of making. The ball landed and bounced over the wall for a ground rule double, pushing the Padres lead to 2-0. It is the kind of play that has led to the outfield defense being talked about a lot lately, and this one is not going to quiet any of that noise.
From there, it was just a slow bleed. San Diego added another run in that fifth inning, then tacked on one in the sixth and one more in the eighth. Meanwhile, the Pirates offense never found an answer. They finished just 1 for 10 with runners in scoring position, and even though there were opportunities, nothing ever came from them. No big hit, no momentum swing, nothing to get the crowd back into it.
Some games you want to dive in and look at every little moment. This was not one of them. It was sloppy in key moments, flat at the plate, and by the end of it, a 5-0 loss that felt exactly like the kind you move on from as quickly as possible.
Game 2
Game two was a very chilly Skenes Day. The weather was cold, but Paul Skenes looked completely unfazed. He carried that same intimidating swagger he always brings, and from the jump it was clear he was locked in.
For the first four and a half innings, it was a pitcher’s duel. Skenes was dealing, but Nick Pivetta matched him almost pitch for pitch. Offense was hard to come by for both sides, with Henry Davis recording the only hit of the game through that stretch. It had all the makings of one of those tight, low-scoring cold weather games where one swing or one mistake was going to decide it.
That moment finally came in the fifth, and it came with two outs. Spencer Horwitz got things started with a single, and Konnor Griffin followed with an infield hit to give the Pirates a little life. Later, Oneil Cruz to the plate with two outs and he delivered in a big way. Cruz went the other way and slapped a ball down the third base line that turned into chaos once it got past the infield. Horwitz scored easily, and Griffin took off from first and never slowed down, flying around the bases and sliding in head-first safely at the plate. It was an electric sequence that gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead and showed exactly how dangerous Griffin’s speed can be.
From there, Skenes just kept doing his thing. He carried a no-hit bid into the sixth before finally giving one up, and the only real damage came on a solo shot from Xander Bogaerts in the seventh. That ended his night, but it did not take away from how strong he was. His final line said it all. Six and one-third innings, two hits, one earned run, six strikeouts, and two walks. Another outing where he looked in complete control.
The Pirates made sure that one swing would not come back to haunt them by breaking the game open in the eighth. Bryan Reynolds and Ryan O’Hearn both singled, and an error allowed Nick Yorke to reach and load the bases. With one out, Nick Gonzales stepped in and came through in a big spot, driving a ball the other way to bring in two runs and extend the lead to 4-1. That was the moment where you could feel the game start to slip away from San Diego.
The Bucs were not done there. Jake Mangum came in to pinch hit for Horwitz and picked up an RBI single of his own, and then Konnor Griffin capped it off in style. The 19-year-old ripped a single to left, bringing home two more runs and blowing the game wide open at 7-1. It was a big inning fueled by timely hitting, something that was completely missing the night before. Talk about insurance runs!
Yohan Ramirez took care of the ninth without any issues, and just like that, the Pirates had evened the series and set themselves up for a rubber match.
More than anything, this game showed something that Pirates teams in the past have struggled with. They turned the page. After an ugly, frustrating performance in Game 1, they came right back out and handled business. The pitching was dominant, the offense came through when it mattered, and they gave themselves a chance to win the series.
Game 3
Game three had the chance to be one of those feel-good days at PNC Park. Just hours after the official news of the Konnor Griffin extension, the energy around the team and the city felt as high as it has in a long time. In the big picture, this day is going to be remembered as one of the more important ones in recent Pirates history. Unfortunately, the game itself did not match that energy at all.
The biggest positive from the afternoon was Mitch Keller, who continues to look excellent to start the 2026 season. Outside of a few scattered hits and one walk, Keller cruised through six scoreless innings without much trouble. He was efficient, in control, and looked like a pitcher who had everything working. His final line showed it. Six innings, no runs, three hits, four strikeouts, and one walk. That outing dropped his ERA to 1.00 through his first three starts, which is about as good as you can ask for.
That is what made the decision to pull him after just 75 pitches such an interesting one. There is logic behind it, but still a tough one in hindsight. Keller has had his issues late in seasons in the past, and early in the 2026 season you can understand wanting to protect your starter and avoid pushing him too far. At the same time, it felt like one of those moves that could come back to bite you, especially with how well he was throwing the ball.
That is exactly what happened.
Justin Lawrence came out of the bullpen to start the seventh, and things unraveled almost immediately. The Padres were clearly sitting on his sweeper and did not miss when they got it. What was a 0-0 game turned into a 4-0 deficit in a matter of moments. It started with an error from Nick Gonzales, followed by back-to-back doubles, and eventually a two-run homer from Jake Cronenworth that broke things wide open. It was a rough outing from Lawrence in every sense, and one that completely flipped the game.
To their credit, the Pirates did not go quietly in the bottom half of the inning. Nick Yorke got things started with a single, and Gonzales followed with a double to put two runners in scoring position and bring some life back into the ballpark. That set the stage for the newly extended Griffin, who came in to pinch hit. He squared one up and lined it sharply to left field, but Ramon Laureano made a strong sliding play to take away what could have been a big hit. It went as a sacrifice fly as Yorke came in to score, and Joey Bart followed with a single up the middle to bring home another run and cut the deficit in half.
For a moment, it felt like the Pirates were right back in it. Mangum worked a walk to keep things going, but that was as far as it would go. Cruz and Lowe were both retired, and the inning came to a close with the Pirates still trailing.
Any chance of a comeback disappeared in the eighth, and it was another inning that got messy quickly. Defensive issues showed up again with errors from Griffin and Yorke, and a tough outing from Jose Urquidy only added to it. By the time it was over, the Padres had stretched the lead to 8-2 and put the game out of reach.
From there, it was just about getting through the final inning. Mason Miller, the Bethel Park native, came in and made quick work of the Pirates to close it out, handing San Diego the win and the series.
It is one of those games where things just snowball. Strong starting pitching goes to waste, one inning gets away from you, and suddenly you are playing from behind with no real way back into it. When you pair this one with how Game one played out, it adds up to a series that the Pirates will not feel great about.
Final Thoughts
This series ends up being a frustrating one when you look back on it. There were strong pitching performances from Skenes and Keller that deserved better outcomes. There were flashes from the offense, especially in Game two, that show what this lineup is capable of when it actually executes. At the same time, there were too many mistakes that you simply cannot afford to make if you want to win a series.
Missed chances with runners in scoring position, confusion on the bases, defensive lapses, and a bullpen meltdown in a tied game all added up. That is the difference between taking a series at home and dropping it.
At the end of the day, even with the series loss, this still feels like a massive win for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The official extension of Konnor Griffin signals something much bigger than one rough game or even one lost series. It represents a real commitment to building around young talent and shaping a long-term vision for this franchise. Days like this are about more than the final score. They are about direction, belief, and the start of what many hope will be a new era of Pirates baseball.
The Pirates now sit at 7-5 and will head to Chicago looking to reset. There is still a lot to like about this team early on, but this series was a reminder that there is still plenty to clean up if they want to take the next step.
The Bucs are back in action on Friday against the Cubs at Wrigley. It will be Carmen Mlodzinski vs Shota Imanaga. First pitch is set for 2:20pm ET.
