After a tough opening series against the Mets, the Pirates have quickly turned the tone of their season around. A series win over the Reds got things moving, but this weekend against the Orioles felt like something more significant. In their home opener series, the Pirates completed a three-game sweep, extending their winning streak to five games and improving to 6–3 on the year. More than just the results, the way they are winning suggests this team may be taking a real step forward.
Game One
Friday night marked the home opener, and the energy inside the ballpark reflected it. The night was made even more notable by the debut of Konnor Griffin, the number one overall prospect in baseball, who had signed a historic pre-debut extension earlier in the day. Starting at shortstop and batting seventh, Griffin made an immediate impact. In his first at-bat, he worked the count to two strikes before driving a double into the left-center gap, bringing in a run and igniting both the offense and the crowd.
That early spark carried into a second inning where the Pirates created separation. After Griffin’s RBI double, Jared Triolo followed with a run-scoring hit, and both Henry Davis and Oneil Cruz added RBIs to push the lead to 4–0. It proved to be just enough offense to carry them through the rest of the game. Mitch Keller continued his strong start to the season, allowing two runs across six innings while keeping a dangerous Orioles lineup in check.
The bullpen had a brief moment of instability when Yohan Ramirez allowed a run while recording just one out, but Mason Montgomery entered and limited further damage. Dennis Santana delivered a clean eighth inning, and Gregory Soto secured the save in the ninth despite allowing a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson that cut the lead to one. The Pirates held on for a 5–4 win, a game defined more by timely hitting and execution than overwhelming offensive output.
Game 2
The second game of the series followed a script that has been all too familiar in recent years, at least through the first seven innings. The Pirates repeatedly put runners on base but were unable to capitalize, leaving multiple scoring opportunities unfulfilled. Entering the eighth inning trailing 2–1, the game felt like one that would slip away. Carmen Mlodzinski had kept the Pirates within reach, allowing two runs over 4.2 innings while striking out five. Hunter Barco followed and worked through consistent traffic on the bases but managed to keep the Orioles off the scoreboard in his 2.1 innings of work. Isaac Mattson and Dennis Santana then combined to maintain the one-run deficit, with Santana continuing his dominant stretch by striking out Henderson to end the top of the ninth.
The breakthrough came in the bottom of the eighth, and it was far from conventional. Marcell Ozuna reached on an infield hit, and Nick Yorke entered as a pinch runner. Griffin and Spencer Horwitz each recorded productive outs that advanced Yorke to third, setting the stage for Jake Mangum. Mangum put the ball in play, and a fortunate bounce allowed it to slip past the pitcher and into the infield, bringing Yorke home to tie the game. What followed in the ninth inning was the kind of moment that has eluded the Pirates in recent seasons. Bryan Reynolds led off with a double, and after Ryan O’Hearn was intentionally walked, Yorke came to the plate and delivered. He drove a ball over the head of the left fielder for a walk-off double, securing a 3–2 victory and completing a comeback that felt emblematic of a more resilient team.
Game 3
By Sunday, the Pirates carried both momentum and confidence into the series finale, and the game unfolded with far less tension. Braxton Ashcraft turned in what may have been the best start of his career, pitching six innings while striking out eight and allowing just one run. Mason Montgomery followed and encountered trouble, allowing a run and multiple baserunners, but worked through the inning without letting the game slip. With the bullpen taxed, Jose Urquidy provided valuable length, closing out the final two innings to secure the win.
Offensively, the Pirates established control early and maintained it throughout. Ryan O’Hearn set the tone in the first inning with a home run on a 3–0 count, and he followed it with a two-run double in the second, finishing the day with four RBIs. Oneil Cruz continued to be a central figure in the offense, driving in a run with a bases-loaded single in the second before adding a two-run home run in the sixth that effectively put the game out of reach. Cruz’s early-season success against left-handed pitching has been particularly notable, representing a significant shift from last year. Jake Mangum also continued to find his rhythm, collecting two hits, while Henry Davis remained impactful behind the plate by throwing out another baserunner. The Pirates went on to win 8–2, marking the first time in nine matchups between these teams that the game was not decided by a single run.
There were, however, some developments beyond the field that will bear watching. Jared Triolo was placed on the 10-day injured list prior to the game, with manager Don Kelly indicating the timeline will be measured in weeks rather than days. Billy Cook was recalled to take his place on the roster.
Through nine games, the Pirates have begun to establish an identity built on strong starting pitching, timely offense, and a bullpen that has delivered in key situations. Notably, they remain the only team in baseball whose starting pitchers have yet to allow a home run this season. While it is still early, the combination of emerging talent and improved execution has created a sense that this stretch may be more than just a short-term surge.
What’s Next
The Pirates will look to continue their momentum as they remain at home to face the Padres. Top prospect Bubba Chandler is expected to take the mound against veteran Germán Márquez. For a team searching for sustained relevance, this recent stretch offers a glimpse of what that might look like if it continues.
