Pittsburgh Pirates Notebook: Lowe’s 20th, Jones Struggles, & More

The Pittsburgh Pirates currently hold a 41-42 record after dropping the second game of their series against the Cincinnati Reds. Within the last 24 hours, the club suffered a painful 9-7 loss at PNC Park following a late-inning bullpen collapse.

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MLB Game Recap

The Pittsburgh Pirates lost to the Reds on a rainy Saturday. They surrendered a three-run, two-out home run to Eugenio Suárez in the ninth inning. Starter Jared Jones struggled through 4.2 innings, allowing four runs (three earned) on four hits, as he was battling command issues and a balk. Esmerlyn Valdez hit an eighth-inning pinch-hit homer that briefly gave Pittsburgh a lead. The bullpen could not maintain the advantage. Gregory Soto was charged with both the loss and a blown save.

Standout Performer

Second baseman Brandon Lowe powered the Pittsburgh Pirates’ offense. He finished 1-for-4 with a three-run home run. He also had a sacrifice fly and four RBIs. His 396-foot blast in the third inning marked his 20th homer of the season. He is now within three of the franchise record for a second baseman. While his production kept the Pirates competitive, a fifth-inning fielding error contributed to a Reds rally that tied the game.

Key News & Notes

Bryan Reynolds extended his on-base streak to 32 games and his hitting streak to 17 games with a first-inning single. Manager Don Kelly expressed deep frustration. He criticized the bullpen’s inability to close winnable games. He stated that the group simply has to “get better”. Meanwhile, starting pitcher Jared Jones was blunt about his recent performance. He admitted he struggled. He stated he needs to make more competitive pitches with two strikes.

Farm Report

• Triple-A Indianapolis: Shawn Ross went 1-for-3 with 3 RBIs. His performance included a walk-off sacrifice fly in the ninth inning. This play secured a 4-3 win over Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. This comeback victory was sparked by late-game heroics from Ross and Termarr Johnson.
• Double-A Altoona: Wilber Dotel tossed 1.0 scoreless inning with one strikeout and one walk during a 14-5 loss to Reading. This outing marked the rookie’s first appearance on his rehab assignment since being sidelined with a lat strain.
• High-A Greensboro: Yordany De Los Santos finished 3-for-5. He hit a triple and a double. He drove in 4 RBIs in a 15-9 victory over Rome. De Los Santos’s multi-hit effort anchored a high-scoring game that featured 15 total hits for the Grasshoppers.
• Low-A Bradenton: Carlos Navarro was dominant, striking out 10 batters over 4.0 innings of one-run ball in a 13-4 win against Palm Beach. Navarro’s high-volume strikeout performance helped the Marauders cruise to a blowout victory.
• FCL Pirates: Gevanni Melendez recorded an RBI single and a stolen base in an 11-2 defeat to the FCL Orioles. Melendez provided one of the few offensive sparks in a lopsided contest where the Pirates were held to five hits.