Takeaways: Pirates Pitching Keeps Taking Over

Skenes had given up four earned runs in his previous start, but was almost perfect vs. the Diamondbacks, which included him striking out the side in the eighth inning.

Mitch Keller continued his strong season with a solid outing in the series finale on May 7, throwing six inning, allowing just two earned runs and posting four strikeouts to earn his sixth quality start in the 4-2 win.

Bubba Chandler didn't have a great beginning to his start, throwing almost 40 pitches and gave up two runs, but settled in and threw four scoreless innings.

The Pirates still need better from Chandler, but Skenes and Keller pitching the way they have is crucial for their aims of making the postseason.

Brandon Lowe Comes Up Big for Pirates

Second baseman Brandon Lowe provided the most important offensive moments for the Pirates in their two wins over the Diamondbacks.

He crushed a solo home run in the top of the first inning in the second game, the only run scored in the 1-0 victory for Pittsburgh.

Lowe then did the same exact thing in the series finale with a solo home run in the top of the first inning, giving the Pirates a 1-0 lead.

He also kickstarted a rally in the top of the fifth inning, with the Pirates trailing 2-1, as he hit a two-out single, which then resulted in a walk and then back-to-back RBI-singles to give the Pirates a 3-2 lead.

Lowe had five hits in nine at-bats, three runs scored, two home runs and two RBI in the final two games, playing a big role in ensuring the Pirates' victories.

Gregory Soto Excels in Closer Role

While the Pirates starting pitching deserves praise, left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto made sure the Pirates got those wins late on.

Soto pitched in the ninth innings in both wins and shut down the Diamondbacks each time, earning back-to-back saves for the first time since September 25-28, 2022 when he was pitching with the Detroit Tigers.

He had a big responsibility following Skenes in the second game, which he could've come back out for a complete game, but aside from a walk, Soto quickly took care of business and got the win.

"It was easy to pass it off," Skenes said to Hannah Mears of SportsNet Pittsburgh postgame. "He’s Gregory Soto. Everybody know who he is, coming out with the best stuff out there. Tough,but I knew we were going to win the game.”

The Pirates have reliable high-leverage pitchers, but Soto could have this close role for the future, as he's been fantastic this season, with a 1.42 ERA over 19.0 innings pitched and 19 appearances, 25 strikeouts to seven walks, a .097 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 0.68 WHIP.

Pirates Keep Winning on the Road

The Pirates were terrible away from home in 2025, going 27-54, but have changed that around this season.

Pittsburgh is 10-8 on the road this season, winning four of their six series away from the Steel City. Their .556 winning percentage on the road also ranks eighth-best in baseball

This includes three series against National League Central Divisional foes in the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park, March 30-April 1, the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field, April 10-12, and the Milwaukee Brewers at American Family Field, April 24-26.

The Pirates need to get wins on the road and make sure they don't just rely on them when they're at PNC Park, particularly if they want to actually clinch a postseason berth.