Latest news with #PittsburghPirates
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Pirates complete sweep of AL-best Tigers on heels of getting swept by AL-worst White Sox
It's been a polarized week for the Pittsburgh Pirates since their return from the MLB All-Star break. The Pirates opened the second half of their regular-season schedule by getting swept by the Chicago White Sox, the worst team in the American League. They followed that up with a sweep of the Detroit Tigers, the team with the best record in the AL. [Join or create a Yahoo Fantasy Football league for the 2025 NFL season] The Pirates completed the three-game sweep of the Tigers on Wednesday with a 6-1 win. They also won, 8-5 on Tuesday and 3-0 on Monday, anchored by six shutout innings from Paul Skenes. Per Elias Sports Bureau, that makes the Pirates the first team since the 1980 San Diego Padres to get swept by the worst team and a league and sweep the best team in the league in back-to-back series past the midway point of the season. The third consecutive loss to Pittsburgh dropped the Tigers to 60-43, into a virtual tie with the Houston Astros (59-42) and Toronto Blue Jays (59-42) for the best record in the AL. Though the Astros and Blue Jays (.584) have a better winning percentage by a smidge than the the Tigers (.583) thanks to having played two fewer games each. The White Sox, meanwhile, remain the dregs of the AL at 36-66 (.354) So which Pirates are the real Pirates? Their record speaks for itself. Despite the sweep of the Tigers, the Pirates remain one of the worst teams in baseball and sit at the bottom of the NL Central with a 42-61 (.408) record. This is a team that's produced a 5-8 record for Skenes, a Cy Young contender with a 1.91 ERA and 0.91 WHIP. The sweep of the Tigers is a highlight of their season, but it's not a sign of anything larger for the Pirates.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bailey Falter's Gem, Spencer Horwitz's First Career Slam Pushes Pirates to Sweep
This article originally appeared on Three days after hitting rock bottom with a home sweep at the hands of the pitiful Chicago White Sox, the Pittsburgh Pirates rebounded with a three game sweep of the American League-leading Detroit Tigers, winning 6-1 on Wednesday, July 23. Helping the Pirates (42-61) to victory, Spencer Horwitz provided his first career grand slam and Bailey Falter put together his longest start since the end of May, seven innings of one-run ball. Horwitz's blast, a 416 foot, 106.1 mile per hour missile to center, put Pittsburgh ahead 5-0 against Tigers rookie Troy Melton. While Detroit managed to sting Falter for one run in his seventh and final inning, they never came close to threatening the Pirates' lead. Carmen Mlodzinski closed the series out with two scoreless innings, fanning three batters in the process. Click here to read more from Download the FREE WPXI News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Channel 11 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch WPXI NOW
Reuters
3 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Spencer Horwitz's slam powers Pirates' sweep of Tigers, 6-1
July 23 - Spencer Horwitz's grand slam backed up a quality start from Bailey Falter and helped the host Pittsburgh Pirates finish off a three-game sweep of the frontrunning Detroit Tigers with a 6-1 victory on Wednesday afternoon. Horwitz belted his third home run of the season and first career grand slam in the second inning off Detroit prospect Troy Melton (0-1), who made his major league debut. The 416-foot blast, which came with two outs, gave Pittsburgh a 5-0 lead and put the Pirates on course for their fourth series sweep of the season and 10th win in their past 13 home games. Horwitz finished 7-for-12 with seven RBIs in the series. The Tigers lost their third in a row and for the ninth time in their past 10 games. They were swept for the third time this season and second time in their past three series. Melton's rough day ended after five innings in which he allowed six runs on seven hits, including two home runs, walking two and striking out seven. Andrew McCutchen had the other home run in the bottom of the first -- his ninth of the season -- to put Pittsburgh ahead 1-0. Oneil Cruz had two hits and an RBI and stole two bases, bringing his season total to 33. Bryan Reynolds also continued his torrid hitting with two hits, including his 21st double of the season. Detroit produced its lone run in the top of the seventh when Falter (7-5) allowed a double to Spencer Torkelson and a single to Matt Vierling with one out. But Falter was sharp beyond that, delivering a bounce-back performance in which he struck out eight with no walks, and allowed the lone run on four hits in seven innings. Zach McKinstry, Wenceel Perez and Colt Keith each had a hit for the Tigers, who have scored only nine runs in six games since the All-Star break, with five of those coming in Tuesday's 8-5 loss. To make room for Melton on the active and 40-man rosters, the Tigers placed ace Tarik Skubal on the paternity list and designated center fielder Brewer Hicklen for assignment. --Field Level Media
CBS News
7 hours ago
- Health
- CBS News
Paul Skenes, Make-A-Wish Foundation give 10-year-old pitcher the memory of a lifetime
For 10-year-old Riley Wheaton, Tuesday went down as a day that he and his family will never forget after what has been a challenging last year. The 10-year-old pitcher got to meet his hero, Paul Skenes, and spend a day finding out what life is like in the big leagues, but not after he fought for his life late last year. In October of last year, he had to be flown to Boston Children's Hospital when he was found to be in complete heart failure. Doctors diagnosed him with myocarditis, which required five chest tubes across four months to remove the fluid from around his heart and lungs. Just months later, he was diagnosed with angiosarcoma, a type of cancer that forms in the lining of the blood vessels. Wheaton went through multiple rounds of chemotherapy and was found to be in remission, but according to his family, during all the treatments, he was still in the hospital, obsessed with baseball. Thanks to the Make-A-Wish Foundation and the Pittsburgh Pirates, this past week, he was one of the boys at PNC Park. "He throws hard," Skenes said in an interview with the team website. "Everything he's dealt with or not, he throws hard for a 9-year-old. I'm not kidding when I say by the end of it, my hand was a little sore." Skenes and Wheaton spent the day going through a typical gameday routine, throwing in the bullpen, shagging fly balls during batting practice, and of course, getting ready in the clubhouse. Once he was ready, he got to throw out the first pitch with none other than Paul Skenes behind the plate. Since learning he was in remission, Wheaton has returned to the baseball diamond, with his family saying a few weeks after his final round of chemotherapy, he took the mound for his 10U travel team and struck out 10 batters over four innings. Now, the kid his teammates call "the mini-GOAT" has a day and a memory that will last a lifetime. "I don't think it's going to hit us until maybe next week," his mother said. "All of this and soaking it all in. We are just so appreciative."
Reuters
14 hours ago
- Sport
- Reuters
Tigers hope rookie Troy Melton can provide spark vs. Pirates
July 23 - The Detroit Tigers are looking for something to break them out of their recent struggles. They will turn to prospect Troy Melton, who will make his major league debut on Wednesday afternoon against the host Pittsburgh Pirates in the finale of a three-game series. Melton, the Tigers' No. 10-ranked prospect per will oppose Pirates lefty Bailey Falter (6-5, 4.00 ERA) as Detroit attempts to regroup from a stretch of eight losses in its past nine games. The Pirates will try to secure their fourth three-game series sweep of the season. They have won nine of their past 12 home games. Whether it's one time or multiple starts for Melton, the Tigers would like to get a good look at their 24-year-old right-hander, who compiled a 2.72 ERA with 56 strikeouts and nine walks in 36 1/3 innings for Triple-A Toledo. Before being promoted, Melton recorded a 3.23 ERA with 45 strikeouts and 11 walks in 39 innings over 10 starts for Double-A Erie. Melton, who was selected in the fourth round of the 2022 draft by the Tigers out of San Diego State, has an opportunity to perhaps secure a spot in the rotation or as a long reliever down the stretch for a Detroit squad that still holds a comfortable lead in the American League Central despite its recent struggles. The Tigers' current rotation consists of Tarik Skubal, Jack Flaherty, Reese Olson, Casey Mize and Keider Montero. "We've been monitoring him the last few starts," Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said of Melton on Monday. "His stuff has gotten better. His fastball command has gotten better. The punchouts have been there." Falter had a spectacular month of May when he went 3-0 with a 0.76 ERA in six starts. Since then, he has gone 2-2 with a 5.60 ERA in eight starts (35 1/3 innings). Over his three July starts, Falter is 0-2 with a 6.28 ERA, having allowed 11 runs (10 earned) in 14 1/3 innings. He yielded seven home runs in those three games after allowing nine over his first 17 starts. In his most recent start, on Friday in the Pirates' first game after the All-Star break, Falter surrendered four runs on six hits, including two home runs, walked one and struck out two over four innings in a 10-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox. Falter faced the Tigers for the first time on June 17 at Detroit. He gave up three runs on five hits, including two home runs, walked one and struck out four over five innings. "(He needs to) continue to be committed to his fastball. Pitching in and pitching up is his go-to," Pirates manager Don Kelly said. "Finding ways to attack the strike zone, getting ahead. Makes it really tough as a pitcher whenever you're behind in a count. We have to be ahead, and we've done a good job of that for most of the year." Javier Baez, who returned to Detroit's lineup on Tuesday after missing one game with a sore left shoulder, has two home runs in three career at-bats against Falter. --Field Level Media
