The Pittsburgh Pirates just dropped a gut-wrenching 3-2 game to the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park on Friday, and honestly, the reason for the loss is what really stings this time around. Yeah, they’ve had their share of tough losses this season, but this one feels different because the offense absolutely stranded their pitchers after some seriously brilliant work.
Offensive Woes Are Getting Hard to Ignore
It’s tough to really lay into the Pirates’ offense sometimes. I mean, they’re tied with the Nationals for runs scored, which is pretty solid, especially when you consider they’ve been missing guys like Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz, Konnor Griffin, and Endy Rodriguez to injury. But even the best offenses have their off nights, and these guys have had two straight. They got shut out by the Yankees on Wednesday, and then Friday night they only scraped two runs across against the Cubs.
The real kicker was that fifth inning, man. Bases loaded, no outs, a run already in, and the top of the order coming up? The possibilities were endless! Instead, Jake Magnum and Nick Gonzales hit shallow fly balls that weren’t deep enough to score Brandon Lowe from third, and then Bryan Reynolds struck out to end the threat. Just brutal. Cubs starter Matthew Boyd was great, sure, allowing just one run over seven innings, and Nico Hoerner and Ian Happ made some incredible defensive plays, but the Pirates totally bailed them out with those missed chances.
Jared Jones Is Filthy, Don’t @ Me
Remember when people were actually questioning if Jared Jones belonged in the rotation? Wild, right? Because right now, he’s making a case for being the best arm on that staff, and that’s saying something when you’ve got Cy Young winner Paul Skenes on the same team! Jones has been absolutely lights-out in July, giving up only three runs over 21 innings across four starts, good for a ridiculous 1.29 ERA.
Against the Cubs, he was dominant again, allowing just one run , a solo shot from MVP candidate Pete Crow-Armstrong , on two hits, with only one walk and five strikeouts over six innings. Seriously, this guy is locked in. Manager Don Kelly pulled him after 83 pitches, which is always tough to see when a guy is dealing, but Kelly explained it perfectly. He said, “It’s really hard… when you take him out after 83 pitches and six innings and knowing him coming off of the internal brace procedure and what he has gone through and the plan that we put together to try to make sure he stays healthy. It is hard, and in the moment, it’s the right decision.” Jones missed all of 2025 with elbow surgery, so you gotta trust the plan. Jones himself just says he’s “getting the ball over the zone a little bit more,” “throwing my bread and butter and just competing.” Love that mindset.
Bullpen Held It Down (Mostly)
The bullpen hasn’t exactly been a strong point for the Pirates in 2026, especially in tight games, so Friday night was actually a pleasant surprise. Yeah, Yohan Ramirez gave up two runs in the 10th inning (one of them being that annoying ghost runner, though), but that was his first run allowed since June 3, which is a pretty incredible streak! After Jones left, Wilber Dotel, Mason Montgomery, and Gregory Soto all pitched scoreless innings. Montgomery and Soto even retired the side in order, and Montgomery looked absolutely dominant, striking out all three batters he faced. That’s the kind of relief we need to see more of.
So, what’s next? They’ve got another tough matchup on Saturday, facing Cubs lefty Shota Imangaga. The Pirates’ struggles against left-handed starters are well-known, so the bats really need to wake up and give this incredible pitching staff the run support they deserve. Let’s see if they can turn it around!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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