• The Pirates secure an 8-4 win over the Rangers behind a four-run ninth inning. Oneil Cruz hit one off the top of the foul pole for a three-run shot. Braxton Ashcraft tossed a career-high seven innings of two-run ball. Series win up for grabs tomorrow.
• HOMERUN: Oneil Cruz just hit the top of the foul pole for a three-run shot. Wow. Pirates, 8-4
• Former Pirates reliever JalenBeeks enters.
• RUN: Mangum hits one to Jung at third. Awkward throw home is off line. Fielder's choice scores Gonzales in the ninth. Pirates, 5-4
• Griffin goes down looking at an 0-2 pitch down in the zone. JakeMangum hits for Davis.
• Horwitz singles to right to put runners on the corners with nobody out for Griffin.
• Nice at-bat there by Gonzales. Fouled off some tough pitches, got the count to 3-2 and eventually sent a leadoff single into left field.
• RUNS: Burger sends a two-out, two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 4-4 in the eighth.
• Rangers have two in scoring position after a one-out double by Nimmo.
• McCutchen reaches on an infield single after an outstanding diving stop by Griffin. Throw came in late. First hit for McCutchen since April 1.
• GregorySoto enters and he'll face AndrewMcCutchen.
• Final line on Ashcraft: 7.0 IP (career high), 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Threw 60 of 94 pitches for strikes. That's the highest pitch total by a Pirates starter this season.
• Ashcraft induces an inning-ending double play to complete seven innings of two-run ball for the first time in his career. Really strong performance for a guy who grew up only a few hours away from this ballpark.
• Ashcraft dodges a bullet. Carter wanted to challenge a 3-2 pitch and wasn't granted it. Seemed like it was late. Would have been ball four.
• Jung leads off the seventh with a bloop single that Cruz can't track down on the slide.
• Ashcraft gets the seventh. First time he's pitching this deep into a major-league game.
• Ashcraft retires the Rangers in order with a 10-pitch sixth. He's been great. Sitting at 78 pitches. I don't see why you don't let him go out there for the seventh. Save some bullpen arms with four games remaining on this trip.
• Griffin flies out to left to strand Gonzales at third.
• Horwitz fouls a ball off the right knee and looks to be in legitimate pain. He'll remain in, but you know that one hurt.
• TylerAlexander enters for Texas in the sixth.
• Ashcraft gets Smith to fly out, induces a groundout by Duran and gets Nimmo swinging to strand a runner at third. Masterful job of coming away unharmed after allowing the leadoff double.
• Higashioka leads off the fifth with a double into left-center field. Two strikes and Ashcraft couldn't put him away.
• Reynolds now has 500 career RBIs. He ranks tied with BobbyBonilla for the most among Pirates switch hitters since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920.
• Ozuna flies out to right to strand Reynolds, but the Pirates get three to regain the lead.
• RUNS: Bryan Reynolds drives in Henry Davis with an RBI single to right. Brandon Lowe also scores on an error by Brandon Nimmo in right. Pirates, 4-2
• RUN: Brandon Lowe delivers with a two-out RBI single to score Spencer Horwitz from second. Tied at 2-2
• Cruz with his third strikeout against Leiter tonight. Swung through two pitches there, including an 0-2 fastball down the middle. Just uncompetitive.
• Davis gets a 2-0 fastball right down the pipe and can't do anything with it. A missed opportunity to do some damage there, despite drawing the walk.
• Ashcraft allows a leadoff walk before inducing a double play and getting Carter swinging. Clean fourth. Ashcraft up to 55 pitches through four innings. Curveball, sinker and slider generating plenty of swing and miss.
• Pirates get a two-out baserunner on a walk to O'Hearn, but Gonzales grounds into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
• A clean third and six straight retired by Ashcraft. Only needed 10 pitches there.
• Pirates down in order again in the third. Two strikeouts for Leiter. Finally retired Lowe to end an 11-pitch at-bat. Not really any lengthy at-bats against Leiter so far. Kinda needed that one to drive his count up a bit.
• Cruz loses a challenge and strikes out looking because of it. Leiter changeup dotted at the bottom of the zone.
• Ashcraft limits the Rangers to the two runs on two hits and a walk. Gets three straight fly ball outs to end the second. Also, worth noting that the 3-2 slider to Pederson would have been a strike had it been challenged. Early in the game, but probably worth it in a 3-2 count.
• Pirates starters have allowed just five home runs this season. That's the fewest among rotations in Major League Baseball.
• HOMERUN: Josh Jung goes deep to right. A two-run shot. First home run allowed by Braxton Ashcraft this season. Rangers, 2-1
• Leiter retires the Pirates' 6-7-8 hitters in order in the second. Got Gonzales and Griffin to fly out. Groundout by Horwitz.
• A 1-2-3 first for Ashcraft. Picks up his first strikeout of Seager with an 0-2 curveball.
• RUN: Ozuna singles into left to score Reynolds from second. Second straight night that the Pirates strike in the first inning. Pirates, 1-0
• One former Vanderbilt standout doubles off the other with two outs. Reynolds pulls into scoring position for Ozuna.
• First pitch: Pirates vs. Rangers, 8:08 p.m. Eastern, Jack Leiter to Oneil Cruz, roof closed, Globe Life Field
• Don Kelly’s lineup:
1. Oneil Cruz, CF 2. Brandon Lowe, 2B 3. Bryan Reynolds, LF 4. Marcell Ozuna, DH 5. Ryan O’Hearn, RF 6. Nick Gonzales, 3B 7. Spencer Horwitz, 1B 8. Konnor Griffin, SS 9. Henry Davis, C
THE ASYLUM
Final: Pirates 8, Rangers 4
• Who: Pirates (13-10) vs. Rangers (12-11)
• What: MLB regular season, Game 24
• When: 8:05 p.m. Eastern
• Where: Globe Life Field
• Pitchers: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (1-1, 2.38 ERA) vs. RHP Jack Leiter (1-1, 4.87 ERA)
• TV: SportsNet Pittsburgh, Rangers Sports Network
• Radio: Pirates Radio Network
• Satellite: SiriusXM 175/861
• Boxscore: MLB.com
• Media notes: Pirates | Rangers
► FOLLOW ALONG
• The Pirates secure an 8-4 win over the Rangers behind a four-run ninth inning. Oneil Cruz hit one off the top of the foul pole for a three-run shot. Braxton Ashcraft tossed a career-high seven innings of two-run ball. Series win up for grabs tomorrow.
• HOME RUN: Oneil Cruz just hit the top of the foul pole for a three-run shot. Wow. Pirates, 8-4
• Former Pirates reliever Jalen Beeks enters.
• RUN: Mangum hits one to Jung at third. Awkward throw home is off line. Fielder's choice scores Gonzales in the ninth. Pirates, 5-4
• Griffin goes down looking at an 0-2 pitch down in the zone. Jake Mangum hits for Davis.
• Horwitz singles to right to put runners on the corners with nobody out for Griffin.
• Nice at-bat there by Gonzales. Fouled off some tough pitches, got the count to 3-2 and eventually sent a leadoff single into left field.
• RUNS: Burger sends a two-out, two-run single up the middle to tie the game at 4-4 in the eighth.
• Rangers have two in scoring position after a one-out double by Nimmo.
• McCutchen reaches on an infield single after an outstanding diving stop by Griffin. Throw came in late. First hit for McCutchen since April 1.
• Gregory Soto enters and he'll face Andrew McCutchen.
• Final line on Ashcraft: 7.0 IP (career high), 4 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 5 K. Threw 60 of 94 pitches for strikes. That's the highest pitch total by a Pirates starter this season.
• Ashcraft induces an inning-ending double play to complete seven innings of two-run ball for the first time in his career. Really strong performance for a guy who grew up only a few hours away from this ballpark.
• Ashcraft dodges a bullet. Carter wanted to challenge a 3-2 pitch and wasn't granted it. Seemed like it was late. Would have been ball four.
• Jung leads off the seventh with a bloop single that Cruz can't track down on the slide.
• Ashcraft gets the seventh. First time he's pitching this deep into a major-league game.
• Ashcraft retires the Rangers in order with a 10-pitch sixth. He's been great. Sitting at 78 pitches. I don't see why you don't let him go out there for the seventh. Save some bullpen arms with four games remaining on this trip.
• Griffin flies out to left to strand Gonzales at third.
• Horwitz fouls a ball off the right knee and looks to be in legitimate pain. He'll remain in, but you know that one hurt.
• Tyler Alexander enters for Texas in the sixth.
• Ashcraft gets Smith to fly out, induces a groundout by Duran and gets Nimmo swinging to strand a runner at third. Masterful job of coming away unharmed after allowing the leadoff double.
• Higashioka leads off the fifth with a double into left-center field. Two strikes and Ashcraft couldn't put him away.
• Reynolds now has 500 career RBIs. He ranks tied with Bobby Bonilla for the most among Pirates switch hitters since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920.
• Ozuna flies out to right to strand Reynolds, but the Pirates get three to regain the lead.
• RUNS: Bryan Reynolds drives in Henry Davis with an RBI single to right. Brandon Lowe also scores on an error by Brandon Nimmo in right. Pirates, 4-2
• RUN: Brandon Lowe delivers with a two-out RBI single to score Spencer Horwitz from second. Tied at 2-2
• Cruz with his third strikeout against Leiter tonight. Swung through two pitches there, including an 0-2 fastball down the middle. Just uncompetitive.
• Davis gets a 2-0 fastball right down the pipe and can't do anything with it. A missed opportunity to do some damage there, despite drawing the walk.
• Ashcraft allows a leadoff walk before inducing a double play and getting Carter swinging. Clean fourth. Ashcraft up to 55 pitches through four innings. Curveball, sinker and slider generating plenty of swing and miss.
• Pirates get a two-out baserunner on a walk to O'Hearn, but Gonzales grounds into a fielder's choice to end the inning.
• A clean third and six straight retired by Ashcraft. Only needed 10 pitches there.
• Pirates down in order again in the third. Two strikeouts for Leiter. Finally retired Lowe to end an 11-pitch at-bat. Not really any lengthy at-bats against Leiter so far. Kinda needed that one to drive his count up a bit.
• Cruz loses a challenge and strikes out looking because of it. Leiter changeup dotted at the bottom of the zone.
• Ashcraft limits the Rangers to the two runs on two hits and a walk. Gets three straight fly ball outs to end the second. Also, worth noting that the 3-2 slider to Pederson would have been a strike had it been challenged. Early in the game, but probably worth it in a 3-2 count.
• Pirates starters have allowed just five home runs this season. That's the fewest among rotations in Major League Baseball.
• HOME RUN: Josh Jung goes deep to right. A two-run shot. First home run allowed by Braxton Ashcraft this season. Rangers, 2-1
• Leiter retires the Pirates' 6-7-8 hitters in order in the second. Got Gonzales and Griffin to fly out. Groundout by Horwitz.
• A 1-2-3 first for Ashcraft. Picks up his first strikeout of Seager with an 0-2 curveball.
• RUN: Ozuna singles into left to score Reynolds from second. Second straight night that the Pirates strike in the first inning. Pirates, 1-0
• One former Vanderbilt standout doubles off the other with two outs. Reynolds pulls into scoring position for Ozuna.
• First pitch: Pirates vs. Rangers, 8:08 p.m. Eastern, Jack Leiter to Oneil Cruz, roof closed, Globe Life Field
• Don Kelly’s lineup:
1. Oneil Cruz, CF
2. Brandon Lowe, 2B
3. Bryan Reynolds, LF
4. Marcell Ozuna, DH
5. Ryan O’Hearn, RF
6. Nick Gonzales, 3B
7. Spencer Horwitz, 1B
8. Konnor Griffin, SS
9. Henry Davis, C
• Skip Schumaker’s lineup:
1. Brandon Nimmo, RF
2. Corey Seager, SS
3. Jake Burger, 1B
4. Joc Pederson, DH
5. Josh Jung, 3B
6. Evan Carter, CF
7. Kyle Higashioka, C
8. Josh Smith, 2B
9. Ezequiel Duran, LF
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