Bucs On Deck Podcast

The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to come away with a 6-1 win against the Philadelphia Phillies on Thursday, earning a series split on the road.

Jared Jones made his seventh start since coming off the injured list, allowing one run on two hits and two walks while striking out six batters. Carmen Mlodzinski came in and pitched three shutout innings, picking up his fifth win of the season.

That gave way for Gregory Soto and Mason Montgomery to pitch the eighth and ninth, respectively. They didn’t allow a hit or a walk, and combined to strike out four batters.

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Esmerlyn Valdez stayed hot, going 2-4 with a triple and three RBI. Nick Gonzales went 3-5 with two RBI, and Endy Rodriguez hit his fifth home run of the season.

The Pirates now head to Washington for a three-game weekend series against the Nationals.

Mitch Keller, Braxton Ashcraft, and Bubba Chandler are the three projected starters this weekend.

Sammy Stafura continued to be hot at the plate, picking up four hits, including a double and a home run, in Greensboro’s 23-10 win over Bowling Green on Thursday.

Acquired from the Cincinnati Reds in the Ke’Bryan Hayes trade, Stafura has reached base in 21 straight games going back to the start of May. He’s also recorded four straight multi-hit games and has homered in four of his last five.

Despite a slow start while rehabbing with Bradenton, Stafura has his OPS up over .800 thanks to his recent play.

Seth Hernandez made his first start of July, getting roughed up a bit at home against Bowling Green. In 3.2 innings pitched, Hernandez allowed five runs on eight hits and a walk while striking out seven.

While he walked just one, he missed his spots on some of his pitches, which also led to the home run that eventually chased him from the game.

Despite the outing, Hernandez still sports a 2.59 ERA this season, with 107 strikeouts over 66 innings pitched. He also picked off two baserunners, while also nearly notching a third.

* RHP Enrique Quintana assigned to DSL Pirates Gold from DSL Pirates Black

Top Exit Velocity

* Esmerlyn Valdez - PIT - 112.7 mph - Triple

* Jhostynxon Garcia - IND - 110.8 mph - Double

* Brandon Lowe - PIT - 109.8 mph - Lineout

* Brandon Lowe - PIT - 106.6 mph - Single

* Esmerlyn Valdez - PIT - 106.3 mph - Single

* Ronny Simon - IND - 106.3 mph - Double

Top Pitch Velocity

* Jared Jones - PIT - 100.3 mph

* Jared Jones - PIT - 100.2 mph

* Jared Jones - PIT - 100.2 mph

* Jared Jones - PIT - 100 mph

* Jared Jones - PIT - 100 mph

Most Whiffs

* Seth Hernandez - GBO - 14

* Jared Jones - PIT - 11

* Noah Davis - IND - 11

* Irwin Ramirez - BRD - 7

* Dominic Perachi - ALT - 7

* Joshua Loeschorn - ALT - 7

* Carlson Reed - GBO - 7

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Indianapolis Indians - 4 vs Omaha Storm Chasers - 2

Gameday

Top Hitter - Nick Cimillo: 1-3, R, 3 RBI, HR

Top Pitcher - Mike Clevinger: 2 IP, K

Altoona Curve - 10 vs Portland Sea Dogs - 3

Gameday

Top Hitter - Duce Gourson: 3-4, 2 R, 4 RBI, BB, HR, 3 SB

Top Pitcher - Landon Tomkins: 2.2 IP, H, BB, 2 K

Greensboro Grasshoppers - 23 vs Bowling Green Hot Rods - 10

Gameday

Top Hitter - Sammy Stafura: 4-6, 4 R, 4 RBI, 2B, HR

Top Pitcher - Carlson Reed: 2 IP, 2 H, BB, 5 K

Bradenton Marauders - 6 vs Daytona Tortugas - 11

Gameday

Top Hitter - Antonio Pimentel: 2-5, R, RBI, 2B, 3B

Top Pitcher - Noah Takacs: 0.2 IP, H

FCL Pirates - 1 vs FCL Braves - 4

Gameday

Top Hitter - Darell Morel: 1-2, BB, 2 SB

Top Pitcher - Dioris Martinez: 2 IP, 3 K

DSL Pirates Black - Suspended

DSL Pirates Gold - 3 vs DSL Brewers - 9

Gameday

Top Hitter - Limanol Payero: 2-2, R, RBI, HR

Top Pitcher - Yoslaniel Hernandez: 3 IP, H, ER, 5 BB, 2 K

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The Pittsburgh Pirates lose another Paul Skenes start. Although he got some rough defense behind him, Skenes didn't do himself any favors and ended up allowing eight runs (seven earned).

I discuss his start and what might come next. Then I shift to the minors, where there was a notable injury in a game, and the Futures Game roster was announced, with two Pirates players included.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates lost the second of four to the Philadelphia Phillies, 8-0. Although the box score won't look pretty, I talk about why this was another step forward for Bubba Chandler.

I also give out the Player of the Month honors as the calendar turns over to July.

Plus a minor league rundown with plenty of offense throughout the rest of the system.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to avoid a sweep at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday, with the long ball playing a big part in that.

Esmerlyn Valdez had a huge weekend for the Pirates, homering in all three games. I talk about him, plus Paul Skenes, Jared Jones, and the bullpen, yet again.

Then I wrap up the minor league side of things, including a pair of power arms that made their Low-A debut over the weekend.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates wrapped up the first half of their 2026 season with a win against the Seattle Mariners. What has stood out so far, and what to watch for the rest of the season?

I have all of that covered in the latest episode. Plus, we recap the minor league games, and the midseason update is up over at Bucs on Deck! Check out our top 30 prospects in the Pirates' system now!

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The Pittsburgh Pirates picked up a big win over the Seattle Mariners, 11-1, and now go for a series win in what will wrap up the first half of the season.

Esmerlyn Valdez, who hasn't played much of late, stepped up and picked up a pair of hits after entering the game for Spencer Horwitz.

It was a costly day for the organization, as multiple key players left their respective games with injuries. We cover that as well as the rest of the games from Wednesday night.

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Mitch Keller pitched well but it wasn't enough for the Pirates, as the offense managed just two runs while losing to the Mariners.

Endy Rodriguez is off to a strong start, hitting another double, how much of this is legitimate? Or is regression in his future? I break it down here.

Also, I go over a couple of pitching promotions, Jack Anker and Irwin Ramirez.

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In our latest Farm Report episode, we look at the previous week's top performers in the Pirates' system.

From Reinold Navarro to Keiner Delgado and Seth Hernandez, I discuss the best performances from the previous week.

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The Pittsburgh Pirates were able to avoid the sweep at the hands of the Colorado Rockies on Sunday, winning 8-6. I recap that game, plus the rest of the weekend for the Pirates.

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I recap the Pirates' series win against the Athletics. Should we be worried about Jared Jones? Is Dennis Santana turning a corner? I break it all down and give a brief preview of the upcoming series in Colorado.

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