Notes: Bucs Snap Losing Streak; Grandal Up, Davis Down; Injuries, Minors & Ex-Bucs News

May showers…

On The Road: The Bucs are visiting Oakland for first time since 2016 when Pittsburgh swept the A’s in a three-game set. But these are the ’24 Pirates; they were held to two hits in a 5-1 loss in the opener. The beat went on as the A’s took the second game, 5-2. And also the third, 4-0, for the sweep. Three runs in three days…

PNC Park: Thursday was an off day, Pittsburgh’s first after 13 straight games, then the Rox came a’ callin’ on Friday for three games, opening a nine-game PNC Park stand. Colorado was on a five-game losing streak until a dose of Bucco baseball got them back on the winning track by a 3-2 score. The Pirates, par for the course, were shut out until Oneil Cruz banged a two-run Allegheny splasher in the ninth. Jared Jones stepped up and went seven one-hit, no-walk, no-run innings with 10 K on 96 pitches on Saturday. JJ didn’t get a decision as the Pirates also stayed off the scoreboard, but he did pave the way for  1-0, ninth-inning walk-off win when Jack Suwinski singled Connor Joe home to end a five-game Buc losing streak; turnabout is fair play. The Corsairs made it two in a row and took the series with a 5-3 win in the rubber match after falling behind 3-0. Oneil Cruz homered and doubled whi,e Bryan Reynolds banged a two-bagger and triple.

The Angels and Cubs are next on the agenda at PNC Park, both booked for three-game sets with Thursday as the open day. 

Moves/Injuries:

• C Yasmani Grandal completed his rehab and joined the team on Friday; Henry Davis (.162 BA) was optioned to Indy.
• The PTBNL from March’s JT Brubaker deal with the NYY is IF Keiner Delgado. The 20-year-old switch hitter is a good stick who isn’t on the 40-man (he hasn’t played full season minor-league ball yet; spending last year with the Florida Complex club), but he is rated as a Top 25-ish prospect.
• Ryan Borucki’s arm injury second opinion was nerve inflammation, shutting him down completely for a month or so. There was no new info on Marcos Gonzales (forearm strain); more tests were ordered as he remains on the no-throw list.

• Jared Jones is the first pitcher in Pirates history to record an outing of seven+ shutout innings with  one or fewer hits allowed, 10 strikeouts and zero walks
• The Paul Skenes watch: he went six shutout frames for Indy on Tuesday, giving up four hits and a walk with seven K, throwing 75 pitches. He went on Sunday with four days rest for the first time this season and was human, getting tapped for two runs in 4-1/3 IP, giving up three hits (one homer) and two walks while fanning four, tossing 66 pitches.
• The Altoona Curve broke a 15-game losing streak on Sunday with a 6-2 win over Harrisburg.
• SportsNet Pittsburgh has a 24/7 app available now. If you already have SNP as part of your TV package, just login with your TV provider (most include the app) at GetSNP360.com. If you don’t have SNP as part of your TV package, you can purchase a direct subscription for an introductory price of $17.99/month. (Spoiler alert – it’s for in-market customers; out-of-market folk are still yoked to MLB.com)
• UT Cole Tucker was called up to the show by the LAA.
• LHP Chasen Shreve opted out of his minor-league deal w/Texas.
• The Red Sox DFA’ed IF Pablo Reyes, and Baltimore did the same to RHP Yohan Ramirez. Ditto for Tyler Beede, who was DFA’ed by Cleveland.