Weekly Notes: Skenes Only Buc AS, Win Three Zippos, Lose Three Zippos, Renegade NL's Top Reliever In June, Keller PNC's K-Champ

All Star Game at the end of the tunnel…

Pirates Stuff:

• Four of 10 MLB Trade Rumor’s Top Trade candidates are Pirates: 2) Mitch Keller, 3) David Bednar, 5) Andrew Heaney and 9) Dennis Santana. Bryan Reynolds and Oneil Cruz also made the list, but seem fairly safe at #’s 39 & 40. On the “Watch” list are Bailey Falter, Caleb Ferguson, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Isiah Kiner-Falefa. They agree with the consensus that Paul Skenes and Cutch are the only team untouchables.
• Closer David Bednar was named NL Reliever of the Month, making a 180 degree turnaround from being sent to Indy early in the season. That wake-up call turned the trick – The Renegade posted a 1.95 ERA in 28-2/3 innings with 12 saves since his recall, and gave up one unearned run in 10 June outings (2-1-5 slate), returning to his All-Star form of 2022-23.
• Mitch Keller passed Paul Maholm for the most strikeouts posted at PNC Park with 389 when he beat the Cards on Wednesday. 

Mitch Keller – 2025 Pirates

• Streakers: Pittsburgh’s six-game winning streak, which ended on July 4th, was their longest of the season, The Renegade has the longest saves streak in the NL with 12, and Ke’Bryan Hayes had a 12-game hitting streak that snapped on Saturday. 
• The Pirates became the first team in MLB history to win three straight shutouts and then lose three straight shutouts in back-to-back series.
• Colin Holderman had his rehab transferred from Low-A Bradenton to Indy.
• RHP Johan Oviedo (TJ surgery in 2024) was assigned on Monday to the rookie-league FCL Pirates to start his rehab. On Saturday, he was bumped up to Bradenton. 
• SS/CF Konnor Griffin (.343/12/48, 37 SB) and OF/1B Esmerlyn Valdez (.303/20/57) have been named to the National League roster for the 2025 All-Star Futures Game. Valdez got an additional belly rub by being promoted from Hi-A Greensboro (Connor’s current club after starting out at Bradenton) to AA Altoona on Monday. Connor one-upped him; he became the #2 overall prospect in newest Baseball America rankings,
• The Pirates acquired minor league OF Titus Dumitru and cash from the Atlanta Braves for RHP Hunter Stratton. Dumitru is expected to report to Greensboro.
• RHP Yohan Ramirez, 30, was released from Indy as he exercised his opt-out clause to become a free agent and signed a minor-league deal with the Guardians. He pitched for the Bucs off-and-on in 2022-23, and has five MLB seasons for eight teams under his belt. 
• RHP Peter Strzelecki was released; The Pirates obtained him from Cleveland in the offseason, but he was struggling at Indy and never made it to Pittsburgh. The Tampa Bay Rays picked him up, signing Pete to a minor-league contract.
• Hi-A Sally League Greensboro pitchers Khristian Curtis, Jake Shirk and Michael Walsh tossed the first nine-inning perfecto for a Pirates minor-league club since 2003 (AAA Nashville’s John Wasdin, complete game), defeating Aberdeen, 2-0. Curtis started and went six innings, striking out 10. Shirk followed with two perfect frames, fanning four and Walsh closed it out with two strikeouts in the ninth.

Game Stuff:

• And hey…another rain delay. When the game began 45 minutes late, 1B Spencer Horwitz was batting leadoff, the 10th different Bucco to man the spot this season. Paid off, too, as he homered on his first swing; Spence had two hits and three RBI. Andrew Heaney didn’t allow the Cards a knock until two were down in the sixth and the Pirates rolled to victory again, 7-0. All nine guys had a hit and either scored or drove in a run.
• They couldn’t score for Paul Skenes (surprise!) but still won their fifth straight, 1-0, on a Henry Davis sac fly that scored Ke’Bryan Hayes in the eighth. Isaac Mattson got the win and David Bednar notched the save. Plays of the game: Tommy Pham and Spencer Horwitz both threw out runners at home.

Paul Skenes – 2025 Pirates

• Whatta ya know? Another shutout and sweep as winner Mitch Keller led the Bucs to a 5-0 brooming of the Birds. Isiah Kiner-Falefa (who made a great play/throw from the SS hole to preserve the whitewash) and Pham each had a pair of RBI. It was the first time since 1976 that the Pirates have tossed three consecutive shutouts (31 zippo innings in a row); those three ’76 goose eggs were also put up against St. Louis. The Pirates had an off day, then met Seattle for three contests to open a nine-game road trip before the All Star break. 
• The Pirates continued to be terrible road warriors (12-30 away from PNC), losing 6-0 at T-Mobile to the M’s. Seattle homered four times to provide the 4th fireworks.
• It ain’t easy being a Pirates pitcher – Pittsburgh gave up a run on five hits, but could only come up with two knocks of their own while fanning 11 times and lost the middle game, 1-0.
• Big day for Paul Skenes – he was named to the All-Star squad again while spinning five shutout frames with 10 K against the M’s. He did everything but get a win, as the Bucs were shutout for the third straight game, 1-0. Pittsburgh had 12 hits through the series.

MLB Stuff: 

• RHP Geoff Hartlieb was DFA’ed by the Yankees. He was with the Bucs from 2019-21 compiling a line of 1-1/6.97; New York was the 31-year-old’s fifth MLB team.
• The Cleveland Guardians RHP Luis Ortiz is under investigation by MLB (no specifics announced, although media sources believe it’s gambling-related) and has been placed on paid leave. He was part of the off-season Spencer Horwitz deal.
• OF Billy McKinney, who played 10 games for the Bucs and batted .200 last year, was DFA’ed by the Texas Rangers.
• DH Rowdy Tellez, recently released by Seattle, has signed a minor-league deal with Texas.  
• 41-year-old reliever Jesse Chavez has been called up by Atlanta – for the seventh! time in his career and second time this season.