(Credit and Caption for Photo: The Pirates’ Josh Harrison is mobbed by Pedro Alvarez and Neil Walker after a win over Houston on May 13, 2012 at PNC Park. (Christopher Horner | TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates recently announced that they will honor former utility player Josh Harrison at an upcoming game.

The thirty-nine-year-old Harrison, whose moniker is known as “J-Hay,” will officially retire as a Pirate on August 7th.

He will be celebrated at a pregame ceremony the following night before the Pirates’ August 8th game against the New York Mets at PNC Park at 6:40 p.m.

“J-Hay” will also throw out the first pitch, and the first 20,000 fans in attendance will receive a commemorative T-shirt.

Harrison was acquired by the Pirates from a trade with the Chicago Cubs in 2009, and played the first eight seasons of his 13-year MLB career with the Pirates.

He was a two-time MLB All-Star whose breakout season was in 2014.

During that season, he was second in the National League in hitting average with .315, along with earning 13 home runs and 18 steals.

He played five positions while playing with the Pirates (second base, third base, shortstop, left field and right field).

Harrison last played in the majors in 2023 and appeared in 41 games for the Philadelphia Phillies.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Cleveland Guardians’ Johnathan Rodriguez runs after hitting an RBI single during the seventh inning of a baseball game against the New York Mets, Wednesday, May 22, 2024, in Cleveland. David Fry scored on the play. (AP Photo/David Dermer)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates made a trade with the Baltimore Orioles yesterday acquiring  outfielder Johnathan Rodríguez for cash considerations.

Rodríguez was designated for assignment by the Orioles on Thursday and has now been assigned to Triple-A Indianapolis.

The twenty-six-year-old Rodríguez has appeared in 51 games between the Orioles and Guardians in parts of the last three seasons.

Rodríguez played 62 games with Triple-A Norfolk this season and slashed.270/.370/.391, along with earning 14 doubles, four home runs and 22 RBIs.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: The Pirates’ Endy Rodriguez celebrates his game-tying home run against the Marlins in the fifth inning June 12 at PNC Park. (Chaz Palla | TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) According to Danny Demilo of PittsburghBaseballNow.com, the Pittsburgh Pirates reinstated catcher Endy Rodríguez from the 10-day injured list yesterday.

Rodriguez was not in the starting lineup in yesterday’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park last night.

He suffered the injury on July 5th in the Pirates’ game against the Washington Nationals in Washington D.C. and was put on the injured list on July 8 because of a left glute strain.

Rodríguez slashed .260/.388/.470, along with earning five home runs, two stolen bases, 16 RBI and 15 runs over his 35 games with the Pirates.

The Pirates also recently optioned catcher Shawn Ross to Triple-A Indianapolis so Rodríguez can have a spot on the active roster. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates manager Don Kelly, center, watches as Esmerlyn Valdez, left, is examined by a team trainer, right, after being hit by a pitch from Arizona Diamondbacks’ Merrill Kelly during the fourth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates rookie outfielder Esmeryln Valdez was removed from the team’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park last night after being hit in the left hand by a pitch from Diamondbacks starting pitcher Merrill Kelly in the fourth inning.

Valdez, who has 14 home runs in his limited playing time this season, took a 92 mph fastball from Kelly to the area around his left hand and wrist.

The 22-year-old Valdez winced in pain while he was being tended to by medical staff.

He slowly walked toward the Pirates dugout before being replaced by Jared Triolo.

Valdez’s recent performances has helped the Pirates stay in playoff contention despite injuries to some of their other key players like Oneil Cruz, Spencer Horwitz and Konnor Griffin.

Valdez has a hand injury and can be considered as day-to-day.

According to Kevin Gorman of Tribune-Review Sports, he is expected to undergo more imaging for this injury today. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Jake Mangum celebrates after scoring on a single by Brandon Lowe off Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly during the sixth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, July 27, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Brandon Lowe singled home Billy Cook in the bottom of the 10th inning to rally the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 3-2 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Monday night.

Lowe finished a three-hit night by lacing a line drive off Diamondbacks reliever Taylor Clarke (2-2) that smacked off the glove of Arizona first baseman Ildemaro Vargas and rolled away, allowing Cook to race home as the Pirates pulled even with the Diamondbacks for the National League’s third wild-card spot.

Mason Montgomery (4-3) worked around an error by third baseman Nick Gonzales and escaped a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th to earn the victory. The Pirates’ bullpen, which has been a sore spot much of the season, tossed 4 2/3 scoreless innings.

Bryan Reynolds delivered a game-tying RBI double in the eighth for Pittsburgh, which lost promising rookie outfielder Esmerlyn Valdez to a left-hand injury in the fourth inning after getting hit with a fastball by Arizona starter Merrill Kelly.

Kelly allowed one unearned run in 5 2/3 innings, walking one and striking out six while lowering his ERA to 4.86, the lowest it has been since early April.

Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller had his second straight solid start coming out of the All-Star break, giving up two runs in 5 1/3 innings, his only real mistake coming in the sixth when three singles loaded the bases, and Max Kepler followed with a rope to the corner in right that gave the Diamondbacks the lead.

Kepler finished with three hits for the Diamondbacks, who lost for just the fifth time in 15 games. Arizona catcher Gabriel Moreno went hitless in four at-bats, but extended his on-base streak to 24 games with a first-inning walk.

Up next

The series continues on Tuesday when Arizona’s Brandon Pfaadt (5-1, 4.43 ERA) gets the start against Pittsburgh’s Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.47).

(Credit for Photo: Caption for Photo: Pirates first round draft pick Derek Curiel smiles during a press conference after signing with the team on Sunday, July 26, 2026, at PNC Park. (Christopher Horner | TribLive)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates have signed their 2026 first-round pick, Derek Curiel.

A press conference was held in Pittsburgh yesterday after Curiel signed his contract.

According to MLB Pipeline’s Jim Callis, his deal is worth $6.2 million.

The twenty-one-year-old Curiel is an outfielder who played for LSU in center field and was selected 5th overall by the Pirates in this year’s draft.

Curiel slashed .349/.452/.522, along with earning 38 doubles, 4 triples, 13 home runs and 101 RBIs in 126 games over two seasons for the LSU Tigers, who won the 2025 College World Series championship. 

(Credit for Photo: Photo Courtesy of Robert Morris University, Posted on Facebook on July 24th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Moon Township, PA) Robert Morris University officially named Dr. Ron Moses as Vice President and Director of Athletics on Friday after a national search. 

Dr. Moses now joins that university in Moon Township after he served as Deputy Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Advancement, Revenue Growth, and Competitive Strategy at Old Dominion University located in Norfolk, Virginia.

Moses directed major initiatives across Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) strategy, revenue-sharing models, academic success, and corporate partnerships during his tenure at Old Dominion University.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: José Urquidy of the Pittsburgh Pirates pitches in the ninth inning during the game against the Baltimore Orioles at PNC Park on April 5, 2026, in Pittsburgh. (Justin Berl/Getty Images)

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox acquired right-hander José Urquidy from Pittsburgh on Sunday night in a trade that sent minor league pitcher Félix Doroteo to the Pirates.

The 31-year-old Urquidy, designated for assignment by the Pirates on Friday, was 0-1 with an 8.53 ERA and one save in six relief appearances for Pittsburgh this season. He had six strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.

Urquidy was 5-4 with a 3.66 ERA and 73 strikeouts in 17 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis.

Urquidy is 27-17 in seven big league seasons with Houston, Detroit and Pittsburgh. He has a 4.07 ERA and 335 strikeouts in 413 2/3 innings.

The 21-year-old Doroteo was 3-2 with a 4.50 ERA and 24 strikeouts in one start and 15 relief outings during his first professional season with the Arizona Complex League White Sox. The right-hander was signed by Chicago in January 2025.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Ryan O’Hearn (29) celebrates with Esmerlyn Valdez (55) and Bryan Reynolds, right, after hitting a grand slam off Chicago Cubs pitcher Jameson Taillon during the third inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, July 26, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ryan O’Hearn hit a grand slam on his 33rd birthday, and the Pittsburgh Pirates held off the Chicago Cubs 8-7 on Sunday to avoid being swept in the three-game series.

The Cubs nearly erased a six-run deficit. Seiya Suzuki hit a two-run home run with one out in the ninth inning to make it a one-run game, but Mason Montgomery held on for his second save.

O’Hearn’s blast to center field in the third inning extended the Pirates’ lead to 7-1. That came an inning after a pair of rookies homered, with Esmerlyn Valdez hitting a leadoff shot and Shawn Ross hitting a two-run blast for his first career home run.

It was the fourth career grand slam for O’Hearn and second this season. His 17 home runs match the nine-year veteran’s career high.

Valdez has 14 home runs in just 37 games. Ross, a catcher, was making his first career start after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday.

All three home runs came off Jameson Taillon (2-6), who has given up 25 longballs in just 76 innings this season. Taillon lasted four innings, was charged with seven runs on six hits and is winless in his last nine starts.

Braxton Ashcraft (10-4) pitched six innings and allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks while striking out five.

Brandon Lowe had three of the Pirates’ 11 hits while Valdez and Nick Gonzales had two each. The Cubs got two hits apiece from Michael Busch, Nico Hoerner, rookie Pedro Ramirez and Dansby Swanson.

Up next

Cubs: Open a four-game series in St. Louis on Monday night with LHP David Peterson (5-7, 5.97 ERA) starting.

Pirates: RHP Mitch Keller (6-7, 4.90) pitches against Diamondbacks RHP Merrill Kelly (8-8, 5.12) on Monday night in the opener of a three-game home series.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Chicago Cubs’ Pete Crow-Armstrong (4) and Miguel Amaya (9) celebrate after scoring on a single by Seiya Suzuki off Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes during the fifth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Saturday, July 25, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Pete Crow-Armstrong was 4 for 5 with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Chicago Cubs to an 11-0 rout of the Pittsburgh Pirates on Saturday night.

Shota Imanaga (7-8) held Pittsburgh to four hits in six innings, striking out four and walking one.

Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes (9-9), who had allowed five runs in 18 1/3 innings to win his previous three starts, struck out 11 in 5 1/3 innings but gave up five earned runs on six hits and two walks.

Crow-Armstong, who was a triple short of the cycle, had an extra-base hit in three straight innings, capped by a two-run homer over the wall in right off Ron Marinaccio to give Chicago a 10-run lead in the seventh inning. It was his 23rd of the season.

He also had a single in the first and an RBI double in the fifth off Skenes, and a double off Isaac Mattson in the sixth.

The Cubs struck out nine times against Skenes through the first four innings before solving him for three runs in the fifth. Crow-Armstrong sent a 2-2 changeup to the center field wall, driving in Dansby Swanson. Then, with the infield in and two runners in scoring position, Seiya Suzuki dropped a single into right field over first baseman Ryan O’Hearn.

Chicago scored five more in the sixth, chasing Skenes with one out after Nico Hoerner singled and Pedro Ramírez walked. Swanson lined an RBI double to left and Miguel Amaya drove in two more with a single. Michael Busch also hit a two-run single.

Jake Mangum was the only Pirates batter to reach second base against Imanaga, sending a sharp single past the glove of third baseman Alex Bregman for the first Pittsburgh hit with two outs in the third and taking second on a throwing error by Swanson.

Up next

Pirates RHP Braxton Ashcraft (9-4, 3.95 ERA) starts the series finale Sunday against Cubs RHP Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.38).