(Credit for  Photo: Photo Courtesy of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Posted on Facebook on July 4th, 2026)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The 2026 MLB All-Star game rosters were revealed on Saturday and Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Paul Skenes has made the National League team for the third year in a row. 

The 2025 National League Cy Young Award winner is a part of the reserves for the National League this year after he was the starting pitcher for that league in the 2024 and 2025 editions of baseball’s all-star game.

Skenes is also the only player from this year’s Pirates team to be represented in this year’s MLB all-star game, which will take place in Philadelphia on July 14th.

Skenes’ 2026 statistics going into his next start tomorrow against the Atlanta Braves at PNC Park include 119 strikeouts, a 3.62 ERA, and a 6-8 record.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: FILE – Texas Rangers designated hitter Andrew McCutchen (4) in the fith inning of a baseball game May 20, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)

ATLANTA (AP) — The Atlanta Braves signed former NL MVP outfielder Andrew McCutchen to a minor league contract on Friday in their ongoing search for a veteran who can provide offensive help.

The 39-year-old McCutchen was released by the Texas Rangers on May 27 after he hit .192 in 37 games as a designated hitter, pinch hitter and outfielder.

The NL East-leading Braves (50-35) signed first baseman Carlos Santana, 40, to a minor league deal last week. McCutchen, the 2013 NL MVP with Pittsburgh, is expected to soon report to Triple-A Gwinnett. On Thursday, another veteran first baseman, Rowdy Tellez, was designated for assignment as rookie shortstop Jim Jarvis was recalled from Gwinnett.

McCutchen played his first nine seasons in the majors with the Pirates and earned five straight All-Star berths from 2011-15 while becoming one of the team’s most popular players. After stints with five other teams from 2018-22, he returned to the Pirates for the 2023-25 seasons.

In 2025, McCutchen hit .239 with 13 homers and 57 RBIs in 135 games before becoming a free agent. He is a career .271 hitter with 333 homers, 1,157 RBIs and 220 stolen bases in 2,299 games.

Braves manager Walt Weiss said McCutchen is “one of the most respected players in the game. … He’s a pretty cool name to have in a Braves uniform.”

Weiss said McCutchen will be a good leader for young players. “He’s going to impact any room he’s in,” Weiss said.

The Braves on Friday also recalled right-hander Anthony Molina, activated left-hander Danny Young (elbow) from the injured list and optioned right-hander James Karinchak to Gwinnett. Right-hander Ian Hamilton was designated for assignment.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Tyler Callihan runs toward third base on a throwing error by Washington Nationals pitcher Cade Cavalli on a pickoff-attempt during the second inning of a baseball game, Sunday, July 5, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Konnor Griffin had a tiebreaking two-run single in the eighth inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Washington Nationals 11-5 on Sunday in a game in which he was also spectacular in the field.

Brandon Lowe followed Griffin’s key hit with a three-run homer off Brad Lord (5-2) to extend the lead.

Griffin, the 20-year-old who received a nine-year, $140 million contract in April, showed why the Pirates view him as such an important part of their future. He made a diving stop in the third on Curtis Mead’s grounder, but Mead beat the throw for an infield single.

In the fourth, Griffin had to fight the sun on Keibert Ruiz’s popup to shallow left field, making a diving, backhanded grab. The following inning, he made another backhanded, sliding catch in the outfield, although James Wood was able to tag up and beat the throw home, resulting in a rare sacrifice fly to the shortstop.

Gregory Soto (5-2) got the win in relief. The Pirates blew a 4-0 lead before going ahead for good with their five-run eighth. Bryan Reynolds also homered for Pittsburgh, and Luis García Jr. and Dylan Crews went deep for Washington.

Cade Cavalli, who is appealing a suspension for his role in Tuesday’s bench-clearing dustup at Boston, allowed three earned runs and six hits in 2 1/3 innings. Tyler Callihan opened the scoring for Pittsburgh with a two-run single in the second, and after an error on Cavalli on a pickoff attempt, he scored on Jake Mangum’s single.

Reynolds led off the fourth with his 13th homer of the year to make it 4-0.

García hit a two-run shot — his 19th — in the bottom of the third, and the Nationals scored runs in the fourth and fifth to tie it. Pirates starter Bubba Chandler allowed four runs in four-plus innings.

Griffin’s hit with the bases loaded in the eighth put Pittsburgh up 6-4 and Lowe followed with a drive to right for his 21st homer. Crews went deep for the Nationals in the bottom of the inning.

Henry Davis hit a two-run single in the top of the ninth.

Up next

After an off day, the Pirates send Paul Skenes (6-8) to the mound Tuesday night at home against Atlanta.

Washington hosts Houston on Monday night. Miles Mikolas (2-7) — who also is appealing a suspension — starts for the Nationals.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Braxton Ashcraft throws during the third inning of a baseball game against the Washington Nationals, Saturday, July 4, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Braxton Ashcraft won his fourth consecutive start and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Washington Nationals 7-1 on Saturday.

Henry Davis and Brandon Lowe both drove in two runs for Pittsburgh, which got back to .500 at 45-45 after dropping three of its past four.

Pirates rookie Konnor Griffin stole home as part of a double steal with two outs in the first inning to open the scoring. Griffin earlier stole second after a leadoff single and the Pirates had four stolen bases for the game.

James Wood hit a leadoff homer for the Nationals, whose three-game winning streak ended.

Ashcraft (9-3) allowed a run and six hits in 5 2/3 innings and struck out seven. The 26-year-old right-hander has a 3.04 ERA and 32 strikeouts in four starts since June 17 and has won eight of his past nine decisions.

With the game tied 1-1, Nationals opener Carson Palmquist (0-1) loaded the bases with none out in the second before yielding to Zack Littell.

Davis then drove in a run with an infield single, and Lowe added a two-run single two batters later. Esmerlyn Valdez made it 5-1 with a run-scoring single later in the inning.

Littell gave up a run in six innings while striking out three.

Pittsburgh added two runs in the eighth against Riley Cornelio on Nick Gonzales’ RBI single and Davis’ bases-loaded walk.

Wood hit Ashcraft’s first pitch of the day 428 feet into the third deck in right field to tie it. It was his 23rd of the season, including his seventh leadoff shot.

Washington outfielder Jacob Young was scratched from the lineup about 40 minutes before the game with left hand soreness.

Up next

Pittsburgh RHP Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.62 ERA) faces Washington RHP Miles Mikolas (2-7, 5.44) as the three-game series concludes Sunday.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Washington Nationals’ Luis García Jr. is greeted in the dugout after hitting a solo home run during the first inning of a baseball gamea gainst the Pittsburgh Pirates, Friday, July 3, 2026, in Washington. (AP Photo/John McDonnell)

WASHINGTON (AP) — Luis García Jr. and Daylen Lile each homered twice, and José Tena also went deep for Washington as the Nationals beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-5 on Friday night.

Foster Griffin (9-2) allowed a run and four hits in five innings, lowering his ERA to 2.87 for the Nationals. Washington has won five of six.

Bryan Reynolds homered for Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller (6-6) allowed five runs and eight hits in six innings.

The temperature at game time was 100 degrees, and the ball was certainly carrying. García opened the scoring in the first with his 17th homer of the season, a solo shot to right. An inning later, Lile hit a 417-foot drive to center to make it 2-0.

Reynolds’ solo homer to center in the third went 426 feet to get the Pirates on the board, but after James Wood led off the bottom half with a triple, Tena hit a two-run shot — also to center — that went 434 feet.

Lile’s RBI double later that inning made it 5-1.

García connected again in the seventh, hitting a two-run shot off reliever Isaac Mattson. Lile’s second homer was a two-run drive in the eighth.

Brandon Lowe, Reynolds and Esmerlyn Valdez hit consecutive RBI doubles in the ninth for the Pirates, and Nick Gonzales added another one an out later.

Griffin improved to 5-0 in his last nine starts, with the Nationals going 8-1 in those games. He’s allowed one run or fewer in six straight outings, although he had only two strikeouts Friday, his fewest since April 11.

Up next

Zack Littell (7-6, 5.29 ERA) starts for Washington against Pittsburgh’s Braxton Ashcraft (8-3, 3.33) on Saturday in a July 4 game set to start at 11:05 a.m.