(File Photo: Source for Photo: Cincinnati Reds’ Elly de la Cruz rounds the bases after single by Sal Stewart during the third inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday, July 30, 2026 in Cincinnati. (AP Photo/Tanner Pearson)

CINCINNATI (AP) — Elly De La Cruz scored on fielder’s choice in the ninth inning to lift the Cincinnati Reds to a 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Thursday night in the opening game of a four-game series.

Cincinnati loaded the bases against Gregory Soto (5-3) with one out. Lowe grounded softly to second for a potential game-ending double play but beat the throw as De La Cruz scored easily. De La Cruz hit three doubles, stole two bases and had an RBI.

Emilio Pagan (3-1) got the win.

Pirates opener Yohan Ramírez pitched two scoreless innings allowing one hit with a walk and four strikeouts in his first career start after 208 relief appearances, the most by a Pirates pitcher before making a start.

The previous franchise mark was set by Michael Feliz who made his first start in 2019 after 156 relief appearances.

Matt McLain, activated from the 10-day injured list on Thursday, led off the third with a single and scored on De La Cruz’s double to put the Reds ahead 1-0. Sal Stewart singled home De La Cruz to make it 2-0.

The last time he faced Pittsburgh, Rhett Lowder allowed eight earned runs in 1 1/3 innings in a 17-7 loss on May 2 at PNC Park, but he fared better on Thursday allowing two earned runs in six innings with no walks and five strikeouts.

Nick Gonzales led off the fifth with a double and later scored on Jacob Gonzalez’s sacrifice fly to cut the Pirates’ deficit to 2-1.

Brandon Lowe led off the sixth with his 22nd homer to tie the score 2-2.

Both teams loaded the bases in the seventh but failed to score. The teams combined to go 2 for 22 with runners in scoring position, with Cincinnati going 1 for 15.

Up next

Pirates RHP Paul Skenes (9-9, 3.65 ERA) opposes RHP Hunter Greene (2-2, 7.06) on Friday night.

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz steals second base against the Atlanta Braves during the second inning of a baseball game, Saturday, June 6, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Erik S. Lesser)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Oneil Cruz is making progress on his return to the Pirates after he suffered an injury on June 6th sliding into home plate during the team’s game against the Atlanta Braves in Atlanta.

Cruz is currently on the 60-day injured list with fourth and fifth metacarpal non-displaced fractures in his left hand and he is eligible to return as early as August 7th.

According to Pirates director of sports medicine Todd Tomczyk, Cruz has resumed all baseball activities.

Cruz was slashing .264/.350/.472 through 64 games for the Pirates at the time he got injured.

(File Photo of a Police Siren Light)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Butler County, PA) Two men who died in a car crash in Butler County on Saturday have now been identified. 

The two victims of that crash were 45-year-old Garret T.V. Griffin of Cranberry and 38-year-old Cody Huffman of Harmony.

Authorities state that the car the duo was in hit a tree on Beacon Road in Penn Township and it caught fire. 

No other vehicles were involved in this crash. 

According to a Facebook post by Seneca Valley Raiders Baseball yesterday, both Huffman and Griffin were baseball coaches in the Seneca Valley School District. 

GoFundMe pages have been made to help the families of both Griffin and Huffman, and you can donate to them by clicking on the links for them below: 

• (Click here to donate) Support Cody Huffman’s family and children 

• (Click here to donate) Support the Griffin Children’s Future 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez delivers in the second inning of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Wednesday, July 29, 2026. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Eduardo Rodríguez pitched eight shutout innings, Gabriel Moreno hit a two-run homer and the Arizona Diamondbacks beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 3-0 on Wednesday, clinching the three-game series.

Arizona (57-52) now sits two games up on the Pirates (55-54) for the final NL wild card.

Rodríguez (10-3) struck out two while giving up five hits on 105 pitches before Brandyn Garcia closed out a hitless ninth inning for his second save of the year.

The loss marked the fifth straight against a left-handed opener for Pittsburgh, while Diamondbacks starters gave up zero earned runs in 20 2/3 innings pitched this series.

Moreno scored the game’s first runs, smashing a slider 407 feet into the lawn past the center-field wall. With the hit, he extended his on-base streak to 26 consecutive games.

Max Kepler drove in the only other score with an RBI single in the sixth inning.

Despite three consecutive three-up, three-down innings to start the game, Jared Jones (2-2) surrendered all three runs and struck out five in six innings for the Pirates.

The Pirates have been shut out in three of their last seven games. They lost 2-0 to the Yankees a week ago and 11-0 to the Cubs on Saturday.

Up next

Diamondbacks: After an off day, LHP Mitch Bratt (0-1, 6.32 ERA) takes the mound for Game 1 of a weekend series at the Cleveland Guardians on Friday against RHP Tanner Bibee (4-10, 3.89 ERA).

Pirates: Will start RHP Yohan Ramirez (6-3, 3.21 ERA) for Thursday’s opener of a four-game series at the Cincinnati Reds against RHP Rhett Lowder (3-7, 5.61 ERA).

(Credit for Photo: Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia talks to the media before workouts, Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at Pirate City in Bradenton, Fla. (Matt Freed, Post-Gazette)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) The Pittsburgh Pirates made several roster moves before today’s game against the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park.

The Pirates recalled three players from Triple-A Indianapolis, pitchers in right-hander Noah Murdock and left-hander Hunter Barco, as well as outfielder Jhostynxon Garcia. 

The Pirates also made three corresponding moves to make room on the 26-man roster, optioning pitchers in left-hander Brandon Eisert and right-hander Isaac Mattson and utility player Tyler Callihan to Triple-A Indianapolis.

(Credit and Caption for Photo: Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. holds his helmet before the team’s game against the Los Angeles Chargers last season. (Jessie Alcheh, the Associated Press)

Noah Haswell, Beaver County Radio News

(Pittsburgh, PA) Three Pittsburgh Steelers cornerbacks were put on the physically unable to perform list yesterday as the team’s training camp begins today at Saint Vincent College in Latrobe. 

Jalen Ramsey was placed on that list because of a knee injury that he suffered during Steelers minicamp.

Joey Porter, Jr. was also put on that list, and a source told ESPN that he will be sidelined after aggravating his back during the Steelers’ mobility workout yesterday morning.

Donte Kent was also added to that list. Kent had a foot injury in training camp last year and was then placed on the Reserve/Injured List. 

(File Photo: Source for Photo: Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Gerardo Carrillo (68) celebrates with catcher James McCann, left, after getting the final out of a baseball game against the Pittsburgh Pirates in Pittsburgh, Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Justin Berl)

PITTSBURGH (AP) — James McCann singled in the winning run in the 12th inning with his fourth hit of the game and the Arizona Diamondbacks held on for an 8-7 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night despite blowing a six-run lead.

Brandon Lowe and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back home runs for the Pirates to spark a three-run rally against closer Paul Sewald in the ninth to tie the game at 6-all and force extra innings. Lowe’s two-run shot was his team-leading 22nd of the season.

It was Sewald’s third blown save in 27 opportunities.

The Pirates also had a three-run eighth to make it 6-3 on RBI singles by Ryan O’Hearn, Endy Rodríguez and Marcell Ozuna.

Both teams scored runs in the 10th on errors.

Geraldo Carillo (1-0) got his first major league win as the Diamondbacks won for the 11th time in 17 games. McCann’s winning hit came off Wilbur Dotel (1-3).

The Diamondbacks’ Brandon Pfaadt pitched seven scoreless innings, left with a 6-0 lead, and was in line to win his career-high sixth consecutive start since returning from Triple-A Reno on June 30. However, the bullpen blew the lead.

Pfaadt gave up six hits, struck out four and walked one. He was a 13-game winner last year but was sent to the minor leagues on June 4 after struggling.

Pirates rookie Bubba Chandler struggled to get through four innings. Four of the five runs Chandler allowed were earned, and he surrendered eight hits as he put the Pirates in a five-run hole.

The Pirates had 14 hits, including two each from Jake Mangum, Lowe, O’Hearn, Nick Gonzales and Ozuna.

Up next

Diamondbacks LHP Eduardo Rodriguez (9-3, 2.64 ERA) starts the rubber game of the three-game series Wednesday against RHP Jared Jones (2-1, 3.72).

(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.