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Horwitz went 1-for-2 with a single, two walks and a run scored Sunday against the Orioles.
Horwitz started his fourth straight game at first base, and he's reached base in each of those contests. He's been particularly patient, with his two free passes Sunday bringing his walk rate to 14.3 percent. Despite the value he has brought to Pittsburgh's lineup, he has only two runs and two RBI with only a .174 batting average across 28 plate appearances.
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Pirates' Oneil Cruz: Tallies fourth homer
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Cruz went 2-for-4 with a two-run home run, three RBI and two runs scored Sunday against the Orioles.
Cruz delivered his third three-RBI performance in his last five games. He kicked off the effort with an infield single in the second inning before popping a two-run home run four frames later. More impressive was that this was Cruz's third long ball and sixth hit against a lefty this season, which comes directly after logging only 11 knocks across 125 plate appearances against southpaws in 2025.
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Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn: Smacks third homer
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O'Hearn went 2-for-5 with a double, a two-run home run and four RBI in Sunday's game against the Orioles.
O'Hearn kicked off the scoring with a two-run home run in the first inning, his third long ball of the season. He added a two-RBI double one frame later, his third multi-RBI effort of the campaign. O'Hearn has had a strong start to the season by collecting at least one hit in seven of eight games, and he's even started two of three contests against lefties.
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Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft: Fans career-high eight in win
Rotowire
Ashcraft (1-1) earned the win Sunday against the Orioles, allowing one run on four hits and no walks in six innings. He struck out eight.
Ashcraft built off an impressive 2026 debut, when he gave up only two runs in six innings versus the Reds. The eight punchouts were a career high for the right-hander, who tossed 54 of his 87 pitches for strikes Sunday. Ashcraft surrendered no walks after walking three his first time out, and he'll be looking to cross the 90-pitch mark for the first time this year in a tough spot versus the Cubs in Chicago for his next scheduled outing.
Ozuna is out of the lineup for Sunday's game against the Orioles
Ozuna went 1-for-4 with two strikeouts in Saturday's contest to break a four-game hitless streak, but he'll take a seat for Sunday's series finale versus Baltimore. Bryan Reynolds will rest his legs as the designated hitter, opening up a spot in the outfield for Jake Mangum.
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Pirates' Billy Cook: Back in big leagues
Rotowire
The Pirates recalled Cook from Triple-A Indianapolis on Sunday, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
The 27-year-old was sent to Indianapolis on Thursday but will quickly return to the majors with Jared Triolo (knee) landing on the injured list. Cook made the Pirates' Opening Day roster but registered just six plate appearances during the first week of the season, and he's unlikely to have a significant role while Pittsburgh's outfield is in good health.
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Pirates' Jared Triolo: Out with knee injury
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The Pirates placed Triolo on the 10-day injured list Sunday, retroactive to April 4, due to a patellar tendon injury in his right knee, Kevin Gorman of TribLive.com reports.
The 28-year-old apparently suffered the injury during Friday's contest and was held out of the lineup Saturday. Pirates GM Ben Cherington indicated Sunday the injury is "more of a weeks-long thing," per Danny Demilio of PittsburghBaseballNow.com, so it appears Triolo won't be back from the injured list in the near future. Nick Gonzales and Nick Yorke should fill in at third base while Triolo is sidelined.
Santana (2-0) earned the win in Saturday's 3-2 victory over the Orioles, striking out one while not allowing a baserunner during the ninth inning.
The right-hander entered for the top of the ninth inning with the game tied 2-2, and he retired the side in order on 13 pitches (10 strikes). That set up Santana for the victory when the Pittsburgh offense came through with a walk-off in the bottom of the frame. The veteran reliever was expected to begin the season as Pittsburgh's primary closer, but it was Gregory Soto that picked up the club's first ninth-inning save of the season Friday. Santana has given up just one hit with a 4:2 K:BB through six appearances this year, splitting those outings evenly between the eighth and ninth innings. He remains in the mix for saves and is clearly a trusted high-leverage arm, but Soto currently seems to be the favored closing option.
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Pirates' Carmen Mlodzinski: Labors late in no-decision
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Mlodzinski did not factor into the decision Saturday, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks over 4.2 innings in a 3-2 victory over Baltimore. He struck out five.
The right-hander started off strong with just two baserunners allowed through three scoreless frames, but he gave up two runs on four hits and a walk in the fourth inning and was unable to make it through the fifth. Mlodzinski's 4.00 ERA and 13 strikeouts through his first two starts of the season are decent, but his 1.56 WHIP and nine combined innings are less encouraging. A road matchup with the Cubs likely awaits next weekend.
Triolo isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game versus Baltimore.
Triolo went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored in Friday's series opener, but he'll begin Saturday's contest in the dugout while Nick Gonzales starts at third base and bats eighth.
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Pirates' Henry Davis: Out of Saturday's lineup
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Davis isn't in the lineup for Saturday's game against the Orioles.
After going just 3-for-17 (.176) through his first seven games, Davis will move to the bench Saturday. Joey Bart will catch for starter Carmen Mlodzinski instead and bat ninth.
Pirates' Dennis Santana: Works eighth inning again
Rotowire
Santana struck out one without allowing a baserunner in a scoreless eighth inning to earn a hold Friday against the Orioles.
Santana entered the game in the eighth inning for his second consecutive appearance, with Gregory Soto following him in the final frame on each occasion. While Santana is still in a high-leverage role and has performed well to begin 2026 -- he hasn't allowed a run across five innings while allowing only three baserunners -- it appears that Soto is the preferred option for saves for the time being.
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Pirates' Jared Triolo: First multi-hit effort of 2026
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Triolo went 2-for-3 with an RBI and a run scored Friday against the Orioles.
Triolo remained in the lineup despite Konnor Griffin's arrival, though he shifted to third base while hitting eighth in the order. Triolo has struggled with the bat in the early going, with Friday marking his first multi-hit effort of the season. He delivered an RBI single in the second inning and came around to score in the same frame. While Triolo was in the lineup over Nick Gonzales on Friday, the duo will likely split time in some fashion for the foreseeable future.
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Pirates' Konnor Griffin: RBI double in major-league debut
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Griffin went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a walk in Friday's 5-4 win over the Orioles.
Making his much-anticipated major-league debut Friday, Griffin hit seventh in the Pittsburgh lineup and doubled home Ryan O'Hearn in his first big-league plate appearance. In his second trip to the plate, Griffin drew a five-pitch walk. Griffin later struck out and grounded out to close out his day. The shortstop doesn't turn 20 years old until later this month.
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Pirates' Gregory Soto: Picks up first save of season
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Soto earned a save in Friday's 5-4 win over the Orioles, allowing one run on one hit with three strikeouts in one inning.
It was Soto's fifth appearance of the young season, but it was the left-hander's first save of 2026 after he pitched clean ninth innings Tuesday and Wednesday against the Reds in 8-3 victories. Soto struck out the side against the Orioles on Friday but did allow a solo home run to Gunnar Henderson with two outs. Soto looks to be manager Don Kelly's preferred closer option, which makes sense given the reliever's sterling 11:2 K:BB across 5.1 innings of work.
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Pirates' Mitch Keller: Picks up win over Baltimore
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Keller (1-0) earned the win over the Orioles on Friday, allowing two runs on six hits and two walks with four strikeouts across six innings.
Keller has logged back-to-back quality starts to open the season and will carry a 1.50 ERA into his next start Wednesday against the Padres. The right-hander has thrown at least 175 innings with at least 150 strikeouts in three straight seasons coming into the 2026 campaign. He's not an exciting fantasy proposition, but Keller is durable and reliable.
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