Notes: 4-3 Week Before Hitting The Road; Moves Up & Down; No Oneil; Minors Winding Down; Ex-Bucco Shuffles

Not long to go...

Notes:

• The Bucs opened a homestand with a four-gamer v the Nats on Monday. The dropped the first game in ho-hum style, 6-2. The series was evened, 5-1, the next night thx to Bailey Falter and the pen, Josh Palacios' dinger/throw-out at home and some nickel-and-diming. The Bucs took the third match, 7-6, using every bit of an early 7-1 lead to hang on for the dub. Pittsburgh then won the series behind Mitch Keller's eight-inning two-hitter and a pair of solo shots, 2-0. They followed with a weekend set against the Yankees during Roberto Clemente weekend (MLB celebrated the 22nd annual Roberto Clemente Day on Friday) with giveaways and events galore. The game opened with Josh Palacios carrying the Puerto Rican out to right field. It didn't help; a coupla ninth-inning walks and a throw-away of a game-ending DP ball turned a 5-3 lead into a 7-5 loss. Walks again put the Bucs in a hole they couldn't dig out of (the last 21 batters went down in order), losing the second match, 6-3. The Pirates got just enough pitching and hitting in the finale, salvaging a 3-2 victory to close the homestand.
• The club now hits the road, taking a 10-day, nine-game road trip with three games v the Chicago Cubs, Cincinnati Reds and Philadelphia Phillies that opens Tuesday. The boys will be back on the 29th to meet the Miami Marlins in a three-game set to finish out the 2023 campaign.

Quinn Priester - 2023 Donruss Rated Prospect

• The Pirates recalled RHP Quinn Priester and optioned RHP Cody Bolton to Indy. Quinn started on Wednesday and got the win in a 7-6 decision over Washington.
• Henry Davis (thumb/wrist) went 3-for-3 with a homer and two walks in his first rehab game last Sunday. He went 8-for-13 at Indy and was recalled on Friday. It was a rough comeback; Henry batted seven times over the weekend and K'ed six times. The countermove was IF Vinny Capra being optioned to Indianapolis.
• As widely suspected, Shelty admitted to The Fan during his radio spot that SS Oneil Cruz won't be back in action during this season.
• The Hi-A Greensboro Grasshoppers finished 32-33 in the second half of the season and 68-61 overall, missing the South Atlantic League playoffs.
• The Bradenton Marauders finished their campaign with a 76-51 slate. They missed the Lo-A Florida State League playoffs, runner-up in both halves of the season.
• The Padres have placed veteran lefty Rich Hill on waivers. His line was 0-4/9.27 in seven outings (five starts) for San Diego. He went unclaimed.
• IF Cole Tucker was DFA'ed by Colorado; he was a recent injury call-up for the Rox. He passed through waivers and was outrighted back to AAA. 
• Angel's MVP frontrunner Shohei Ohtani was placed on the IL with an oblique injury/UCL tear and will be out for the rest of the year as he heads into free agency.