Notes: Bucs Take Two From Phils; All-Star Week - Skenes Zips A Zero, B-Rey 1-For-2 in 5-3 ASG Loss; Leyland HoF; '25 Sked Released; Moves & Snips

 Take a break, let the stars shine and back to business...

ASG:

Paul Skenes took his lil' hop over the foul line, toed the rubber and worked a clean first frame (his scheduled allotment), ceding only a walk on a pitch that looked suspiciously close to strike three. The game, played at Globe Life Field, went to the AL, 5-3, as usual. Boston CF Jarren Duran smacked a two-out, two-run homer in the fifth off Hunter Greene to overcome LA's Shohei Ohtani's earlier three-run blast. Bryan Reynolds started in left field and went 1-for-2 while Bethel Park HS/Waynesburg U/Oakland's Mason Miller earned the win. 

• Duran was named the game's MVP.
• Miller set an All-Star Game speed record with the 103.6 mph heater he zoomed while facing Trea Turner in the fifth frame; it was 1-of-4 100+ mph tosses for him.
• Ohtani became the only player in MLB history to earn a win and hit a home run in his All-Star Game career.
• The Dodgers Teoscar Hernandez won the HR Derby, edging KC's Bobby Witt, Jr., 14-13. He made it through all three rounds by one homer.
• The American League now leads the all-time ASG series 48-44-2 with wins in 10 of the past 11 Midsummer Classics.
• The NL topped the AL in the Futures Game, 6-1. The Bucs were repped by Altoona RHP Bubba Chandler (one scoreless inning) and Greensboro 2B Temarr Johnson (1-for-2).
• Tony Leo, the Pirates Assistant Athletic Trainer, was an All-Star as part of the NL's athletic training staff. He's spent the last three years in Pittsburgh after a long run in Minnesota.

The Phillies got the season rebooted at PNC Park on Friday. Michael Perez got battered, but the Bucs, led by Oneil Cruz, Andrew McCutchen, Bryan Reynolds and Rowdy Tellez, hung in long enough for Nick Gonzales to spank a ninth inning walk-off single to left to cap an 8-7 win. Pittsburgh played before its second, 39K+ sellout on Saturday. Luis Ortiz was brilliant and Oneil homered, doubled and chased home three runs. Cutch added a dinger, Aroldis Chapman struck out the side in the eight, and David Bednar finished, losing the shutout by yielding a solo homer to make it a 4-1 final. Pittsburgh was thumped in the last game, but 2-of-3 from Philly is good stuff. 

The fans were into it...local interest and a healthy dose of Philly followers combined for a gate of 116,935 for the three game set, a few bricks shy of the PNC mark established in 2011 when Boston visited, attracting a crowd of 118,324 for that series. It was the first time the Pirates sold out every match of a three-gamer at PNC Park since 2015.

Moves/Injuries:

• LHP Ryan Borucki stopped in Pittsburgh for a check up on Thursday and then headed to Indy to continue his wrist rehab.
• RHP Hunter Stratton (triceps) began his rehab assignment in the Florida Complex League on Monday and was transferred to Indy on Friday. He's on a fairly fast track to return.

• RHP Jared Jones will be out until sometime in August, per GM Ben. He added that LHP Bailey Falter is nearing the next step, a rehab assignment. 
• LHP Hunter Barco had been advanced to AA Altoona from High-A Greensboro, where he slashed 4-1/3.34 in 14 starts; he averaged 11 K per 9 innings. Despite TJ surgery, the Pirates drafted him in the second round (#44) of the '22 draft from Florida. He was the Pirates #12 prospect coming into the year per MLB.com.
• The Pirates released reclamation project RHP Domingo German, 31 (he'll turn 32 on 8/4) per his opt-out clause after he slashed 4-4/5.36 at Indianapolis after 10 starts. They re-signed him to a more team-friendly minor league depth contract.

Stuff:

• Jim Leyland was enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame. Jim was the skipper of the Pirates, Marlins, Rockies and Tigers, posting a record of 1,769-1,728. He took three teams to the postseason, won a World Championship, was voted Manager of the Year three times and won a WBC Championship with 2017’s USA nine.

• The 2025 schedule is out. After a week in Florida against Miami and Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh opens at PNC on April 4th v. the Yankees, followed by the Cards.
• Altoona's Bubba Chandler moved into MLB Pipeline's Top 10 list of RHP prospects. They give him a MLB-ETA of 2025.
• Greensboro IF Jack Brannigan was the South Atlantic League Player of the Week. His numbers from July 8-14th: BA .348, 1.357 OPS, 4 HRs and 8 RBI’s.
• LHP Jose Hernandez, a Rule 5 pick who the Pirates carried through 2023 and DFA'ed earlier this year, had been reclaimed by his original team, the Dodgers. They just outrighted him off the 40-man roster and assigned him to their Arizona Complex team.
• RHP  Jordan Lyles was released from KC and is now a free agent. He only worked five innings for the Royals this season, spending much of the year on the restricted list due to personal issues. He was a Buc in 2019, slashing 5-7/5.36 before being moved at the deadline.