Notes: Spinning Wheels; Player Moves & Updates; Cutch Breaks Into Top 10; Draftees Signings;

Contender or pretender... 

St. Louis rolled in for three games. In Game One, Mitch Keller and the pen had enough juice to carry the club to a 2-1 dub, with Nick Gonzales driving home Bryan Reynolds with the game winner in the eighth. Paul Skenes lasted into the ninth in the middle match, but the Buc bats stayed icy as the Cards scored in the final frame to take a 2-1 decision; not a whole lot of lumber on either end so far this series. The Pirates took the rubber match, 5-0, behind Martin Perez with help from Rowdy Tellez, who homered into the Allegheny, and Connor Joe, both with a pair of RBI. The six-day homestand ended up with a 4-2 slate (they took 2-of-3 from the Phils last weekend) and the guys drew 188,418 fans/31,403 fannies per game. 

After a day off, the Pirates took their show to Arizona. The D-Backs, who have been playing some red-hot ball, used a three-run sixth off Luis Ortiz and Carmen Mlodzinski to take the opener 4-3; the Bucs led 3-0 after two frames but couldn't add on. In the middle match, Marcos Gonzales and Quinn Priester both took their lumps, and the Bucs were outbanged, 9-5. The third contest had a wild finish. Joey Bart's two-out double ion the ninth tied it, and ho-boy, that 10th. Wild pitches, bopped batters, replays and fan interference...but the Corsairs hung on to take a 6-5 win and avoid what would have been a most painful sweep.

Now it's off to Houston for a three-pack, a travel day back home and then a rematch with the Snakes at PNC Park starting on Friday.

Josh Hartle - 2024 image via MLB.com

Draftees signed: 

• RHP Levi Sterling (Comp Round A - Notre Dame HS - CA) $2,511,400 (full slot)
• LHP Josh Hartle (3rd round/Wake Forest) $850,000/slot $920,800.
• 3B Eddie Rynders (4th round/Wisconsin) $649,700 (full slot).
• OF Will Taylor (5th round/Clemson) $500K/slot $471,400.
• RHP Matt Ager (6th round/UC-Santa Barbara) $357,400/slot $359,900. 
• LHP Connor Wietgrefe (7th round/Minnesota) $247,500/slot $281,500.
• RHP Gavin Adams (8th round/Florida State) $172,500/slot $224,500. He missed the 2024 season following TJ surgery. 
• SS Duce Gourson (9th round/UCLA) $187,500/slot $196,100. 
• C Derek Berg (10th round/Army) $172,500/slot $183,800. 

Post Round 10 ($150 K cap, overage from signed players under-slot pool money):

• C Camden Janik (12th round - Illinois)
• RHP Matt McShane (13th round - St. Joseph's U)
• CF Ian Marrow (14th round - Florida Gulf Coast)
• 3B Etan Lege (15th round - Mississippi)
• RHP Jake Shirk (18th round - Wright State)
• RHP Joe Vogatsky (19th round - James Madison)

Moves/Injuries: 

• Ironman LF Bryan Reynolds missed Wednesday's game with a tight back, the first game he's sat out this year. The day off ended a streak of 101 straight games played. When the Bucs hit the road the next day, B-Rey went on the Bereavement List (he missed thew D-Back series). UT Ji Hwan Bae was called up.

Hunter Stratton - 2024 photo/Pirates

• The club activated RHP Hunter Stratton (triceps) from the IL and DFA'ed LHP Josh Fleming in a bullpen flip.
• 1B Rowdy Tellez left Friday's game with back spasms and 2B Nick Gonzales exited Saturday's game with left groin discomfort. Tellez pinch hit after an off day; Nicky G was put on the IL and will be out "for weeks, not days" per GM Ben. IF Alika Williams was called up to take his spot.
• The Pirates signed corner IF/OF Jose Rojas to a minor-league deal and assigned him to Indy. Lefty-batting Rojas, 31, played 67 games with the NYY's AAA Scranton/Wilkes-Barre club with a line of .254/18/57. He spent parts of two seasons with the Angels in 2021-22.
• The Bucs sold Indy OF Gilberto Celestino's contract to the Chicago Cubs. He hit .271 with three home runs and 25 RBIs for the Tribe.
• LHP Bailey Falter (triceps tendonitis) began his Indy rehab on Wednesday.
• RHP Jared Jones (lat strain) is still throwing off flatlands. He did a bullpen session Saturday and return to action is guestimated for mid-to-late August.
• RHP Mike Burrows, who underwent TJ surgery last season, has finished his Florida rehab and reported to Indy.
• LHP Ryan Borucki (triceps) had his rehab stopped (he last threw on 7/23) and will be revaluated in Florida. That doesn't sound real promising...

Stuff: 

• Andrew McCutchen got Bucco career hit #1,639 on Sunday, moving him into the #10 spot on the franchise hit list, ahead of Fred Clarke.
• The Pirates have pitching but need bats. So what hurlers do they dangle for a stick or two? Steve Adams of MLB Trade Rumors offers a guess...
• Indy RHP Braxton Ashcraft, 24, bumped into MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 list. Unfortunately, he's been on the IL with an unspecified malady since July 11th; in his career, he's already lost time to shoulder, knee and elbow injuries.
• SD's Dylan Cease tossed a no hitter v the Nats. Big Joe Musgrove had the Friars' first (and until now, only) one.
• RHP Nick Mears, who was a Bucco from 2020-22 (1-0/4.75 in 36 outings) and then went to Colorado, was traded to the Brewers for a pair of minor league arms.
• LA activated Clayton Kershaw and DFA'ed RHP Yohan Ramirez, who got into 26 games for the Pirates last year. The Dodgers also signed RHP Jordan Lyles, released by Kanas City, to a minor-league deal.
• 1B Josh Bell was placed on waivers by Miami, who are dangling Josh. C Reese McGuire was DFA'ed by Boston.