Weekly Report: Treading At .500, Brax & Valdez Out, ROH Back, Greensboro in Sally League Title Round

Nearing the tape...

Pirates Stuff:

• *sigh* The Bucs recalled RHP Antwone Kelly and placed RHP Braxton Ashcraft on the 15-day IL (right arm discomfort, retroactive to 9/7). Brax is getting evaluated; he reported arm pain after his start last Saturday (9/5). Then Esmerlyn Valdez left Friday's (9/11) game with left hamstring discomfort after running out a grounder; he suffered a hammy strain and was placed on the 10-day IL with Ronny Simon returning. The Bucs plan on shelving him for the rest of the season.

Ryan O'Hearn - Back in the saddle image/Pirates

• OF/1B Ryan O'Hearn (quad strain) began his rehab at Indy on Tuesday. It didn't take long to get back in the saddle - he was back on the Bucco roster on Friday. Ronny Simon was returned to Indy, but not for long - he was recalled when Valdez went down.
• The Bucs recalled LHP Brandon Eisert after RHP Isaac Mattson was placed on the 15-day IL with a right hip impingement (retro to 9/6).
• Konnor Griffin, at 20 years, 141 days old, became the youngest player to bat cleanup for the Pirates since 1901.
• Before the White Sox set, the Pirates hadn't won five straight series since 2015 nor been at .500 in September since 2018. Both streaks ended this week at Wrigley (they did get back to .500 on Sunday).
• The Greensboro Grasshoppers won their division playoffs by beating the Frederick Keys 2-games-to-1. They began the championship series for the Hi-A South Atlantic league crown yesterday in a best-of-three battle with the Winston Salem Dash, losing a batfest 15-8.
• Not exactly the Bucs, but the Washington Wild Things advanced to the Frontier League semis and a best-of-five series v Evansville.

Game Stuff:

• The Bucs gave Bubba Chandler five first-inning runs to work with v the White Sox on Tuesday and he was strong for six innings (four hits, two runs, eight K). It ended 9-3; Rafe Flores homered. The bats smoked - the team had 18 hits, with every starter having at least a knock (seven had multiple raps), & eight of the nine drove in and/or scored runs.
• The bullpen game was a chef's kiss, with the help of a couple of late inning bases-jammed DPs, and the Bucs topped the Sox by a 4-2 tally. Brandon Eisert earned the win and Mason Montgomery the save while Esmerlyn Valdez homered to get the Bucs back to .500.

Mason Montgomery - The Finisher image/Sportsnet.Pgh 7/26

• Jared Jones gave up one hit with two away in the seventh, Luke Weaver & Mason Montogomery finished the job and Oneil Cruz's homer/two RBI carried the day as the Bucs swept the Sox 2-0.
• Braxton Ashcraft was due but went on the IL, scrambling the rotation before the Cub opener start. No diff - the Pirates forgot how to hit (lefty pitching), pitch (Indy staff) and field (mental boots as well as physical) in his absence, dropping a 12-2 decision to Chi-town.
• The Pirates had a 3-2 lead; Don Kelly pulled Paul Skenes after seven innings and 82 pitches for Gregory Sota. He worked a frame, which was just long enough to lose it, 4-3 (with two outs and a Cub on second, he hit two batters and walked two more). Ryan O'Hearn's homer was all the Bucco offense, so there's that, too.

Brandon Lowe - image/Pirates 9/26 

• The Pirates held on to take game #3 by a 4-3 count. Bubba was wild and gave up the three runs in 5-1/3 IP, but three relievers shut the Cubs down and Brandon Lowe chased home a pair of runs as a sixth-inning pinch hitter that ended up decisive. 
• Pittsburgh comes home Tuesday against the Brew Crew before hosting KC on Friday in a pair of three-game sets. The Cards visit 9/22 and their three-gamer ends the regular season home sked.

MLB Stuff:

• C Christian Bethancourt cleared waivers and was assigned to Indy.
• The NC Dinos of the Korean League signed RHP Mike Clevinger, who opted out of his Pirates minor-league deal in early August. 
• LHP Aroldis Chapman picked up his 400th save last weekend. That's a rareified club that just nine guys belong to.