Notes: Pirates Move To .500, Skenes: 7-Inning No-No & NL ASG Starter, Bucs Draft Konnor Griffin, B-Rey Tops Bobby Bo Mark

 Won a few, finally…

The Bucs concluded their set on Monday with the Mets. Mitch Keller, perhaps feelin’ a bit snubbed by the All-Star folk, worked eight innings while Oneil Cruz & Josh Palacios homered, and the Bucs took an 8-2 decision to split the series and earn Kells his 10th win.

Then it was off to play a three-gamer v the division-leading Brew Crew in Milwaukee’s American Family Field. The Bucs banged out five homers, including a Joey Bart grannie, and just-activated Quinn Priester went six strong innings (1 ER, 4 hits, 8 K) to take the opener, 12-2. The Brewers quickly returned the favor by delivering a 9-0 whipping to the Bucs in game #2 on Wednesday. The Bucs came back to take the set behind Paul Skenes, 1-0. Paul went seven frames of no-hit, one walk, one HBP, 11 K ball on 99 pitches for the win, with Yaz’s RBI double all the help he would need (or get!).

2024 Pirates image

The weekend series was in Chicago, with three games against the White Sox at Guaranteed Rate Field. In the opener, Marco Gonzales made a successful return to the rotation, the pen put up four zeroes and the Bucs slapped enough wood to claim a 4-1 win. It was Gonzales’ first win as a Pirate. Bryan Reynolds got hot late and his four RBIs, along with more stellar mound work (Luis Ortiz started and Kyle Nicholas earned his first big league W), was enough for a 6-2 win in the sandwich game. It was also the first time since early May that the club has put up a three-game winning streak. Make it four; Mitch Keller was chased early for the first time this year, but a solid bullpen job and homers by Joey Bart and B-Rey highlighted a 9-4 dub to complete the sweep.

The Sunday finale was followed by vacay until the 19th thanks to the All-Star break, a timely respite for the boys after playing 13 consecutive days. That’s when they open a three-game series with the Phillies at PNC Park to began the dog-days dash to the finish.

Draft:

• The Pittsburgh Pirates selected SS/CF Konnor Griffin, 18, as the #9 overall pick in the draft. Griffin, 6′-4″, 215 lbs, is from Jackson Prep in Florence, Miss. and was the Gatorade National Player of the Year after batting .559 with nine HRs, 39 RBIs, 87 stolen bases and 76 runs scored. The prepster, who is committed to LSU, was considered by many to be the guy with the highest ceiling in this year’s draft,

Moves/Injuries

• LHP Marco Gonzales (forearm) and RHP David Bednar (oblique) returned from rehab assignments on Friday. RHP Brent Honeywell Jr. was DFA’ed (he was claimed by the Dodgers and started a bullpen game for them on Sunday) while RHP Ryder Ryan was optioned to Triple-A Indy.

Marco Gonzales – 7/12/2024 photo/Pirates

• SS Oneil Cruz tweaked his hammy on Monday. After some initial concern, after a couple of days off he was back in the lineup on Thursday. Cutch left Saturday’s game, also with a sore hammy, and sat Sunday before going into the All-Star break.
• RHP Quinn Priester (lat) was activated from the 15-day IL and OF Edward Olivares was optioned to Indy. 
• LHP Ryan Borucki is expected to make just one or two more rehab appearances before being ready for recall to the big team.
• LHP Justin Bruihl, who was DFA’ed, has cleared waivers and accepted an outright assignment to Indy. 
• The Pirates released Indy OF Canaan Smith-Njigba.

Stuff

• Guys with Pittsburgh ties in the ASG: Bryan Reynolds and Paul Skenes, along with the Dodger’s Ty Glasnow (replaced due to injury), the Yankee’s Clay Holmes, LAA’s Tyler Anderson and the Oakland A’s Mason Miller (Bethel Park HS & Waynesburg U). All but B-Rey are pitchers. The cherry on top: Skenes was named the NL starter on Friday. He’s the first rookie since Hideo Nomo in 1995 to be tabbed as his league’s opener for the Midsummer Classic. The last Pirates pitcher to start an ASG was Jerry Reuss in 1975. 
• Mitch Keller became the fourth pitcher in Pirates history to post 10+ wins, 100+ strikeouts and 100+ innings tossed before the All-Star Break, joining the trio of Gerrit Cole in 2015, Bob Veale in 1966 and Bob Friend in 1960. Pretty good company… But on the down side, Keller’s streak of 49 straight starts of five innings+, tied with AJ Burnett (2012-13) for second in franchise history, came to a halt Sunday when he lasted just three frames.

Mitch Keller – July 2024/Pirates

• On Thursday, Paul Skenes recorded his eighth straight start with 7+ strikeouts (he had 11 whiffs), to set a new franchise record.
• His Tuesday long ball was #115 for Bryan Reynolds, breaking the tie with Bobby Bonilla (114) for the most blasts all-time by a Pirates switch hitter.
• Andrew McCutchen has 594 extra-base hits as a Bucco. During the CWS series, he moved into fifth place in franchise history in that category, ahead of Pie Traynor, but with a big gap to close to catch fourth-place Roberto Clemente, who has 846 extra-base knocks.
•  ASG FYI: the Pirates have won their last game before the All-Star break seven years in a row. They’ve also won six of their last seven outings and go into the break at 48-48.
• 2B Temarr Johnson started in the Futures Game held Saturday and went 1-for-2. RHP Bubba Chandler pitched the final inning, giving up no runs on one hit with a whiff. The NL young guns defeated the AL pups, 6-1.
• RHP Colin Selby, who the Bucs traded to KC last year, was sold to Baltimore and sent to AAA Norfolk. His MLB record is 2-2/8.67 in 23 outings, with all but a pair of those appearances with Pittsburgh.