Weekly Notes: So-So Week; Endy & Ashcraft Up, Bart On IL; Cutch & Bailey Team Marks; J-Hay Retires, Mark Sauer Passes

Go west young men…

Pirates Stuff:

• The Pirates called up RHP Braxton Ashcraft from Indy and optioned RHP Isaac Mattson back to AAA. It’s expected Brax will be a long man in Pittsburgh for the time being after working as a starter throughout his minor league career.
• Joey Bart left Wednesday’s game after being clocked by a backswing. Joey was placed on the 7-day Concussion IL and Endy Rodriguez was activated from rehab. 
• GM Ben on his Sunday radio show said he hoped 2B Nick Gonzales is back sometime during the upcoming nine-day home stand that begins on Tuesday.

Bailey Falter – 2025 Pirates image

• Bailey Falter’s 0.76 ERA in May is the third-lowest by any Pirate in a single month in the Live-Ball Era (since 1920), behind Zane Smith (0.66, September ‘90) & Paul Skenes (0.75, September ‘24) per the Pirates.
• Cutch hit homer #240 as a Bucco on Sunday; that ties him for third overall on the Pirates career long ball list with Roberto Clemente, with Ralph Kiner’s 301 next.
• Mark Sauer, president/CEO of the Pirates from 1991-1996, passed away last week at the age of 78.

Game Stuff:

• It’s off to Arizona and then San Diego. Monday was same ol’ Bucs; they dropped a 5-0 decision to the D-Backs. The bright spot was freshly called-up Braxton Ashcraft, who threw three scoreless frames and saved the pen from a long night in his MLB debut.
• Mike Burrows didn’t have much of an outing and the Bucs were down 6-0 after five innings. But Kelly’s Kommandos used a two-run blast by Henry Davis, a bases-loaded double by Isiah Kiner-Falefa and a game-winning three-run shot by Bryan Reynolds (he was 4-for-4 with a walk) to stun the Snakes, 9-6. Joey Wentz got the win and David Bednar the save. 
• The bats continued to boom for the Bucs; Paul Skenes finally got some support and left in the seventh (four hits, seven Ks in 6-2/3 IP) with an 8-0 bulge on the road to an eventual 10-1 dub. Oneil Cruz homered w/three RBI, IKF had three hits/three runs scored and Davis & Jared Triolo added a pair of knocks to take the series from Arizona at Chase Field.

Kell – 2025 via SportsNet Pgh

• After an off day, Mitch Keller took the hill v San Diego. He gave up three runs in six frames, just enough to lose, 3-2. Lowlights – With the bases loaded, two outs and a full count, Henry Davis took ball four, which would have tied the game. But the ump called it strike three to keep SD ahead. It also caused a Don Kelly meltdown and ejection. On the shoot-yourself-in-the-foot side of the pillow, the Pirates 5-6-7 hitters (Davis, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Adam Frazier) went 0-for-12 and struck out 10! times. Soooo…
• Bailey Falter continued his masterful May Days and the Bucs won handily, 5-0. Cutch homered and B-Rey had three hits and two RBI.
• Andrew Heaney did a solid job for six frames and left the Bucs with a 4-2 lead. Tanner Rainey did not do such a solid job – he faced four batters, walked three, and all four scored as Caleb Ferguson couldn’t staunch the bleeding. That was the ballgame as San Diego took the rubber match, 6-4. 

MLB Stuff: 

• Exactly 14 years after he made his Pittsburgh debut, IF Josh Harrison announced his retirement. J-Hay spent eight of his 13 big league seasons with the Pirates (2011-2018; .277). He made his last MLB appearance in 2023 with the Phils, fittingly against the Bucs. 
• Veteran depth IF Ildemaro Vargas was called up by Arizona. He had a cup of coffee with the Bucs in 2021, appearing in seven games.
• 1B/OF Ryan Vilade, who the Bucs stashed at Indy in 2023 after claiming him from the Rox, was promoted the the MLB by St. Louis,