This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CINCINNATI – The Pirates' calling card has been outhitting their opponent. But what happens when the bats turn cold? Thursday night continued a rare rough patch for one of baseball’s top offenses. Pittsburgh tallied just two runs on seven hits in its 3-2 loss to Cincinnati to open a four-game

CINCINNATI – Evan Sisk was pitching as well as he ever had for the first three months of 2026. Then came the unexpected. Near the end of June, Sisk began to feel some discomfort in the back of his elbow area. The soreness was gradual over time. Eventually, he needed

CINCINNATI -- When a winning streak ends, the only choice is to try and start a new one. Paul Skenes cruised into his last start with three straight wins before dropping his first game of the second half to the Cubs.

PITTSBURGH -- With the Trade Deadline looming and postseason races tightening, games can start to feel more important than they truly are. “I don't think I've ever seen anybody clinch in July,” veteran Brandon Lowe said after Tuesday’s game.

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates top prospect and MLB Pipeline’s top right-handed pitcher Seth Hernandez is likely out for the season with a left oblique strain. Hernandez suffered the injury during his start on July 24, and is expected to be out six to eight weeks, which would line up with the

PITTSBURGH -- If the Pirates have a proven strength in 2026, it’s unequivocally their offense against right-handed pitching. Pittsburgh entered Tuesday with the most hits against righties (688) and the second-highest OPS (.779) in all of baseball. Yet, for the second night in a row, the Pirates were stumped by

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- Pirates manager Don Kelly was ejected from Monday night’s game at PNC Park in the bottom of the eighth inning by third-base umpire Ben May after arguing two check-swing calls against Bryan Reynolds. Reynolds doubled later in the at-bat to tie the game. Kelly watched the ninth and

PITTSBURGH -- The implications don’t get much higher for a game in late July. The Pirates entered the series with the Diamondbacks one game behind Arizona in the National League Wild Card standings.

PITTSBURGH -- Derek Curiel teared up when he walked on the PNC Park field on Thursday. He saw the Pittsburgh skyline off in the distance and envisioned contributing on that field in the near future with the Pirates.

PITTSBURGH -- The final week of July can often decide whether teams identify themselves as buyers or sellers at the Trade Deadline. At times, the pressure can mount, building a losing streak. For a few days, it seemed the Pirates were headed in that direction. Then came an offensive outburst

PITTSBURGH -- In all of Paul Skenes’ impressive achievements three years into his MLB career, he hasn’t won four straight games. Saturday night was a chance at another great feat. Skenes recorded a season-high 11 strikeouts, but he allowed three runs in the fifth, exiting after 5 1/3 innings with

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates have already battled through a grueling stretch, taking on teams with a .500 or better record in six straight series. Though with the Trade Deadline nearing, a six-game homestand against two of the teams ahead of Pittsburgh in the NL Wild Card race is as pivotal

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates must fix their bullpen issues to break their 11-season playoff drought. They took a step in finding a cure Thursday evening, acquiring right-hander Ron Marinaccio from the Padres and designating Dennis Santana for assignment. Santana tallied a 6.05 ERA in 41 2/3 innings this season, while

PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes has returned to Cy Young form. His first start out of the All-Star break continued his effective stretch from just before the break, proving his nine-start winless streak that spanned from mid-May to early July is well behind him. Across his last three starts, Skenes has

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

PITTSBURGH -- Paul Skenes' responsibilities at Air Force were unlike any other player in the country. When the Falcons held the lead late, Skenes raced from playing catcher to the bullpen to warm up as the pitcher. It was his job to close out the game on the mound. “It

PITTSBURGH -- On June 24 against the Mariners, Spencer Horwitz felt something he’d never felt before. Horwitz was busting it down the first-base line in the third inning when he felt his left hamstring grab. He was removed from the game the following frame and still felt some pain, knowing

This story was excerpted from Aiden Stepansky's Pirates Beat newsletter. To read the full newsletter, click here. And subscribe to get it regularly in your inbox.

CLEVELAND -- Paul Skenes entered Sunday’s start as well rested as he’ll be in season. Skenes hadn’t pitched in a week and took full days off on Monday and Tuesday while participating in All-Star festivities. Recharged for the second half, Skenes twirled his best start of the summer. The 24-year-old

CLEVELAND -- Khristian Curtis’ family found out at around 5 p.m. CT on Friday that he would be making his MLB debut on Saturday. Then came the all-out scramble to get to Cleveland in time to see it. Curtis’ parents, Eric and Kristy, got to the airport in Houston at

CLEVELAND – Jacob Gonzalez is new to the Pirates' clubhouse, though he’s familiar with the confines of an AL Central stadium. Acquired from the White Sox on July 10, Gonzalez made his first start for the Pirates against the Guardians in Game 1 of Saturday’s twin bill. He quickly showed

PITTSBURGH -- Derek Curiel knew he needed more time and muscle before becoming a professional. While Konnor Griffin, now the Pirates' shortstop, signed with Pittsburgh out of high school rather than stick with his commitment to LSU, Curiel went the opposite route. The outfielder pulled his name from the 2024

PITTSBURGH -- The Pirates are as close to snapping the longest postseason drought in the National League as they have been in a decade. With a 50-47 record at the All-Star break, Pittsburgh is over .500 at this point for the first time since 2016. The Bucs are two games