ARLINGTON — It started with the first home run Braxton Ashcraft has allowed this season, on a pitch he surely wanted back. It continued when the Texas Rangers rallied for two runs to tie it in the eighth.
A half-inning later, things crescendoed with an incredible home run from Oneil Cruz off the top of the foul pole in right field, the latest and loudest bit of bounce-back evidence for the Pirates during a 8-4 victory over the Rangers at Globe Life Field on Tuesday.
They’re getting pretty good at this stuff, no?
Don Kelly’s team still has not lost back-to-back games since dropping two straight March 26 and March 28. It shows resilience, fight and plenty of good vibes. In this one, we also witnessed several impressive individual performances, starting with that homer from Cruz.
“It’s the support we have to want each other,” Cruz said, with major league coach Stephen Morales translating. “And in the clubhouse, the vibes are really good. Everyone is always looking to help. That’s one of the main things that, as a team, we’re doing really well.”
Cruz’s homer came with its own story of predictive resilience.
The Pirates center fielder said he called his shot on Monday, only to have Rangers center fielder Evan Carter rob him with one of the best catches any MLB outfielder has made this year.
After three strikeouts and a fourth at-bat where he reached on an error, Cruz on Wednesday told Marcell Ozuna that he needed to do something. Cruz called his shot again.
Ozuna apparently smacked Cruz in the head — per Cruz — but then the latter transferred that energy to an 0-1 cutter left middle-middle by former Pirate Jalen Beeks.
The ball traveled 432 feet at 116.9 mph and doinked off the top of the foul pole for Cruz’s seventh home run of the year. It scored three, and Dennis Santana finished the game with a clean ninth.
“I don’t think I’ve ever seen that,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “That was unbelievable.”
This was a much more entertaining game for the Pirates than what transpired here Monday. Let’s take a look with my nine observations:
1. The resilience thing has become a trend. I asked Ryan O’Hearn about this before the game and he deadpanned to me: “Did we lose yesterday?” Before I could respond, he started smiling.
“That’s the mentality,” O’Hearn continued. “We show up, and every day is fresh.”
The Pirates are now 13-7 after their 1-3 start, with confidence growing. They now have a chance to win a series on Thursday, which would run their record to 5-2-1 in series play.
It all happened because they’re quickly able to put an end to negativity. Good trait for a team.
“Really proud of the way that we responded today and early on in the season,” Kelly said. “We talked about it from game to game, but also within games we've been able to bounce back really quick and been able to find a way to pick each other up. I thought we did a tremendous job with that [Wednesday].”
2. Cruz’s homer was absurd. Several people I spoke with postgame couldn’t recall ever seeing something like that. It landed seven or so rows up in the fourth deck. The distance of 432 feet feels short, honestly.
Its exit velocity made it the second hardest-hit ball in Globe Life Field history (2020-present) in the regular season or playoffs.
If it wasn’t for such a mammoth shot by Cruz, the night would’ve belonged to Braxton Ashcraft. Shoot, it might have belonged to him anyway.
Ashcraft, who grew up about 90 minutes south of here, may have brought half his hometown to the game. When he was introduced, you could hear a collection of cheers behind home plate. They only amplified as he delivered yet another gem.
"I put a lot of work in from a very young age, and a lot of the people that are here got to see that while I was a kid," Ashcraft said. "Being able to see it come to fruition, and pitch in the big leagues against the team that I grew up watching and come out with a win here, it's really cool."
While completing seven innings for just the third time as a professional — Major or Minor Leagues — Ashcraft allowed two earned runs on four hits with two walks and five strikeouts.
The right-hander lost the win when Gregory Soto was charged with two runs in the eighth, but Ashcraft lowered his ERA to 2.43, which is now the best on the Pirates’ starting staff.
3. Ashcraft’s only hiccup came after a leadoff walk in the second. He had two strikes on Josh Jung, but his curveball wasn’t far enough down or away, allowing the Rangers third baseman to take a healthy hack. It was the first homer Ashcraft has allowed this season.
Not that it affected him.
Ashcraft actually got better as his outing went on, his stuff sharper and the velocity occasionally ticking up. Kelly said before the game what has made Ashcraft special is him staying in attack mode. That was once again evident.
4. Ashcraft may also be earning more latitude when it comes to pitching late in games. The 94 pitches he threw were a season-high. His late-game splits are also very good. Entering Tuesday, Ashcraft had allowed just one hit in 17 plate appearances the third time through, one in 12 on pitches 76-100.
The makings of an ace right there.
5. While Cruz delivered the big shot in the ninth, the inning started small. Nick Gonzales and Spencer Horwitz started the rally with singles. Jake Mangum drove in the first run on a fielder’s choice hit a whopping 60.9 mph.
However, that has become the Pirates’ style under Kelly. They stole another base, their seventh consecutive game with one, and they’re 24 of 26 this season. Donnieball? Maybe. But it’s working.
6. Speaking of nuance worth appreciating, Brandon Lowe delivered a professional at-bat for his RBI single in the fifth inning. Two strikes. Lowe got a slider down and didn’t try to do too much, throwing his hands at the ball and lining it to left.
That gave the Pirates some life, and Bryan Reynolds turned on an inside fastball. His run-scoring single to right was follow by Jack Leiter stumbling, as the Pirates grabbed a 4-2 lead.
7. That was the 500th RBI of Reynolds’ career, making him the 23rd Pirate to record at least that many since 1920, the fourth to do it this century. The others in that latter category include Brian Giles, Kevin Young and Andrew McCutchen.
Reynolds was on base twice, which increased his on-base percentage in April to .434. Only three in the National League have been better.
8. Speaking of numbers, Cruz now has 22 RBIs, sixth-most for a Pirate during that span since RBIs became an official statistic in 1920.
The analysis there: Wednesday’s outcome show yet another why it’s smart to stand by Cruz, to count on him to work through defensive and strikeout issues.
9. Andrew McCutchen pinch-hit late and singled off Soto. It was McCutchen’s first game action against the Pirates since August 30, 2022, when he was with the Brewers.
His interview Tuesday night was awkward, but I still think there will be a time and place for the Pirates to celebrate McCutchen whenever he retires. Feelings are raw now, but it’ll thaw with time.
Jason Mackey: Jason.Mackey@pirates.com and @JMackey_PGH.