PITTSBURGH -- Franchises need their pillars to succeed. For the Pirates, Konnor Griffin, Oneil Cruz and Paul Skenes are those pillars. Yet with just single-digit games remaining in 2026, the trio played in just their 12th game together on Friday night.
In an 8-5 series-opening win over the Royals at PNC Park, Skenes, Griffin and Cruz showed off what could’ve been, and what could be.
Pittsburgh was backed by seven combined hits from Griffin and Cruz, and six innings from Skenes. As the Pirates strive for their first winning season since 2018, a win over the Royals would clinch their best season since that same year.
The Bucs (77-77) are on the brink of missing the postseason for the 11th consecutive season. Still, with eight games to go, they have a shot at ending the year over .500.
“I feel like the way we finish this year could take us into next year with good momentum,” Griffin said. “But like I said, we're still trying to make the playoffs. That's the goal. We're still in the fight until they say we can't make it. We're gonna keep trying to win every game, and it will help going into next year with finishing strong here.”
Skenes, the reigning National League Cy Young Award winner, has stayed healthy all season, though the rare standard he set for himself over his first two MLB seasons is hard to live up to. Skenes retired the side in order in the fifth and sixth against the Royals after he had allowed five runs on two solo home runs and a barrage of base hits in a three-run third. Pittsburgh gradually worked its way back from a 5-2 deficit to give Skenes a no-decision.
With likely one more start this season, Skenes feels he has seen the pendulum of both luck and success swing from all positives to mostly negatives.
“Take today, for example. I think I executed a few of the pitches that got hit. And there are probably a few reasons why stuff might have gotten hit a little bit more this year,” Skenes said. “I don't know what the expected numbers are off the top of my head, and what the actual numbers are, but obviously it's been a little bit different.
“And I think I've probably matured a little bit in the sense of knowing what execution is, what's in my control, what's out of my control from the last couple of years.”
With Skenes continuing to figure himself out, Griffin and Cruz are thriving in their lengthy returns from the injured list. Friday was the 63rd game the dynamic duo played together. Both have raw speed and power that can change the game in an instant. They showcased their hit tool against Kansas City.
Out of the leadoff spot, Griffin tallied his third-career four-hit game, scoring once and driving in two. He drilled two balls to the opposite field, continuing to improve while helping Pittsburgh climb back from a 4-0 deficit. Cruz used the speed part of his game, legging out two infield singles and a double down the left-field line.
“I thought those two specifically had great at-bats,” manager Don Kelly said. “... Konnor and Oneil were right in the middle of it.”
Tied at 5 in the bottom of the seventh, Pittsburgh rallied for three runs to take its first lead of the game. Spencer Horwitz drove in Cruz and Nick Gonzales with a single to left field. Then, Griffin singled to score Horwitz and stretch the lead to 8-5. The Pirates kept on the attack as they tallied 15 hits to keep the chains moving toward a winning season.
A winning season is a step in the right direction for Pittsburgh. With eight to play, the 82-win mark is within reach.
“We've had a strong ‘26, I'd say,” Horwitz said. “The wins and losses weren't always there, but comparing from what I've seen in the past year, from last year to this year, it's tenfold. There's a lot better baseball being played, a lot better players, and a lot more desire to win. And you can feel it in [the clubhouse], and that's why it hurts so much to lose. It's because this team is very good.”