Pirates crush Tigers 6-1 on July 23, 2025, as Spencer Horwitz hits a grand slam and Bailey Falter dominates. Was this a final glimpse before a trade?
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
For a glorious Wednesday afternoon at PNC Park, everything clicked. The sun was out, the bats were cracking, and the Pirates completed a decisive three-game sweep of the Detroit Tigers with a 6-1 victory. The crowd roared as Spencer Horwitz circled the bases after his first-ever grand slam, and Bailey Falter looked untouchable on the mound. It was a perfect baseball day, but one overshadowed by a looming question: was this a final glimpse of this Pirates team as we know it?
Mitch Keller leads MLB with 15 quality starts, making him the top prize for contenders as the trade deadline clock ticks.
The game itself was a masterclass in what the Pirates *can* be. Andrew McCutchen got the party started with his ninth homer of the season, but the real fireworks came in the second inning. Spencer Horwitz, seizing his moment, launched a towering grand slam off Troy Melton to blow the game wide open. It was the rookie's first career slam, scoring Oneil Cruz, Ke'Bryan Hayes, and Joey Bart, and sending the dugout into a frenzy. On the mound, Bailey Falter was simply sensational. He carved through the Tigers' lineup for seven innings, allowing just one run and tying his career high with eight strikeouts while issuing zero walks. Carmen Mlodzinski came in to slam the door, punctuating the win by striking out Matt Vierling with a blistering 98.1 mph fastball.
While the team celebrated on the field, the front office phones are undoubtedly ringing off the hook. The Mitch Keller trade rumors have reached a fever pitch. With an MLB-leading 15 quality starts and a solid 3.53 ERA, Keller is arguably the best starting pitcher available before the deadline. Reports are flying, with CBS Sports pegging the Boston Red Sox as a prime destination, a team whose outfield depth could solve some of Pittsburgh's offensive woes. The Cubs, Mets, and Blue Jays are also in the mix. It's the classic seller's dilemma: trade your ace for a haul that could build the future, but gut the present in the process.
It's not just Keller. The Pirates' bullpen, a source of strength, is also drawing heavy interest. Teams are calling about closer David Bednar, the hometown hero, and the nearly unhittable Dennis Santana. Even Caleb Ferguson, with his elite underlying stats, is being scouted. The strategy seems clear: leverage the deep, effective bullpen to acquire the impact bats the lineup desperately needs. While painful, trading from a position of strength is smart asset management, though it won't make watching these reliable arms leave any easier for the fanbase.
If the thought of selling off key pieces is disheartening, the farm system offers a dose of optimism. The Pirates' pipeline is still loaded with talent like Bubba Chandler, Konnor Griffin, and Hunter Barco. Just today, Thomas Harrington fanned seven batters in a minor league start, and the recent record-breaking signing of No. 6 overall pick Hernandez shows a continued commitment to drafting and developing elite talent. This is the long game Ben Cherington is playing—building a sustainable winner, even if it means painful goodbyes in the short term.
So, Pirates fans are left in a strange but familiar limbo. We celebrate a three-game sweep and the emergence of players like Horwitz, but we brace for the inevitable trades. The team has a day off before welcoming the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday, with Mike Burrows slated to take the mound. Enjoy the wins, but keep one eye on the transaction wire. The next week will define not just the rest of this season, but the direction of the franchise for years to come.
