Paul Skenes dominated for 6.2 innings, but the Diamondbacks rallied late to beat the Pirates 4-2 on July 27, 2025, spoiling another great start.
StatPro MLB Beat Reporter
It was a script Pirates fans have seen too many times. For six brilliant innings, it felt like a guaranteed win at PNC Park. Rookie phenom Paul Skenes was dealing, the Buccos had a lead, and the Sunday crowd was buzzing. But baseball is a nine-inning game, and a late rally by the Arizona Diamondbacks, capped by a gut-punch double, turned a potential masterpiece into a frustrating 4-2 defeat.
Oneil Cruz is now on pace for a career-high in home runs, hitting his third longball in the last five games.
Let's not let the final score overshadow what we witnessed from Paul Skenes. The flamethrowing rookie was simply electric. Through 6.2 innings, he carved up the Diamondbacks lineup, striking out eight while allowing just a single walk. He was efficient, powerful, and in complete control until a couple of tough breaks in the seventh inning. While he was ultimately tagged with three runs (two earned), his performance was exactly what you want from a top-of-the-rotation starter. He gave his team every possible chance to win. It's another building block in what is shaping up to be a spectacular rookie campaign.
The biggest bright spot on offense was, once again, the towering power of Oneil Cruz. He blasted his 18th home run of the season in the 3rd inning, a solo shot that gave the Pirates an early lead. It was his third homer in the last five games, a clear sign that he is locked in at the plate. Bryan Reynolds also chipped in with a productive day, going 2-for-4 with an RBI single in the eighth that brought the Pirates back within a run. Unfortunately, the rest of the lineup was largely silenced by D-backs ace Zac Gallen, who racked up nine strikeouts over seven strong innings. The two runs just weren't enough support.
As the trade deadline inches closer, the front office remained quiet on Sunday with no transactions to report. While fans wait to see if reinforcements are on the way, the future of the organization provided a spark down in Single-A. No. 6 prospect Edward Florentino smashed another home run for the Bradenton Marauders, continuing a fantastic season. It's a great reminder that while the big-league club navigates its ups and downs, the talent pipeline continues to churn out promising players who could be the next Skenes or Cruz to electrify PNC Park.
This one stings. Losing a game that felt so winnable is a tough pill to swallow, especially when your ace pitches his heart out. The bullpen's inability to lock down the late innings remains a critical issue the team must address. Still, with Skenes looking like a bona fide star and Cruz providing consistent thunder, the core pieces are exciting. The Pirates will need to shake this one off quickly and find a way to provide better support for their starters if they want to turn these frustrating losses into satisfying wins.
