The Rise of the Jolly Roger 2025 Season – Oakland Athletics (56-86) @ Pittsburgh Pirates (88-53)
And welcome in everybody. Glad you’re with us. Inner league baseball on MLB the show. It’s the Oakland Athletics going up against the Pittsburgh Pirates. [Music] First pitch coming your way next. All right, ready to get underway. Stepping in Estee Yuri Ruiz. [Music] The pitch in the air left field. Martinez calls it in and there’s one away. Here’s the rookie third baseman, Jacob Wilson. And that’s in the dirt. Ball one. One out. Base is empty. [Applause] And that’s just fouled. Swinging a miss. And it’s one and two. Ground ball scooped up. Key Brian Hayes throws to first in time. Two outs. Base is empty. Zack Gellof up next for the A’s. That one misses. And that’s ball one. Swing and a ball lifted left field. Martinez has a beat on it. pulls it down and he makes the catch. And that is that. Now the third baseman, Ke Ryan Hayes. Chris, it’s been a good year for him, having already set a new careerh high for RBI’s season. the pitch. Fast ball for a strike. Swing and a line drive. Curling fouled down the right side. Just misses with that one. It’s a good take. One ball, two strikes in the air out towards left center. Ruiz flashes the leather on the run and catch. Every day during batting practice, these outfielders get about 10 minutes of balls in the gaps. They practice this and when the game comes, they make the play perfectly. line drive, short hop to third, throws to first, two-way now. Brian Reynolds here, maybe not an elite level switch hitter, but still a guy some contact and just success as a hitter from both sides of the plate. Ball one to the right fielder. Well, he doesn’t get too big with the swing. He knows how to hit behind runners, and those are guys that can just smell that RBI. Oh, that ball got him pretty good out there on the mound. And they get the out after the ricochet. And that ends the inning back here in Pittsburgh. And here is Shay Langelers. Falter back to work. Ripped to third. Throws to first in time and a quick out number one. So digging in, Jordan Diaz. Chris, he’s definitely going to finish the year with a new careerhigh in homers. We just don’t know how many he’s going to hit quite yet. And a foul ball. You know, his home run numbers in his last 10 games have been really good. He’s been a difference maker in their lineup. Big swing and a miss. No score here in the second. fights that one away and the count remains 0 and2 and a pitch. Ripped on the ground is second. Throw on to Santana. Two up, two down. Clark Elliot up next for the A’s. Falter 27 years old and he was a fifthround pick back in 2015. The wind and the pitch and it’s fouled away. Instead of letting the hitter get his arms extended, tied him up a little bit. Slightly up, slightly in. Two out, space is empty. swaying and a miss. Struck him out and it’s a one, two, three inning. And welcome back to the park. Here’s the veteran outfielder JD Martinez. And he deals Ball one, no strikes. And another ball way to lay off that fast ball off right there. You’re looking for something you see well that you can handle, but you also have to keep the discipline so that you’re not popping up pitches that are just a little too high. Kick and deal. Swing and a miss as he was out front. Two strikes. Fly ball to right. Butler puts it away for the out. And there’s one away. Here’s Andrew McCashen to hit. Andrew popped in the air left field. Two away. Just pulled off of it a little bit right there. with that front shoulder coming open instead of staying closed. If he does that, he’s going to be able to go up the middle the other way with some authority instead of a fly out to left. And a base hit up the middle and that keeps the inning alive. Didn’t take long to get a result for that at bat. Got a fast ball middle of the plate. Jumped all over it. Absolutely smoked that ball. So next to the plate for Pittsburgh, Michael A. Taylor. There’s the strike. Good chase that time. One. [Applause] Now a highf fly ball out to left center. Elliot sizes this one up. He’s got it. That is the inning. New inning getting started. Digging in for Oakland. Lawrence Butler singing when the year’s over, he’ll have a new career high for RBI’s in a season. That one finds the zone. And it’s 0 and one. It feels like we might be headed towards a rain delay if the weather doesn’t ease up. Chris, yeah, the umpire and crew are going to pay attention to how the weather is impacting this game. And the moment it becomes dangerous, I think is the moment we’ll be forced to take a break. Here’s Oakland’s DH. He really needs to start making more contact. Striking out nearly twice in each of the last five games. Butler gets his lead at first. Nobody out. Ground ball right side. Could be two on second. They get one out of Santana. Two. I think four 63 double plays like that are way tougher than these guys make it look sometimes because no matter how you do it, the feed from the second base is a tough one. That’s where footwork really comes into play, but right there very well done. Next offering is in for a strike. Top of the third, no score. This one high in the air to left center. Taylor on the move. And that is that. Back here at PNC Park set for the bottom of the third. Here’s O’Neal Cruz. And here it comes. Awkward swing there from the big left-handed hitter. Off balance as well. [Applause] Fouled off. He was late. 0 and2 now. That one missed. [Applause] Left-handed hitter waits. Keeps the bat going with a foul ball. And now the lefty swings and misses. struck him out. Here’s the catcher, Henry Davis. And he can’t come up with it. Safe at first. No play. We’ll see how they score this. So, the batting order turns over. Here’s the third baseman, Keem. Brian Hayes and the pitch a little bit low. Ball one. Man at first. One away. Swing at a popup. Gellof makes his way towards it. Tracks it down for the out. And there’s two down. Now it’s the second baseman Brendan Donovan. Ground it out his first time. And a base hit. Throw stops the lead runner at second. Two on and two out. Oh, no waiting around right there. He was ready to swing it on the first pitch. Just a solid swing right there. Caught it out. Ripped it into the outfield for the base hit. Those always feel great. Reynolds the next to hit takes outside. [Applause] and a 1-1 and fouled off. First and second, two down. And a one-two again. Laser base hit around third. One runs in. Relay throw and he’s out. Tuck down and that ends the inning. [Music] And we’re back. Here’s the center fielder, Estee Yuri Ruiz. The pitch. That one finds the zone. It’s 0 and one. Swing and a miss. Nice change up. Well, this can be kind of frustrating for the hitting coach right now. This lineup seems to be swinging at everything. Not even close there. And the count is one and two. And another ball. Wouldn’t chase that time. Expect for that guy to come right at you with a fast ball. Something in the zone because he does not want to allow the lead off wall. Here comes the pitch. Liner base hit. Solo runner aboard to start the inning. Showed some really nice patience in that at bat. Worked himself into a good count. Nice job of driving that pitch the other way on a line. You know, hitters, they take so many reps in the cages, working on going to the opposite field, but it doesn’t always translate into the game. And there’s one down. So, up next, Zack Gell. So clutch you could argue that he’s been this team’s MVP this year. Up the middle and it finds its way through for a hit. Throw into third in there safely. Well, the last 10 games or so have been anything but fun at the plate for him. So that one has to feel good. Really nice job staying up the middle with his approach. He didn’t try to do too much with the pitch. Just shot it through the infield. Langelers in the box now. Take strike one. right through there for a strike. The last thing he wants is to hit the ball on the ground, but I wouldn’t expect many pitches up in the zone. Don’t be pitching for a double play in this spot. Foul ball still 0 and two. Brothers at the corners, one away. Top half of inning number four. And the swing and a miss. Huge strike out there. Jordan Diaz up next for the A’s. Rolled out to second in his first at bat. There’s the strike of the knees. If I’m at the dish right now, I am aggressive over the heart of the plate. This guy’s been filling up the strike zone. So, you know you’re going to get a good pitch to hit. And as nasty as his stuff is, you might as well take all three swings. Next one misses. It’s a ball in two strikes. got him looking. That’s the third out. Ready to go for the last half of the unit. And now JD Martinez Martinez. The pitch. This to third into the outfield. Base hit. Man aboard on the leadoff single. Seems like he got exactly what he was looking for right there. I know that was a ground ball, but it was absolutely hammered through the infield. That’s not one you’re excited to get in front of if you’re an infielder. You know, they used to say charging crazy. McCutchen the batter now as he swings and misses for strike one. [Applause] kicks and fires. Nobody out. Runner of first. One ball. Two strikes. And that’s outside now. Two and two. In the dirt, but kept close. And the runner stays where he is. [Applause] on the ground right side. Four, six, three, and they turn the double play. And now it’s the switch hitter, Carlos Santana. One for one with a single so far. And that one is lifted in the air. lays out and makes the play back here in Pittsburgh. Here’s the left fielder, Clark Elliot. Palter back to work. And a good eye there. Well, on paper, it’s favorable to have a fairly quick inning here with two of the three hitters he’s set to face batting from the left side. Same side he throws from late on that fast. Well, he came right at it right there. Challenged him with the 20 fast. Not sure exactly what he was looking for, but got imagine that’s a confidence booster on the mound. You’re in that hitter’s head a little bit. That clips the corner. Cut out a miss. Struck him out. Looks like he’s picked up right where he left off. Now it’s the right fielder Lawrence Butler. He’s already singled in this game. And a breaking ball drops in for a strike. Butler goes 6 feet 3 in. 24 years old. and he’s been on a good run at the plate hitting over 325 in his last 10 games. A’s to first and the first two set down in the top of the fifth. Now the A’s designated hitter. First pitch and that’s in for a strike. Well, he’s been incredibly efficient in this one. First pitch strike percentage over 70%. That’s well above league average and that’s what’s allowed him to pitch well up to this point. [Applause] swing and a miss and he struck him out and it’s a three up, three down inning. And welcome back to the goal. And now the center fielder, Michael A. Taylor. And a pitch top of the zone for a called strike. [Applause] Next pitch is outside. [Applause] This one in the air. Should have this one. Makes the catch and there’s one gone. Up next for the Pirates, O’Neal Cruz struck out swinging his first time. swing and a miss. One threw that fast right by him. Gives him a little bit of confidence, but in the back of your mind, you got to think, is he trying to set me up for later in this at bat? Strike two. Two strikes to a guy who’s already 0 for one with a punch out. The only guy in the lineup with that strike out, but you can’t get too relaxed. You still got to make good pitches to get him out. Swigs through that one. It’s a strike out. Two outs, base is empty. Henry Davis, the next Pirate to hit. Reached on an infield single his first time. Two down, nobody on. Last half of inning number five. [Music] [Applause] It’s strike two. No ball. Two strikes. And that one is inside ball one. One, two. Two outs. Fouls it off. Still one and two. The pitch. Two balls, two strikes to count with two outs. This one in the air. Allen has this one sized up. And that is the third out of the inning. Back here at PNC Park. And now to shortstop. Nick Allen. As he turns on the rubber and with that good live arm delivers and the slider just misses. Out to short. dives, but it kicks off his glove and he’ll be safe at first. So, the Oakland lineup turns over. Now, here’s the leadoff hitter for the A’s, Estee Yuri Ruiz. [Applause] And the pitch out to Short, lays out. Oh, it’s off his glove. No throw. And they can’t get the out. Back-to-back base hits. Now a pretty big at bat coming up with a chance to even this ball game up. The batter now, Jacob Wilson. Fought off foul and a pitch. Bounding ball here. Rolls. Foul. The Pirates leading by a run here in the second game of the series. Strike three. Got him swinging. And that is a big first out. Here’s the second baseman, Zack Gellof, just off the outside edge. So, all eyes on the double play ball in this spot. No better way to get out of this inning. That’s in there. And one and one and that one clicks the corner. The Pirates up by a run and we’re the top half of the six. Bounce to the right side and that’s a base hit. runner around third on his way to the plate. He scores and the A’s tie it up. It’s 1-1. Just a huge bat right there. Didn’t try to do too much with it. Just a really controlled, simple swing. You don’t see a whole lot of that these days with hitters trying to launch and hit home runs, but sometimes you got to shorten up just like that. And now a chance for Shay Langelers. First pitch misses. Swing and a miss. Strike one. Threw that fast ball right by him. Slightly elevated. That’s a confidence boost for this guy out there on the mound. In the air to left center. Drops into the globe. Runner tags for home. He’ll score on the sack fly and a 2-1 ball game now. And now the first baseman Jordan Diaz pitch is in there and that is strike one and downstairs leads off first with two down to the inning. Right through there for a strike. That fast ball, even though it’s up, that’s the velocity you want to go after. Low 90s a lot better than swing and a miss and he got him. Picks up strikeout number seven. Bottom of the sixth inning batting Brian Hayes as the lefty gets to work and that one is in the dirt and that is ball walk [Applause] fouled off. He was late. That clips the corner. Boom. That hook’s looking pretty sharp today. Just a solid pitching performance so far. And I really think it’s because of that curve ball. And that’s downstairs and outside. Swing and a miss. Struck him out. At the plate for Pittsburgh. Brendan Donovan. One for two. That misses one and0. [Applause] And that one pulled foul. He’s bagging. Give me that pitch one more time. A hanging change up just out in front. One down. Base is empty. Swings and misses at the pitch off the plate. I think he was sitting off speed there. and he hits a ground ball right side, slings to first and that quickly two away. So next to the plate for Pittsburgh, Brian Reynolds picked up an RBI in his last at bat. Still their only run of the game so far in the air right field that gets down for a hit. Joey gets on base and keeps it going. couple of hits in a row for him here. With the way defenders track down balls these days, I mean, both from the infield and in the outfield, there really aren’t a lot of base hits on balls hit like that. But there’s always a little room back behind the first and second baseman to drop a lawn dart in there. And he found a way and Martinez fast for a strike. Well, in this situation, the hitter knows that he’s got to find a pitch that he can drive in order to drive in that tying run all the way from first base. So, if he can’t do that, keep the line moving. The walk or just a base hit, but you’ve got to stay within yourself. [Applause] And another ball. [Applause] Next pitch misses way outside. He hasn’t fallen behind in the count like this all day. He’s in danger of walking his first batter right here. This one popped up. Drifts towards it. Makes the catch and go. And we’re back. Top of inning number seven. And now Clark Elliot on the mound now for the Pirates. Kenis Cabrera. And one thing on him, he’s been really good this season at keeping the ball on the car. Not an easy guy to take deep. And a pitch. Swing. And he breaks his back. And a foul ball. Check. Swing. Did he go? Yes, he did. And he deals got him looking for the K. Called strike three and a fast up in the zone. Lawrence Butler up next for the A’s. Edge of the zone for a strike. Going to want this is just part for the course these days. Huge fast balls coming out of the bullpen. And that skips into dirt. Swing and a miss as he chases that one darting out of the zone. Swings and misses and there’s two away. Here’s Oakland’s DH. Fly ball down the line. Reynolds gets under it and makes the grab and that’s the third out on the pitch now for Oakland. Lucas big swing and miss stuff right here. Averaging more than one strike out per inning this season. So far he’s been pretty electric. Well, one game to the plate now for Pittsburgh is the DH Andrew McCutchen. the pitch. A swing and a miss. And that’s strike one. [Applause] That one found hard the other way. Looking to get the tying run on base out towards left center. Ruiz grabs it on the run. Nothing instills more confidence in a team than a center fielder who makes a great play like that on the run. They can feed off the energy he brings just from his playmaking abilities. Santana swings through it for strike one. [Applause] And that one hit 97 on the gun. One down. Base is empty. Pretty good pitch there to take a rip at. He wants to get his arms extended. He likes the ball away from him a little bit, just not able to square it up. And now two and two. A’s leading by a run here. The bottom of the seventh. That one hit to right. [Applause] Makes the grab. And there’s two down. Maybe caught that one off the end just a little bit. Couldn’t quite barrel it up enough to really drive it. Michael A. Taylor. The now a move being made for a pinch hitter. Jack Sinski trying to get something going for him with two away. [Applause] Swing and a miss. It’s 0 and one. No ball [Applause] up the middle. Gellof gathers and throws to first. Out with room to spare and that’s the inning. Staying in the game on defense. Jack Sinski. He’ll be out center now after pinch hitting at the plate. Nick Allen. Pirates with a new arm on the mound. Dowry Moretta. This guy’s a strikethrower. He’s done an excellent job of avoiding walks so far this season. [Applause] The pitch ground ball up the middle. Cruz tosses to first. Lead off man is out here in the eighth. So the lineup flips over. Here’s the center fielder. Estee Yuri Ruiz swinging a foul over the screen and back out of play. The one late with the swing there. Two strikes swing and a miss and he’s down on strikes. Two gone. Next up for the A’s, Jacob Wilson. And a swing and a miss. Two down, nobody on. And we’re in the top of the eighth. That one off the mark. One and one. [Applause] Right-handed reliever gets a piece and stays alive at the belt and fires and he chases that one. And a nice inning of work there as he sets him down. One, two, three. Back now. New pitcher on the mound as we roll into the bottom of the eighth. Ricky Vanasco. These are the spots where levers really make a name for themselves. Late and close. There’s not much margin for error, but at the same time, there’s a reason they’re put in these situations. Here’s the short stop at the plate. O’Neal Cruz [Applause] in the pitch. That’s inside. And that’s Paul one. [Applause] in the air right center. This is mashed way back and ball. He powers that one out of here. It’s 22. That’s exactly the pitch he was looking for. Crushes it and hits it out of the ballpark. I know you. [Applause] So, it’s all tied up thanks to the home run. And here’s the catcher, Henry Davis. First off, and it just misses. Well, it was exciting to see a leadoff home run in an inning. kind of gets the offense fired up and you start to expect a big inning. Swinging a miss that one in the dirt. One ball, one strike. Drive. That’s a base hit. So, the go ahead run is on base with a knock. Timed it up. Any better than that? That’s about as textbook as it gets. He’s got his stride load out of the way early. He stayed inside that ball and squared it up out front. Man, that was like he was in the cage hitting off a te [Applause] now in the air right field. Butler on his way over. He’s got it. And there’s one down. Brendan Donovan, the next pirate to hit. One for three. And that one lifted in the air center field. Stretches out and hauls it in. That’s a really nice play ranging back into the outfield for that catch. We found those. Those could be a little tricky, especially if the wind swirl around out there. And that one fouled off. [Applause] Down to the dirt, swinging a miss. Another O2 count right here. Pitcher just in the driver’s seat. He can go anywhere he wants to go right here. Got him. Third out [Applause] and welcome back to the ballpark. Now here is Zack Gellof here with a righthander back to worm. Misses off the inside. Ball long. Headed down the line. Reynolds on the run. Can’t get there. This one lands foul. [Applause] That one keeps the outside corner and the count one and two. Just misses there. Homeplayed umpires trying to tighten things up a little bit. And the righty deals. Popped up foul territory behind the plate and it’s caught for the boy. That was a hanging breaking ball right there. here. I think he tried to do a little bit too much. Sometimes those eyes can get really big. I think his swing broke down as well and that’s what caused him to pop it up. Langelers at the plate now. That’s ball one. And there’s a strike. Good heater at 98. Close one. Doesn’t get the call. Ball two. Bases empty, one away here in the top of the ninth. Left field. Martinez has a beat on it. He’s got it. And there’s two away. And here’s the first baseman, Jordan Diaz, 0 for three with two strikeouts and a ground out. That one finds the zone. That’s strike one. Hayes looking to put the go ahead run on base here. The second game of the series. Got him swinging and good work there as he gets a one, two, three. Back here in Pittsburgh. Bottom nine. Now the left fielder JD Martinez. Vanasco back to work. First pitch swinging. Swing and a miss. And he chases that one in the dirt. Oh man, that was pretty gross right there. Wouldn’t chase that time. I don’t think he was trying to miss by that much in no two count. just tried to overthrow that Got him swinging on the curve ball. A huge out to start the bottom of the ninth. So now Brandon Bell. Well, they’re going with the lefty bat here. trying to improve that matchup for a very important bat in this game. [Music] That one ripped but foul. The line to kick the pitch that misses the zone and the count even one and one the other way. Base hit. Now he turns and heads for second. Here comes the throw. Not going to get him. He’s in there. There you go. Winning run is aboard with one down. Showed a willingness to drive that pitch the opposite way. Didn’t get jumpy. Didn’t try to pull the ball. He let it get deep. Took the barrel right to it and then extended through the swing for the line drive base hit. with the winning run standing at second. We’re in the last half of the ninth inning [Applause] on the ground right side and it finds its way through for a hit into third now. So runners at the corners and one out. Well, that bat had a lot lining on it. Certainly a pivotal swing in the a new arm into the game. The righty number 15. They know that he can get a right-hander out, but he’s in position to face a couple of lefties this inning here in the bottom of the ninth, one out. Up next for the Pirates, Jack Sinski 0 for one. He grounded out in his first at one there. Winning run at third. One down here. The last half of inning number nine. Next offering is in for a strike. I think ultimately you want to tie him up, get the ball in on the plate so that he can’t get the barrel to it and hit it to the outfield. And a count one and two. Well, if he’s going to do something special right here, it’s going to have to happen with two strikes. This guy’s got good power with one swing, he can win it for him. And a swing and a miss. Two away. And the battle will be the short stop, O’Neal Cruz. He’s already homered in this game. That one lifted to left. He’s under it. Falls it in to end the inning. On to extra innings. And now Clark Elliot. New arm out of the bullpen. Jose Hernandez. And he’s been racking up strikeouts at a high rate this year. Typically Elise can run an inning, so he’ll be tough to get to. Here comes a pitch. It immediately pumps in a strike to the left-handed hitter. Next offering is in for a strike. He’s falling behind in a huge spot, but got to do what it takes to come through. Maybe choke up on the bat a little bit, spread out those feet, whatever it takes. And at second, that’s off the mark now. One and two. And a swing and a miss. Down on strikes and he’s gone for the fourth time tonight. Digging in. Lawrence Butler swing and a ball popped up. Cruz moving under it. Brings it in and there are two outs. [Applause] Now the A’s designated hitter. [Applause] And the first pitch misses for ball one. [Applause] There’s a strike man on second. Two down. Next pitch in for a strike. One and two. And now the lefty cuts and misses. It’s a strike out. back here at PNC Park. And now the catcher comes up to him, Henry Davis. And here it comes. And the first pitch misses for ball one. One ball. No strike. He’s trying for third. Foul back our way. And that’s out of play. Next offering is in for a strike. Just a really nice slider down and in there. He wants to get the hitter thinking fast ball. Speed him up and just subtract some velocity and add a little movement. Swings through it and that’s a strike out. Now the third base Hayes. Well, first base open. Really no reason to pitch to this hitter right here. Put him on. Have the force at second first. perhaps getting inning ending double play. Butler trying to get to it. Makes a nice grab in a full sprint and there’s two away. Now the number two hitter Brendan Donovan in the air out to center. Makes the grab. Nice play after the long run. And that is the inning. We’re in extras here. Striding to the plate now for Oakland, Nick Allen. Now on the bump, Zack Jackson gets an opportunity to square off against his former team. So I wouldn’t be surprised he came out a little extra jacked up right here. [Music] The pitch. And there’s a ball. 10. Next offering upstairs and that one in the air center field. Chinsky under it. He’s got it. And there’s one down. Such a confidence boost for a reliever to come into the ball game and get the first hitter he faces. Just makes everything slow down a little bit and then from there can really settle in. Ruiz in the box here. Lets that one go for a ball. Next offering is in for a strike. Well, we call that keyholeing. Even though it’s right there and looks pretty good, if he doesn’t love it, he’s not going to swing that early in the count. Swing and a miss. Struck him out and to a lay down. Here’s the third baseman, Jacob Wilson. [Applause] That one finds the zone and that’s strike one. [Applause] Two outs and it stays fair. Runner around third. He scores and they have the lead. Three-2 and that’s a double. So two down. Zack Gellof up next for the A’s and he swings and misses and it’s nothing and one swing and a miss. Chased it out of the zone. Packs and misses. It’s a strike out. [Applause] [Music] Back here in extras and a new pitcher on the mound in the bottom half of the inning, Adner Gerbe. He’s averaging more than one hit allowed per inning pitch this season and that’s not where you want to be at all. So we’ll see how he does here. Substitution now at second base. Entering is the pinch runner Lev Puero. 345 do up for the home team. Brian ReS and a pitch and fouled off. Well, comfortable or not, these are the situations closers they seem to live for when you get into some hot water, a jam, tough spot, whatever you want to call it. But this is where they earn their keep. Swings and misses. And it’s nothing at two. This guy’s got such a good sinker. As a hitter, you’ve got to look up in the zone. If you look down, you’re going to be chasing stuff in the dirt. In the air, left side. Elliot drop, steps, heads back on it, squeezes it, grounder tags at second, and he’s in safely at third with one out. Here’s JD Martinez saying, “You can’t ask for anything more. This guy checks all the boxes offensively. He is the ultimate professional and it doesn’t just start at game time. It starts in the afternoon. The way he prepares and gets ready for the ball game. I tell you what, his teammates feed off of the leadership that he shows on and off the field. Right. Delivers. Now a pitch out and perhaps they were protecting against the squeeze. [Applause] Slow roller to third. Wilson tag and he’s out at the plate. Last chance now for the Pirates up to the plate. It’s Brandon Belch. Doubled in his first AB and a swing and a miss there. Well, there’s a certain point where you have to commit to what you think you see. And he guessed wrong right there. Nasty slider with just terrific bite at the end. This one in the dirt. Throw a second. Not in time. He’s there easily. And now a man into scoring position. They’re down to their final strike. Big time jab right there. I hate it as a hitter, but standing in center field, you can’t help but chuckle a little bit. Is just one strike away. Squirts away a little bit. Nice job behind the plate there with the tying run at second. And here in extra innings, swing and a miss. Struck him out. And that ends the ball game. The tying run left stranded at second. Well, I love the fact they didn’t quit. They had to do a little extra work tonight to secure this win, but it’s what you got to do over the course of the season if you want to be a championship ball club. A 32 final score in this one. Oakland victorious for Chris Singleton and our entire outstanding crew here at MLB the show. I’m John Shi. We’ll see you soon. Here now is our final line score tonight. First for the Victorious Athletics, three runs on seven hits, no errors. They left five runners on base. For the Pirates, two runs, 10 hits, no errors. They left nine runners on base. Time of the ball game, 2 hours and 52 minutes. Thank you for joining us here this evening. We remind you to please drive home safely.
Game Date: September 6, 2025 at PNC Park, Pittsburgh, PA
Starting Pitchers: OAK LHP Kris Bubic (6-10, 4.61) vs PGH LHP Bailey Falter (9-8, 3.86)
Last Ten Games (8-2):
8/26 vs LA Dodgers W 9-5
8/27 vs LA Dodgers W 6-0
8/28 vs LA Dodgers L 5-3
8/29 at Boston W 5-3
8/30 at Boston W 3-2 (11)
8/31 at Boston L 2-1
9/1 at Cincinnati W 3-1
9/2 at Cincinnati W 8-3
9/3 at Cincinnati W 6-2
9/4 vs Oakland W 4-2
NL Central Position: 14.0 games ahead of MIL in 1st place
PITTSBURGH PIRATES ACTIVE ROSTER (as of September 1, 2025)
September 1st – Promoted IF Llover Peguero and RHP Hurston Waldrep to Pittsburgh
Starting Pitchers: RHP Mitch Keller (23), RHP Paul Skenes (30), RHP Jared Jones (37), LHP Max Fried (54), LHP Bailey Falter (26)
Relief Pitchers: LHP Eric Lauer (55), RHP Hurston Waldrep (93), LHP Genesis Cabrera (92), RHP Dauri Moreta (36), LHP Scott Alexander (56), RHP Colin Holderman (35), LHP Jose Hernandez (85), RHP Zach Jackson (31)
Closer: RHP David Bednar (51)
Catchers: Henry Davis (32), Endy Rodriguez (25)
Infielders: Ke’Bryan Hayes (13), Oneil Cruz (15), Ezequiel Duran (27), Brandon Belt (14), Nick Gonzales (29), Carlos Santana (41), Brendan Donovan (34), Llover Peguero (38)
Outfielders: J.D. Martinez (28), Bryan Reynolds (10), Jack Suwinski (65), Michael A. Taylor (18), Andrew McCutchen (22)
NOTABLE: Paul Skenes was named NL Pitcher of the Month for August