Four Biggest Winners in Pirates Series Win Over Diamondbacks
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PITTSBURGH —The Pittsburgh Pirates bounced back for a big series win on the road against the Arizona Diamondbacks, which had a few players perform incredibly well.
The Pirates suffered a 9-0 loss in the series opener at Chase Field on May 6, but would get back-to-back wins, 1-0 on May 7 and then 4-2 on May 8 to take the series.
It's the fourth road series win for the Pirates, losing just two road series so far, and having a 10-8 record, with the .556 winning percentage good for eighth-best in baseball.
The Pirates needed a few players to step up in this series and some of them answered the call and delivered for them.
Paul Skenes Bounces Back in Big Way
Skenes gave up three earned runs and five runs total in a defeat to the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 30, which secured a four-game sweep to their National League Central Divisional rival.
The Pirates needed a great start from Skenes and he did just that, throwing eight scoreless innings, allowing just two hits and posting seven strikeouts in the 1-0 win.
Skenes actually had a perfect game going on through to the fifth inning, but accidentally threw away a groundball for a single.
He was incredibly efficient early on, putting balls in play for his defense to make and moving quickly through the game, with five groundouts and 12 flyouts.
The most pitches he threw in an inning was 17, which came when he struck out the side in the eighth inning.
Skenes didn't get his chance for a first nine-inning complete game, but it still marked the fourth time he's pitched eight innings.
The Pirates also don't get the win without his showing, but for Skenes, it's just important to get back to Cy Young Award form.
Brandon Lowe Brings Necessary Power
Second baseman Brandon Lowe joined the Pirates this offseason with the promise of more home runs, something he delivered to the Pirates against the Diamondbacks.
Lowe hit a solo home run in the top of the first inning in both of the wins for the Pirates, making it 1-0 in each game.
Both home runs were also impressive hits, with his first going 104.9 mph off the bat and 435 feet to center field and above the yellow line and then his second went even further at 111.1 mph off the ba and 436 feet to right field.
His first home run was the deciding factor in the Pirates victory and his second home run got them out front early.
That marked his ninth and 10th home runs of the season, tied for 11th-most in MLB and tied for fourth-most in the NL.
Lowe would also play a role in the Pirates rallying in the top of the fifth inning in the second win, hitting a single with two outs, the turned into a walk and then back-to-back RBI-singles to take a 3-2 lead.
He finished with five hits in nine at-bats and without his hitting, the Pirates likely don't get either win in Arizona.
Mitch Keller Comes Through Yet Again
The Pirates have relied on Mitch Keller to provide good starts whenever he takes the mound and he did that yet again vs. the Diamondbacks.
Keller allowed two earned runs over six innings and posted four strikeouts in the 4-2 win in the series finale,
It wasn't a great beginning for Keller, who allowed an RBI-single in the bottom of the first inning and a solo home run in the bottom of the third inning, which put Arizona up 2-1.
Keller then locked in and retired the next 10 batters after the home run and gave the Pirates a chance to close it out once he was done after 84 pitches.
It marked his sixth quality start in eight starts this season, which is when a pitcher throws at least six innings and gives up no more than three earned runs.
Keller has been stellar in 2026, serving as the reliable veteran that takes on a big workload and does so efficiently.
This has shown up in his stats, with a 4-1 record, a 2.87 ERA over 47.0 innings pitched, 35 strikeouts to 14 walks, a .206 batting average allowed (BAA) and a 1.04 WHIP.
Keller continues his great outings and the Pirates reap the benefits with yet another win with him on the mound.
Gregory Soto Excels in Closer Role
Left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto has mostly served as the set-up man for the Pirates, but he got the opportunity to close this series.
Soto took that chance and excelled, with back-to-back saves in those wins, allowing just one walk over the two outings.
He had to come in relief for Skenes after his eight scoreless innings and got the Pirates the win then and had an easy ninth inning vs. the Diamondbacks for the second win, notching a strikeout in each outing.
These back-to-back saves for Soto were the first for him since late 2022, when he was last a closer with the Detroit Tigers.
Soto lived up to his $7.75 million salary he signed as a free agent this offseason, with a 1.42 ERA over 19 innings in 19 appearances, 25 strikeouts to seven walks, a .097 BAA and a 0.68 WHIP.
He also closed out the 1-0 win vs. the Cincinnati Reds in the series finale at PNC Park on May 3, getting the final four outs in that victory.
Dennis Santana has been the main closer for the Pirates, but Soto could easily take that role if he keeps pitching the way he has.
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Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.