Bubba Chandler Struggles as Pirates Lose to Yankees
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PITTSBURGH — Top pitching prospect Bubba Chandler didn't have the first Spring Training start he wanted for the Pittsburgh Pirates.
Chandler gave up four earned runs over 1.2 innings pitched in a 6-2 loss to the New York Yankees at LECOM Park in Bradenton, serving as the first defeat for the Pirates in the Grapefruit League.
It was a great first inning for Chandler, as he got two pop-ups and a strikeout, with his fastball reaching higher than 100 mph and his changeup sitting in the lower 90-mph range.
Chandler then struggled with his command in the second inning, giving up four walks and getting two outs, before the Pirates took him out for right-handed pitcher Tyrone Yulie with the score tied at 1-1.
Yulie then gave up back-to-back hits, a single to designated hitter Ben Rice and a double to left fielder Jasson Domínguez, which scored three runs for the Yankees, as Chandler had all four runs go on his final pitching line.
The Pirates have high hopes for Chandler and will expect this as just a minor misstep for a huge first full season at the major league level for their future ace.
How the Rest of the Game Transpired
Pittsburgh took the lead early in the first inning, as center fielder Oneil Cruz led off with a single, left fielder Bryan Reynolds walked, right fielder Ryan O'Hearn hit a fly ball that moved Cruz to third base and then designated hitter Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI-single, scoring Cruz for a 1-0 advantage.
The Pirates had other chances to cut into the Yankees' lead, with two runners on in the bottom of the third, fourth and fifth innings, but failed to capitalize each time.
Both teams put in their second teams in the sixth inning and then the Yankees added two more runs, with one run off of a throwing error from Pirates third baseman Jhonny Severino in the top of the seventh inning and another coming on a solo home run from designated hitter Miguel Palma.
The Pirates got one run back in the bottom of the eighth inning, as first baseman Nick Cimillo hit an RBI-double, cutting the deficit to four runs.
It's a strong start for Cimillo this Spring Training, as he hit a solo home run in the 7-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays in the Grapefruit League home opener on Feb. 22.
The Pirates did get a solid showing from their bullpen, with Spring Training debuts for a few pitchers that should have an important role in 2026.
Right-handers in Dennis Santana, Kyle Nicolas and Brandon Bidois each threw a scoreless inning and so too did left-handers in Hunter Barco and Gregory Soto, who struck out three batters in the fourth inning.
Pirates shortstop Nick Gonzales had two hits in the defeat and the team had 10 hits overall, but couldn't get the runs necessary in their defeat to the Yankees.
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.