Pirates Blow Lead, Drop Series Finale to Angels
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates took an early lead, but failed to hold on, losing 4-3 to the Los Angeles Angels at Angels Stadium in Anaheim, Calif.
The Pirates won the first two games of the series, 9-3 on April 22 and 3-0 on April 23, meaning they missed the chance for their first sweep of the season. They drop to 10-16 overall and 4-9 on the road in 2025.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz began the game with a leadoff home run, crushing a ball into right field, giving the Pirates an immediate 1-0 lead.
Oneil Cruz starts the game with a bang 💪 pic.twitter.com/yj7W3HMC5N
— MLB (@MLB) April 25, 2025
Right fielder Bryan Reynolds grounded out after Cruz, but designated hitter Andrew McCutchen hit a deep shot that Angels center fielder Jo Adell just missed with his glove, allowing McCutchen to get in for a double.
Catcher Joey Bart singled, moving McCutchen to third base. Third baseman Ke'Bryan Hayes grounded to third base, as the Angels got Bart out at second base, but Hayes made it to first base safely, scoring McCutchen and doubling the lead at 2-0.
Matt Gorski received his call-up from Triple-A Indianapolis and started at first base, making his MLB debut with the Pirates.
He had as good of a first bast as he could've had, as he smashed a ball high above the zone over the center field wall for his first home run in the MLB, making it 3-0 for the Pirate in the top of the second inning.
MATT GORSKI FIRST AT BAT 🤝 FIRST HOME RUN! pic.twitter.com/Dga4agwRLH
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 25, 2025
The Pirates had another scoring chance in the top of the third inning. Reynolds would single, but McCutchen grounded into an out at second base, but made it safely to first base. Bart then hit a ground rule double, moving McCutchen to third base.
Pittsburgh wouldn't get any runs in, as Hayes hit a fly out that wasn't deep enough to score McCutchen and then left fielder Alexander Canario struck out.
Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Carmen Mlodzinski got through the first three innings with relative ease, but the second time through the order again troubled him.
He allowed a hit to Angels right fielder Mike Trout, who hit a ball to right field that Reynolds dove and missed, allowing Trout to make it to third base for a triple.
Mlodzinski then allowed a single to left fielder Taylor Ward, scoring Trout, and a two-run home run to catcher Logan O'Hoppe, as the Angels tied it up at 3-3.
He finished his night after five innings, allowing five hits, one walk, three earned runs and posting four strikeouts.
Right-handed pitcher Kyle Nicolas came in relief for the Pirates and pitched two perfect innings, allowing no base runners.
The Pirates would get two baserunners in the top of the seventh inning, as shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa walked and Oneil Cruz singled with two outs, but Reynolds grounded out to end that scoring chance.
Angels shortstop Zach Neto hit a solo home run to short left field off of Pirates right-handed pitcher Chase Shugart, giving his team a 4-3 lead in the bottom of the eighth inning.
Pirates second baseman Adam Fraizer skied a ball with one out in the ninth inning that both Trout and Angeles second baseman Kyren Paris failed to grab, letting it drop.
Frazier, surprisingly, stopped at first base and missed a chance to put himself into scoring position.
Kiner-Falefa would strikeout looking for the second out and Cruz lined out 119 mph to Trout for the final out.
The Pirates will start their next series against the reigning World Series Champions, the Los Angeles Dodgers, on April 25, with first pitch set for 10:10 EST.
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.