Oneil Cruz Late Home Run Leads Pirates Over Rangers
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates needed someone to come through late in their most recent game and center fielder Oneil Cruz did just that.
Cruz hit a towering, three-run home run in the top of the ninth inning, as the Pirates rallied to beat the Texas Rangers 8-4 at Globe Life Field. It was a big-time hit, as the Pirates were tied 4-4 heading into that frame and then that hit helped secure the victory.
The win ties the series up for the Pirates, who dropped the series opener 5-1 to the Rangers on April 23 and have a chance to win it in the series finale tomorrow.
Pittsburgh improves to 14-10 on the season and 6-5 on the road, as they try and fight in the competitive National League Central Division standings.
Braxton Ashcraft Dominates for Pirates
Ashcraft had a tough start last time out vs. the Washington Nationals at PNC Park on April 16, giving up five runs, only two earned.
He still had a solid outing for the most part, throwing 5.2 innings, but wanted to help his team just as he did vs. the Rangers.
His seven innings and 94 pitches thrown are both career-highs and show the Pirates trust in their young starting pitcher to take on a bigger workload in his second season in the major leagues.
Ashcraft only allowed four hits, two walks and two earned runs over those seven innings, keeping the Rangers from really making a serious threat to add runs.
The only blemish for Ashcraft was a two-run home run he allowed to third baseman Josh Jung, giving the Rangers a 2-1 lead in the bottom of the second inning.
Ashcraft likely could've limited that to a solo home run, had Pirates catcher Henry Davis challenged the fourth ball, which was a slider that caught the inside-lower part of the strike zone.
He went with slider and sinker the most in this game and it worked, generating a combined 10 of his 14 whiffs, getting three of them on his curveball too.
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Slider | 29/94 (31%) | 92.7 mph |
Sinker | 24/94 (26%) | 96.4 mph |
Four-Seam Fastball | 23/94 (24%) | 96.8 mph |
Curveball | 15/94 (16%) | 85.7 mph |
Splitter | 3/94 (3%) | 90.9 mph |
Ashcraft may not have gotten the win, but his start was exactly what the Pirates needed on a long road trip.
Pirates Retake Lead Later On
The Pirates originally took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning, as left fielder Bryan Reynolds hit a double and then designated hitter Marcell Ozuna singled to score him.
First baseman Spencer Horwitz led off the top of the fifth inning with a single, shortstop Konnor Griffin struck out, catcher Henry Davis walked and then Cruz struck out for the second out.
Second baseman Brandon Lowe came through for the Pirates with a single that scored Horwitz to tie the game up at 2-2.
Reynolds then joined Lowe with a single, scoring Davis and then the throw from Rangers right fielder Brandon Nimmo went wide and scored Lowe, giving the Pirates a 4-2 lead.
Gregory Soto Surprisingly Blows Lead
The Pirates have relied on left-handed relief pitcher Gregory Soto throughout the season, particularly as the set-up man in the eighth inning, coming into this outing with a 0.77 ERA and seven consecutive scoreless outings.
Soto gave up a leadoff single to Pirates legend Andrew McCutchen, with Griffin almost making a great play to throw him out.
He then struck out left fielder Ezequiel Duran, but gave up a double to Nimmo to put both runners in scoring position.
Soto struck out shortstop Corey Seager, but then gave up a single to first baseman Jake Burger, scoring both base runners and tying the game up at 4-4.
He got the final out of the inning, but saw his ERA increase to 2.13 on the season after that outing.
Pirates Rally in Ninth Inning for Win
The Pirates got going quickly in the top of the ninth inning, as third baseman Nick Gonzales and Horwitz hit back-to-back singles, putting runners on the corners.
Griffin struck out and then Pirates manager Don Kelly had Jake Mangum pinch-hit for Davis.
The decision worked, as Mangum chopped a ball that Gonzales scored on, as Jung couldn't get the ball to Kyle Higashioka in time.
Cruz then had one of his most impressive hits ever, as he crushed a 79.7 mph cutter over the middle of the plate from Rangers left-handed relief pitcher Jalen Beeks, sending it 116.9 mph off the bat and 422 feet to right field, hitting off the top of the foul pole.
Even Cruz homers are bigger in Texas ‼️ pic.twitter.com/d7RvGHbkwE
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 23, 2026
It marked his seventh home run of the season, tying him with Lowe for most on the team and marking his most important hit of the season as well.
That three-run home run gave the Pirates an 8-4 lead and right-handed pitcher Dennis Santana finished off the game with a 1-2-3 ninth inning.
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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.