Pirates vs. Angels Takeaways: Superstar Pitchers Bring Back Electricity
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates saw their pitching step up in a big way and deliver against the Los Angeles Angels.
The Pirates won two games, 1-0 in the series opener on Sept. 4 and the series finale on Sept. 6, to take the series at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh scored just three runs in the series, including a disappointing 6-1 loss on Sept. 5, preventing them from sweeping Los Angeles, who have the worst record in baseball.
The Pirates improved to 71-73 overall, won four straight series for the first time in 2026 and have won six of the past seven series.
Jared Jones and Paul Skenes Bring Back Electricity
The Pirates had two of their starting pitchers make their MLB debuts in the 2024 season in Jared Jones and Paul Skenes.
It was easy for Pirates fans to become enamored with the rookie duo, who earned the nickname the "Allegheny Electric Factory" for their great pitching and dominance that season.
The Pirates got two great outings from Jones and Skenes against the Angels, each starting in the shutout wins.
Jones threw six innings in the series opener, allowing just three hits and one walk, while tying his career-high with nine strikeouts, seven of which came on his slider, over a season-high 91 pitches.
Skenes threw 5.1 innings in the series finale, posting only two strikeouts, but holding the Angels to four hits and one walk, preventing any rallies from starting.
The defense stepped up for both pitchers and took advantage of a poor Angels' lineup in their strong outings.
Jones struggled in August, posting a 7.40 ERA, a .318 batting average allowed and a 1.94 WHIP, and this start helps him begin the final month off the right way.
Skenes gave up five runs in the second inning of his last start vs. the San Francisco Giants at PNC Park on Sept. 1, but bounced back and induced weak contact and showed he can finish the season strong.
The Pirates need the best from both pitchers to make a late run at the Wild Card, and their starts vs. the Angels are a good sign for that endeavor.
Bullpen Continues Excellence vs. Angels
Once a weak spot on the Pirates roster, the bullpen has flourished since the trade deadline, and this series vs. the Angels was no different.
The Pirates got 6.2 scoreless innings from the bullpen over five pitchers in those shutout wins, and they all came up big.
Closer Mason Montgomery was brilliant once again, with two big saves, and didn't let a baserunner on each outing stop him from securing those victories.
Montgomery was close to winning National League Reliever of the Month for August, and he's pitched in six of the past nine games for the Pirates, five saves and no runs allowed.
Rookie right-handed pitcher Wilber Dotel threw two scoreless innings in the series opener and ramped his fastball up to 100 mph, showing why the Pirates trust his stuff so much at a young age.
The Pirates relied on the trio of left-handed pitcher Gregory Soto and right-handed pitchers Carmen Mlodzinski and Camilo Doval to shut it down in the series finale.
Soto came in for the final two outs of the sixth inning, and Mlodzinski and Doval pitched in the seventh and eighth innings, respectively.
The only Pirates' bullpen pitcher who struggled was right-hander Isaac Mattson, who gave up three runs in his second inning of work in the loss, when he is normally effective in one inning.
Right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez came in for the final two innings and kept the Angels from extending their lead, continuing his solid season.
It's taken a while for the Pirates to build a strong bullpen, but it looks like they've finally got that towards the end of 2026.
Pirates Need Big Moments to Get Wins
The Pirates were poor offensively this series, just three runs, but got some huge contributions.
Shortstop Konnor Griffin announced his return with an incredible trip around the bases on a hit from left fielder Jake Mangum, scoring all the way from first base in the series opener.
It was an electrifying moment for the rookie, who had missed the past two months with a left ring sagittal band tear, and showed what he can do in an instant for this Pirates' offense.
Henry Davis also came through in a big way with a solo home run in the third inning of the series finale, marking his first home run in almost two months.
Oneil Cruz also made two big diving catches in center field and started a relay to second baseman Brandon Lowe to Davis to get the tying run out at the plate in the fifth inning, keeping the shutout alive.
The Pirates need to start scoring more runs, but sometimes, you need to make the plays when you're given the opportunity, and they did that against the Angels.
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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.