Pirates Fans Get Sign of Hope With Esmerlyn Valdez Play
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates needed anything offensively in their recent slump, and Esmerlyn Valdez did exactly that.
The rookie right fielder hit a solo home run for the Pirates in the top of the sixth inning against the San Diego Padres in the series opener at Petco Park on Aug. 24, breaking a scoreless deadlock and putting his team up 1-0.
Valdez took on Padres left-handed starting pitcher Robbie Ray and hit a 90 mph four-seam fastball on the outside, sending it 111.6 mph and 414 feet to center field.
That home run helped spark a 2-0 lead for the Pirates in that inning and finally got their offense moving after a rough few games.
Solo shot from Valdez. 🪄 pic.twitter.com/MBvoCV2CKL
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 25, 2026
Why that Home Run Was So Important for Valdez
The Pirates had struggled from the plate the past few games, going 22 consecutive scoreless innings, tied for their longest streak of the season, and coming off a sweep at the hands of the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium.
Pittsburgh's streak started in the second inning of their 4-3 loss to the Dodgers on Aug. 22, as left-handed pitchers Tarik Skubal threw six scoreless innings following that and then Blake Snell threw six scoreless innings in the 4-0 defeat for the Pirates in the series finale on Aug. 23.
The Pirates then faced their third straight southpaw in Ray, also one of the better left-handed pitchers in the game and he was at five scoreless innings before Valdez led off the sixth inning with his solo home run.
Pittsburgh has struggled massively against left-handed pitching this year, 13-29 overall and 5-12 since the All-Star break.
Valdez's home run also helped the Pirates score another run in the inning, as left fielder Bryan Reynolds walked and then catcher Rafael Flores Jr. hit a double to center field to score him from firts base and double the lead.
The Pirates ended up having to go 12 innings for the 3-2 win, their second-longest game of the season, but that sixth inning played a big role in them finding some success at the plate.
Can Valdez Finally Turn it Around?
Valdez was on an historic run to start his major league career, with his 14 home runs in his first 37 games the fourth-most in that span.
He then went 105 plate appearances and 82 at-bats before his next home run, with his last coming almost a month ago on July 26 in the second inning of the 8-7 win over the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park.
Valdez didn't perform the way he had prior for a long time during that stretch, with seven games without a hit and batting .177/.330/.253 for an OPS of .583 in the 24 games he played between those two home runs.
The Pirates relied heavily on Valdez and his bat, with injuries to the likes of center fielder Oneil Cruz, shortstop Konnor Griffin, first basemen Spencer Horwitz and Ryan O'Hearn over that time.
Pittsburgh also needs Valdez more, as a right-handed power bat that can take on left-handed pitching and help the lineup, which is left-handed hitting heavy.
This home run could get Valdez to showing off his incredible power, which goes to both left field and right field and far beyond what is expected of a rookie who hadn't played above Single-A ball prior to 2025.
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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.