Pirates' Joey Bart May Have ABS Magic Touch
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates used new technology to their advantage in their most recent win at home.
Pirates catcher Joey Bart made successful consecutive ABS challenges in the top of the eighth inning, turning two balls into strikes in the 1-0 victory over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park on May 3.
Bart and Pirates right-handed starting pitcher Braxton Ashcraft were up against Reds second baseman Matt McClain with two runners on and one out in scoreless ball game.
Ashcraft threw back-to-back curveballs in the top of the inside part of the strike zone that home plat umpire Alan Porter called as balls, before Bart made challenges on each and got two strikes back.
It ended up helping out the Pirates, as McClain hit a week grounder to third baseman Nick Gonzales, who threw it to Bart to tag out Reds first baseman Spencer Steer at home plate, coming in from third base himself.
BACK TO BACK OVERTURNED CALLS FOR JOEY BART 😤 pic.twitter.com/6BioYrJew5
— SportsNet Pittsburgh (@SNPittsburgh) May 3, 2026
Joey Bart is the Master of ABS
ABS stands for Automated Ball-Strike, which allows players to challenge a pitch for a ball or a strike, with pitchers, catcher and position players able to do so.
Teams get two challenges per game and one extra if it goes to extra innings, but a challenge that is unsuccessful is taken away, which made both challenges crucial for the Pirates.
Bart said postgame that since it was the same pitch, he had an idea they were in the right spot to make the call and that he was happy it ended up working out.
“It was the same pitch." Bart said. "The hardest one to call for an AB is a backup curveball up and in, it’s the hardest one to hit. It’s the best pitch in the game. The first one landed there, I thought it was there. I think it was the same thing again, I ripped it again and luckily in those situations we can come out with those challenges.
"Always in those challenges, the bigger the situation you are always trying to pull a challenge there, regardless. If you think it’s close, you kind of rip it there just because there is so much momentum swinging in the game late. I’m glad they were in the zone.”
It was a great outing for Bart and Ashcraft, who threw 7.2 scoreless innings and posted six strikeouts, helping the Pirates get a chance in the bottom of half of the inning to get the close, 1-0 victory.
Those ABS challenges ended up working well for the Pirates, who now sit 19th with a 58.6% challenge success rate from their catchers, with Bart and Henry Davis taking those responsibilities.
All Pirates players have the trust from their manager to go out and make those decisions and Bart clearly made the right calls in this one.
“I think you kinda just know," Bart said on making those challenges. "It hits you quick, trust your gut and go with it. The times you kind of wait and think about it are the times you might not know, but I was pretty confident in those two.”
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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.