Pirates Struggle Against White Sox in Second Half Opener
The hope that the All-Star break might reset the Pirates’ season vanished in a hurry Friday night at PNC Park, as Chicago’s White Sox ambushed Pittsburgh 10–1 in the opener of the second half. A two-out homer by Edgar Quero in the first inning, followed by an RBI double from Andrew Benintendi and a bloop single from Luis Robert Jr., turned Bailey Falter’s 35-pitch first frame into a three-run deficit before most fans had settled into their seats.
Falter battled his delivery throughout his four innings, surrendering another homer to Robert Jr. in the fourth and finishing with six hits, four earned runs and 78 pitches. Braxton Ashcraft inherited a tough situation in relief and issued four walks in his first six batters faced, while Yohan Ramírez and Génesis Cabrera allowed three more runs, the latter yielding a bases-clearing double that turned a respectable outing into a rout. By the seventh inning, the White Sox lead sat at 7–1, and Chicago tacked on three more when Colson Montgomery’s chopper squirted past Spencer Horwitz for an insurance double.
Offensively, the Pirates were than abysmal outside of a brief fourth-inning rally. Bryan Reynolds’ hard-hit double set the stage, and Oneil Cruz ripped a single home to snap Pittsburgh’s 31-inning scoreless stretch at PNC Park. But with runners in scoring position thereafter, the lineup went cold, stranding six baserunners and failing to force Chicago’s bullpen into even minimal trouble.
Defensively and mentally, nothing went right. Horwitz’s late throw, errant pickoff attempts and two wild pitches compounded the chaos. Twice the club turned routine grounders into extra outs, but those lone bright spots could not mask repeated lapses in focus and execution.
Chicago’s offense looked nothing like the AL’s cellar-dweller, piling up 11 hits, seven walks and two homers. Robert Jr. reached base four times, scored three runs and hauled in a diving catch in center, while Quero’s early blast set the tone for one of the worst single-game run differentials in Pirates’ memory this season.
Pittsburgh falls to 39–59, having lost nine of its last ten games, and remains mired in an 8–23 interleague skid. Mike Burrows will start Saturday against White Sox righty Adrian Houser, the Pirates must find answers fast—or risk watching early optimism slip away entirely.