The Pirates turned in yet another masterclass on the mound Saturday night, blanking the Arizona Diamondbacks 2-0 behind a second-inning blast from Oneil Cruz and a history-making save from David Bednar. Cruz's 17th homer of the season—a towering two-run shot to right-center—came on the heels of an Arizona error and provided all the scoring Pittsburgh would need. Andrew Heaney, in what could be his final start in black and gold before the trade deadline, delivered five sharp innings, giving up just two hits and no walks. The Pirates bullpen then carried the shutout home, with Genesis Cabrera, Yohan Ramirez, Caleb Ferguson, and Dennis Santana bridging the gap to Bednar, who locked it down in the ninth for his 100th career save.
The victory marked the Pirates’ 12th shutout of the season, tying them for second-most in all of baseball and underscoring their identity as a club built around elite pitching. Perhaps even more remarkable is that this was the 26th shutout game Pittsburgh has been part of in 2025, whether winning or losing—an indicator of both their mound dominance and offensive inconsistency. Saturday’s crowd of 27,425 rose as Bednar punctuated the win with a strikeout of Eugenio Suárez, sealing his milestone and extending a run of 22.1 consecutive scoreless innings this season. With the trade deadline looming, speculation swirls around Bednar’s future, making the moment all the more poignant for Pirates fans at PNC Park.
Though the Diamondbacks managed just four hits on the night, starter Merrill Kelly deserved a better fate—he surrendered only one earned run across 6⅔ innings but was tagged with the loss thanks to a lack of offensive support and a costly defensive error. The Pirates’ bullpen, meanwhile, continued to shine in tight spots, with Ramirez’s strikeout of Jorge Barrosa in the sixth snuffing out Arizona’s biggest threat. While Arizona’s Wild Card hopes continue to dim, Pittsburgh remains a team whose games are defined by razor-thin margins and impactful pitching.
Looking ahead to Sunday’s rubber match, the Pirates send rookie sensation Paul Skenes (5-8, 1.91 ERA, 137 SO) to the mound, seeking to replicate his earlier dominance over Arizona this season. He’ll be opposed by Zac Gallen (7-11, 5.58 ERA), who’s had an uneven 2025 but remains capable of brilliance. With the trade deadline fast approaching and potential roster changes in the air, this matchup could carry more than just series-deciding weight—it might also be a farewell stage for some of Pittsburgh’s brightest arms.
(photo courtesy of TSN)