The Pittsburgh Pirates snapped a three-game skid with a 3-0 shutout of the Detroit Tigers on July 21, 2025, at PNC Park. Rookie ace Paul Skenes delivered six scoreless innings, scattering three hits, issuing one walk and fanning six en route to his first win since late May. Pittsburgh struck for all its runs in the second inning against Jack Flaherty, who lasted just three innings and extended his winless streak to seven starts. Spencer Horwitz’s run-scoring single opened the scoring, followed by Bryan Reynolds’s two-run single two batters later. The bullpen was spotless thereafter: Braxton Ashcraft and Dennis Santana combined for two perfect innings, and David Bednar locked down his 14th save with a clean ninth inning.
Player Highlights
Paul Skenes’s dominance was the story of the night. After a scoreless first inning in the All-Star Game, he returned to PNC Park to lower his ERA to 1.91, the major-league best, and improve to 5–8 on the season. First baseman Spencer Horwitz provided a spark in his second straight multi-hit effort, going 3-for-4 with an RBI to raise his average to .237. Against a Tigers lineup that entered with the best record in baseball, Reynolds continued his hot stretch, collecting an RBI-single and giving Pittsburgh the insurance it needed.
Key Player Stats
Paul Skenes
6.0 IP, 3 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 SO
Spencer Horwitz
4 AB, 3 H, 1 RBI, 0 BB, 0 SO
Bryan Reynolds
4 AB, 1 H, 2 RBI, 0 BB, 3 SO
David Bednar
1.0 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 0 BB, 1 SO
Pitching Matchup Preview: Mize vs. Keller (July 22)
On July 22, the Tigers will send Casey Mize (9-3, 3.15 ERA, 1.22 WHIP, 77 K) to the mound against the Pirates’ Mitch Keller (3-10, 3.48 ERA, 1.14 WHIP, 92 K)3. Mize has been especially sharp on the road, posting a 4-2 record with a 3.08 ERA over nine starts, and has allowed just seven earned runs in his last 30 innings (2.10 ERA). Keller, meanwhile, has struggled with run support but has shown flashes of brilliance, recording quality starts in four of his last seven outings. Over his last five starts, Keller logged 29.1 innings, surrendering 14 earned runs while striking out 21 and walking six (4.30 ERA)