The Pirates didn’t need a barrage of hits in San Diego. They needed one thunderbolt, and Oneil Cruz delivered it.
In the top of the ninth on Aug. 25 at Petco Park, Cruz turned on a 98.2 mph changeup from Padres closer Mason Miller and launched a solo homer that broke a 0-0 tie and carried Pittsburgh to a 1-0 win. The ball left Cruz’s bat at 111.8 mph and traveled 379 feet to right field, a jolt of power that stood up as the difference in the game.
It came against one of the toughest arms in baseball, which made the swing even louder. Cruz is already built like a wrecking ball at 6-foot-7 and 248 pounds, and his raw power is no secret: he entered the day with the highest average exit velocity in baseball at 95.7 mph, the hardest-hit ball this season at 119.0 mph, the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast era at 122.3 mph/since 2015, and the second-best hard-hit rate at 58% in 2026.
Miller, though, has been a nightmare for hitters in his own right. He came into the outing with only five earned runs allowed all year and just one earned run allowed after the All-Star break, good for a 0.81 ERA.
He had also been elite at limiting damage, carrying the sixth-lowest hard-hit rate in baseball at 27.6% and the 10th-lowest average exit velocity at 85.5 mph. His last home run allowed before Cruz’s blast came on Aug. 5, 2025, against Lourdes Gurriel of the Arizona Diamondbacks, ending a stretch of 73 games without surrendering one.
That’s what made the pitch selection stand out. Miller leaned on a four-seam fastball that averages 101.5 mph and a slider around 88 mph with a 54% whiff rate, but the pitch Cruz punished was a changeup - one Miller had thrown just 21 times before this season.
Pirates starter Paul Skenes wasn’t on the field, but he was locked in on the matchup.
“Looked really hard from the TV," Skenes said to SportsNet Pittsbugh. "Really hard off the bat, really hard in.
That was, I’m not big on calling shots, but that was one that I was hoping would happen, wanted to see that matchup. I’m sure a lot of people did between the one of the best fastball hitting hitters in the baseball and probably the best fastball in the big leagues.
That was cool.”
For Cruz, it was also a response to a rough stretch. He had gone hitless in his previous 12 at-bats and showed frustration after striking out and flying out earlier in the game. But he stayed in the moment, waited for something he could drive, and got the pitch that changed everything.
“Keeping myself engaged in the at-bat and looking for a good pitch to hit because I know I’m facing the best closer in the game," Cruz said through interpreter Stephen Morales. "It takes a lot to be successful against him.”
Cruz’s ability to handle that moment mattered for another reason, too. He had only faced Miller twice before, when Miller was with the Athletics, and struck out on four pitches in the final out of a 5-2 win on April 30, 2024.
Since returning from a left hand fracture that cost him more than two months, Cruz has given Pittsburgh several big swings, including two two-run home runs, an RBI-single and a two-run triple. Pirates manager Don Kelly said the 25-year-old has shown growth and maturity over the past year, and that the homer against Miller fit the pattern.
“I think that with Oneil, the moment hasn’t been too big," Kelly said to SportsNet Pittsburgh. "He’s just going up there and has had some huge hits since coming back off the IL. Hand isn’t 100% and he’s going out there to help us win and certainly did that tonight.”
In Other News...
Pirates Face A Telling Decision On A Power Bat They Need
The Pirates are once again staring at the kind of midseason opportunity that can alter a roster in a hurry. With the Reds reportedly putting Eugenio Surez on outright waivers, the market has opened for any club willing to jump in during a 48-hour window, and Pittsburgh is among the teams weighing whether the cost is worth the potential boost. Surez has shown better form since the All-Star break, and his right-handed power would fit a lineup that could use another dangerous bat.
Of course, claiming him would mean taking on the rest of his salary, which sits just under $3 million. That is not an enormous price for a club looking for offense, but it is still the kind of decision that can reveal how serious the Pirates are about trying to upgrade now rather than waiting for the bigger move later. [Read more 🡒]
Spencer Horwitz Has Become A Real Problem For The Pirates Lineup
Spencer Horwitzs return on Aug. 2 was supposed to give the Pirates a needed boost after he missed 33 games with a left hamstring injury and a concussion. Instead, his reentry has been part of the clubs broader second-half offensive slide, with the lineup looking increasingly short on consistent production as the playoff race tightens.
Horwitz has been candid about his own struggles, and the numbers back up the frustration. He has hit just .159 since coming back, with limited extra-base power and little run production, leaving Pittsburgh still searching for the kind of collective offensive rebound that can keep its postseason hopes alive. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Prospect Is Forcing A Tough September Decision
Mitch Jebb has spent this season making a case that the Pirates can no longer treat him as a long-term project only. After recovering from a thumb injury, the outfield prospect has shown more power at Triple-A Indianapolis, giving Pittsburgh a different look at a player whose value has always gone beyond one tool. With roster decisions looming as September approaches, Jebb has put himself on the radar in a way that can complicate the usual end-of-season shuffle.
For the Pirates, the timing matters. Expanded rosters create room for a look, and Jebb is also edging toward Rule 5 Draft eligibility, which raises the stakes of every call the organization makes over the next few weeks. If Pittsburgh finds itself further from the playoff race, the club could lean into evaluation mode and start thinking about whether Jebb belongs on the 40-man roster or in line for a chance to help in 2027 as a versatile option. [Read more 🡒]