Oneil Cruz hit a milestone for the Pirates on Sept. 5, and then immediately reminded everyone why Pittsburgh keeps asking for more from his game.
Cruz swiped his 100th career stolen base against the Los Angeles Angels, but the moment turned sour in the eighth inning of a 6-1 loss at PNC Park. After singling and taking second, he pushed for third and got tagged out, ending the inning before the Pirates could even get a rally started.
That decision bothered manager Don Kelly after the game.
"It’s something we can’t do right there," Kelly said postgame. Second base, if you know you’re going to be safe, we’re on board with that, but third base, we can’t be going right there.”
The miscue stood out because Cruz’s speed has been one of the most valuable tools in the Pirates’ lineup. He has now stolen 100 bases over his past five seasons from 2022-26, making him the club’s best base stealer in that span.
His 27 steals this season ranked tied for 13th in baseball and tied for eighth in the National League, and that number looks even better when you factor in the time he missed. Cruz had 21 stolen bases through 64 games before fracturing his left hand and sitting out 61 games over two months from June 10 to Aug. 17.
At that point, he was on pace for 53 stolen bases, a total that would have put him in the thick of the race to lead all of baseball. Even with the missed time, he still put together a strong season on the bases.
The Pirates felt his absence, too. They had 65 stolen bases when Cruz went down, then managed only 42 while he was sidelined. Pittsburgh also missed Konnor Griffin for a good portion of the season because of injury, and Griffin has 20 stolen bases this year, but Cruz’s absence was a major factor in the drop-off.
Offensively, Cruz has taken a real step forward. He was the first player to join the 10-10 club this season, getting there by May 10, and he was on pace for the 30-50 club with 34 home runs and 53 stolen bases.
Through 80 games, Cruz is hitting .267/.359/.476 with an .835 OPS, plus 82 hits, 11 doubles, 17 home runs and 58 RBI. That’s a clear jump from last season, when he hit .200/.298/.378 for a .676 OPS.
He’s also been much better against left-handed pitching in 2026, batting .294/.345/.471 with an .816 OPS after going .102/.224/.176 for a .400 OPS in 2025.
The Pirates have gotten a boost from having him back. Now they just need the version of Cruz who keeps creating havoc on the bases without giving away outs.
In Other News...
Paul Skenes Just Made This Pirates Win Feel Even Bigger
Paul Skenes kept the Pirates latest win from feeling like just another tidy one-run result. In his first career start against the Angels at PNC Park, the rookie right-hander worked 5 1/3 scoreless innings, allowed four hits and struck out two, giving Pittsburgh exactly the kind of steady night it needed in a game decided 1-0. He mixed in a sinker that got him outs and twice reached better than 98 mph, adding the sort of power look that keeps a lineup honest even when the strikeout total stays modest.
For Skenes, there was a little extra layer to the matchup, too. He grew up as an Angels fan, which made facing Los Angeles in Pittsburgh a notable backdrop for one of his sharper outings of the season. The Pirates needed every clean frame he could supply, and he delivered them with enough command and velocity to make the win feel more meaningful than the final score alone might suggest. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Just Created A New Opportunity Fans Will Want To Watch
The Pirates made a late roster tweak ahead of their series finale against the Angels, recalling outfielder Ronny Simon from Triple-A Indianapolis and sending utility man Nick Yorke back down. It is the kind of move that can look minor on paper but carries a bit more intrigue for a club still sorting out how to make the most of its bench and daily lineup.
Simon brings the sort of flexibility managers tend to value in September-style roster churn, with the ability to handle multiple outfield spots and serve as a switch-hitting option at designated hitter. Yorke had only recently gotten a look with Pittsburgh, but the decision to option him opened the door for Simon to get more playing time with the current group, giving fans another name to watch as the Pirates mix and match their way through the final game of the set. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Fans May Not Get The Ben Cherington Decision They Want
The Pirates late-season slide has again put Ben Cherington under the microscope, even though the front office is not operating as if a change is imminent. Cherington is under contract through 2027, and that alone gives Pittsburgh a built-in layer of protection at a time when the club entered 2026 talking about playoffs and instead found itself dealing with another familiar downturn.
For fans hoping the end of the season would bring a clean verdict on the general manager, the timing may not cooperate. There is already speculation that Cherington could remain in place beyond 2026, and a looming MLB labor dispute could complicate any decision-making even further, leaving the Pirates in a holding pattern while the disappointment on the field keeps growing. [Read more 🡒]