Mason Montgomery’s run as one of baseball’s hottest closers finally came to an abrupt stop in Detroit.
The Pittsburgh Pirates left-hander entered the ninth inning on Sept. 26 with a 3-1 lead over the Tigers at Comerica Park, only to see it unravel fast. Montgomery surrendered three runs in the frame, capped by a walk-off two-run homer from designated hitter Eduardo Valencia, and the Pirates fell 4-3.
The loss ended a remarkable two-month stretch without allowing a run. Montgomery had gone 25 games and 24.2 innings without giving one up, a streak that had pushed him into elite company among relievers.
His last blemish before Friday came exactly two months earlier, on July 26 against the Chicago Cubs at PNC Park. That night, Cubs designated hitter Seiya Suzuki launched a two-run homer in the ninth, but Montgomery still finished off the save in an 8-7 Pirates win. From there, the streak took off.
Over that span, Montgomery allowed just nine hits, seven walks and two intentional walks while facing 92 batters. He struck out 37, posted a .107 batting average against and finished with a 0.65 WHIP.
The numbers stacked up with the best relief work in the game. Montgomery tied for the second-lowest WHIP, ranked third in BAA, was fourth in strikeout percentage at 40.2%, tied for sixth in strikeouts and tied for ninth in K/9 at 13.50. He also converted all 15 of his save chances, one of only two pitchers to do that during the stretch, alongside Cincinnati Reds right-hander Emilio Pagán.
For the Pirates, the streak also carried some team history. Montgomery’s 25 scoreless appearances are the most by a Pirates pitcher in a single season in the Modern Era, topping Mark Melancon’s 23 in 2015.
Even with the ending in Detroit, Montgomery sounded more reflective than rattled.
“It’s a lot of fun," Montgomery said. "Obviously, good results are fun.
I’m grateful for it. It’s nice that I got some luck, for sure, but I was throwing the ball well and had that little consistency.
I kind of gave myself some room for error. But it is going to end at some point.”
He also made clear he never let the streak become the focus.
“I try not to count it," Montgomery said. "I know other people are going to. I just try to take it one day at a time, so it’s maybe a little tough at times … but one day at a time.”
Montgomery’s rise was a strong finish to the season after the Pirates acquired him from the Tampa Bay Rays last offseason in the trade that also brought in second baseman Brandon Lowe and outfielder Jake Mangum. He had some rough outings early, then sharpened his arsenal and worked with pitching coach Bill Murphy to settle in as the dominant closer he became late in 2026.
Now the Pirates are looking to clean up what went wrong this year and push for the playoffs in 2027, and Montgomery believes he can be part of that answer.
“I learned that I can do it at a high level," Montgomery said on being a closer. "I have the confidence in myself.
Now, I’ve proven to myself a little bit that the stuff is there, the results were there. I’m excited to see where it goes.”
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