The Pirates wasted no time taking control in Chicago, and by the time Sean Burke was out of the first inning, the game already had the look of a blowout.
Pittsburgh jumped on the White Sox starter for five runs on six hits before Burke could record an out Tuesday, stacking hard contact from the jump and forcing Chicago’s bullpen to start stirring almost immediately. Twenty minutes into the night, Burke was already at 37 pitches, and the boos at Rate Field followed just about every ball Pittsburgh hammered into the outfield.
The Pirates kept the pressure on in the second. Burke’s outing ended after he managed only one out, and when Esmerlyn Valdez walked to load the bases, the White Sox turned to left-hander Tyler Schweitzer.
That did not slow Pittsburgh down. Spencer Horwitz sent Schweitzer’s first pitch to center field for two more runs, extending a lead that had already gotten out of hand.
By the end of the night, the Pirates had turned a key road opener into a 9-3 win to kick off a pivotal six-game trip. They were even better against Burke than the numbers suggested coming in, improving from 9-for-19 against him to 8-for-11 in this game alone.
Bubba Chandler made the early cushion matter. The rookie did not need much help, but he got plenty anyway, and he used it to cruise through the first four innings with a perfect line while reaching 100 mph and striking out seven.
Chicago entered Tuesday sixth in the majors in runs, but Chandler shut that down until Andrew Benintendi doubled to open the fifth. Braden Montgomery followed with a single two batters later to get the White Sox on the board, and Kyle Teel added a solo homer in the sixth. By then, though, Chandler had already done more than enough to put Pittsburgh in firm control.
In Other News...
Pirates Bullpen Takes Another Hit During Crucial Playoff Push
The Pirates bullpen depth took another hit as the club placed right-hander Isaac Mattson on the 15-day injured list retroactive to Sept. 6 because of right hip impingement. To fill the opening, left-handed reliever Brandon Eisert was recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis, giving Pittsburgh another arm as it tries to keep its late-inning plans intact down the stretch.
Mattsons absence comes at an inconvenient time for a team that is already dealing with another bullpen injury, with Kirby Yates also on the injured list. For a club trying to stay sharp in a crucial playoff push, every unavailable reliever makes the margin thinner, and the Pirates are now leaning harder on organizational depth to cover the innings that still have to be banked. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates Trade Is Suddenly Under Pressure With Third Base Unsettled
The Pirates deal with the White Sox was supposed to help steady the infield while Konnor Griffin was out, with Jacob Gonzalez arriving alongside reliever Brandon Eisert in the trade that sent Jaden Woods and a 2026 first-round draft pick to Chicago. But Griffin has since returned, and Gonzalezs path to a clean roster fit has become murkier as Pittsburgh tries to sort out a third-base picture that still feels very much in flux.
Gonzalez has not offered much offensively since joining the club, which only sharpens the spotlight on the competition with Jared Triolo for the spot. For a team that paid a meaningful price to make the move, the question now is less about why the Pirates made the trade and more about whether they can turn it into a solution before the seasons infield uncertainty starts to linger. [Read more 🡒]
Pirates May Be Telling Fans Exactly How They View Nick Gonzales
Nick Gonzales has given the Pirates plenty to like at the plate, but the way they have used him lately says just as much about how they see his glove. In recent games, Pittsburgh has leaned on him as the designated hitter to cut down on his defensive exposure, especially at third base, where the metrics have not been kind. It is a practical move for a club trying to squeeze value out of a bat that has been producing at a strong clip while keeping the rest of the roster fresh.
The balancing act is the telling part. Gonzales is still being mixed back into infield spots depending on matchups, but the Pirates are clearly trying to optimize the lineup around his strengths rather than force him into one everyday defensive role. For a player hitting well over .300 with a solid wRC+, that kind of usage suggests Pittsburgh is prioritizing offense first and treating the defensive side as the piece it most wants to manage. [Read more 🡒]