Pittsburg, PA
Diamondbacks 9, Pittsburgh 5: Answering Back
First off, let me say that, despite Zac Gallen’s putative “aceness” for the team, the true top of our rotation for the last several months has been tonight’s starter, Brandon Pfaadt. He’s been the one giving us the length—6+ innings in 16 of his 21 starts this year, no more than 1 earned run allowed in his last four starts, and so forth. He took the mound tonight against another promising Pirates starter, lefty Marco Gonzales, who came into the game with a 2.70 ERA, though with a small sample size of five starts before tonight.
Brandon struck out Andrew McCutchen to start the ballgame, but Pittsburgh shortstop Oneil Cruz punished the first pitch he saw from Pfaadt, hitting a 472-foot moonshot onto the concourse above the right field bleachers. Last year, Pfaadt would have likely been rattled, but not today. He shrugged it off and retired the next two batters he faced for a 13-pitch first inning, despite the dinger. 1-0 Pittsburgh
In the bottom half, our offense promptly picked him up, thanks to a Ketel Marte four-pitch walk to start the home half, followed by a Gaby Moreno opposite-field single to right, and one out later, a Christian Walker single to left that scored Marte from second. After a Randal Grichuk (DHing against the lefty) flyout to center, Jake McCarthy got his first hit of the night, an infield single to Cruz at short, but Geno Suarez couldn’t do anything to drive anyone else home, grounding out to short to end things. Still, we’d hung 28 pitches on Marco Gonzales, and we’d tied things up quickly. 1-1 TIE
Pfaadt came back out for a nice, quick second, sitting down Pittsburgh in order with only ten more pitches thrown. That put his pitch count at 23, five less than the Pirates’ starter had thrown in one inning of work. That’s always fun.
Meanwhile, the offense decided to give Brandon some more run support—something they haven’t always been great at this year—in the bottom of the second. Corbin Carroll got the party started, leading off with a dinger of his own into the right field seats:
That was fun, and it got a little bit more fun after that. Geraldo Perdomo singled to right, then almost got thrown out at first after considering stretching it to a double, and then reached second on a couple of clown-show throws that went everywhere but where they were supposed to go by the Pittsburgh infielders. I really with there was a video highlight of that business, because it was pretty hilarious. That turned the lineup over for Ketel Marte, though, who made Perdomo’s place on the bases irrelevant by sending the first pitch he saw over the fence in roughly the same area as Corbin’s homer:
Clearly, it was a good night for souvenir hunters to be sitting in the right field seats. Anyway, Marco Gonzales settled down after that, ending the inning without further damage, despite a two-out walk he surrendered to Christian Walker. 4-1 D-BACKS
Pfaadt, meanwhile, cruised through both the third and the fourth, retiring the Pirates in order with only 17 more pitches thrown, putting him at 40 pitches through four innings. That’s some ace-ish stuff right there, I gotta say.
Meanwhile, Gonzales got into trouble again in the bottom of the third, giving up a leadoff single to McCarthy (which, amusingly, was another grounder to short where he beat the throw by Oneil Cruz) and then a one-out four-pitch walk to Corbin Carroll, which ended his night early. Some gentleman named Dennis Santana came out to relieve him, and struck out Perdomo and Marte to put up the first zero on the scoreboard for Pittsburgh’s pitchers. He pitched the fourth as well, allowing Moreno another opposite field single into right (after which Moreno stole second, because our catcher is a speed demon), but putting up another zero by striking out Lourdes Gurriel, Jr., Walker, and Grichuk. Santana seems to be a pretty questionable bullpen piece, but the dude did record all five outs he recorded via the strikeout, so credit where credit is due.
The wheels sort of came off the bus for Pfaadt in the top of the fifth, uncharacteristically so given how good he’s been of late. To a certain extent, though, the defense let him down (with his own defense being part of it), despite no errors being recorded. Pirates left fielder Joshua Palacios singled to left to start things off. Ke’Bryan Hayes then hit a grounder to first that Christian Walker unexpectedly failed to make a play on. Marte collected it with his back turned to the infield, and threw to first, but Walker hadn’t recovered and Pfaadt, who should have been covering the base, had given up on the play, so the throw went past the bag. Thankfully, Moreno was backing that up, so things weren’t too bad. Then Joey Bart, the Pirates’ catcher, came to the plate, and put on a deeply pesky AB that resulted in him lofting the eighth pitch that he saw into left field. Gurriel was playing shallow for whatever reason, and the ball went over his head and rolled to the wall for an RBI double that scored Palacios. A sacrifice fly scored Hayes from third, and then an infield single by Pittsburgh center fielder Michael A. Taylor drove home Bart, though due to some baserunning weirdness Taylor was called out after Marte threw to first, Walker missed the throw, and the ball hit Taylor in the foot while he was still in the field of play. I think that’s what happened, anyway? Anyway, Pfaadt struck out McCutchen looking to finally end the frame, but damage had certainly been done. 4-4 TIE
The tie, however, did not last long, as the Diamondbacks offense rolled up their sleeves and answered back again. McCarthy led off the bottom of the fifth against new Pittsburgh reliever Quinn Priester with his third single of the evening, this one a legit, non-speed-dependent hit into left field. Priester then hit Suarez with the first pitch he threw him, and then walked Carroll on four pitches to load the bases with nobody out. Perdomo hit a sacrifice fly to right to score McCarthy, Ketel hit a sacrifice fly to right to score Suarez, and while that was that, it gave us, and Pfaadt, the lead again. 6-4 D-BACKS
Oneil Cruz led off the top of the sixth for Pittsburgh, and again demonstrated how dangerous a hitter he can be, tripling over Jake McCarthy’s head to pretty much straightaway center. Pfaadt got the next two outs on two pitches, but the second one was a comebacker to him, and he chose, wisely, to allow Cruz to score from third while he threw to first for the sure out. Palacios then singled again, but Pfaadt retired Haves to stop it there. 6-5 D-BACKS
Our Diamondbacks, meanwhile, couldn’t seem to stop answering back. Gurriel singled to left to lead off the bottom of the sixth, and then Priester hit Christian Walker—he wasn’t throwing at our hitters, I don’t think, his control just sucks. Then, because there was now a righty on the mound, Joc Pederson pinch hit for Grichuk, and decided to do his best Oneil Cruz impression and hit a triple of his own down the right field line:
Joc Pederson is not a fast man, so that was kind of fun and hilarious to see. McCarthy then drove Pederson in with his fourth single of the evening, this one a line drive to right. Jake then stole second, but was left standing there as Priester settled down and sat down the bottom of the Diamondbacks order. 9-5 D-BACKS
And that’s pretty much all she wrote. Justin Martinez pitched a perfect seventh for us, new acquisition AJ Puk pitched a scoreless eighth, the only blemish being a two-out walk, and Bryce Jarvis pitched a scoreless ninth despite surrendering a one-out single to Hayes. Similarly, Priester pitched the rest of the way against us, recording the only 1-2-3 inning Pirates pitchers managed in the seventh, and putting up another zero in the eighth, pitching around Jake McCarthy’s fifth single of the evening.
Win Probability Added, courtesy of FanGraphs
The Good: Corbin Carroll (2 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 HR, 2 BB, +20.0% WPA), Ketel Marte (3 AB, 1 H, 2 R, 2 RBI, 1 BB, +14.7% WPA), Christian Walker (3 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 BB, +13.3% WPA), Joc Pederson (2 AB, 1 H, 1 R, 2 RBI, 1 3B, +12.6% WPA), Jake McCarthy (5 AB, 5 H, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 SB, +10.9% WPA)
The Not-So-Good: Brandon Pfaadt (6 IP, 5 ER, 7 H, 1 HR, 4 K, 0 BB, -21.6% WPA)
I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a game where five offensive players had WPAs above +10, but that just underscores that this was a game where our hitters picked up and carried our pitcher. It was very nice to see, and about damn time, frankly.
Anyway. We had a very lively and well-attended Gameday Thread tonight, with 287 comments at time of writing. Folks were very generous with their rec’s tonight as well (or the quality of tonight’s comments was especially high, perhaps), so I have plenty of Sedona Red to choose from. Comment of the Game has to go to our Fearless Leader, though, not only because democracy, but also his comment captured the key reality of this game:
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Anyhow. Potential broom deployment tomorrow, as we go for the three-game sweep against Pittsburgh. Mitch Keller goes for the Pirates, and he’s perhaps the toughest pitcher we’re going to face in this series. Young Yilber Diaz goes for us, so here’s hoping the kid can bounce back from his rough third outing against Kansas City on Monday. First pitch is scheduled for 1:10pm AZ time, TheRealRamona will have the guest recap. Hope you can join us!
As always, thanks for reading, and as always, go Diamondbacks!
The Pittsburgh Steelers have largely finished filling their offseason roster, adding 10 draft picks, six undrafted free agents, and a few veteran reinforcements to fill out the 90-man squad. Now Omar Khan’s attention shifts from acquiring talent to sorting through it starting this weekend with rookie minicamp. How many members of the Steelers’ 2026 draft class will survive the final cuts?
This first iteration is the time for bold predictions when we have very little information to work with. You’ll notice a couple surprises in mine. Here’s an early prediction of Pittsburgh’s 53-man roster.
Offense – 25
Quarterbacks (3) – Aaron Rodgers, Will Howard, Drew Allar
Analysis: Rodgers hasn’t signed, but the assumption has been all along that he eventually will. If he does, Mason Rudolph is as good at gone. I suppose they could stash him on the practice squad, if he’s agreeable, to have at least one veteran with starting experience. Allar is a lock, and it would be a shock if the Steelers move on from Howard after they gassed him up all offseason.
Running Backs (4) – Jaylen Warren, Rico Dowdle, Travis Homer, Riley Nowakowski (FB)
Analysis: Kaleb Johnson was drafted for Arthur Smith’s wide-zone scheme, and Smith is gone. Where will his opportunity come with Dowdle and Warren both on the roster through 2027? Johnson also serves no purpose on special teams. It’s hard to move on from a third-round pick so soon, but how do you keep him on the roster while being mindful of special teams? Homer is too important in that area as a four-unit player who can serve as a personal protector on the punt unit.
Wide Receivers (6) – DK Metcalf, Michael Pittman Jr., Germie Bernard, Ben Skowronek, Kaden Wetjen, Eli Heidenreich
Analysis: Going out on a limb here with another surprise cut of former third-round pick Roman Wilson. He was lapped on the depth chart by Marquez Valdes-Scantling late last season and Aaron Rodgers clearly didn’t trust Wilson. If Rodgers is back, Wilson is due for another year of not getting a helmet on game day. He provides nothing on special teams, so it’s hard to justify his spot. Heidenreich makes it as the team’s final seventh-round pick because he can play RB and WR (he’s listed as both on its official roster) and a whole lot of special teams. Wetjen and Heidenreich give them multiple slot options to experiment with.
Tight Ends (3) – Pat Freiermuth, Darnell Washington, Jaheim Bell
Analysis: Freiermuth and Washington are locks, but the third tight end should be one of the more interesting spots on the roster this year. The team lists Nowakowski as a fullback, though he can play both. Jaheim Bell is another versatile option who can play TE, fullback, and H-back. McCarthy’s favorite word seems to be versatility, so Bell makes sense here.
Offensive Tackles (3) – Troy Fautanu, Max Iheanachor, Dylan Cook
Analysis: Broderick Jones may contribute in 2026, but I am predicting him to start the season on the PUP list after reports of a setback with his neck injury. Fautanu, Iheanachor, and Cook are no-brainers, but will the Steelers keep a fourth pure tackle? Spencer Anderson, Gennings Dunker, and maybe even Steven Jones can play the position in a pinch, so I’ll stick with three. This would presumably go back to four if/when Jones is healthy.
Interior Offensive Linemen (6) – Zach Frazier, Mason McCormick, Gennings Dunker, Brock Hoffman, Spencer Anderson, Ryan McCollum
Analysis: Frazier, McCormick, and Dunker are set in stone. Anderson and Hoffman provide experience and familiarity with a chance to win the Week 1 starting LG job. McCollum has been solid as Frazier’s backup when needed.
Defense – 25
Defensive Ends (5) – Cameron Heyward, Derrick Harmon, Yahya Black, Esezi Otomewo, Kevin Jobity Jr.
Analysis: I have Rubio as the only draft pick not to make the 53-man roster. Otomewo was solid in limited action and has experience with the rest of the group. The last spot comes down to Rubio, Jobity, and Logan Lee. Jobity offers a little more pass-rush upside and could flash enough in camp to win a spot at the back of the depth chart.
Nose Tackles (2) – Keeanu Benton, Sebastian Joseph-Day
Analysis: Both are virtual locks and should play a large number of snaps in this defense.
Outside Linebackers (4) – T.J. Watt, Alex Highsmith, Nick Herbig, Jack Sawyer
Analysis: Nothing should change here from last year. It’s one of the deepest and most talented position groups on the entire roster.
Inside Linebackers (5) – Patrick Queen, Payton Wilson, Cole Holcomb, Carson Bruener, Brandon George
Analysis: Let’s include a rookie minicamp tryout player. One or two usually make the 90-man roster, and it’s not unheard of for them to also make the initial 53. George is one of the most athletic linebackers to come out of the draft in a long time. And unlike most athletic linebackers, you don’t have to sacrifice size with him standing 6032 and weighing 246 pounds. He went undrafted and was impressing in Kansas City last year before an injury derailed his rookie season. Malik Harrison was signed to be a force in the run game, but he didn’t do that very well last year. To me, he’s expendable. Bruener is a core special teamer and should be considered darn near a lock for the initial 53-man roster because of it.
Cornerbacks (5) – Joey Porter Jr., Jamel Dean, Brandin Echols, Daylen Everette, Asante Samuel Jr.
Analysis: With the addition of third-round rookie Daylen Everette, fringe guys like Cory Trice Jr. and Donte Kent should have a hard time making the roster given their extensive injury histories.
Safeties (4) – Jalen Ramsey, DeShon Elliott, Jaquan Brisker, Robert Spears-Jennings
Analysis: The top three should be considered locks, which leaves an intriguing battle between Spears-Jennings and Sebastian Castro. The upside on defense is higher for the rookie, and I think he offers enough on special teams to edge out Castro, especially with other special teams guys like Homer, Bruener, Skowronek, and Sawyer already on the roster.
Special Teams – 3
Kicker (1) – Chris Boswell
Analysis: Boswell should soon sign an extension that makes him the league’s most expensive kicker. And it’s well-deserved. This one is obvious.
Punter (1) – Cameron Johnston
Analysis: Pittsburgh’s rookie minicamp roster includes three punters, so this isn’t a shoo-in. But Johnston is the clear favorite if he can stay healthy after back-to-back injury-plagued seasons at 34 years old.
Long Snapper (1) – Christian Kuntz
Analysis: Pittsburgh has always given Kuntz competition, and this year is no different. But he is under contract through 2026 and should keep his job for at least one more season.
It’s been one year since the Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General brought charges against former Pittsburgh-area funeral home owner Patrick Vereb. He’s accused of deceiving more than 6,500 pet owners and denying them promised burial services.
State Sen. Nick Pisciottano of West Mifflin says critical legislation isn’t moving along like it should, so he’s asking pet owners to get on social media and call their state senators.
“We’re never going to be able to go back in time and make those things not happen for folks, but we do have the opportunity here, now that we’ve identified this gap in state law, to make sure that there are proper safeguards in place so that this never happens again in the future,” Pisciottano said.
Investigators said nearly 6,500 pets were promised a proper burial by Vereb, but instead their bodies were dumped in landfills or left in leaking garbage bags.
Pisciottano says legislation is needed to make sure that never happens again, which is why he sent out a letter, encouraging people “harmed by the lack of oversight in this industry” to get loud again.
“In Harrisburg, this bill passed unanimously in the state House, 203 representatives all voted for it. I don’t think that it’s a partisan issue, or an issue where there’s two sides that are for and against, and so we got to make sure this bill is high enough on the priority list of enough senators so that we can move this legislation forward.”
Both the House bill and the Senate bill remain stalled in the Senate, awaiting any movement. They hope to increase transparency in pet cremation bookkeeping and require providers to detail services and certify the return of cremated remains, among many other things. But until either bill gets considered, it can’t go up for any sort of vote.
“So if it doesn’t get done by the end of November, it has to start all over, so we would have to reintroduce in the House, reintroduce in the Senate, it would have to pass through the House again, it would still have to pass through the Senate,” Pisciottano said. “And so, our argument is, if there’s no opposition, and we’re halfway to the finish line, why can’t we just get it done this year?”
Pet parent Megan Lindeman is forever thinking about what happened to her Persian cat, Rory. She says the trust is broken and this legislation will help restore it.
“It passed unanimously in the House and to have it not go anywhere at this point is incredibly frustrating,” Lindeman said.
She said families who were grieving were taken advantage of, and there needs to be accountability, “so that we can restore trust and transparency.”
Pet parents are encouraged to call their senators and ask them to take this legislation up for a vote. KDKA reached out to Sen. Joe Pittman, who controls the schedule for the floor, to ask if he plans to bring it up for a vote, but didn’t hear back.
Pittsburg, PA
Mother’s Day Weekend in Pittsburgh will see rain chances, clouds, and even some sunshine
Rain chances for the weekend have adjusted. The chance for rain overall is higher today through Sunday. There is now a chance for some thunderstorms on Saturday evening.
Mother’s Day rain works its way through our area all day long.
There are some pretty big changes when it comes to the timing of rain and even storms for the weekend. What was looking pretty easy, with Saturday morning rain and then Sunday afternoon to evening rain, has now become a little more complex.
Some of this started yesterday as we began to see Saturday morning’s rain chance sneaking into Friday evening. That has continued today with fairly widespread rain expected to arrive as soon as around 6 p.m. for Pittsburgh.
Even ahead of the main round of rain, isolated showers will be around this morning, and scattered showers will roll through at times this afternoon. Overall rain totals should be less than a quarter of an inch before midnight.
Rain will continue overnight, with consistent rain wrapping up around 9 a.m. on Saturday. There will be more rain working its way through the area later Saturday evening, with the potential during this time for a storm or two. Sandwiched between the morning rain and the evening storms will be a really nice day, so make sure you get out and enjoy it.
Highs on Saturday may hit 70 degrees. I have Pittsburgh seeing a high of just 68°. Noon temperatures should already be near 60°.
Sunday’s rain chance is now low, with just a scattered rain chance.
Unlike what it looked like earlier this week, I can’t rule out a passing shower over the course of the day.
Still, more than 80 percent of your Sunday will be dry. There will be plenty of time to take mom out and to enjoy a nice meal or a nice walk. Sunday highs should be in the mid-60s with morning temperatures in the upper 40s. Skies on Sunday will be mostly cloudy to overcast.
The best chance for rain next week comes on Wednesday. Your rain chance next week for any other place is looking VERY low. Temperatures will be in the low 60s for highs on Monday and Tuesday, but we should be seeing 70s for highs late in the work week and next weekend.
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