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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-pittsburgh-statement-fan-fell-bleachers-cubs-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates release statement after fan fell from bleacher during Cubs game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Fan-carted-off-PNC-Park-field.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pirates release statement after fan fell from bleacher during Cubs game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-30T18:52:54-07:00">April 30th, 6:52pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-30T19:01:24-07:00">April 30th, 7:01pm</time><address><a>Christopher Hennessy</a>Christopher Hennessy graduated with a journalism degree from Fordham University in 2022. He has also worked at Spectrum News One in Albany, New York and with The Hockey Writers as a New York Islanders writer. Chris is originally from Connecticut and is a lifelong New York Yankees, Islanders, and Jets fan.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates beat the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/betting/cubs-vs-pirates-prediction-odds-pick-4-30-2025">Chicago Cubs 4-3 Wednesday night at PNC Park</a>. But the attention was on a fan who tumbled over the right-field wall during the seventh inning. Video shows a fan fall over the 21-foot wall and onto the warning track as Pirates players rounded the bases on an Andrew McCutchen double. The Pirates <a href="https://www.mlb.com/pirates/news/fan-falls-from-stands-pirates-game-pnc-park" rel="noopener">released a statement</a> on the incident.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="zxx"><a href="https://t.co/pPCTQok0FV">pic.twitter.com/pPCTQok0FV</a></p><p>— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) <a href="https://twitter.com/Pirates/status/1917755582406164487?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 1, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>“Tonight, during the seventh inning of the game at PNC Park, an adult male fell from the right field bleachers onto the field of play. Pittsburgh EMS, as well as the Pirates and Cubs athletic training teams, and other PNC Park personnel, reacted and responded immediately and administered care. He was transported to Allegheny General Hospital. No further information is available at this time. Our thoughts and prayers are with him and his family,” the statement read.</p><p>Once the medical teams started attending to the fan, it took about five minutes to clear the field. The game did continue, but the incident hung over the final two innings despite the win by the home team.</p><p>There is a video of the fan tumbling over the guardrail above the Clemente Wall.<a href="https://x.com/Bobbk_/status/1917744955881316740" rel="noopener"> You can find it here</a> on X, formerly Twitter. Viewer discretion is advised.</p><p>The Pirates were able to help the fan and get him to the hospital quickly. In the video, the fan appears to jump up to celebrate McCutchen’s double and fall forward when he lands. Some photos show a bloody nose and the man shirtless upon leaving the stadium.</p><p>The wall that the fan fell over is 21 feet tall, in honor of Pirates legend Roberto Clemente. It was the point of controversy earlier this year when a <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-reverse-course-roberto-clemente-logo-backlash">Clemente memorial was removed from the wall</a>. Now, fans hold their breath hoping for good news from this incident.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates release statement after fan fell from bleacher during Cubs game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-1-pitcher-establishing-himself-trade-candidate');   ga('set', 'title', '1 Pirates pitcher establishing himself as enticing trade candidate');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pittsburgh-Pirates-pitcher-Andrew-Heaney-talks-to-teammates.jpg"><figcaption>© Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>1 Pirates pitcher establishing himself as enticing trade candidate</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-29T09:43:40-07:00">April 29th, 9:43am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-29T09:44:10-07:00">April 29th, 9:44am</time><address><a>Benjamin Adducchio</a>Benjamin Adducchio is a journalist and writer with more than a decade of experience in covering sports news. Ben is a passionate sports fan who loves college football, basketball, and the New York Yankees.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates look mired in yet another disappointing season. Despite having some solid pitching, the offense is struggling to muster runs. One of those solid Pirates pitchers is establishing himself as a trade candidate. <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1917240073688396153" rel="noopener">That pitcher’s name</a> is Andrew Heaney.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">We'll be hearing Andrew Heaney's name in trade rumors at this rate.</p><p>(Via: <a href="https://twitter.com/IE_MLB?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@IE_MLB</a>) <a href="https://t.co/DODwvOkb1X">pic.twitter.com/DODwvOkb1X</a></p><p>— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/FoulTerritoryTV/status/1917240073688396153?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Heaney is demolishing opposing hitters when he has two strikes on them in the count. Opposing batters are hitting just .042 in the last two weeks in that situation against Heaney, per Foul Territory.</p><p>Heaney is performing well on the campaign overall. The Bucs pitcher holds a 2-1 record, with a 1.72 ERA in five starts.</p><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/dodgers-andy-pages-earns-incredible-honor-for-breakout-series-vs-pirates">The Pirates are 11-18 on the season, and fans are frustrated</a> with the results.</p><h2><b>The struggling Pirates just can’t find offense</b></h2><p>Pittsburgh already has a strong rotation of arms including Paul Skenes and Mitch Keller. Pirates fans know that the team can compete with those pitchers. It’s the batting that has them pulling their hair out.</p><p>The Pirates <a href="https://www.mlb.com/stats/team/runs" rel="noopener">have scored</a> just 102 runs this season, per Major League Baseball stats. That’s good enough for 24th in MLB. The team is also 24th in home runs, as the club has just 23 on the year.</p><p>It’s been a struggle. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-calls-out-players-sell-team-chants">Pirates fans are calling for the team owner Bob Nutting to sell the franchise</a>. Nutting has been confronted at PNC Park by fans <a href="https://www.post-gazette.com/sports/pirates/2025/04/04/yankees-home-opener-pnc-park-bob-nutting/stories/202504040072#:~:text=Nutting:%20%E2%80%9CI%20think%20if%20we,are%20controllable%20and%20moving%20on.%E2%80%9D" rel="noopener">who are not happy</a> with the results.</p><p>“I really do appreciate and respect the passion that the fans have for the Pittsburgh Pirates and the desire they have for this team to win,” Nutting said in part this offseason, per the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “What I want them to know is that I share that, working every day to put a winner and a championship team out here on this field.”</p><p>The losses are not the only thing leaving a sour taste in Pittsburgh. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-reverse-course-roberto-clemente-logo-backlash">The Pirates also caused controversy earlier this year</a> when they temporarily removed a sign honoring the late Roberto Clemente in their stadium’s outfield. After public outrage and comments from Roberto Clemente Jr., the Bucs apologized and returned the sign.</p><p>The Pirates have lost two in a row and six of their last 10 contests. Pittsburgh next plays the Chicago Cubs on Monday.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

1 Pirates pitcher establishing himself as enticing trade candidate

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-oneil-cruz-history-hr-dodgers-roki-sasaki');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates’ Oneil Cruz makes history after monster HR off Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Oneil-Cruz-cover.jpg"></figure><h1>Pirates’ Oneil Cruz makes history after monster HR off Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-26T19:39:48-07:00">April 26th, 7:39pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-26T19:39:48-07:00">April 26th, 7:39pm</time><address><a>Brayden Haena</a>Brayden Haena is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints. He's a die-hard San Francisco Giants fan and a football fanatic. In addition to sports writing, he works for Arizona Football in the Player Personnel and Recruiting department and formerly served as the Defensive Coordinator for Heritage High School.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Dodgers</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Oneil Cruz continued his <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-andrew-mccutchen-oneil-cruz-warning-rest-of-mlb">electric start to the 2025 season in jaw-dropping fashion</a> Friday night, launching a leadoff home run against Dodgers phenom Roki Sasaki at Dodger Stadium. On just the first pitch he saw, Cruz unleashed a towering shot over the center field wall, giving the Pittsburgh Pirates an <a href="https://www.si.com/mlb/pirates/news/pittsburgh-pirates-oneil-cruz-hits-leadoff-homer-los-angeles-dodgers" rel="noopener">early 1-0 lead</a> and cementing a historic milestone.</p><p>The blast marked Cruz’s fourth leadoff home run this April, setting a new Pirates franchise record for most leadoff homers in a single calendar month. The 6-foot-7 center fielder has turned the leadoff spot into his personal launchpad, providing Pittsburgh with immediate sparks at the top of the lineup.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">Oneil Cruz belts the first pitch of the game to center for a leadoff homer😤 <a href="https://t.co/4QzsYliDNJ">pic.twitter.com/4QzsYliDNJ</a></p><p>— MLB (@MLB) <a href="https://twitter.com/MLB/status/1916299538832228395?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 27, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>Cruz’s dominance leading off games has been especially apparent recently. He started back-to-back contests at PNC Park with home runs against the Nationals and Guardians on April 17 and 18, respectively. He added another leadoff shot against the Angels on April 24 <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-workhorse-dodgers">before delivering his latest against Sasaki and the Dodgers</a>. Incredibly, Cruz has now led off 10 of the Pirates’ last 12 games, slashing a blistering .325 during that stretch with five home runs and six RBIs.</p><h2><b>Oneil Cruz continues his hot start for the Pirates</b></h2><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Oneil-Cruz.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><p>Entering Friday’s game, Cruz had already racked up eight home runs this season, tying him for second in the National League alongside Tommy Edman, Eugenio Suárez, Fernando Tatis Jr., and James Wood. Only Corbin Carroll, with nine homers, sits ahead. Cruz’s overall line is equally impressive: a .264 batting average, .365 on-base percentage, and a .575 slugging percentage, good for a .940 OPS through 25 games.</p><p>Adding to his unique profile, Cruz has swiped 12 bases, tied for the National League lead with Cubs outfielder Pete Crow-Armstrong. His rare combination of power and speed has ignited conversations around baseball about a potential run at the elite 40-40 club — a feat accomplished by just six players in MLB history, most recently Shohei Ohtani in 2024.</p><p>Cruz’s projections if he sustains his current pace are staggering: upwards of 44 home runs and 69 stolen bases over 162 games. Should he stay healthy and consistent, the Pirates’ dynamic leadoff hitter could put himself in the conversation for one of the greatest individual seasons the sport has ever seen.</p><p>Since being acquired from the Dodgers in 2017, Cruz has steadily developed into a cornerstone for the Pirates. His immense raw power, blazing speed, and freakish athleticism for his size have drawn comparisons to stars like Alfonso Soriano, who posted a 40-40 season in 2006.</p><p>While maintaining this pace over a full season remains a tall task, Cruz’s historic April has already captured national attention. With every leadoff home run and stolen base, he continues to prove he’s one of the most exciting talents in Major League Baseball — and Pittsburgh fans have every reason to believe something truly special is brewing in 2025.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates’ Oneil Cruz makes history after monster HR off Dodgers’ Roki Sasaki

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-workhorse-dodgers');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates’ Paul Skenes drops workhorse truth bomb after cruising past Dodgers');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Paul-Skenes-reacts-during-Pirates-Dodgers-game.jpg"><figcaption>Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pirates’ Paul Skenes drops workhorse truth bomb after cruising past Dodgers</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-26T08:00:02-07:00">April 26th, 8:00am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-26T08:00:02-07:00">April 26th, 8:00am</time><address><a href="https://www.facebook.com/joey.mistretta/" rel="facebook">Joey Mistretta</a>Joey Mistretta is a Dallas Mavericks beat reporter, Dallas Wings beat reporter and lead MLB editor for ClutchPoints. He is originally from Lake Arrowhead, California. Mistretta graduated from Biola University with a degree in broadcast journalism.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The 2025 Los Angeles Dodgers may feature the best lineup of all-time. Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes clearly doesn’t care, though. On Friday night, Skenes turned in 6.1 innings of shutout baseball in Los Angeles while striking out nine Dodgers.</p><p>It looks like the Pirates have an old-fashioned workhorse ace in Skenes, who set a new career-high with 108 pitches on Friday night in his home state. Yet, Skenes <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/paul-skenes-strikes-out-season-high-nine-vs-dodgers" rel="noopener">would throw even more pitches</a> if he could.</p><p>“I know this is never going to happen, but I really do feel like I’m built and conditioned to throw, 140, 150,” Skenes said, via Sarah Wexler of MLB.com. “I know that happens in college, doesn’t happen in the big leagues anymore. So I’m not going to say no when they ask if I’m good to face another hitter or go back out there for another inning.”</p><p>Paul Skenes started the seventh and recorded an out before Pirates manager Derek Shelton turned to the bullpen. In an era where 100 pitches has become the magic number, Skenes is capable of going beyond that mark. The Pirates are still going to proceed with caution. Shelton is seemingly open to the 22-year-old pitching deeper into games when necessary, though.</p><h2><b>Paul Skenes is becoming a true superstar</b></h2><p><a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-earning-serious-trust-mlb-world">Skenes is establishing himself as a superstar</a>. It appears that <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/mistrettas-mlb-musings-paul-skenes-cy-young-season-2025-yankees">Skenes is poised to make a legitimate Cy Young run</a>. His popularity is continuing to increase as well.</p><p>See, many times when a small-market ball club such as the Pirates travel to Los Angeles to play the Dodgers, all of the attention is typically on the home team. The small-market team is often overlooked. However, the headline for Friday’s game was Paul Skenes vs. Yoshinobu Yamamoto.</p><p>Yamamoto also pitched well on Friday, recording five innings on the mound while surrendering three runs. He was unable to match Skenes’ performance, though, and the Pirates upset the Dodgers and their juggernaut roster.</p><p>Paul Skenes is becoming MLB’s next true superstar pitcher.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates’ Paul Skenes drops workhorse truth bomb after cruising past Dodgers

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-tommy-pham-one-game-suspension-pittsburgh-angels-game');   ga('set', 'title', 'Why Tommy Pham received one-game suspension after Pirates-Angels game');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Why-Tommy-Pham-received-one-game-suspension-after-Pittsburgh-Angels-game.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Why Tommy Pham received one-game suspension after Pirates-Angels game</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-25T15:49:51-07:00">April 25th, 3:49pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-25T15:49:51-07:00">April 25th, 3:49pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Los Angeles Angels</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pittsburgh Pirates manager Derek Shelton lost <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-pittsburgh-adds-offense-10th-team-mlb-career">new left fielder Tommy Pham</a> against the Los Angeles Dodgers on Friday night. Pham will be serving a one-game suspension given to him by Major League Baseball after his actions towards Los Angeles Angels fans on Wednesday.</p><p>According to MLB, Pham made inappropriate gestures towards Angels fans <a href="https://x.com/BillShaikin/status/1915888893377057261" rel="noopener">during Wednesday’s game</a>, reported Los Angeles Times reporter Bill Shaikin.</p><p>Reportedly, Pham made a hand-jerking gesture towards the Angels faithful that league offices considered too much. MLB is swift with their rulings when things like this occur, so his suspension comes as no surprise.</p><p>Pham’s suspension clears the way for Matthew Gorski to make another appearance after the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-matt-gorski-ties-bonkers-statcast-record-stunning-hr-angels">Pirates prospect turned heads in his MLB debut</a> on Thursday.</p><p>Pham doesn’t carry around the biggest bat in the Pirates’ lineup, but his veteran presence provides balance to a young roster. Shelton also needs to find out a way to pick up the defensive slack without him on the field. Pham is missing a game at arguably the worst time.</p><p>His team begins a three-game set against the Los Angeles Dodgers, one of the most explosive offenses the league has to offer, even without Shohei Ohtani. Even though the suspension is just one game, that is all Los Angeles needs to build momentum and possibly sweep Pittsburgh.</p><p>This isn’t the first time MLB has suspended Pham. In 2022, he missed three games after slapping then-San Francisco Giant Joc Pederson in the face. According to reports from MLB.com and ESPN, the conflict between the two originated because of a fantasy football disagreement.</p><p>Pham’s suspensions are head-scratching, but one thing is clear; not having him in the field is a major handicap. The Pittsburgh Pirates will need to find a way to overcome it if they want to win at Dodger Stadium.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Why Tommy Pham received one-game suspension after Pirates-Angels game

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-matt-gorski-ties-bonkers-statcast-record-stunning-hr-angels');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates’ Matt Gorski ties bonkers Statcast record with stunning HR vs. Angels');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pittsburgh-Pirates-first-baseman-Matt-Gorski.jpg"><figcaption>Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pirates’ Matt Gorski ties bonkers Statcast record with stunning HR vs. Angels</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-25T05:09:53-07:00">April 25th, 5:09am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-25T05:09:53-07:00">April 25th, 5:09am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>After years of grinding through the minors, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-pittsburgh-promotes-all-star-closer">Matt Gorski made his MLB debut for the Pittsburgh Pirates</a> on Thursday night. In his debut, Gorski wasted no time etching his name into the record books. The outfielder <a href="https://x.com/SlangsOnSports/status/1915587845424660613" rel="noopener">smashed a 115.2 MPH home run off</a> the bat, tying the Statcast record for the hardest-hit first career homer since tracking began in 2015. That blast matched Jake Burger’s record from July 17th, 2021, as noted by Sarah Langs on X, formerly Twitter.</p><p>The moment was the perfect payoff for Gorski, who had just hours earlier learned he’d finally gotten the call. After raking with the Triple-A Indianapolis Indians– hitting .300 with seven doubles, three home runs, and a .854 OPS in 70 at-bats– he was pulled from a doubleheader lineup and told to pack for Los Angeles. From alerting family to scrambling for a flight, it was a whirlwind 24 hours that led to one unforgettable swing under the lights in Anaheim.</p><p>But when Gorski showed up at Angel Stadium in a sharp polka-dotted button-down, he brought more than California vibes. He brought power. The ball exploded off his bat and landed deep, sending a jolt through the Pirates’ dugout and earning nods from across the league. The home run wasn’t just a stat. It was a statement declaring Pittsburgh might just have unlocked another exciting weapon.</p><p>Gorski’s debut came after a strong Spring Training, where he led the Pirates in home runs and made it clear his bat was big-league ready. Drafted in 2019, he’d spent years refining his swing, improving his discipline, and proving he could handle high-level pitching consistently. His time in the minors molded him into a reliable, explosive hitter.</p><p>It’s far too early to write his story, but Matt Gorski made sure the MLB is paying attention with one swing. For a Pirates team <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-7-word-confession-mike-trout">hungry for breakout stars and future leaders</a>, Gorski’s arrival couldn’t have come at a better time.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates’ Matt Gorski ties bonkers Statcast record with stunning HR vs. Angels

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-washington-mixed-injury-update-former-all-star');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals get mixed injury update on former All-Star');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Washington-gets-mixed-injury-update-on-former-All-Star.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals get mixed injury update on former All-Star</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-24T14:07:52-07:00">April 24th, 2:07pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-24T14:07:52-07:00">April 24th, 2:07pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Washington Nationals are starting to turn the corner on their rebuild. Unfortunately, Dave Martinez is without third baseman <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-paul-dejong-exits-pirates-game-frightening-moment">Paul DeJong after he was hit in the face</a> by Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher Mitch Keller.</p><p>DeJong, who has been out since April 15th, is one of the few veterans on the Nationals’ roster. The former All-Star won’t need eye surgery, but he will <a href="https://x.com/MarkZuckerman/status/1915496512605352337" rel="noopener">undergo a procedure</a> for his broken nose, according to Nationals reporter Mark Zuckerman.</p><p>Washington’s season has been remarkably clean when it comes to injuries. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-braves-michael-soroka-washington-injured-list">DeJong and Mike Soroka</a> are the only significant pieces that are missing. The Nationals are using their healthy year to remain relevant in the NL East early in the season.</p><p>DeJong isn’t the best player on the Nationals roster this year, but he is the team’s locker room leader. While Keller’s pitch wasn’t intentionally aimed at DeJong, the Washington will miss the 12-year MLB veteran.</p><p>At this point in his career, DeJong provides more value as a mentor than anything else. However, the Nationals have healthy contributions from veterans up and down their roster. That, combined with strong starts from James Wood and Dylan Crews, has the team just under .500 so far this season.</p><p>There is no timetable for DeJong’s return to the field, but Washington hopes that he won’t need to sit for too long. Unfortunately for him, he won’t have the opportunity for revenge against the Pirates until mid-September.</p><p>The Nationals find themselves pleasantly surprised to start 2025. The NL East is stacked at the top with the Atlanta Braves, New York Mets, and Philadelphia Phillies. While they might not win the division, a playoff spot isn’t out of the question.</p><p>The Washington Nationals hope that losing DeJong doesn’t disturb their rhythm too much moving forward. If things continue to go well, their rebuild might end sooner than most experts around the baseball world thought.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals get mixed injury update on former All-Star

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirats-news-pittsburgh-paul-skenes-bobblehead-decision');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates make best possible Paul Skenes bobblehead decision');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pirates-news-Pittsburgh-makes-best-possible-Paul-Skenes-bobblehead-decision.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pirates make best possible Paul Skenes bobblehead decision</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-19T17:23:54-07:00">April 19th, 5:23pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-19T17:23:54-07:00">April 19th, 5:23pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">Cleveland Guardians</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>Pittsburgh Pirates ace <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-earning-serious-trust-mlb-world">Paul Skenes is one of the most dependable players in MLB</a>. Despite taking the loss on Saturday against Ben Lively and the Cleveland Guardians, he received overwhelming support on his bobblehead day.</p><p>The demand for the collectible was so high that the team decided that <a href="https://www.mlb.com/news/pirates-give-paul-skenes-bobblehead-away-to-all-fans-in-attendance" rel="noopener">every fan would get one</a>, according to Alex Stumpf of MLB.com. Skenes’ promotional day packed PNC Park, which is usually full anyways on days when he starts there. The All-Star pitcher is a big-time talent; <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-ultimate-advice-randy-johnson">even a former Cy Young winner heaved praise on Skenes</a>.</p><p>A 3-0 loss didn’t take anything away from what was another dominant performance for the 22-year-old pitcher. He gave Pirates manager Derek Shelton seven innings of two-run baseball against an above-average Guardians offense. Unfortunately for him, Lively and the Cleveland pitching staff were even better, not allowing a single run for the whole game.</p><p>Regardless of his record to start the year, Skenes’ performance last season put him at the top of the list when it comes to today’s elite arms. The next step for him, as it is for most young pitchers, is to find a way to influence his team to wins in the clubhouse, not just the pitcher’s mound.</p><p>Skenes told reporters earlier in the year that the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-calls-out-players-sell-team-chants">Pirates’ struggles are on the players</a>. He vowed that the team would improve and find their way into the postseason conversation. As of right now, Pittsburgh is a long ways away from that goal, sitting at the bottom of the NL Central with an 8-14 record.</p><p>Skenes is a big part of the Pittsburgh Pirates future as their rebuild continues, but he has already won the hearts of the fanbase. His charisma and willingness to step up as a leader has his teammates rallying behind him. All they need to do now is find some consistency and begin rattling off wins to claw their way back up the standings.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates make best possible Paul Skenes bobblehead decision

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-pittsburgh-promotes-all-star-closer');   ga('set', 'title', 'Pirates promote former All-Star closer');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pirates-news-Pittsburgh-promotes-former-All-Star-closer-1.jpg"><figcaption>Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Pirates promote former All-Star closer</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-19T15:41:08-07:00">April 19th, 3:41pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-19T15:41:08-07:00">April 19th, 3:41pm</time><address><a>Zachary Howell</a>Zachary Howell is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints focusing on creating premier MLB content. He is a big fan of the Yankees, Oklahoma City Thunder and the Syracuse Orange. In his free time, he likes to be outside or read.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>The Pittsburgh Pirates are <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/mlb-stories/pirates-news-nationals-jorge-lopez-pitch-andrew-mccutchen-benches-clearing">experiencing the emotional moments</a> that come with having higher expectations this season. However, manager Derek Shelton and the team announced that Paul Skenes, Mitch Keller, and the rest of the Pittsburgh staff will receive some help in the form of David Bednar.</p><p>Pittsburgh announced that <a href="https://x.com/Pirates/status/1913683494385172482" rel="noopener">they are recalling</a> Bednar from Triple-A to rejoin the team. The former All-Star closer returns to help anchor a bullpen that needs his presence. <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-ultimate-advice-randy-johnson">Skenes, who has garnered extremely high praise</a>, and the rest of the Pirates’ starting pitchers have been let down by the bullpen throughout the season.</p><p>Getting Bednar back is a big help for Shelton as he tries to find a way to secure wins. The former All-Star struggled to start the regular season, but is extremely talented. Bednar notched 20 or more saves in each of the last two seasons. He is a veteran that brings stability to the back end of the Pirates’ pitching staff.</p><p>Skenes and Co. are faltering out of the gates in 2025. They are last in the NL Central and face an uphill climb to re-enter the playoff discussion. However, they have a lot of time to get things back on track, and Bednar’s return helps a lot.</p><p>Trades are a great way for teams off to tough starts to re-invigorate players and change their vibe. The Pirates are a team who could find themselves searching for a switch, and <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/los-angeles-dodgers/dodgers-news-should-los-angeles-trade-bobby-miller">one NL contender could have what the Pirates need to add</a>.</p><p>Skenes is emerging as the team’s leader alongside Keller, acknowledging that the slow start is on the players, not the team. However, it is much easier to say that you need to play better than to actually do it in the MLB.</p><p>For now, getting Bednar back in the building presents an opportunity for the Pirates to begin turning their year around.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Pirates promote former All-Star closer

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/mlb-stories/pirates-news-nationals-jorge-lopez-pitch-andrew-mccutchen-benches-clearing');   ga('set', 'title', 'Jorge López’s dangerous pitch at Andrew McCutchen sparks Pirates-Nationals clash');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Andrew-McCutcheon.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Jorge López’s dangerous pitch at Andrew McCutchen sparks Pirates-Nationals clash</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-17T06:14:26-07:00">April 17th, 6:14am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-17T06:14:26-07:00">April 17th, 6:14am</time><address><a>Josh Davis</a>Josh Davis is an Associate Editor at ClutchPoints with a focus on MLB. As the founder and creator of OutOfSightSports, Josh spearheads the development and expansion of an engaging social media platform, with a core focus on Twitter/X. A passionate sports writer, Josh is dedicated to delivering compelling content that connects fans and fuels vibrant sports conversations. His vision is to craft stories so vivid that fans feel like they’re standing at the plate or on the field.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Jorge López’s dangerous pitch at Andrew McCutchen sparks Pirates-Nationals clash

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/washington-nationals/nationals-news-jorge-lopez-clears-benches-throw-andrew-mccutchen-head');   ga('set', 'title', 'Nationals’ Jorge Lopez clears the benches with throw at Andrew McCutchen’s head');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Jorge-Lopez.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Nationals’ Jorge Lopez clears the benches with throw at Andrew McCutchen’s head</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T18:42:12-07:00">April 16th, 6:42pm</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T18:42:12-07:00">April 16th, 6:42pm</time><address><a>Troy Finnegan</a>Troy Finnegan is a Senior Editor and College Sports Lead at ClutchPoints. He graduated from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2023 with a degree in journalism and minors in communications and sports media, as well as a critical sports studies certificate. He has had a passion for sports his entire life, and enjoys covering and writing about all sports.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>It may be early in the <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/editorials/mlb-power-rankings-vol-5-national-league-reigns-supreme">very young 2025 MLB season</a>, but that doesn’t mean that tempers aren’t flaring and competitive juices are at an all-time high. That was on full display on Wednesday nigth during a National League clash between the Washington Nationals and the Pittsburgh Pirates.</p><p>In the bottom of the seventh inning, Pirates outfielder Andrew McCutchen stepped to the plate for a high-leverage at-bat against Nationals reliever Jorge Lopez. With runners on first and second and two outs, McCutchen had a chance to extend a 2-0 Pirates lead. Lopez was desperately trying to salvage the inning, but he may have also had other ideas.</p><p>With the count stuck at 1-1, Lopez fired a fastball right at McCutchen’s head before the <a href="https://x.com/ClutchPoints/status/1912667694731501928" rel="noopener">veteran ducked out of the way</a>.</p><figure class="op-interactive"><blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p dir="ltr" lang="en">THE BENCHES HAVE CLEARED 😳</p><p>Jorge Lopez was ejected from the game after throwing a pitch near Andrew McCutchen's head. <a href="https://t.co/XhbYTgiQ3I">pic.twitter.com/XhbYTgiQ3I</a></p><p>— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) <a href="https://twitter.com/ClutchPoints/status/1912667694731501928?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 17, 2025</a></p></blockquote><p><script async="" src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></p></figure><p>At first, it didn’t seem like the altercation would amount to much, but after a couple of seconds the two started barking at each other. Immediately, the benches and bullpens cleared and the two sides continued jawing back and forth at each other. While all that was going on, the umpires got together and elected to eject Lopez from the game to prevent the situation being escalated any further.</p><p>Lopez was replaced by Eduardo Salazar, who gave up a walk to McCutchen. Immediately after that, some would say a little karma came back to haunt the Nationals. Oneil Cruz crushed a grand slam to blow the game open and allow the Pirates to coast to a 6-1 win.</p><p>Throwing at McCutchen, one of the most beloved and recognizable players in the history of the Pirates franchise, was sure to start a scuffle. Lopez paid for it with an early trip to the showers, McCutchen dodged the pitch and the Pirates came out with the win, so no harm was done for the Bucs in the end.</p><p>The <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-calls-out-players-sell-team-chants">Pirates have been struggling a bit</a> this season, but this win gets them to 7-12 on the season and gives them a 2-1 lead in the four-game set against the Nationals before the two teams wrap it up on Thursday afternoon.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Nationals’ Jorge Lopez clears the benches with throw at Andrew McCutchen’s head

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml" xml:lang="en" lang="en">    <head>        <script>   (function(i, s, o, g, r, a, m) {     i["GoogleAnalyticsObject"] = r;     i[r] = i[r] || function() {       (i[r].q = i[r].q || []).push(arguments)     }, i[r].l = 1 * new Date();     a = s.createElement(o),       m = s.getElementsByTagName(o)[0];     a.async = 1;     a.src = g;     m.parentNode.insertBefore(a, m)   })(window, document, "script", "https://www.google-analytics.com/analytics.js", "ga");   ga('create', 'UA-66147751-16', {     'storage': 'none',     'clientId': localStorage.getItem('ga:clientId')   });   ga(function(tracker) {     localStorage.setItem('ga:clientId', tracker.get('clientId'));   });   ga('set', 'checkProtocolTask', null);      ga('set', 'page', '/mlb/pittsburgh-pirates/pirates-news-paul-skenes-ultimate-advice-randy-johnson');   ga('set', 'title', 'Paul Skenes receives 4-word ‘ultimate advice’ from Randy Johnson');   ga('send', 'pageview');</script>        <style type="text/css" media="all">            body {    background: transparent;    margin: 0px;}h1, h2, h3 {    color: #DDDDDD;    font-family: "SFUIText-Semibold";    margin: 30px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 21px;    line-height: 125%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}header {    margin: 0px;    height: 0px;    display: none;}p {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 15px 15px 15px 15px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}p > img {    margin-left: -15px;    width: calc(100% + 30px);}a {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;    text-decoration: underline;}ul {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 3px 10px 3px 10px;    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}ol {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    font-size: 17px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.23px;}img {    margin: 0px;    width: 100%;    height: auto;}blockquote {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.8);    font-family: "SFUIText-Medium";    margin: 30px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 19px;    line-height: 135%;    letter-spacing: -0.41px;}blockquote p {    margin: 0px;}.op-tracker, .op-ad {    display: none;    height: 0px;}article > figure {    margin: 0px;}figcaption {    color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.7);    font-family: "SFUIText-Regular";    margin: 10px 15px 30px 15px;    font-size: 13px;}iframe {    width: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;    margin: 0px;    border: 0;}.vine-embed {    height: __SCREEN_SIZE_WIDTH__;}.twitter-tweet, .instagram-media {    margin-left: 15px !important;    margin-right: 15px !important;    width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;}.clutchpoints-widget {    /*margin: 10px 15px 10px 15px !important;*/    /*margin-top: 1px !important;*/    padding-top: 10px;    /*margin-left: 15px !important;*/    /*margin-right: 15px !important;*/    /*width: __SCREEN_CONTENT_SIZE_WIDTH__ !important;*/}        </style>        <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=UTF-8" />    </head>    <body>        <article id="mvp-content-main"><header><figure><img src="https://wp.clutchpoints.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/04/Pirates-star-Paul-Skenes-pitching.jpg"><figcaption>Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images</figcaption></figure><h1>Paul Skenes receives 4-word ‘ultimate advice’ from Randy Johnson</h1><time class="op-published" datetime="2025-04-16T11:28:26-07:00">April 16th, 11:28am</time><time class="op-modified" datetime="2025-04-16T11:28:41-07:00">April 16th, 11:28am</time><address><a>Quinn Allen</a>Quinn Allen is a Senior Associate Editor with ClutchPoints. He specializes mainly in soccer, basketball, and baseball. When Quinn isn't producing content for CP,  he's writing sports betting predictions for numerous sites across North America.</address><h3 class="op-kicker">MLB</h3><figure class="op-ad"></figure></header><p>In only his second big league season, <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-earning-serious-trust-mlb-world">Pittsburgh Pirates ace Paul Skenes is already one of the best pitchers in baseball</a>. He won the NL Rookie of the Year in 2024 and also finished third in NL Cy Young voting.</p><p>Back in July, the Pirates were in the desert facing the Arizona Diamondbacks. At the time, the organization was inducting Randy Johnson into the D-Backs Hall of Fame. Skenes knew The Big Unit was at Chase Field and didn’t hesitate to approach him and get as much as advice as he could.</p><p>After all, Johnson was also in a league of his own when he came up to the Majors. The first thing he asked Skenes <a href="https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/44669755/mlb-2025-paul-skenes-pittsburgh-pirates-ace-superstar-status" rel="noopener">was insightful.</a></p><p>Via ESPN’s Jeff Passan:</p><p>“It all depends on what you’re looking for,” Johnson said. “Are you looking for a good game, a good season or a good career?”</p><p>Skenes obviously said the latter. He’s already motivated to be one of the best, but <a href="https://clutchpoints.com/mlb/pirates-news-paul-skenes-stern-declaration-2025-innings-limit">the Pirates have been cautious with his workload</a> to make sure he doesn’t get injured early on in his career. Johnson admitted Skenes is already a mile ahead of where he was at in the early stages of his own career in many ways, especially when it comes to mechanics.</p><p>It remains to be seen how long Pittsburgh will limit Skenes’ innings. But if he wants to be a great, Johnson made it clear what he’ll have to do — either convince the Bucs to let him have no innings restriction, or search for a new ball club that will allow him to be on no limit.</p><p>“This is your career,” Johnson said.</p><p>Paul Skenes is already dominating this year. In four starts, he has a 2.94 ERA and 2-1 record, striking out 26 hitters in 24 innings of work.</p><p>“It will be a mental mission for him,” Johnson said. “I understood throughout the course of my career that if I can talk myself through a game, I will realize my mission. I trained myself to put me in those positions for success, get me through that. I know the pitchers can do these things I talk about, but they’re not allowed to. And that, to me, is mind-boggling. It makes no sense to me. You’re not going to see a pitcher grow mentally or physically if you take him out of situations.”</p><p>Skenes threw 133 innings last year, compiling a mind-boggling 1.96 ERA, but he made just 23 starts. Hopefully, the Pirates let him hit at least 30 appearances in 2025. He’s certainly hungry to do so.</p><figure class="op-tracker"></figure></article>    </body></html>

Paul Skenes receives 4-word ‘ultimate advice’ from Randy Johnson

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
27	1	8	1.6667	3	0

2025 SEASON STATS
IP	ERA	K	WHIP	HOLDS	SAVES
27	1	8	1.6667	3	0

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