Bubba Chandler's strong start paves the way for Pirates' win against Rays

Matt Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Apr 17, 2026

Published in Baseball

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PITTSBURGH — After Brandon Lowe’s deep fly ball skipped off the warning track and into the left-field stands for a ground-rule double, fireworks — which are intended for home runs — boomed above PNC Park.

That was in the bottom of the second inning Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Four innings later, in the sixth, the fireworks crackled yet again. But this was no mistake.

Oneil Cruz blasted a three-run homer to right field, and the Pirates opened the weekend series with a 5-1 victory. Bubba Chandler tossed six innings of one-run ball, moving to 1-1 on the season with a 3.15 ERA.

The Pirates are outscoring opponents 22-1 in the second inning of games this year, and they added to that trend Friday night. With one out and Marcell Ozuna on second, Spencer Horwitz ripped an RBI double to right field to open the scoring.

Konnor Griffin lined a single to left on the next at-bat, but Horwitz was thrown out at home.

Spencer Horwitz singled in the fourth — pushing his tally to a career 9 for 9 against Rays starter Nick Martinez — and consecutive walks from Henry Davis and Cruz loaded the bases with two outs. Martinez received a visit on the mound but stayed in the game, and Lowe flew out to end the inning and breathe a sigh of relief in the visitors’ dugout.

Chandler was cruising, allowing just one hit through five innings, but ran into some trouble in the sixth. Rays leadoff man Chandler Simpson singled and moved to second on a wild pitch, and Junior Caminero drove him home with an RBI single to knot the score at 1-1.

Chandler prevented any further damage, however, and strode off the mound to an ovation from the crowd.

Cruz rewarded Chandler’s strong start in the bottom of the frame. With two outs, he pounced on a sweeper low and away and smacked his sixth homer of the year and put the Pirates ahead 3-1.

Against his former team, Lowe added a couple runs of insurance in the eighth with a sharp two-run double to center field. Mason Montgomery, Gregory Soto and Dennis Santana combined to pitch a scoreless final three innings.

It was over when …

Lowe knocked a two-RBI double to center field to put the Pirates ahead 5-1 in the eighth.

On the mound

Chandler matched his longest start as a big leaguer with six innings and threw 90 pitches for the second time in his young career. The 23-year-old struck out three and only allowed three hits, two of which coming in the sixth. He’s experienced some difficulties with command in previous starts, but he only issued one walk Friday night.

Montgomery — who came to the Pirates from Tampa Bay in a December trade that included Lowe and Jake Mangum — struck out two in the seventh and Soto worked a 1-2-3 eighth before Santana shut the door in the ninth.

At the plate

The Pirates totaled 11 hits as Lowe, Horwitz and Marcell Ozuna all notched three apiece. Ozuna struggled mightily in the first two weeks of the season, but he now has at least one hit in each of the last five games.

Most valuable player

Chandler lost some of his control in the sixth, but he put forth his finest start of the season thus far and mostly staved off an explosive Rays’ lineup.

Up next

The Pirates will be celebrating their ace’s 2025 NL Cy Young award with a bobblehead night Saturday when Paul Skenes (3-1, 4.00) takes the mound against the Rays’ Drew Rasmussen (1-0, 1.13).