Pirates' Chandler pitches 6 strong innings, beats Mets 9-0

Bubba Chandler allowed three hits in six innings, Jake Mangum had three hits, and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the New York Mets 9-0 on Saturday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Chandler (5-8) struck out five and walked one while throwing 85 pitches, 58 of them for strikes. The win was Pittsburgh’s first since June 18 and lifted them out of last place in the NL Central.

The Pirates entered the series mired in a seven-game road trip with a dismal 29-45 record, their worst start in a decade. Chandler, a 23-year-old right-hander and former top prospect, had struggled recently, allowing seven earned runs over 26 ⅔ innings in his last five starts. His outing came a day after the Pirates’ bullpen blew a 7-3 lead in the ninth, highlighting both pitching depth issues and the need for consistent starts. The offense, meanwhile, had averaged just 3.2 runs per game over the skid, making Mangum’s three-hit performance a rare bright spot.

Mangum, a 25-year-old outfielder called up from Triple-A in May, went 3-for-4 with a double and scored twice. Catcher Endy Rodríguez added two hits and two RBIs, while the Pirates’ defense turned four double plays. The Mets’ starter, Kodai Senga, lasted just 3 ⅔ innings, surrendering five runs before being pulled. Pittsburgh’s pitching staff limited New York to six hits and stranded 10 runners, a sign of resurgent discipline.

The win gives the Pirates a morale boost ahead of a short homestand, but their long-term outlook remains cloudy. Chandler’s improvement is critical—he entered the game with a 5.39 ERA and has pitched deeper into games in only two of his last 10 starts. The Pirates next face the Reds and Marlins, teams they’ve struggled against this season. A few more wins like this could begin to shift the narrative from rebuilding to modest progress.