Offense can't find clutch hit as Pirates get swept by Braves

Matt Press, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on Jun 7, 2026

Published in Baseball

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ATLANTA — Pitching only more than an hour from where he attended high school at North Oconee, Bubba Chandler was cruising.

He retired 13 batters in a row and struck out seven, including wiping out former National League MVP Ronald Acuna Jr. with a 100.5 mph fastball. But in the bottom of the seventh inning, as the Pittsburgh Pirates led 2-0 at a soggy Truist Park, the game unraveled.

Dominic Smith reached on a throwing error from Tyler Callihan and Chandler walked two more to load the bases. Chandler was pulled, and Evan Sisk immediately surrendered a three-run double as the Pirates lost to the Atlanta Braves, 3-2, Sunday afternoon.

The Pirates were swept in the series — just the second time they’ve been swept this year — and ended their six-game road trip 2-4.

Chandler was charged with the loss, moving to 2-7 this season, and Reynaldo Lopez (3-1, 4.06 ERA) got the win for the Braves.

The Pirates loaded the bases with two outs in the following inning, but Ryan O’Hearn chopped a slow groundout to first base to end the inning. They batted 2 for 11 as a team with runners in scoring position.

Spencer Horwitz led off the game with a home run after pouncing on a hanging slider for a 411-foot shot to center field, and the Pirates went up 2-0 in the third after Nick Gonzales grounded into a double play with the bases loaded.

The Braves had few answers for Chandler, but they capitalized after knocking him out of the game in the seventh. Michael Harris II pinch-hit with the bases loaded, and he hammered a slider 109.5 mph for the game-winning hit.

It was over when …

Didier Fuentes struck out Endy Rodriguez with a slider for the final out with runners on the corners.

On the mound

The Pirates made a late swap and opted to send Montgomery out for a spot start, and he allowed a double and two walks before striking out Austin Riley with the bases loaded to escape the jam.

Chandler was in total control and gave up just one hit through 5 1/3 innings, locating his fastball well with an uptick in velocity, but his two walks in the seventh set the table for the Braves’ go-ahead hit. His ERA jumped from 4.65 to 4.91.

At the plate

Horwitz went 2 for 3 and drew a walk, and he’s now batting .286 with an .846 OPS.

Still, though the Pirates outhit the Braves, 5-3, they scored three or fewer runs for the third consecutive game.

Bucs bites

— Horwitz hit his eighth home run of the year, as well as his third leadoff homer.

— Brandon Lowe was expected to remain sidelined Sunday and return to the Pirates next week, but he pinch-hit in the ninth inning and hit a double to right field.

Up next

The Pirates’ schedule doesn’t get any easier when they return home to PNC Park for three games against Shohei Ohtani and the two-time defending World Series-champion Los Angeles Dodgers, who own the second best record in baseball behind the Braves. Paul Skenes (6-5, 3.09) will open the series on the mound at 6:40 p.m. ET Tuesday, and Eric Lauer (2-5, 5.74) will start for the Dodgers.

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