Controversial Call Foils Pirates Rally Attempt in Loss to Guardians
The Pittsburgh Pirates saw a potential rally slip away from them on maddening terms with a 3-0 loss to the Cleveland Guardians at PNC Park. Trailing by three runs in the ninth inning, first baseman Enmanuel Valdez gave some game-ending hope when he sent a pitch from All-Star closer Emmanuel Clase deep to center field. The ball sailed into the wall, giving Valdez a chance for extra bases. As he aggressively rounded second and headed straight for third, he slid in headfirst and appeared to beat the throw, prompting third base umpire Chris Conroy to rule him safe at first.
However, the play quickly turned against him. Valdez winced in agony and instinctively removed his right hand from the base after seemingly injuring his left shoulder on the slide. That moment of vulnerability provided Guardians third baseman José Ramírez with a chance to tag him. After a brief pause, Conroy reversed his call, calling Valdez out. The Pirates protested the call, but after a crew review, they stood out. Valdez had appeared to ask for time because of injury, but Conroy neither noticed it nor decided to give it, letting the tag total and halt any momentum that the Pirates had begun to obtain.
The deflating sequence ended the Pirates' best scoring chance and left fans at PNC Park dissatisfied. Tommy Pham led off by grounding out to center field, and Adam Frazier grounded out to second to end the game. The Pirates' offensive woes persisted in the game, with only six hits and leaving six runners in scoring position. The loss overshadowed a strong crowd, as 37,713 fans filled the seats season-high crowd drawn in part by a Paul Skenes bobblehead promotion. It was the second sellout of the season, following 36,893 for the home opener vs. the Yankees on April 4th.
Adding to Pittsburgh's woes is the growing list of injuries besetting the roster. Valdez's apparent shoulder problem is the latest to afflict the Pirates' first base reserves. Spencer Horwitz, acquired in a December trade for the Guardians, has not seen action for his 2025 debut due to a wrist injury. Endy Rodríguez, who saw action at first base for nine games this season, went out with a right finger laceration he suffered catching for Skenes versus the Nationals recently. Before Saturday's injury, Valdez had appeared in 15 games with a .233 batting average and a .768 OPS, four doubles, one homer, and nine RBIs. His absence would challenge the Pirates' lineup for weeks to come.
