The Pirates Needed a Statement Series. They Got One.

What a difference a weekend makes. After getting swept by the Cardinals and losing five straight, the Pittsburgh Pirates badly needed a response. They got one in a big way, sweeping the Reds at PNC Park and flipping the entire tone around this team. On today’s episode of OffBeat, Alex Stumpf breaks down how the Pirates bounced back, why the Reds series felt bigger than a normal early-May matchup, and how performances from Braxton Ashcraft, Mitch Keller, Gregory Soto, Oneil Cruz, Joey Bart, and Konnor Griffin showed the most optimistic version of what this Pirates team can be. The Pirates still have plenty to prove, especially with a West Coast road trip against the Diamondbacks and Giants coming up, but after a rough Cardinals series, this was exactly the kind of answer they needed. Subscribe to North Shore Nine for daily Pittsburgh Pirates coverage, reactions, analysis, and conversation all season long. Subscribe to Book-Rule Bucs: https://bookrulebucs.substack.com/ Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC9ZY250XUYiS-yX7xOQCdLA/join Use Promo Code NS930 for 30% off your first order at https://www.defer.coffee Use Promo Code NORTHSHORENINE for $20 off your first order at https://www.seatgeek.com LIKE and SUBSCRIBE with NOTIFICATIONS ON if you enjoyed the show! NS9 MERCH: https://northshorenine.myshopify.com ►Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/NorthShoreNine ►Website: https://www.northshorenine.com ►Twitter: https://www.twitter.com/northshorenine ►TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@northshorenine ►Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/northshorenine ►Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/northshorenine ►Discord: https://discord.gg/3HVYPg544m #pittsburghpirates Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.