Tough Night for the Pirates 
The Pirates faced off against the Royals, and unfortunately, it was a nail-biting loss for our Buccos, finishing with a final score of 4-3. Both teams displayed solid effort, and while we rallied late, it just wasn't enough to clinch the win. Let's break down some of the key moments and performances.Early Inning Struggles 
It was a bit of a rocky start for the Pirates. In the top of the 2nd inning, Oneil Cruz led with a double to center, but got caught stealing third base – ouch! Meanwhile, the Royals' Salvador Perez made his presence known immediately with a solo home run to center field in the bottom of the 2nd, putting Kansas City ahead. Jac Caglianone followed up with a two-run blast in the 4th, extending their lead to 3-0.Pirates' Resurgence in the 6th Inning 
Our fighting spirit shone brightly in the top of the 6th inning. Tommy Pham, Andrew McCutchen, and Bryan Reynolds all contributed hits to load the bases. Although Nick Gonzales popped out, a groundout by Cruz allowed Pham to score, cutting their lead. Then, Ke'Bryan Hayes came through with a clutch single to left, allowing both McCutchen and Reynolds to score and tie the game at 3-3! What a rally! 
Heartbreaking Finish 
Despite our comeback, the Royals claimed the lead again in the 8th inning thanks to another home run by Perez, this time a 426-footer to center, making it 4-3. In the final inning, Adam Frazier gave us hope with a single, but unfortunately, Isiah Kiner-Falefa's fielder's choice ended any chance of a last-minute miracle.While it was a tough loss, there were some promising signs and great performances by our Pirates. Let's regroup and come back stronger! Let's go Bucs!
Scoreboard for Pirates @ Royals (July 9th, 2025)
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 11 | 0 |
| 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 0 |