Braxton Ashcraft tossed an 85-pitch complete game against Miami, but the performance meant more than one dominant afternoon. Alex Stumpf breaks down Ashcraft’s renewed sinker usage, his workload concerns and why finishing 2026 strong could be crucial for his role in the Pirates’ 2027 rotation.

Tonight on NS9LIVE!, we discuss Brandon Lowe's comments about the pressure surrounding these games, Don Kelly calling out the team's lack of fight after Wednesday's loss, and whether that message should have come much sooner. The Pirates responded with a 13-1 win today, but after winning just three of their previous 15 games, was it already too late?

Cody and Doug Breakdown today's Pirates win over the Marlins! Braxton Ashcraft Shoved in a complete game near shut put striking out 10 batters. The Pirates offense came back alive as well lead by Jared Triolo, Jake Mangum, and Rafael Flores Jr.

The Pirates entered 2026 expecting their starting rotation to be one of the strengths of the team. Now Paul Skenes is being handled carefully, Mitch Keller is out, several young starters are approaching career-high workloads, and the fifth rotation spot has turned into a bullpen game.

Neil breaks down another lifeless performance, Carmen Mlodzinski's disastrous start, an offense that has completely disappeared since the All-Star break, Bryan Reynolds' recent struggles and why the Pirates' postseason hopes appear to finally be dead.

Pirates prospect Murf Gray joins Alex Stumpf to break down his rapid rise through the system and the swing changes that have fueled his breakout season. Gray also discusses becoming a Top 100 prospect, learning from Aaron Judge and what he hopes to eventually bring to Pittsburgh.

The Pirates were shut out 2-0 by Miami as another lifeless offensive performance pushed their season even closer to the brink. Tyler and Jim discuss the growing concern surrounding Paul Skenes, Yohan Ramirez's dominant relief outing and whether there is any realistic hope left for this team.

The Pirates’ playoff hopes are fading, and they need Paul Skenes to look like their ace again. Alex Stumpf breaks down what has changed for Skenes in 2026, the growing concerns with Pittsburgh’s rotation and why his next start in Miami could be one of the most important of the season.

The Pirates said the expectation for 2026 was simple: make the playoffs. Period. Full stop. Now they're 58-62, 5.5 games out of a Wild Card spot with five teams to jump, and the warning signs are piling up. The offense still can't solve left-handed pitching, the starting rotation has suddenly become a major concern, and after another rough week, this season is beginning to feel a little too familiar.

The Pirates have lost six straight series, and Sunday's embarrassing loss to the Mets may have been rock bottom. Alex Stumpf looks at everything going wrong and why the upcoming series in Miami could determine whether the 2026 season is effectively over.