Pirates 12, Cubs 1: Ashcraft Dominates on One-Year Debut Anniversary

The lead

May 26, 2026 - Pittsburgh - Exactly one year after his major league debut, Braxton Ashcraft pitched 6⅓ one-run innings and the Pittsburgh Pirates routed the Chicago Cubs 12-1 at PNC Park, extending Chicago's losing streak to 10 games, per the Associated Press recap on CBS Sports.

Esmerlyn Valdez's two-run homer capped a five-run first inning off Jordan Wicks (0-1). Spencer Horwitz added a solo shot in the seventh.

How the game turned

Pittsburgh jumped on Wicks for five runs in the first, with Valdez's two-run homer the loudest blow. The Cubs got on the board in the second on Ian Happ's RBI double off Ashcraft, but Chicago went 1-for-12 with runners in scoring position.

The Pirates added three in the fifth, another in the sixth, and two more in the eighth on Jake Mangum and Miguel Andujar RBI hits.

Pitching and matchup notes

Ashcraft (4-2) struck out five, walked one, and hit two batters while throwing 71 of 95 pitches for strikes. He is 3-0 with a 1.82 ERA in five May starts.

AthX Engine graded Pittsburgh at 26 team FP—second on the Tuesday card—with Ashcraft at 17.33 pitching FP.

Bats that changed the board

Bryan Reynolds had two doubles and two RBI. Nick Gonzales drove in two runs. Horwitz went 2-for-3 with a homer and two RBI.

AthX Engine fantasy angle

26 team FP from a starter-plus-early-inning explosion is the AthX Engine template for a blowout—Ashcraft's 17.33 pitching FP anchored the card without needing a single 15 FP hitter. Daily scoring remains separate from dynamic pricing.

What comes next

The Cubs snapped their skid Wednesday at Pittsburgh; the Pirates host Chicago again Thursday, per AP probables.

*Sources: MLB.com schedule, CBS Sports recap, TribLive, AthX Engine scoring. Information only; not financial advice.*