April 22, 2026 - Arlington - The Pittsburgh Pirates won this game twice: once in the fifth with defense-and-chaos run creation, and again in the ninth when Oneil Cruz unloaded a three-run homer to turn a tight score into an 8-4 final over the Texas Rangers.
Marcell Ozuna opened the scoring with an RBI single in the first. Josh Jung answered in the second with a two-run homer off Braxton Ashcraft. Pittsburgh took control for good when Bryan Reynolds singled home two runs in the fifth after Texas committed a pair of errors on the same play, per the ESPN inning log. Jake Burger tied it briefly in the eighth with a two-run single, but Cruz ended the drama an inning later.
Ashcraft gave Pittsburgh a chance to breathe
Ashcraft pitched seven innings, allowed two earned runs, and struck out five without factoring in the decision. Gregory Soto earned the win in relief. That kind of length still matters: it kept the Pirates from burning the bullpen before the late rallies.
Texas’s ninth got away
Pittsburgh pushed the lead from 5-4 to 8-4 in the ninth when Jake Mangum drove in Nick Gonzales with a fielder’s choice, then Oneil Cruz homered off Matt Beeks to score Billy Cook and Mangum, per the ESPN play log. Cole Winn was charged with the loss after Pittsburgh’s middle innings broke the game open.
AthX Engine fantasy angle
Road wins with eight runs and a long start play well on AthX Engine. Cruz and Reynolds profile as Pittsburgh’s top hitter lines, while Ashcraft clears a strong pitching total. Jung still posts a useful line for Texas despite the loss.
AthX Engine fantasy scoring is not the same as AthX share prices; see dynamic pricing.
What it meant
For Pittsburgh, this was a professional road win: survive the early homer, capitalize on a messy inning, then let the big shortstop end it. For Texas, it was a night of missed execution in the field and one swing too many from the visitors.
*Sources: MLB.com schedule for April 22, 2026; MLB.com gameday wrap; ESPN box score. AthX Engine fantasy scoring for 2026-04-22. This write-up is for information only and is not financial advice.*
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