Ashcraft, defense struggle for Pirates in loss to Yankees
Major League Baseball
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NEW YORK -- Jazz Chisholm Jr. homered in consecutive at-bats against All-Star Braxton Ashcraft and drove in five runs, powering the New York Yankees to an 8-5 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Monday night.
Both benches and bullpens emptied after Jose Caballero bounced into an inning-ending double play against Pirates reliever Dennis Santana in the eighth.
Santana became heated and started yelling at Caballero on the field. The right-hander was restrained by teammates Rafael Flores and Henry Davis before order was restored after a few minutes without any punches or ejections.
On a night when New York squandered an early four-run cushion, Chisholm's 10th career multihomer game and first since Sept. 2 last year helped the Yankees win for the third time in their last 12 home games.
Chisholm hit a three-run drive for a 4-0 lead in the first inning, two batters after the Pirates committed two errors on one play. Third baseman Nick Gonzales misplayed Paul Goldschmidt's grounder into a two-base error, and Ben Rice scored when Reynolds bounced his throw from left field.
Chisholm added a two-run shot for a 6-5 lead in the third when he lifted a slider into the first row of the second deck, giving him homers in three straight plate appearances dating to Sunday night. Chisholm leaned over the plate to watch the ball stay fair before completing his home run trot.
The flashy second baseman also hit a tiebreaking homer to left-center in the eighth inning to send New York to a 2-1 win in the nightcap of Sunday's doubleheader against the Dodgers.
Chisholm connected for his second homer off Ashcraft after rookie Esmerlyn Valdez launched a 431-foot two-run shot off Ryan Weathers into the right-field seats to give Pittsburgh a 5-4 lead in the third. Valdez became the first Pirates player since Kevin Young in 1999 to drive in a run in eight straight games and has 13 homers in his first 33 games.
Caballero followed Chisholm's second homer with a two-run double in the third after Austin Wells reached on an infield single to load the bases.
New York Yankees catcher Austin Wells, left watches Pittsburgh Pirates’ Esmerlyn Valdez, right, after Valdez hit a two-run home run during the third inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
Jared Triolo hit a two-run double and Gonzales added an RBI single in Pittsburgh's three-run second.
Angel Chivilli (1-0) worked 1 1/3 hitless innings for the win and Fernando Cruz got four outs for his second save.
Ashcraft (9-4) permitted a career-high eight runs -- seven earned -- and nine hits in three innings.
Game notes
The Pirates signed four draft picks on Monday, including pitcher Griffin Stieg (RHP) out of Virginia Tech, pitcher Liam O'Leary (RHP) out of St. John's, Nathan Helman (RHP) from Kennesaw State and pitcher Dakota Stone (LHP) from North Florida University.
Up next
Pittsburgh RHP Bubba Chandler (3-8, 4.77 ERA) opposes New York RHP Will Warren (7-4, 4.03) on Tuesday night.