Deadspin | Ex-Oriole Ryan O’Hearn helps Pirates finish sweep 
Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates fright fielder Ryan O’Hearn (29) celebrates his two run home run in the dugout while wearing a welders hood against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Braxton Ashcraft struck out a career-high eight and Ryan O’Hearn drove in four runs to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
O’Hearn and Oneil Cruz each hit two-run home runs to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Orioles, and win their fifth in a row. Pittsburgh did not sweep a series last season until June.
Ashcraft (1-1) gave up one run on an RBI double by Pete Alonso in the fourth inning, which put the Orioles on the board. But Ashcraft limited the damage, eventually tossing six innings without a walk. He allowed only four hits.
Taylor Ward led the Orioles at the plate with three hits.
Pirates pitchers struck out 14 overall without a walk.
Meanwhile, O’Hearn torched his former club at the plate, starting with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first off Baltimore starter Chris Bassitt (0-2). Pittsburgh followed with four more runs in the second.
Cruz finished with two hits and three RBIs and started the scoring in that frame with an RBI single when he lined a 112-mph hit on one hop off Bassitt’s leg. Bassitt shook it off and remained in the game. He later allowed a two-run double to O’Hearn that scored Cruz and Brandon Lowe.
Bassitt lasted just two innings and allowed six runs on six hits and two walks without a strikeout.
Lefty Cade Povich, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, replaced Bassitt in the third and delivered a solid 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two. Cruz tagged Povich for a two-run home run – his fourth – in the bottom of the sixth to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 8-1.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was ejected in the top of the third after arguing with home plate umpire Jesse Jean after the Pirates’ Blaze Alexander felt like Ashcraft had started his windup before he was set at the plate. Baltimore bench coach Donnie Ecker managed for the remainder of the game.
Jeremiah Jackson hit an RBI single in the seventh for the game’s final run.
–Field Level Media
#Deadspin #ExOriole #Ryan #OHearn #helps #Pirates #finish #sweep
Apr 5, 2026; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates fright fielder Ryan O’Hearn (29) celebrates his two run home run in the dugout while wearing a welders hood against the Baltimore Orioles during the first inning at PNC Park. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images Braxton Ashcraft struck out a career-high eight and Ryan O’Hearn drove in four runs to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday afternoon.
O’Hearn and Oneil Cruz each hit two-run home runs to help the Pirates complete a three-game sweep of the Orioles, and win their fifth in a row. Pittsburgh did not sweep a series last season until June.
Ashcraft (1-1) gave up one run on an RBI double by Pete Alonso in the fourth inning, which put the Orioles on the board. But Ashcraft limited the damage, eventually tossing six innings without a walk. He allowed only four hits.
Taylor Ward led the Orioles at the plate with three hits.
Pirates pitchers struck out 14 overall without a walk.
Meanwhile, O’Hearn torched his former club at the plate, starting with a two-out, two-run homer in the bottom of the first off Baltimore starter Chris Bassitt (0-2). Pittsburgh followed with four more runs in the second.
Cruz finished with two hits and three RBIs and started the scoring in that frame with an RBI single when he lined a 112-mph hit on one hop off Bassitt’s leg. Bassitt shook it off and remained in the game. He later allowed a two-run double to O’Hearn that scored Cruz and Brandon Lowe.
Bassitt lasted just two innings and allowed six runs on six hits and two walks without a strikeout.
Lefty Cade Povich, who was recalled from Triple-A Norfolk on Sunday, replaced Bassitt in the third and delivered a solid 5 2/3 innings in relief, allowing two runs on four hits and three walks while striking out two. Cruz tagged Povich for a two-run home run – his fourth – in the bottom of the sixth to extend Pittsburgh’s lead to 8-1.
Orioles manager Craig Albernaz was ejected in the top of the third after arguing with home plate umpire Jesse Jean after the Pirates’ Blaze Alexander felt like Ashcraft had started his windup before he was set at the plate. Baltimore bench coach Donnie Ecker managed for the remainder of the game.
Jeremiah Jackson hit an RBI single in the seventh for the game’s final run.
–Field Level Media
![Brandon Aiyuk’s 49ers divorce keeps getting uglier Brandon Aiyuk’s war of words with the San Francisco 49ers reached new heights on Tuesday.In a video posted to social media, Aiyuk blasted the organization as “stupid” for paying him, and “mad” at themselves for how the team was handling the situation.The video came after Aiyuk posted one over the weekend, where he called the 49ers “little-ass boys” who needed to “stop running from the bill.”The two videos are the wide receiver’s first lengthy public comments since the team placed him on the reserve/left team list back in December of last year. Aiyuk has not played in a game for the 49ers since midway through the 2024 season, when he suffered a torn ACL.Prior to the 2024 campaign, Aiyuk was a hold-in during training camp until he agreed to terms with the team on a new four-year extension worth up to $120 million.Head coach Kyle Shanahan, along with general manager John Lynch, continue to assert that Aiyuk has played his last snap for the 49ers. Speaking at the team’s end-of-season press conference in January, the coach indicated he had lost contact with Aiyuk, going on to say that “eventually you understand that it’s not going to change and you’ve got to move on with your football team.”On that January day, Lynch explicitly said that Aiyuk had “played his last snap with the Niners.”Then at the end of March at the league’s annual meetings, Shanahan maintained that stance, but did not put a timeframe on a resolution.“I don’t have a date for it, but I know eventually it’ll resolve itself,” Shanahan said in March. “Hopefully, we could get something for [him]. And I know we’re in no rush to do that. You’ve got to do what’s right for the Niners, and you’re not trying to hook up any other team as fast as you possibly can. Hopefully, we can get something for that, and it’ll take care of itself.”As far as what that resolution looks like, many believe Aiyuk will find a home with the Washington Commanders. Aiyuk played with Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, and over this past weekend did share a photos of himself wearing a Commanders hat.However, he is still technically under contract with San Francisco through the 2028 season. And while the 49ers did void the guaranteed money he was owed for 2026, the guaranteed money Aiyuk is owed for 2027 is still on the books.NFL insider Ian Rapoport addressed the situation on Monday.“First of all, here’s what the San Francisco 49ers would like: They have his rights, he’s not due any guaranteed money because he forfeited that by not showing up to his rehab,” said Rapoport. “So, they would like to trade him, probably to the Commanders, with his old friend Jayden Daniels and an organization that obviously knows him well, considering (Commanders general manager) Adam Peters was in San Francisco, and all that.“What the Commanders would like to do is sign him without having to trade him. … We’re in a situation where nobody wants to move at all. They’re all staring at each other. There’s really no deadline to make a move at all. So, until and unless everyone gets tired of Brandon Aiyuk sending Instagram messages, this is going to be a storyline that takes us through the summer.”Happy offseason, everyone. #Brandon #Aiyuks #49ers #divorce #uglier](https://i1.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/06/gettyimages-2183567424.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C0%2C100%2C78.534031413613&w=1200&ssl=1 "Brandon Aiyuk’s 49ers divorce keeps getting uglier Brandon Aiyuk’s war of words with the San Francisco 49ers reached new heights on Tuesday.In a video posted to social media, Aiyuk blasted the organization as “stupid” for paying him, and “mad” at themselves for how the team was handling the situation.The video came after Aiyuk posted one over the weekend, where he called the 49ers “little-ass boys” who needed to “stop running from the bill.”The two videos are the wide receiver’s first lengthy public comments since the team placed him on the reserve/left team list back in December of last year. Aiyuk has not played in a game for the 49ers since midway through the 2024 season, when he suffered a torn ACL.Prior to the 2024 campaign, Aiyuk was a hold-in during training camp until he agreed to terms with the team on a new four-year extension worth up to $120 million.Head coach Kyle Shanahan, along with general manager John Lynch, continue to assert that Aiyuk has played his last snap for the 49ers. Speaking at the team’s end-of-season press conference in January, the coach indicated he had lost contact with Aiyuk, going on to say that “eventually you understand that it’s not going to change and you’ve got to move on with your football team.”On that January day, Lynch explicitly said that Aiyuk had “played his last snap with the Niners.”Then at the end of March at the league’s annual meetings, Shanahan maintained that stance, but did not put a timeframe on a resolution.“I don’t have a date for it, but I know eventually it’ll resolve itself,” Shanahan said in March. “Hopefully, we could get something for [him]. And I know we’re in no rush to do that. You’ve got to do what’s right for the Niners, and you’re not trying to hook up any other team as fast as you possibly can. Hopefully, we can get something for that, and it’ll take care of itself.”As far as what that resolution looks like, many believe Aiyuk will find a home with the Washington Commanders. Aiyuk played with Jayden Daniels at Arizona State, and over this past weekend did share a photos of himself wearing a Commanders hat.However, he is still technically under contract with San Francisco through the 2028 season. And while the 49ers did void the guaranteed money he was owed for 2026, the guaranteed money Aiyuk is owed for 2027 is still on the books.NFL insider Ian Rapoport addressed the situation on Monday.“First of all, here’s what the San Francisco 49ers would like: They have his rights, he’s not due any guaranteed money because he forfeited that by not showing up to his rehab,” said Rapoport. “So, they would like to trade him, probably to the Commanders, with his old friend Jayden Daniels and an organization that obviously knows him well, considering (Commanders general manager) Adam Peters was in San Francisco, and all that.“What the Commanders would like to do is sign him without having to trade him. … We’re in a situation where nobody wants to move at all. They’re all staring at each other. There’s really no deadline to make a move at all. So, until and unless everyone gets tired of Brandon Aiyuk sending Instagram messages, this is going to be a storyline that takes us through the summer.”Happy offseason, everyone. #Brandon #Aiyuks #49ers #divorce #uglier")
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