PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates have struggled from the plate throughout 2025, but had incredible success in an 10-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.
The Pirates won the series opener over the Red Sox, 4-2, giving them the series win ahead of the finale. It also makes it five straight wins at Fenway Park, as they swept the Red Sox there, April 3-5, 2023.
They now have nine wins in their past 12 games, splitting a four-game series with the St. Louis Cardinals at Busch Stadium, Aug. 25-28, sweeping the Colorado Rockies, Aug. 22-24, and taking two out of three games vs. the Toronto Blue Jays, Aug. 18-20, both at PNC Park.
Pittsburgh improves to 61-76 overall and 22-46 on the road, while Boston falls to 75-62 overall and 41-27 at home.
The Pirates began the game by loading the bases, as shortstop Jared Triolo reached first base on an error, first baseman Spencer Horwitz singled and right fielder Bryan Reynolds walked.
Pittsburgh only got one out in the first inning, as left fielder Tommy Pham grounded out, scoring Triolo, but then both designated hitter Andrew McCutchen and second baseman Nick Gonzales both grounded out as well, as the road team lead 1-0.
Right-handed starting pitcher Johan Oviedo threw a scoreless first inning, but gave up a double to shortstop Trevor Story and walked designated hitter Masataka Yoshida, putting two Red Sox baserunners on with no outs in the bottom of the second inning.
Oviedo escaped the inning unscathed, striking out Red Sox first baseman Romy Gonzalez, forced center fielder Cedanne Rafaela to pop out to Gonzales and then got second baseman David Hamilton to line out, ending that scoring opportunity.
The Red Sox tied the game up in the bottom of the third inning, as Oviedo threw a slider in the bottom of the strike zone that catcher Carlos Navráez hit 396 feet and over the Green Monster wall in left field for a solo home run.
Oviedo started the bottom of the fourth inning by walking Story, who stole second base and then made it to third base on a ground out from Yoshida.
The Red Sox took the lead, as Gonzalez singled, scoring Story to make it 2-1 to the home team.
Pittsburgh finally got going against Boston right-handed starting pitcher Dustin May in the top of the fifth inning, as they loaded the bases, with third baseman Isiah Kiner-Falefa singling, May hitting Triolo with a pitch and then walking Horwitz.
Reynolds and Pham then came through with back-to-back singles, scoring Kiner-Falefa, Triolo and Horwitz, as the Pirates took a 4-2 lead.
Oviedo finished his outing after five innings, allowing three hits, three walks, two earned runs and posting six strikeouts over 79 pitches.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz opened the top of the sixth inning with a huge 426 foot home run off a fastball down the middle from May, sending it on the Green Monster to make it a 5-2 lead for the Pirates.
Aug 30, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) high-fives his teammates after hitting a solo home run against the Boston Red Sox during the fifth inning at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images / Brian Fluharty-Imagn Images
That marked the 19th home run for Cruz in 2025 and his first since a grand slam in the series opener vs. the Rockies at Coors Field on Aug. 1, a 17-16 defeat.
ONEIL CRUZ PUTS IT ON TOP OF THE MONSTER 😱 pic.twitter.com/2px7rh2r6q
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) August 30, 2025Catcher Joey Bart doubled, Kiner-Falefa struck out and then Triolo walked, putting two runners on with one out and May finishing his day.
The Pirates then got after Red Sox left-handed relief pitcher Brennan Bernardino, as Horwitz singled, scoring both Bart and Triolo to make it 7-2.
Pittsburgh loaded the bases again as Bernardino walked both Reynolds and Pham. McCutchen struck out, then Gonzales singled, scoring both Reynolds and Pham, extending the road team’s lead to six runs at 9-2.
Rookie right-handed pitcher Mike Burrows came in for his first outing for the Pirates since Aug. 23 vs. the Rockies at PNC Park, which was a start.
Burrows pitched two innings, giving up five hits, but limiting the damage to just one earned run, keeping the lead at six runs at 9-3, in his first bullpen appearance in two months.
The Pirates added on in the top of the ninth inning, as McCutchen hit a leadoff single and Gonzales hit a double off the Green Monster, putting two runners in scoring position, then McCutchen scored off a wild pitch, making it a 10-3 lead.
Pittsburgh got two solid scoreless outings from rookie left-handed pitcher Evan Sisk in the eighth inning and right-handed pitcher Yohan Ramírez in the ninth inning, closing out the dominant win.
The Pirates will look to sweep the Red Sox in the series finale on Aug. 31. First pitch is set for 1:35 p.m.
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