League date: July 23, 2026

NEW YORK, NY — Spencer Horwitz hit two home runs, including the go-ahead shot in the seventh, to lead the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-3 win over the New York Yankees.

Horwitz set the tone immediately, leading off the game with a homer off Luis Gil into the right-field bleachers. Later in the inning, Oneil Cruz added an RBI single to give Pittsburgh a 2-0 lead.

In the fifth, Bryan Reynolds extended the advantage with his 16th homer of the season, putting the Pirates up 3-0 and giving Braxton Ashcraft room to work. But the Yankees responded, tying the game 3-3 on a three-run homer by Trent Grisham off Kyle Nicolas, with two runs charged to Ashcraft.

Pittsburgh’s bullpen steadied things from there, combining for three scoreless innings to keep the game even. In the seventh, Camilo Doval surrendered Horwitz’s second homer of the night—his ninth of the season—putting the Pirates ahead for good at 5-3.

AS IT STANDS…

The win secured a series victory for the Pirates and moved them a game ahead of the Chicago Cubs for first place in the NL Central. The Yankees (54-50) have dropped two straight and now trail the first-place Tampa Bay Rays (57-45) by four games in the AL East.