Ashcraft Returns, Pirates Need Deep Start

0:00It's April 28th. You're listening to MLB News today, AI-powered baseball coverage. I'm Cory with the story. The Pittsburgh pirates just locked in Braxton Ascraft as their starter for the second game against the St. Louis Cardinals at PNC Park on April 28th, 1st pitch at 6.40pm. He was on the bereaveman list since April 25th for family reasons, but the team expects him back right on time within that 3-7 day. Coming off a rough stretch, the pirates burned through their bullpen hard in the last two games. Against the brewers on April 26th, starter Carmen Meladsenski lasted just 3.2 innings, forcing relievers like Evan Sisk, Cam, Sanders, and Justin Lawrence to eat up the rest. Then, versus the Cardinals opener on April 27th, it was mostly bullpen arms from the jump, with Wilbur Dotaille going for innings. That heavy usage means some key relievers, like Lawrence, Sanders, and Sisk get a breather tonight, leaving Johann Ramirez as the fresh

1:00arm, plus Isaac, Matson, Gregory Soto, and Dennis Santana available. The pirates desperately need Ascraft to go deep and save those arms for the series. Ascraft's shining in his first full season as a starter, posting a 1-1 record over 5 starts with a 2.43 ERA in 2009, 0.2 innings. He's got 32 strikeouts against 9 walks, holding hitters to a 2-0-2 average and a 1.01 whip, ranking high among qualified, pitchers. With his nasty curveball and improving slider backing that 4-seam heat, Ascraft's proving he can handle bigger workloads despite past injuries. If he keeps dominating like his 7-inning gem against Texas on April 22nd, the pirates' rotation stays elite and their playoff push stays alive.