Jun 24, 2026, 10:15 PM ET

Pittsburgh Pirates right-hander Braxton Ashcraft had his third straight strong start on Wednesday night in an 11-1 blowout win at PNC Park against the Seattle Mariners. Ashcraft allowed just one earned run on five hits while walking none and striking out 10 in six innings of work for his seventh victory of the 2026 season. The strong start lowered his season ERA to 3.07. The lone run that the 26-year-old former second-rounder in 2018 gave up came in the first inning, but he settled down after that to shut the M's down. It was Ashcraft's third straight start with two runs allowed or fewer, and he has now held opponents to two runs or fewer while going at least six innings in six of his last 10 starts. In addition to his 3.07 ERA on the year, Ashcraft has posted a 1.09 WHIP with 107 strikeouts and only 22 walks in 96 2/3 innings pitched across 16 starts in his second year in the big leagues. His strong second year with Pittsburgh has boosted his fantasy appeal, and he's now rostered in almost 90% of Yahoo leagues. Ashcraft will be put to the test in his next scheduled outing on the road against the Philadelphia Phillies. In his first meeting at home against Philly on May 15, Ashcraft allowed four earned runs with no walks and five strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings for a no-decision.--Keith Hernandez
Source: MLB.com