The Pittsburgh Pirates lost Oneil Cruz to a frightening head injury earlier this month. The center fielder returned to the lineup on Tuesday but he’s struggled since rejoining the team. Cruz entered Saturday’s matchup against the Boston Red Sox with just one hit in his last 15 plate appearances.

But the Pirates’ slugger busted out of his cold streak with a massive bomb against Boston. Cruz led off the sixth inning with a tape-measure solo shot off Dustin May. The Red Sox’s hurler left a 94 mph four-seamer over the middle of the plate and Cruz hammered it 426 feet to dead center.

The blast put the Pirates up 5-2 but Pittsburgh was just getting started. The team chased May from the game with one out in the top of the sixth. Aided by a Ceddanne Rafaela throwing error, the Pirates plated five runs in the inning, taking a 9-2 lead.

Oneil Cruz crushes first HR since IL return

Jul 26, 2025; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates center fielder Oneil Cruz (15) hits a two run home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks during the second inning at PNC Park.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images

May endured a brutal start against Pittsburgh, allowing seven runs (six earned) on eight hits and four walks while striking out five in 5.1 innings. He earned his 11th loss of the season as the Pirates won 10-3.

Despite falling out of playoff contention and getting buried in the highly competitive NL Central, Pittsburgh has been heating up. The Pirates are 8-3 over their last 11 contests. The team has now taken two straight games off the Red Sox in Boston.

In the series opener, Pirates ace Paul Skenes out-dueled Payton Tolle, who made a historic debut for the Red Sox. Skenes allowed just one run over six innings en route to his ninth win of the season. But Pittsburgh also got a strong start from Johan Oviedo on Saturday. The veteran held Boston to two runs over five innings while striking out six.

Outside of his mammoth blast Cruz was quiet, finishing the day 1-5. Cruz landed on the IL after colliding with left fielder Jack Suwinski in a game against the Milwaukee Brewers on August 12.

Cruz was cleared for a rehab assignment last week and returned to the lineup on August 26. However, the fifth-year outfielder had been slumping prior to the injury. Entering Saturday’s matchup, Cruz was slashing .134/.237/.224 with one home run, 10 RBI, seven runs scored and one steal in his last 19 games.

On the season, the former shortstop is batting .203 with a .698 OPS. He has 19 home runs and 53 RBI as well as a National League-leading 35 stolen bases.

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