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Ryan O’Hearn’s Birthday Grand Slam Powers Pirates Past Cubs

7/27/2026

31 7 Full Breakdown

Summary

O'Hearn Birthday Slam

Ryan O’Hearn hit a grand slam on his 33rd birthday as the Pirates beat the Cubs 8-7 on July 26, 2026.
Esmerlyn Valdez’s 14th homer and Shawn Ross’s two-run shot in his second game boosted Pittsburgh’s offense.
Braxton Ashcraft (10-4) pitched six innings, allowed four runs on seven hits, and struck out five.
Mason Montgomery earned his second save after Seiya Suzuki’s ninth-inning two-run homer cut the lead to one.

Summary

Cubs Extend Sweep

The Cubs improved to 59-45, extending their sweep of the Pirates and tightening the NL Central race.
All-Star right-hander Braxton Ashcraft (9-4, 3.95 ERA, 1.169 WHIP) starts Sunday after 130 Ks in 116.1 innings.
Pirates left-hander Jameson Taillon (2-5, 5.38 ERA, 1.319 WHIP) is slated to pitch with 14 starts and 72 innings.
The game streams on Fubo, which offers a free trial but may be regionally restricted.

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O'Hearn Birthday Slam

Ryan O’Hearn hit a grand slam on his 33rd birthday as the Pirates beat the Cubs 8-7 on July 26, 2026.
Esmerlyn Valdez’s 14th homer and Shawn Ross’s two-run shot in his second game boosted Pittsburgh’s offense.
Braxton Ashcraft (10-4) pitched six innings, allowed four runs on seven hits, and struck out five.
Mason Montgomery earned his second save after Seiya Suzuki’s ninth-inning two-run homer cut the lead to one.

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