Ashcraft Struggles for Pirates in Loss to Yankees; Valdez Joins Exclusive List

Pirates Yankees Baseball Pittsburgh Pirates' Braxton Ashcraft pauses before pitching against the New York Yankees during the first inning of a baseball game, Monday, July 20, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray) (Noah K. Murray/AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)

By Danny Demilio

This article originally appeared on PGHBaseballNOW.com.

Braxton Ashcraft struggled on the mound and Esmerlyn Valdez joined an exclusive list for the Pirates in their 8-5 loss to the Yankees on Monday night.

Key Moments

Jazz Chisholm Jr.’s second home run quickly shifted the momentum back to New York and proved to be the difference in the game.

Player of the Game

Jazz Chisholm Jr. had his first multi-homer game of the season and recorded a season-high five RBIs.

Stat to Know

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Esmerlyn Valdez became the fourth player to debut since 1900 to record 13 career home runs 32 games or fewer. He joined the White Sox Munetaka Murakami (32 games, 2026), the Reds’ Aristides Aquino (27 games with Reds, 2019) and the Phillies’ Rhys Hoskins (Phillies, 2017).

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