Jared Jones was flat-out dominant on Thursday, September 10, in Chicago, spinning seven innings of one-hit, scoreless baseball while striking out eight as the Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the White Sox 2-0 at Guaranteed Rate Field. Oneil Cruz supplied all the offense the Pirates needed, going 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI. Pittsburgh's bullpen held the line from there, with Luke Weaver and Mason Montgomery each throwing a scoreless frame to close it out. A clean, efficient road win.

Jared Jones Delivers a Commanding Seven-Inning Outing

Jones was as sharp as a pitcher can be. He allowed just one hit across seven innings, walked two, and punched out eight White Sox hitters to earn the win. It was the kind of outing that changes the feel of a road trip — efficient pitch count, no traffic, constant control. The White Sox lineup simply had no answer for him all night.

Weaver came on in the eighth and was equally crisp, striking out two in a perfect inning. Montgomery handled the ninth, allowing one hit but recovering to strike out one and nail down the save. The Pirates' pitching staff combined for a three-hit shutout, walking only two batters total.

Oneil Cruz Provides All the Offense Pittsburgh Needed

Cruz was the engine on offense, and he did damage in a hurry. He finished 3-for-4 with a home run and two RBI, which accounted for both Pittsburgh runs on the board. In a tight, low-scoring game, that kind of production from Cruz meant the Pirates' pitching staff had exactly the cushion it needed to work with.

White Sox Pitching Could Not Contain Cruz

Erick Fedde took the loss for Chicago, giving up both earned runs on four hits over 5.1 innings, striking out just one and walking one. Hagen Smith served as an opener for the White Sox, a short-stint role designed to navigate the top of the Pittsburgh order before handing off to the primary starter. He threw two innings, struck out three, and allowed two hits without surrendering a run — an effective enough start to his outing, but the strategy ultimately could not contain the Pirates' offense. Bryan Hudson provided 0.2 innings in relief, allowing one hit. Jordan Hicks closed out Chicago's bullpen day, striking out two in a clean inning of work. Despite those late-inning contributions, the damage had already been done against Fedde.

Bullpen Locks It Down: Weaver and Montgomery Finish the Job

After Jones exited with seven shutout innings in the books, the Pittsburgh bullpen did exactly what it needed to do. Luke Weaver took over in the eighth and was spotless, striking out two batters in a perfect frame. Mason Montgomery closed out the ninth, allowing one hit but striking out one to record the save. It was a clean, three-pitcher effort that produced a combined shutout — Jones, Weaver, and Montgomery holding Chicago to just three hits and two walks across nine innings. That kind of collective pitching performance is the backbone of a road win in a tight, low-scoring game.

What's Next for the Pittsburgh Pirates

  • The Pirates continue their road series against the Chicago White Sox.
  • Jones picks up the win and Pittsburgh's rotation will look to build on this shutout performance.
  • Cruz's three-hit, two-RBI effort — including a home run — is a standout individual performance in a 2-0 win that required every run to count.
  • The Pittsburgh pitching staff's combined three-hit shutout, with just two walks allowed across nine innings, sets a strong standard for the rotation and bullpen as the 2026 regular season heads toward its final weeks.