Pirates prospect Bubba Chandler gets first MLB win in relief

ST. LOUIS — Pittsburgh Pirates prized pitching prospect Bubba Chandler has lived up to the hype so far.

Chandler led the Pirates to a 2-1 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night, pitching four scoreless innings of relief to earn his first MLB win in his second major league game.

“You see the stuff,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “It’s electric. It’s elite.”

The 6-foot-3 right-hander allowed one hit, struck out three and walked one.

“The game gets easy when you’re not trying to do a whole lot,” Chandler said. “There’s been instances where I’ve tried to make a pitch really good and it hasn’t been, so having a batterymate like Henry (Davis) makes it easy, just makes you calm. Just trying to fill up the strike zone.”

The 22-year-old Chandler picked up the save in his MLB debut on Friday night, also working four scoreless innings in relief. He became the fifth pitcher to earn a save and a win in his first two major league games since saves became an official stat in 1969.

“He’s checking off boxes quickly,” Kelly said. “Going four innings for the save, four innings tonight. He did a great job.”

Chandler’s arrival has provided a glimmer of hope for Pittsburgh in another lost season. He could join Paul Skenes in a potentially formidable rotation for the Pirates as soon as next year.

But Chandler is working out of the bullpen for now as a way to ease his transition to the majors while the last-place Pirates closely monitor his innings.

“Just trying to stack the days,” Chandler said. “The game’s hard. It’s the big leagues for a reason. Just try to be the best I can when my number gets called.”

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Chandler entered Wednesday night’s game after starter Carmen Mlodzinski pitched three innings of one-run ball.

After Chandler retired the side in order in the fourth, St. Louis put runners on first and second with one out in the fifth. Ivan Herrera lined out to center field on a 100.4 mph fastball and Alec Burleson flied out, ending the inning.

Chandler hit Masyn Winn with a pitch with two outs in the sixth before retiring Thomas Saggese on a grounder to shortstop. Chandler also worked a perfect seventh before he was replaced by Isaac Mattson.

“He’s attacking the strike zone and going after it and just allowing his stuff to play,” Kelly said. “It doesn’t look like he’s trying to do it. He’s just out there, he’s being athletic, he’s being that bulldog that we know he is. Just looking forward to him continuing to attack in that way.”

Widely regarded as one of baseball’s top pitching prospects, Chandler went 5-6 with a 4.05 ERA in 24 starts for Triple-A Indianapolis before he was brought up by the Pirates. The Georgia native was a third-round selection in the 2021 amateur draft.