Braxton Ashcraft tossed a complete game for the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 13-1 win over the Miami Marlins, finishing nine innings with three hits, one earned run, one walk and 10 strikeouts on just 85 pitches. Rafael Flores Jr. supplied much of the offense with two three-run homers, and Owen Caissie hit a solo homer off Ashcraft in the ninth. Ashcraft’s 85-pitch complete game is the lowest pitch-count complete game this season and one of only three nine-inning complete games of 85 pitches or fewer since 2015, joining Framber Valdez (5/30/25) and Kyle Hendricks (5/3/19). It is also the third Pirates complete game of 85 or fewer pitches since pitch counts were tracked, joining Jeff Karstens (7/15/2011) and Doug Drabek (9/30/1990). Game stat line reported as 9 IP, 3 H, 1 ER, 1 BB, 10 K, 85 pitches, and this marked Ashcraft’s second 10-strikeout game this year.
