Pirates explode for a decisive eighth, snapping a seven-game skid with a 5-1 win at Nationals Park as Bubba Chandler silenced Washington by retiring the first 15 batters he faced. The inning opened with a bases-loaded situation and Pittsburgh capitalized with two timely hits from Andrew McCutchen and Nick Yorke to take control.

Spencer Horwitz and Tommy Pham drew walks to fuel the rally, Bryan Reynolds added the final blow, and Pittsburgh padded the lead with cushion runs. The result offers a spark for fantasy managers, underscoring late-season depth and a potential uptick in value for Pirates role players the rest of the way.

Week 24 waiver wire snapshot: late-season push demands bold adds and careful risk. Mets call Brandon Sproat for his MLB debut as week-spanning call-ups heat up the roster, while Bubba Chandler is set to debut for Pittsburgh. Sal Stewart plus Colton Cowser have been promoted, delivering immediate prospects with upside for strong add targets in deeper formats. Stay alert for injury replacements, hot streaks, and closer-role shifts as rosters expand.

Top adds include a mix of rookies and veterans stepping into bigger roles, with the potential for quick fantasy dividends in the final weeks. Prioritize 12+ team leagues for Stewart and Cowser, while Sproat and Chandler warrant speculative targets in deeper formats and daily fantasy contexts. Close monitoring of starts, lineup changes, and matchup data remains crucial as Week 24 unfolds.

Shohei Ohtani blasted a solo shot at PNC Park that leapt off the bat at 120 mph, the hardest-hit ball in the Statcast era. Off Bubba Chandler at 99.2 mph, it became the toughest homer off a sub-100 mph pitch in the era and pushed Ohtani’s season total to 46, plus his 100th Dodgers homer. He remains a DH candidate as he builds back toward full mound work, with Teoscar Hernández backing the offense and the Dodgers clinging to a narrow NL West lead.

Ohtani’s feat comes amid a Dodgers- Pirates test, with Teoscar Hernández driving in a run to tighten the score and Rafael Diaz-like power looming on the horizon for fantasy managers. The Dodgers sit at 78-59, entertaining a hopeful finish as Ohtani continues to blend elite power with a recovered mound role, following a five-inning start against the Reds and prepping for another start versus Pittsburgh.