Soto (1-0) earned the win in relief Wednesday against the Rangers despite allowing two runs on three hits over an inning while striking out three.
Analysis:
Soto entered the game in the bottom of the eighth inning when the Pirates had a 4-2 lead, but he surrendered that advantage after allowing a two-RBI single to Jake Burger, scoring Andrew McCutchen and Brandon Nimmo. However, the Pirates responded with four runs in the top of the ninth -- headlined by a three-run homer from Oneil Cruz -- which allowed Soto to walk away with the win. That said, this was far from his finest outing. It also ended a streak of seven scoreless appearances for the veteran, who nonetheless should continue to have an important role in the Pirates' bullpen going forward.
