Pirates lose on Bethancourt’s 9th-inning HR
ATLANTA – Christian Bethancourt lined Vance Worley’s first pitch in the ninth inning over the right-field wall for his first career homer, lifting the Atlanta Braves to a 5-4 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates Saturday night.
Bethancourt had three hits, including the drive off Worley (2-4). The ball, curving toward the foul pole, cleared the wall beyond the reach of right fielder Gregory Polanco.
Polanco had three hits, including a two-run single off Jim Johnson in the eighth that tied the score at 4.
Jason Grilli (1-2) pitched a perfect inning and the Braves ended Pittsburgh’s four-game winning streak.
Chris Johnson hit his first homer of the season in the second for Atlanta.
Pittsburgh’s Andrew McCutchen hit a two-run homer in the fourth for a 2-2 tie.
The Pirates lost for only the third time in 15 games.
Atlanta starter Julio Teheran gave up just three hits through his first seven innings but was pulled after allowing one-out singles to Francisco Cervelli and Jordy Mercer in the eighth. With two outs, Johnson gave up Polanco’s tying single.
Teheran got 12 straight outs following McCutchen’s homer until Cervelli’s single in the eighth. Teheran was charged with five hits and four runs with no walks and five strikeouts in 7 1-3 innings.
The Braves took a 3-2 lead in the fourth. Jonny Gomes drew a walk from Jeff Locke, stole second and scored on Bethancourt’s single.
Cameron Maybin’s single drove in Bethancourt in the seventh, increasing the lead to 4-2 and knocking Locke out of the game.