Pirates wait out rain, blast homers to beat Reds
PITTSBURGH – Ryan O’Hearn homered twice in a game for the third time in the majors and drove in four runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates avoid a series sweep with a 9-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.
O’Hearn put Pittsburgh in front 5-4 in the fifth inning with a 421-foot drive to right off Brady Singer (3-7).
After a 65-minute rain delay with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Pierce Johnson walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales before O’Hearn hit a three-run shot to make it 8-4. Esmerlyn Valdéz followed O’Hearn by homering for a third straight game. Valdéz’s blast went 461 feet and landed well over the notch in left-center field at PNC Park.
Mitch Keller (6-5) went six innings for the Pirates, allowing four runs – three earned – and five hits with four strikeouts and a walk.
Singer gave up five runs and nine hits with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh scored four runs before recording an out in the second inning. Gonzales and O’Hearn started with a pair of singles before Valdéz made it 1-0 on a ground-rule double. Tyler Callihan then sent a sinker 412 feet to right for a three-run homer.
Elly De La Cruz reached safely on a fielding error by Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe to begin the fourth. A double by Sal Stewart put two runners in scoring position. JJ Bleday took advantage with a two-run single that dropped into right field and cut the deficit to 4-2.
Tyler Stephenson lined an RBI double past a diving Callihan in left field and scored on Edwin Arroyo’s single down the line in right, tying it at 4 in the fifth.
The Pirates twice failed to score with the bases loaded and no outs. Konnor Griffin grounded into a force out, Lowe struck out and Reynolds grounded to third in the fourth. In the seventh, Henry Davis popped up to short and Griffin hit into a double play.
Up next
Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 5.59 ERA) will take the mound Monday for the first of a four-game set in Milwaukee against Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (1-3, 4.50 ERA).
Pirates: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA) will start the first of a four-game series in Philadelphia on Monday against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.58 ERA).