The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated Cincinnati 9-4 Sunday afternoon, avoiding a three-games series sweep by the Reds. Ryan O’Hearn had two home runs to lead the Bucs and drove in four. Esmerlyn Valdez hit his fifth home run and added a double. He drove in two and scored twice. Tyler Callihan hit his third home run and drove in three.
The O’Hearn and Valdez “dingers” came back-to-back after a rain delay Sunday afternoon. The Valdez home run traveled 461 feet.
Pirates starting pitcher Mitch Keller earned his sixth win of the season. He allowed four runs, three earned on five hits over six innings. The Bucs moved back to the .500 mark at 42-42 overall. They lost a pair of two-run games in the series, falling 9-7 Saturday and 6-4 Friday. In both games, the bullpen allowed game-changing home runs.
Saturday’s game was given away by a three-run home run by Eugenio Suarez of the Reds by Pirates closer Gregory Soto with two outs in the ninth inning.
The Bucs begin a four-game series in Philadelphia tonight. First pitch is 6:40pm. Pre-game on WISR begins at 6:15pm. Braxton Ashcraft will start for the Pirates.
The Phillies enter tonight’s games as the top Wild Card team in the National League. The Pirates are 2-1/2 games back in the chase for one of the three Wild Cards. After starting the season slow and firing their manager, the Phillies have closed to within three games of the Atlanta Braves in the N.L. East.
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