Pittsburgh Pirates’ Oneil Cruz smiles in his dugout after hitting a solo home run against the Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Joe Mantiply during the sixth inning of a baseball game Sunday, July 28, 2024, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Darryl Webb)
PHOENIX — Ji Hwan Bae scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch in Pittsburgh’s four-run 10th inning, Joey Bart hit a tying run-scoring double in the ninth and the Pirates rallied to beat the Arizona Diamondbacks 6-5 on Sunday.
The teams combined for five hits through eight innings, with Arizona leading 2-1 into the ninth.
Then things got wild.
Rowdy Tellez, who sat out Saturday night because of back spasms, entered in the ninth inning as a pinch hitter and led off with a double against Paul Sewald. Bart followed with a two-out double to tie it. The blown save was Sewald’s fourth in 20 chances.
“That was sick — they both came off the bench and hit lasers,” said Pirates right fielder Jared Triolo, who made a diving catch to end the ninth inning.
Bae opened the 10th inning with a bunt single and Justin Martinez (4-2) walked Yasmani Grandal to load the bases. After Arizona catcher Jose Herrera caught just enough of the plate to get a forceout — overturned on review — Martinez uncorked a wild pitch that scored the speedy Bae.
Martinez then hit Alika Williams with a pitch to score another run and Ke’Bryan Hayes made it 6-2 with a two-run bloop single.
“I think this is our biggest victory,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “To come back from where we were at, the way Mitch (Keller) pitched, just to continue to grind through it.”
It still wasn’t over.
Arizona’s Eugenio Suárez hit a two-run homer off Colin Holderman in the 10th that was upheld upon review — Pirates’ left fielder Joshua Palacios thought a fan interfered — and pinch hitter Lourdes Gurriel Jr. hit a two-out solo shot that curled just inside the left foul pole.
Corbin Carroll followed with a triple to the corner in right, but Holderman got Geraldo Perdomo to ground out to end it.
“These are the games that force you to lose sleep for people in my position,” Diamondbacks manager Torey Lovullo said. “I’m sure everyone on this team feels the same way, but as you unpack it, what I want to make sure we do is learn and grow from what took place.”
Oneil Cruz homered for the second straight game and Aroldis Chapman (3-4) worked a perfect ninth for the Pirates.
It was a pitchers’ duel before the late-game fireworks.
Arizona starter Yilber Diaz allowed a hit in five scoreless innings, with seven strikeouts and four walks.
Cruz hit Joe Mantiply’s third pitch out to right for his 17th homer, a day after launching a 472-foot shot. It ended Mantiply’s streak of not allowing a homer at 59 2/3 innings.
Keller allowed two runs on three hits in six innings, with five strikeouts and two walks.
“There were some good things, but the things we didn’t do well we definitely need to improve upon,” Lovullo said.
TRAINER’S TABLE
Pirates: 2B Nick Gonzales was placed on the 10-day injured list after leaving Saturday’s game with left groin discomfort. Pittsburgh recalled Williams from Triple-A Indianapolis to fill his roster spot.
Diamondbacks:
UP NEXT
Pirates: All-Star RHP Paul Skenes (6-1, 1.93 ERA) is scheduled to pitch Monday to start a three-game series at Houston.
Diamondbacks: LHP Jordan Montgomery (7-5, 6.11) starts the opener of a three-game series against Washington on Monday.
Read More
