The Pittsburgh Pirates continued their road trip Monday night with the first of three games against the San Diego Padres. These two teams met at PNC Park at the end of June and Pittsburgh would sweep that three-game series. The Pirates would once again get the best of the Padres tonight when they picked up an 8-4 win.
Ha-Seong Kim started the scoring on the night with a 411 ft. solo home run to left center for the Padres. The Pirates would answer back with two home runs of their own in the third to take a two-run lead. It began with Jack Suwinski hitting a 388 ft. solo home run to right. Later in the inning Carlos Santana smacked a 400 ft. two run home run to right center.
Pittsburgh would continue to use the long ball in the fourth inning when Liover Peguero hit his first ever Major League home run, a two-run shot, to put the Pirates up four. Santana would come through with a second two run homer of the night, a 417 ft. dinger to right center in the fifth. They would tack on another run when Peguero plated a run with an infield single to third.
Kim would once again hit a two-run home run, this time a 388 ft. shot to left center in the fifth. San Diego would inch closer in the sixth on a Luis Campusano RBI double to center. Thankfully that is all the closer they would get.
After having a rough first career outing, Quinn Priester would bounce back to allow four runs on four hits with four strikeouts and three walks over 5.1 innings, collecting hit first win in the Majors in the process. Ryan Borucki would work an inning, giving up a hit and striking out a batter during that time. Carmen Mlodzinski pitched 1.2 innings and allowed one hit to go with a walk and a strikeout. Colin Holderman would be tasked with getting the final three outs of the night, a task he would successfully complete.
Yu Darvish was roughed up by Pittsburgh during his 4.1 innings on the mound. He would allow seven runs on eight hits with three strikeouts and three walks. Tim Hill would collect the final two outs of the fifth, allowing one run on three hits with a strikeout. Pedro Avila struck out and walked three batters, and gave up one hit while covering two innings. The eighth belonged to Nick Martinez who struck out the side, before giving way to Luis Garcia who worked a scoreless ninth.
No better way to start a series than with a win, a much needed one at that. Nice to see both the young guys and veterans contribute tonight. A down note on the night was Tucupita Marcano exiting the game with an apparent right knee injury in the fifth inning. The last late-night game of the road trip will take place on Tuesday night 9:40pm. The pitching matchup will feature Rich Hill against Blake Snell.
Record vs. Padres: 4-0
Record vs. N.L. West: 15-14
Record on the Road: 21-29
Overall Record: 44-56
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
