Jared Triolo hit his first Major League homerun on Sunday afternoon, and it was a big one. Stepping to the plate with his team down by a run in the seventh, #19 laced a pitch over the wall in left field to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 4-2 lead. Two innings later, the Bucs claimed a two-run victory over the Cincinnati Reds at PNC Park.
For Triolo, it was his first big league homer…which also came as a pinch-hitter. For the Pirates, it was a huge come-from-behind victory over a divisional opponent in front of an exuberant crowd on the north shore.
The Reds only scored two runs, but they built a 2-0 lead midway through the game against Mitch Keller and the Pirates. A RBI single by Christian Encarnacion-Strand scored Matt McLain to break a scoreless tie in the fourth inning. McLain’s double in the fifth inning brought home Will Benson to complete the scoring for Cincinnati.
Alika Williams’ single scored Henry Davis in the bottom of the fifth inning to cut the Reds’ lead in half. It would remain a 2-1 game until the seventh, when Triolo stepped to the plate and played hero, belting a three-run homerun to score Liover Peguero and Endy Rodriguez to make it 4-2 Bucs.
Colin Holderman and David Bednar each gave up a hit in their one inning of relief, but kept the Reds from scoring to secure the victory. Holderman tallied his 18th hold of the season, while Bednar looked solid while earning his 24th save.
Not to be out-shined by Triolo’s heroics on this day was the solid performance from Keller. His struggles since the All-Star Break have been well-documented by fans and media alike, but he looked good on the mound on Sunday. The Bucs’ All-Star gave up two runs (one earned) on five hits with seven strikeouts in six innings.
This was a solid victory for the Pirates, earning a close victory over the Reds after a blowout loss on Friday night. Hopefully they can continue to build momentum as they continue into this next week on the road.
Record vs. Reds: 6-3
Record vs. N.L. Central: 14-18
Record at Home: 29-31
Overall Record: 53-64
And…
As Always…
Let’s Go Bucs!
