SEATTLE — It took one batter and two pitches for the Pittsburgh Pirates‘ plan of assault in opposition to proficient younger righty George Kirby to go sideways.
That turned out to be an excellent factor for the Pirates.
Andrew McCutchen hit the twenty first leadoff homer of his profession, the primary of 4 residence runs off Kirby, and the Pirates matched a franchise file with seven lengthy balls on their approach to an 11-6 win over the Seattle Mariners on Friday evening.
“Some of us were just laughing to each other just because the game plan we had going in wasn’t to slug the whole game the way we did,” mentioned Pittsburgh‘s Jack Suwinski, who hit two homers.
But slug the Pirates did. The seven residence runs greater than doubled Pittsburgh’s earlier excessive for a sport this season (three) and marked the third time since 1901 the Pirates hit seven in a sport. They beforehand did it in 2003 and 1947, each in opposition to St. Louis.
“We stayed in attack mode, and we stayed throughout the whole game,” supervisor Derek Shelton mentioned.
PHOTOS: McCutchen sparks record-tying residence run barrage as Pirates sink Mariners 11-6
McCutchen’s towering drive on the second pitch of the sport was his eighth of the season and only the start for the Pirates. Suwinski had his second multi-homer sport of the season, with a two-out, two-run shot to middle area off Kirby within the fifth inning and an extended solo homer to proper within the seventh.
Bryan Reynolds completed with 4 RBIs on a two-run triple, an RBI single and his seventh homer all in his closing three at-bats.
Carlos Santana, a key piece of Seattle’s playoff run final season, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Tucupita Marcano all added solo pictures. Santana’s homer was his first since April 7. Hayes’ homer was his second of the season, first since April 15, and it ended Kirby’s evening after 4 2/3 innings.
“We were just locked in, putting the barrel on the ball, driving the ball,” Reynolds mentioned. “It doesn’t happen every day so it was nice that we were able to feed off each other.”
Kirby (5-4) endured his most depressing outing of the 12 months. The seven earned runs and 4 homers allowed each matched profession highs from final season when he was knocked round in a loss to Baltimore. Kirby gave up 9 hits and struck out 4.
“We left too many balls up to a team that hits the high fastball,” Seattle supervisor Scott Servais mentioned.
It was speculated to be a stellar matchup of two younger right-handers with Kirby and Pittsburgh’s Mitch Keller on the mound. Keller wasn’t at his finest, both, however labored into the seventh to win his third straight determination.
Keller (6-1) allowed six runs on seven hits and struck out eight. He got here again out for the seventh inning even with a giant lead and promptly gave up a two-run homer to J.P. Crawford that ended his evening.
“The thing that I really liked about it is Mitch Keller last year, Mitch Keller the year before, gives up eight. He didn’t. He grinded through it, gave us a start to be able to win the game and I think that just shows his maturity,” Shelton mentioned.
Julio Rodríguez hit an opposite-field homer within the first inning for Seattle and added a two-run single within the fifth.
CLOSE CALL
Seattle’s Ty France was hit on the brim of his helmet by a 93 mph fastball from Keller within the fifth. It was the second time this week France obtained a scare from an inside fastball. He was hit on the surface of his left hand Tuesday in opposition to Oakland and sat out one sport because of swelling.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Vince Velasquez (4-3, 3.06 ERA) will make his eighth begin of the season Saturday and first since early May. Velasquez has been on the injured record because of elbow irritation after throwing simply three innings in opposition to Tampa Bay on May 4.
Mariners: RHP Luis Castillo (3-2, 2.97) threw six shutout innings in his final begin in opposition to Oakland after struggling for the higher a part of a month. Castillo struck out eight and scattered 4 hits in opposition to the A’s. He’s 5-4 with a 2.51 ERA in 13 profession begins in opposition to Pittsburgh.
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