PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Scoring three times as many runs as they did the entire previous homestand, the Bucs beat San Diego 9-4 Tuesday night to start the final home stretch before the All-Star Break.
“We did a good job,” said Pirates manager Derek Shelton. “We kept adding on. We played the way we played earlier in the year with the bunt and being able to take extra bases. Overall just a very well-played game.”
“We’ve been waiting for it and it was just a matter of time,” said Pirates catcher Austin Hedges, who had two hits and one base four times. “It was good to be back at home. The boys have been grinding. It’s part of baseball to go through stretches like that. We knew we were just one day away, one swing away and that’s what happened today.”
Every Pirate but one got on base Tuesday night and seven different Pirates had RBIs with Carlos Santana and Nick Gonzales with multiple RBI, each homering as did Jack Suwinski. Struggling to find offense during their streak of losing 12 of 13, the Bucs hadn’t scored nine runs or had 16 hits since June 9 in a 14-7 win over the Mets.
“We play together like that and we play with that intensity, that’s who we are,” said Pirates starter Rich Hill. “That aggressiveness and will to win, it’s special. I’ve been around for a while and been around a lot of good teams and I know what it takes to win. Seeing these guys come together collectively is special. It takes that level of intensity every single night.”
Related
Back-to-back
For the second time this season, Santana and Suwinski hit back-to-back home runs. Even with their offensive struggles, the Pirates are now tied for the MLB lead with seven back-to-back home runs this season (Atlanta, LA, TB).
Stellar glove
Along with turning a trio of double plays, left-fielder Josh Palacios made an acrobatic catch off a Juan Soto fly ball in the left field corner. Palacios went to the foul pole and reached back to make a snow-cone grab to rob Soto potentially of his 15th home run.
“The ball went up really high, I got to the wall, got my hand on the wall,” Palacios recalled. “Then I saw the ball coming down, but it was cutting across and when I jumped I was reaching up. I was like ‘I hope my reach is long enough’. Thank God was able to snag that one. It was a big moment for the boys and a big moment for my career. It was pretty sick.”
Related
Hill help
Rich Hill got his seventh win of the season going six innings allowing four runs allowing nine hits, two walks and struck out four.
“I know personally for me I could have done a better job, but it was enough for us to get a win,” Hill said.
Bae tossed
The only Pirates who didn’t reach base but did have an RBI, Ji Hwan Bae was ejected in the sixth inning after arguing an inside pitch that was called a strike. Bae appeared to say two-to-three words before he was quickly tossed by home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak.
"I think he probably said something he shouldn't have,” Shelton said. “And they ejected him."
Up Next
Padres start lefty Blake Snell who is only 4-6 despite a 3.22 ERA against 8-game winner Mitch Keller (8-3, 3.45 ERA) Wednesday at 7:05p pregame on 93.7 The Fan begins with Josh Rowntree hosting the North Shore Tavern Pregame Show at 6p.