PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Expectations high for Oneil Cruz this season and the Pirates shortstop hit a 111mph home run and the game-winning sacrifice fly as the Pirates beat the Reds 5-4 in Cincinnati Thursday.
The 24-year-old Cruz had talked about wanting to be a 30 home run-30 stolen base player and while no SB, the home run tied the game in the third inning. Rumors of the Bucs being close to a Bryan Reynolds extension, the outfielder drove in a run with a walk in the fifth inning and Andrew McCutchen did the same as the next batter. A wild pitch by Fernando Cruz scored Oneil Cruz to make it 4-1.
Reds tied it with a run in the fourth and two more in the fifth. The Bucs then manufactured a run in the eighth. Ji-Hwan Bae walked, stole second. Catcher Austin Hedges with a sacrifice bunt to get Bae to third and then Cruz drove him in with a fly ball to left. David Bednar with a pair of strikeouts in the ninth for the opening save with reliever Rob Zastryzny getting the win.
Mitch Keller got out of a jam in the first, even though he gave up a run. A pair of singles with a walk in-between and the bases were loaded with no outs in the first.
Keller got a double-play started by Cruz and then a pop-out to the shortstop.
The righty would give up four earned runs on six hits, four walks and eight strikeouts.
Notes
· Pirates pitchers struck out 15 batters
· Bae went 2 for 3 with a pair of runs and pair of stolen bases
· Along with the homer and sac fly, Cruz also scored two runs and walked twice
· McCutchen walked three times and singled
· Hedges ended the eighth inning throwing out Stuart Fairchild after a Collin Holderman strikeout of Will Benson.
· Bucs drew nine walks
Up Next
Pirates are off Friday and play at Cincinnati again at 4:10 Saturday on 93.7 The Fan as Dan Zangrilli starts Fan pregame at 3:05p.