Pirates set team all-time home run record in loss

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – Pirates set the all-time team home run record hitting a trio of bombs, but lost to the Brewers 5-4 Wednesday giving up a pair of runs in the seventh inning.

The Pirates (75-77) got the record of 172 in the fourth inning and added two more.

"I think it's guys that have power that aren't necessarily going up there trying to hit home runs,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly.

“We are a good offensive team, we’ve shown it the whole year, sometimes you win games, sometimes you lose games,” said catcher Rafael Flores, Junior.

Cruz 19^th

Oneil Cruz hit a 113mph laser off a seat over the Clemente Wall for the Pirates first run. It was Cruz’s 19^th home run.

“That home run Oneil hit was impressive,” Kelly said. “It was scary, going out there as hard as it was, line drive into the seats like that. I think it just speaks to the power that we have.”

Brandon Lowe then added to the total with his 31^st home run, nearly clearing the stands (418 feet) over the Clemente Wall.

“Lowe, 31 in a big moment like that, to be able to tie it up 3-3,” Kelly said. “He's got tremendous power.”

That ties Lowe for the 26^th best single season in home runs—other Pirates to hit 31 home runs.

• Sanders, McCutchen, Willie Stargell (1970), Jason Thompson (1982)

In just his 41^st game, Rafael Flores, Junior hit his ninth home run, which ties him with Henry Davis for most home runs by a Pirates catcher this season.

“He's setting his approach and it just happened to go to right-center,” Kelly said. “He's not going up there necessarily trying to hit a home run, which is what I think has been really impressive with most of our guys. That they're going up there to have good at-bats and ends up being a home run."

“I tried to be a little easier and swing easier and I was able to barrel it to right field,” Flores said. “It’s having an approach and executing.”

Here are the next five highest home run years, the leader in home runs and the final record

• 171—1999 (Brian Giles 39 HR, 78-83)

• 170—2012 (Andrew McCutchen 31 HR, 79-83)

• 168—2000 (Brian Giles 35 HR, 69-93)

• 163—2019 (Josh Bell, 37 HR, 69-93)

• 163—2003 (Reggie Sanders 31 HR, 75-87)

“We’re a good hitting team,” said Pirates starting pitcher Jared Jones. “At the end of the day, it sucks that we lost our key guys for a long term, I guess you could say, over the course of the season. It’s what could have been.”

Jared Jones

In three starts in September, Jared Jones has struck out 27 batters to only four walks. The 25-year-old gave up his first runs of the month, allowing three on Wednesday night in five innings on seven hits.

“It was kind of just weird,” Jones said. “I feel like I got unlucky, especially in the second inning. I didn’t give up a single barrel but I gave up two runs. A lot of things could’ve changed that didn’t go in my favor. It was kind of a ‘what just happened?’ type of outing. I thought I executed every pitch that I could. It is what it is. I got baseballed today.”

Jones got a no-decision as the season ERA is now 4.17.