PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – ‘You guys should be talking to Flo’ were the words of Brandon Lowe after hitting a walk-off home run as the Pirates beat the Tigers 4-3 finishing the homestand with back-to-back series wins.
“I mean, crazy, we’re not in that position, at least I’m not in that position if it’s not for his bat today,” Lowe said of Rafael Flores, explanation to come. “I mean, (he) kind of ambushed (Tigers reliever Kenley Jansen) a little bit too. Obviously, not starting to hitting two homers in a game is really impressive.”
So impressive Flores is the first Pirate in the Modern Era (since 1901) to hit two home runs in a game he did not start.
The 25-year-old who came over from the Yankees in the David Bednar trade, came in as a pinch-hitter in the sixth after Henry Davis was hit in the wrist by a pitch (x-rays were negative, he’s going to be fine) and was subbed out. Flores hit a 422-foot home run to bring the Pirates within a run in the seventh and then tied the game with a 431-foot homer to left field in the ninth.
"Wow,” said Pirates manager Don Kelly. “Unbelievable. No doubters on both, coming off the bench in that situation to get us within one and then, a really tough pitch he hit, too, to hit it out off Jansen. Absolutely killed that one, too.”
“I mean I hit a cutter homer the at bat before, I just got to ambush that cutter,” Flores said. “It’s a crazy pitch, (Kenley Jansen) is nasty, but he threw one down and in right into my barrel and I crushed it.”
“Hopefully I can do it again.”
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It wasn’t easy early after he was called up this year, he hit .167 in July and went from July 22 to August 1 between at bats. Since August started, five home runs this month alone, that’s more than he hit in all of his AAA season. His slugging percentage this month is .818.
"Flo has continued to work hard, going down to Triple-A and getting better,” Kelly said. “He's always open. He’s always asking questions, he's always trying to figure out to be better, and I think we're seeing the results of that work and the consistency that it's bringing as well.”
“You are going to have to struggle to be successful, being in AAA I figured some things out and some things clicked,” Flores said. “I’m a big body, I had to figure out how to use my body a little better. Once I did, it’s kind of been pretty good from there.”
The lightbulb moment was realizing less is more. At times he swung too hard and was told he’s strong enough to hit the ball out just putting the barrel of the bat on the ball. He’s also been getting advice around the Pirates clubhouse and one piece that pertained to Wednesday afternoon was from veteran Ryan O’Hearn, he told him if you hit one home run in a game, forget that happened. Just go to your next at bat like it didn’t happen.
“I’m going to use that the rest of my career,” Flores said.
But Wednesday was still about hitting a pair of home runs in two at bats in a critical win over Detroit before playing at the Dodgers Friday night.
“Crazy, didn’t start the game, had to go in, get hot,” Flores said. “Crazy game, but we got the win. That’s all that matters, going to keep stacking them.”
