PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – There was a lot of June that was just horrible for the Pirates. Not the last four days, Carlos Santana ends the month with a walk-off, two-out, two-run home run into the Allegheny River as the Bucs beat Milwaukee 8-7 Friday night.
Twice the Pirates trailed by four runs and a major catalyst for each come back was Andrew McCutchen. Trailing 4-0 in the fourth inning, McCutchen led off with a home run and later in the inning Nick Gonzales would hit a two-run double to make it 4-3.
Brewers would add three in the seventh inning only to have the Pirates answer with a run in the bottom of the inning on a McCutchen RBI single. Next inning, the Pirates cut the lead to 7-5 on a Jack Suwinski single.
Last at bat with one out and Ji Hwan Bae at second, McCutchen lines one off the centerfield wall and the lead is cut to one. Now two outs, McCutchen still at second base. A fifth at bat for Santana and on the first pitch from Matt Bush, Santana turns on a fastball that doesn’t rest until it travels inside the foul poll over the stands and into the Allegheny River. It’s the eighth walk-off in Santana’s MLB career and 69th ball to ever reach the river outside of PNC Park.
One of the recent call-ups, rookie right-handed reliever Carmen Mlodzinski got his first major league win giving up a hit and striking out two over two scoreless innings. The 39-42 Bucs are 4.5 back in the Central as the Reds came back to beat the Padres Friday night.
Up Next
Brewers start RHP Corbin Burnes (5-5, 4.10 ERA) against Johan Oviedo (3-8, 4.06 ERA) at 4:05p Saturday with Josh Rowntree hosting the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show at 3p on 93.7 The Fan.