Buc Notes-Reynolds walk off, Jones return, Cruz flies river

PITTSBURGH (93.7 The Fan) – ‘It’s like a movie’

Pirates outfielder Bryan Reynolds describing the feeling of rounding the bases after hitting a walk off home run as the Pirates beat the Twins 6-5 Friday night at PNC Park.

“That was sick,” Reynolds said. “We were kind of grinding for most of the game after the first couple innings. Spencer had a good at-bat. Left-on-left, got on base. Did that. So that was cool.”

From the right side of the plate, Reynolds turned on a sinker and pounded it 422 feet into the left field stands for the game winner.

“Really cool to see in that moment, bottom of the ninth at home to hit a walk-off in front of that crowd,” Kelly said of the 27-thousand plus at PNC Park. “The crowd was awesome tonight, electric and into it. To cap it off with that. But Bryan has been swinging it extremely well, driving the ball in the gaps, hit the home run left-handed then turn around and hit that righty and drive one. That one was a no-doubter.”

Also a no-doubter was a ball Oneil Cruz hit, 450 feel on the fly into the Allegheny River. It was just the seventh time since the ballpark opened in 2001 that a ball landed directly into the river. Cruz was the last one to do it last year.

"It feels good for sure, but I guess I'm getting used to it because I'm not feeling the same emotions I felt at the beginning of my career in the big leagues, but it feels really good for sure," Cruz said through interpreter and coach Stephen Morales.

Immediately after those comments, from two lockers down, teammate Marcell Ozuna yelled out ‘liar’ riding Cruz for trying to downplay the homer.

His manager did not downplay the power.

“It turns into a golf ball pretty quick,” Kelly said.

It was 609 days since Jared Jones had started a major league game. His first seven pitchers were at least 100 miles an hour.

"Kind of just a mixed pile of everything,” Jones said. “Thought I threw some good pitches. Thought I threw some pretty bad ones. First one back in over 600 days or whatever it is, so I'll figure it out soon."

Jones said he was ‘super-grateful’ just to be back

After striking out the first batter on three pitches, Jones sixth pitch was 100.1 mph to left Kody Clemens, but he turned on it and hit it 100.3 mph over the Clemente Wall in right.

The 24-year-old would walk a couple in the second leading to two runs on a Tristan Gray single. In the third inning, he gave up a two-out home run to Trevor Larnach that sailed out of the ballpark.

Jones final pitching line—4.1 innings, 7 hits, 5 runs, 2 walks, 6 strikeouts, 77 pitches-53 strikes.

“I've been on the shelf for 12 months now and during that time, you kind of just throw baseballs all the time uncompetitively, so you just try to work on things and it's kind of how I approached the comeback and all that stuff,” Jones said. “I'm happy with where everything's at right now."

Wilber Dotel threw three scoreless innings giving up one hit, no walks and struck out four lowering his ERA to 1.32.

“Huge,” Kelly said. “That’s twice this week that he’s been able to do that, with Monday against the Cubs and then today. That’s the thing that we’re excited about, having two guys able to do that and have the opportunity to fill some innings out of the ‘pen in big, leverage situations.”

Pirates are now 1-22 when trailing after the eighth inning.

Derek Shelton on his return to Pittsburgh

Notes

• High A NO-HITTER Former WVU pitcher Carlson Reed threw 7 perfect innings striking out 7 for High A Greensboro, relievers Inmer Lobo and Kyle Larsen went the final 2 innings allowing no hits and three walks in a 4-0 Greensboro No Hitter victory over Hub City
• Former highly regarded RHP Thomas Harrington had another rough outing in AAA—3 innings, 5 hits, 3 runs, 2 strikeouts, the May ERA is 10.33 and overall ERA is 6.75

Up Next

Veteran Mitch Keller (5-2, 3.64 ERA) against right-hander Bailey Ober (6-2, 3.92 ERA) with the North Shore Tavern Leadoff Show with Dan Zangrilli at 3:00 and first pitch at 4:05 on 93.7 The Fan.