Pirates come up with clutch hitting, pitching to edge Orioles

Field Level Media|published: Sat 6th April, 19:54 2024

Apr 6, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Pittsburgh Pirates catcher Joey Bart (14) celebrates with first base Rowdy Tellez (44) after hitting a two run home run against the Baltimore Orioles during the second inning at PNC Park. credits: David Dermer-USA TODAY Sports

Oneil Cruz delivered a walk-off RBI single in the 11th inning to give the Pittsburgh Pirates a 5-4 win against the visiting Baltimore Orioles on Saturday in the second game of their three-game series.

Cedric Mullins had just made a game-saving diving catch in center field on Ke'Bryan Hayes' liner before Cruz drilled the first pitch he saw from Jonathan Heasley (0-1) into right field for the game-winning RBI.

Josh Fleming (1-0) got the final out of the 11th inning for the Pirates to earn the win.

Pittsburgh starter Bailey Falter allowed one bloop hit over six shutout innings. He struck out one and walked one on 78 pitches.

Joey Bart hit a two-run homer in his first at-bat with the Pirates and Rowdy Tellez contributed three hits and a walk.

Orioles starter Tyler Wells allowed three runs and seven hits over 5 1/3 innings, striking out three and walking two.

Both teams scored a run in the 10th, the Orioles on a sacrifice fly by Adley Rutschman and the Pirates on a bases-loaded walk to Edward Olivares.

Pirates reliever David Bednar tried to protect a one-run lead in the ninth but gave up a one-out single to Jordan Westburg followed by a pinch-hit single to Ryan O'Hearn.

A wild pitch moved the runners to second and third before Mullins hit a grounder to Tellez at first and his throw to the plate was late, allowing Westburg to tie it 3-3.

Tellez gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead with an RBI single in the second.

Bart, who was acquired in a trade with the San Francisco Giants on Tuesday after the No. 2 overall pick in the 2018 MLB Draft was designated for assignment, then blasted a two-run homer to left-center field for a 3-0 lead.

Falter did not allow a hit until No. 9 batter Jorge Mateo hit a shallow fly to lead off the sixth, and the ball fell between all three outfielders for a double.

Ryder Ryan relieved Falter to start the seventh and walked the first batter he faced before giving up a double down the left-field line to Westburg, putting runners on second and third.

A slow roller by Austin Hays plated the first run for Baltimore and Mullins followed with a sacrifice fly to cut it to 3-2.

—Field Level Media

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