Pirates rely on long ball to avoid sweep vs. Reds

Ryan O'Hearn hit a pair of home runs and Esmerlyn Valdez homered for the third consecutive game to lead the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 9-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday afternoon.

O'Hearn's third career multi-homer game and first since Aug. 25, 2019 helped the Pirates avoid being swept in the three-game series.

O'Hearn's first broke a 4-4 tie in the bottom of the fifth inning when he smacked a 421-foot solo shot to right field off Cincinnati starter Brady Singer (3-7), who gave up five runs on nine hits, including two home runs, and struck out six over 4 1/3 innings.

Following a one-hour, five-minute-long rain delay in the bottom of the eighth, O'Hearn extended that advantage to 8-4 when he belted a three-run homer -- his 13th of the season -- off Reds reliever Pierce Johnson. O'Hearn finished with three hits.

Valdez made it back-to-back homers when he crushed a solo home run 461 feet to left center against Johnson. Valdez's home run was the longest at PNC Park since June 6, 2024 when Oneil Cruz hit a 462-foot home run. He also became the first Pittsburgh rookie to homer in three straight games since Kevin Newman in 2019.

The Pirates hit four home runs overall as Tyler Callihan's three-run home run against his former team highlighted a four-run second inning and gave Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead. Valdez also had three hits and two RBIs and Callihan had two hits.

Pirates starter Mitch Keller (6-5) allowed four runs (three earned) on five hits and one walk, and struck out four over six innings.

A bobble at second on a grounder allowed Elly De La Cruz to reach base and begin the Reds' rally in the fourth. Sal Stewart followed with a double off the right field wall and JJ Bleday singled to drive in both De La Cruz and Stewart to cut the Reds' deficit to 4-2.

In the fifth, Tyler Stephenson lined a ball that landed past the reach of a diving Callihan for a double, which scored Noelvi Marte. Two batters later, Edwin Arroyo singled to right to score Stephenson and tie the game at 4. Stephenson, Arroyo and Stewart each had two hits.

--Field Level Media