Ryan O’Hearn and Nick Gonzales each homered to highlight another strong offensive output for the host Pittsburgh Pirates in a 9-3 win over the Minnesota Twins on Sunday afternoon.
The Pirates scored a combined 25 runs on 31 hits to complete a three-game sweep over the reeling Twins, who lost their fifth in a row, matching a season-high.
Pittsburgh led 9-0 after scoring five runs in the fifth inning, and backed up another strong outing from Braxton Ashcraft (5-2), who struck out a career-high 11 over six innings in his third consecutive quality start. Ashcraft threw 80 pitches, allowed five hits and did not issue a walk.
Ashcraft allowed two runs on a sixth-inning, two-run home run from Brooks Lee, which put the Twins on the board. Lee drove in all of the Twins’ runs on a pair of home runs. His second was a solo homer off reliever Brandan Bidiois in the ninth. It was Lee’s second career multi-homer game and first since July 29th of last year.
The Pirates jumped on Twins starter Zebby Matthews (1-3) early. Matthews lost his third consecutive start despite striking out seven. He allowed a season-worst seven runs on six hits and two walks over 4 1/3 innings.
O’Hearn, who had not played since May 16th due to right quad muscle strain, was activated from the 15-day injured list. He opened the scoring in the bottom of the second with a solo home run to right field – his eighth of the season and first since May 14th. O’Hearn later added a single in the sixth.
In the bottom of the third, Matthews hit Bryan Reynolds with a pitch, setting up Gonzales’ first home run of the season two batters later to give Pittsburgh a 4-0 lead.
The Pirates broke the game open in the fifth in an inning highlighted by Brandon Lowe’s RBI single and a two-run single from Henry Davis.
Lee’s homer came two batters after Alex Jackson reached on a single. But Ashcraft kept Minnesota from cutting the deficit further by striking out Kody Clemens and Josh Bell to end the frame. Bell finished with two hits.
