Baltimore completed a three-game sweep of Pittsburgh on Thursday with a 3-2 victory at Oriole Park, handing the Pirates their sixth straight loss and marking the second consecutive series in which they’ve been swept. Once again the bullpen struggled down the stretch and let the game slip away.
Pittsburgh struck first in the opener of the series finale when Jared Triolo led off the top of the first with a single and later scored on a two-out base hit by Nick Gonzales. The Bucs pulled even in the third when Alexander Canario crushed a 409-foot homer to left, his sixth of the season, making it 2-2.
However, the Orioles answered in the bottom of the first on Emmanuel Rivera’s RBI groundout and then regained the lead for good in the seventh. Rookie Dylan Beavers delivered the go-ahead run with a single up the middle, driving in Jackson Holliday and ultimately proving the difference in another tightly contested affair, this was the second game in a row that Beavers was the hero for the Orioles.
Pittsburgh’s pitching staff allowed just seven hits and kept the game within reach, but couldn’t find the firepower to match Baltimore’s late surge. Cade Povich gave up two runs in 5 2/3 innings, while Colin Holderman (0-2) took the loss after the Orioles’ intentional walk and ensuing go-ahead knock by Beavers.
The Pirates now head to Washington for a three-game series against the Nationals starting Friday at Nationals Park, before returning home to welcome the Chicago Cubs for four games at PNC Park. Washington has dropped two of its last five, while Pittsburgh will look to snap its skid and reset against a Nationals club that ranks near the bottom of the NL in runs scored and overall record
(photo courtesy of MSN)