Ryan O’Hearn went 4-for-5 with three doubles and three RBIs and Braxton Ashcraft struck out 10 in six solid innings as the Pittsburgh Pirates trounced the visiting Seattle Mariners 11-1 on Wednesday.
Endy Rodriguez added a two-run double and an RBI single for the Pirates, who evened the three-game interleague series at a game apiece.
Ashcraft (7-3), who won for the sixth time in his past seven decisions, allowed one run on five hits and no walks. The right-hander finished one shy of his career-high strikeout total, set May 31 against the Minnesota Twins.
Carmen Mlodzinski pitched three scoreless innings of relief for his second save.
The Mariners opened the scoring in the first inning. J.P. Crawford hit a leadoff single to center, and Cal Raleigh followed with a liner off the glove of first baseman Spencer Horwitz to send Crawford to third. Julio Rodriguez grounded a run-scoring single to left to make it 1-0.
Seattle nearly had a bigger inning as, with two on and one out, Randy Arozarena hit a drive down the right field line that required a crew-chief review to determine whether it was a home run or foul ball. It was ruled foul, and Arozarena eventually struck out.
The Pirates put a runner on base in each of the first three innings against Seattle starter Bryan Woo (6-6), though none of those was via a hit — two walks and an error.
Pittsburgh broke through in the fourth, scoring five runs.
Bryan Reynolds lined a leadoff single to center, and after Nick Gonzales grounded into a forceout, O’Hearn hit a ground-rule double down the left field line. Endy Rodriguez hit a two-run double into the gap in right-center before Tyler Callihan tripled to right, scoring another run.
Jake Mangum grounded a run-scoring single to left, and pinch hitter Esmerlyn Valdez singled high off the wall in center field to make it 5-1.
Woo went four innings and allowed five runs on six hits while losing his fourth straight road start. The right-hander walked two and struck out four.
The Pirates pulled away with four more runs in the seventh off reliever Nick Davila. Brandon Lowe singled, Reynolds walked and Gonzales singled to load the bases with no outs. O’Hearn doubled to right to bring home two runs, and Endy Rodriguez singled in another. Callihan’s sacrifice fly extended the lead to 9-1.
Pittsburgh added two more runs in the eighth on doubles by Valdez, Reynolds and O’Hearn.
–Field Level Media
