Field Level Media
May 8, 2019
Isiah Kiner-Falefa doubled in the tiebreaking run in the ninth inning and Rougned Odor added a two-run homer on Wednesday to give the visiting Texas Rangers a 9-6 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates.
The game featured dueling two-run homers into the Allegheny River, one by Texas' Joey Gallo that bounced into the water, and Pittsburgh's Josh Bell's shot that got wet on the fly.
Hunter Pence hit a tying pinch-hit grand slam in the eighth for Texas, which avoided being swept in the two-game series as well as the four-game season series after Pittsburgh won both games last week in Arlington.
Colin Moran also homered and Gregory Polanco had a two-run single for the Pirates, who had won three straight.
The starters each went four innings and gave up two runs on the homers to the river.
Texas' Shelby Miller gave up four hits, with six strikeouts and one walk.
Ariel Jurado (1-1) pitched a scoreless eighth. Chris Martin pitched the ninth for his first save.
Pittsburgh's Nick Kingham, in his first start this season, surrendered three hits, with five strikeouts and three walks.
Tyler Lyons (1-1) pitched the final 1 1/3 innings, allowing the three ninth-inning runs.
Gallo gave Texas a 2-0 lead in the third inning with a 443-foot homer to right-center that bounced into the river. It was Gallo's 12th this season and the 100th of his career in his 377th game, making him the fastest to 100 in American League history.
Bell one-upped Gallo in the fourth inning with a 472-foot shot to right that reached the river on the fly -- the fourth time that has happened at PNC Park -- and tied it 2-2.
In the fifth, Polanco's two-run single produced a 4-2 Pirates lead.
Pittsburgh picked up two more in the sixth. Kevin Newman singled with one out, stole second and took third on catcher Jeff Mathis' throwing error, then scored on Gallo's throwing error from center field trying to get Newman out at third.
Moran followed with a pinch-hit homer, his third, for a 6-2 lead.
Michael Feliz walked the bases loaded in the eighth, and with two outs Pence hit a pinch-hit grand slam off the foul pole in left to tie it at 6.
--Field Level Media