Ji Man Choi and Jared Triolo hit two-run singles in a five-run seventh as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to avoid a series sweep with a 7-5 win over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon.
Jack Suwinski added an RBI double and Nick Gonzales an RBI single for the Pirates, who lost the first two games of the series while being outscored 21-1.
Pittsburgh starter Rich Hill gave up four runs on eight hits in 5 2/3 innings, with one walk and one strikeout. Ryan Borucki (1-0) gave up one run in 1 1/3 innings. David Bednar pitched the ninth for his 18th save.
Josh Bell homered and added an RBI single, Amed Rosario contributed a two-run double and Andres Gimenez an RBI single for the Guardians.
Cleveland starter Aaron Civale allowed two runs on five hits in 5 1/3 innings, with three strikeouts and one walk. Sam Hentges (1-2), who allowed four runs while getting one out, was charged with the loss.
Jose Ramirez reached on a one-out infield single in the fourth and advanced to third on Bell’s single. Gimenez bunted for an RBI single and a 1-0 Cleveland lead.
In the fifth, Myles Straw singled and stole second one out later. After Steven Kwan walked, the two pulled off a double steal. Rosario doubled to bring Straw and Kwan home for a 3-0 lead. An out later, Bell singled to bring Rosario home for a 4-0 lead.
Pittsburgh cut the deficit in half in the bottom of the fifth. Henry Davis reached on an infield single and went to third on Triolo’s single. Gonzales singled one out later to drive in Davis to make it 4-1.
Another flyout later, Suwinski doubled, bringing Triolo home to pull Pittsburgh within 4-2.
In the seventh, the Pirates loaded the bases on Gonzales’ walk, Endy Rodriguez’s single for his first big-league hit and Connor Joe’s infield single. Gonzales scored when Bryan Reynolds was safe at first upon a challenge of a double-play call.
Carlos Santana then walked. Choi drove in two with a single to put the Pirates on top 5-4. Davis walked. Triolo’s single drove in two to make it 7-4.
Bell’s 11th homer in the eighth closed it to 7-5. Bell finished 3-for-4.
–Field Level Media
