Ke’Bryan Hayes and Liover Peguero homered as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied for a 6-3 win over the host Kansas City Royals on Tuesday evening.
With two outs in the eighth, Hayes crushed an 0-1 slider from reliever Carlos Hernandez (1-9) 424 feet to left for a two-run home run and a 2-1 lead.
In the ninth, Peguero delivered a three-run shot to left as the Pirates erupted for six runs on six hits in two innings against a Royals bullpen with a major league-low 19 saves against 20 blown saves.
Pittsburgh won consecutive road games for the first time since May 30-31 at San Francisco, earning their first road series win since taking two of three at San Diego July 24-26.
Luis Ortiz (3-4) allowed a run on three hits, striking out five in five innings after opener Colin Selby retired all six batters faced over the first two frames.
The rally spoiled another strong start by Cole Ragans, who allowed three singles and just one runner past first base, striking out nine with one walk while throwing a career-high 108 pitches in a career-best seven scoreless innings.
In seven starts since his June 30 acquisition from the Texas Rangers, Ragans is 3-1 with a 1.73 ERA and 56 strikeouts in 41 2/3 innings. In his last two starts, he has allowed five singles over 13 shutout innings with 20 strikeouts.
Neither club had a baserunner until Dairon Blanco walked with two out in the third. Bobby Witt Jr. led off the Royals’ fourth inning with the game’s first hit, then moved to third as Salvador Perez snapped an 0-for-16 slide with a sharp grounder off third baseman Hayes’ glove. Witt scored on Drew Waters’ deflected liner.
Connor Joe walked leading off the fifth, becoming the Pirates’ first baserunner. Two outs later, Peguero followed with Pittsburgh’s first hit, his first of three on the night.
Dropping five straight and 12 of 14, Kansas City is a season-worst 52 games below .500.
–Field Level Media
