Jack Suwinski hit two of Pittsburgh’s franchise record-tying seven home runs as the Pirates defeated the host Seattle Mariners 11-6 Friday night in the opener of a three-game interleague series.
Bryan Reynolds, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Tucupita Marcano, Andrew McCutchen and Carlos Santana also went deep for the Pirates, who snapped a two-game skid.
Pittsburgh right-hander Mitch Keller (6-1) wasn’t at his best but got plenty of support to move into a tie for the National League lead in wins. Keller allowed six runs on seven hits in six-plus innings, with two walks and eight strikeouts.
Julio Rodriguez and J.P. Crawford homered for Seattle, which had a four-game winning streak snapped.
Mariners right-hander George Kirby (5-4) had a run of eight consecutive quality starts snapped. Kirby gave up seven runs on nine hits in 4 2/3 innings, with one walk and four strikeouts. The four homers he surrendered were one more than he had combined to allow in his first nine appearances this season.
The Pirates broke a 2-all tie with a five-run fifth. Austin Hedges and McCutchen led off with singles, and Reynolds hit a two-run triple to left. With two outs, Suwinski and Hayes hit back-to-back homers, the first to center and the latter to left, ending Kirby’s night.
McCutchen led off the game with a homer to left-center, and Santana opened the fourth with a bomb to right.
Suwinski hit a 445-foot blast to right-center with one out in the seventh off Juan Then. An out later, Marcano went deep to right.
Reynolds capped the home-run derby with a solo shot off Chris Flexen with one out in the eighth that struck the windows of the Hit it Here Cafe in the second deck in right field. Reynolds went 3 for 4 with four RBIs and scored twice.
Rodriguez went 2 for 4 with three RBIs for Seattle. He hit a solo shot in the first inning and a two-run single in the fifth.
Crawford’s two-run homer in the seventh sent Keller to the showers.
–Field Level Media
