Reynolds Leads Pirates’ Charge in 13-9 Home Opener Win Over White Sox

PITTSBURGH — Bryan Reynolds continued to stay red-hot at the plate for the Pittsburgh Pirates as they took down the Chicago White Sox 13-9 in an impressive offensive attack in their home opener on Friday.

After hitting a single in his second at-bat to extend his hitting streak to seven games, Reynolds launched a three-run home run to put the Pirates ahead 7-5. His fifth home run in the team’s first seven games of the season ties Willie Stargell’s franchise mark.

Reynolds wasn’t done, however. After the White Sox rallied to tie the game 7-all, Reynolds cleared the bases with a triple into the right field corner. He scored on a throwing error from second baseman Elvis Andrus to put the Pirates up 12-7.

Reynolds’ six RBIs in the game tie a career-high set last June against the Nationals.

In total, the Pirates (5-2) had 19 hits to the White Sox 11. Their 19 hits are the most in a home opener in the Modern Era.

In addition to Reynolds, Andrew McCutchen, Ke’Bryan Hayes, Connor Joe, Ji Hwan Bae and Jason Delay all had  multi-hit performances. Joe, Bae and Delay, the Pirates’ bottom three in the lineup, became the first 7-8-9 hitters with three-plus hits each in a game for the Pirates since 1921.

Carlos Santana got the Pirates on the board in the home half of the second inning with a solo shot to right field, his second in as many games.

Hayes smacked a double into the left-center field gap, plating McCutchen in the third inning.

Prior to Reynolds’ bases-clearing triple in the fifth inning, Delay drove his second run of the year with a single to left field.

Joe’s fourth hit of the game, and third double, extended the Pirates lead to 13-7 in the bottom of the eighth. Joe’s four hits tied a career-high.

It was a rough start for Rich Hill, who was plagued by the longball. In four-plus innings, Hill allowed eight hits (three home runs), and was tagged for seven earned runs. He didn’t walk a batter and struck out one.

Hill has now allowed five home runs in his first two games of the season with the Pirates.

Two of those home runs came off the bat of Luis Robert Jr., who had a pair of two-run homers off of Hill. In the ninth, he drove in his fifth run of the game with an RBI-single.

The White Sox (3-5) jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning after Tim Anderson doubled, stole third and came around to score on an Andrew Vaughn groundout. Anderson finished the game with four hits.

Right fielder Oscar Colas hit his first career home run in the top of the ninth inning, a solo shot into the bullpens in left-center.

White Sox starter Lucas Giolito didn’t fare any better than Hill. The right-hander was also tagged for seven runs on a whopping 12 hits in his four innings on the mound.

Dauri Moreta (1-0) was the winning pitcher for the Pirates, giving him the first of his big league career. Wil Crowe was awarded a save for covering the final three innings.

The second game of this three-game set will take place on Saturday night. The Pirates will send out right-hander Vince Velasquez (0-1, 5.79 ERA) against his former team. Righty Mike Clevinger (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will be on the mound for the White Sox. First pitch: 6:35.