Pirates Pound Out 17 Hits in Beating Diamondbacks Ace Zac Gallen 13-3

PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Pirates went 14 straight games without scoring as many as four runs – and reached that total only once.

Now, it seems the Pirates can’t stop crossing home plate.

The Pirates pounded Arizona Diamondbacks ace Zac Gallen for career-high eight runs in 3.2 innings Friday night on their way to a 13-3 rout at PNC Park in the opener of a three-game series. It was the Pirates third win in their last four games since losing 11 of 12 following their 20-8 start to the season.

The outburst came after the Pirates beat the Detroit Tigers 8-0 on Wednesday in their previous game.

That adds up to 21 runs in two games. After 22 runs in 14 games. You can’t predict baseball, Suzyn.

Ke’Bryan Hayes and Josh Palacios each had three hits and three RBIs, Bryan Reynolds homered for the first time in six weeks and drove in four runs to lead the Pirates’ 17-hit outburst.

Andrew McCutchen and Ji Hwan Bae also had three hits apiece. Jack Suwinski added two hits.

Gallen had given up a total of six runs in his previous seven starts and had won six straight decisions.

Johan Oviedo (3-3) won for the first time in five starts. He gave up one run and two hits in six innings while striking out seven and walking three. In his previous four starts, Oviedo was tagged for 18 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings.

The Pirates chased Gallen with a seven-run fourth inning in which they sent 11 batters to the plate while snapping a 1-1 tie. Gallen had three walks in the inning and third baseman Josh Rojas committed a fielding error that led to three unearned runs.

Palacios put the Pirates ahead 3-1 by grounding a two-run single into left field. Reynolds drew a bases-loaded walk and Suwinski hit a two-run double before Hayes capped the outburst with a two-run single.

Reynolds’ three-run homer an inning later pushed the lead to 11-1. It was Reynolds’ sixth home run of the season but first since April 7, a span of 34 games.

The Pirates scored the game’s first run on back-to-back doubles by Santana and Hayes in the second inning. Geraldo Perdomo’s solo home run in the third inning drew the Diamondbacks into a tie.

Rojas hit a two-run double in the seventh, but the Pirates countered with a pair of runs in the eighth off backup catcher Jose Herrera as Bae and Palacios hit back-to-back RBI singles.

Pirates reliever Duane Underwood Jr. left the game in the seventh inning with right forearm tightness.

The series continues at 4:05 p.m. Saturday with Mitch Keller (5-1, 2.38) pitching against rookie Brandon Pfaadt (0-1, 8.59). Keller is the reigning National League Player of the Week after pitching 16 scoreless innings while winning his two starts.