Pirates Unable to Complete Sweep vs. Twins After Heller Implodes in 10th

PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates had a chance to complete the sweep over the Minnesota Twins but fell 11-5 after Ben Heller imploded in the 10th inning at PNC Park on Sunday afternoon.

The Twins tagged Heller (0-1) for seven runs, six of which were earned, on five hits. Heller walked one, hit three batters and struck out a pair.

Manuel Margot opened the onslaught with an RBI triple. After the Twins (34-31) loaded the bases against Heller, Willi Castro was hit with a pitch to plate another. Carlos Santana doubled home two and Carlos Correa plated a pair with a base hit. Max Kepler drove in the Twins’ seventh run of the extra frame with a single to left.

Jhoan Durán (1-2) was the winning pitcher after holding the Pirates (31-34) scoreless in the 10th.

Oneil Cruz plated a run for the Pirates in the bottom of the 10th with a base hit up the middle, but the Bucs came up well short.

Jared Jones had a shaky first inning and a bad break, allowing three runs, two of which were earned. 

With the bases loaded, Jose Miranda drew a walk to give the Twins a 1-0 lead. Alek Kirilloff then beat out a double-play ball, allowing Correa to score from third.

Kepler moved up to third on Kirilloff’s fielder’s choice and scored on what was incorrectly ruled a passed ball. The pitch clearly hit Buxton’s bat, but home plate umpire Ryan Wills missed it. After the four umpires had a discussion, the original call stood.

After the first, Jones held the Twins scoreless over the next four innings. The rookie right-hander allowed three runs (two earned) in five innings. He allowed six hits, walked three and struck out three. 

The Pirates erased their early deficit, starting with a Jared Triolo base hit to left field after Rowdy Tellez ripped a double to right.

Henry Davis sparked a two-out rally in the fifth by drawing a free pass. His walk was followed by one drawn by Andrew McCutchen and a Bryan Reynolds RBI double, which extended his hitting streak to eight games. Connor Joe followed with a two-run triple into the notch in left-center field to put the Pirates ahead by a run.

Kyle Nicolas relieved Jones and recorded one out prior to exiting with the bases loaded. Pinch hitter Royce Lewis tied the game at 4-4 with a sacrifice fly to left off of Justin Bruihl.

Up Next

The Pirates are off on Monday and start a three-game series with the Cardinals in St. Louis on Tuesday. Rookie sensation Paul Skenes (3-0, 3.00 ERA) will start for Pittsburgh opposite Miles Mikolas (4-6, 5.32 ERA). First pitch: 7:45 ET.