Pirates Walk-Off Winners on Orioles’ Error in 9th Inning

PITTSBURGH, Pa. — For the second time in as many games, the Pittsburgh Pirates were walk-off winners, defeating the Baltimore Orioles 3-2 at PNC Park.

With one out in the ninth inning, Edward Olivares bounced one up the middle. Orioles shortstop Gunnar Henderson made a diving stop, tagged second base for the out, but delivered an errant throw to first.

The Pirates (8-2) were able to score two runs after the ball went out of play to erase a two-run deficit.

Jack Suwinski scored the tying run and Connor Joe touched home as the winning run. Ke’Bryan Hayes led off the ninth inning with a base hit to center. Hayes finished the game with a pair of hits, giving him his sixth multi-hit game this season.

The starting pitching matchup between Marco Gonzales and Dean Kremer turned into quite the pitchers’ duel.

Gonzales cruised through the first three innings of the game but was hit hard in the fourth. The Orioles (5-4) scored two runs against him in the inning – one on a Ryan Mountcastle double and another on an Anthony Santander base hit. 

The left-hander turned in his second strong start for the Pirates to begin his tenure. Gonzales went six innings, allowed two runs on five hits, struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. 

Gonzales’ efforts made it four-straight quality starts by Pirates’ pitchers dating back to the final game of the series against the Washington Nationals on Thursday. 

Kremer meanwhile, pitched seven brilliant innings. The Pirates’ offense managed just one unearned run against him on five hits, two of which were from Olivares. He scored the Pirates’ first run of the game on a Henry Davis sacrifice fly to right in the fifth inning. 

Roansy Contreras and Jose Hernandez (1-0) combined to throw three-scoreless innings of relief. The Pirates recalled Hernandez from Triple-A Indianapolis prior to first pitch and placed Ryan Borucki on the 15-day injured list with left triceps inflammation. 

Yennier Cano (1-1) took the loss for the Orioles with a blown save in the ninth.

Up Next

The Pirates’ homestand continues as they welcome the Detroit Tigers for a brief two-game series beginning Monday night. Mitch Keller (0-1, 6.55 ERA) will look to put his early-season questions to bed. The Tigers will send out Reese Olson (0-0, 0.00 ERA). First pitch: 6:40 ET.