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PBN Three Stars of the Week

Pittsburgh Pirates Three Stars of the Week: May 30-June 5

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What a week it was for the Pittsburgh Pirates. The week began with an improbable three-game sweep over the Dodgers in Los Angeles for the first time since 2000. It ended with a series win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at PNC Park, capping off a 5-1 week for the Bucs.



Suddenly, the Pirates find themselves just four games under .500 and only 4.5 games back of a Wild Card spot. The Pirates strong week was led by a lot of strong performers, and here are the top three.

Third Star: Zach Thompson – 10.2 innings, eight hits, two earned runs, three walks, eight strikeouts, two starts

Thompson got the week started on the right foot, limiting the potent Dodgers lineup to just two runs over 5.2 innings of work on Memorial Day. He followed up his strong performance to begin the week by pitching even better to end it. The right-hander blanked the D-backs over five frames, and picked up his third win over the season in the process.

Thompson was the lone pitcher to make multiple starts for the Bucs this week, and the Pirates won both of the games he started. The two impressive outings were the latest strong starts for Thompson of late.

Second Star: Ke’Bryan Hayes – .320/.393/.480, 8 for 25, one double, one homerun, four RBIs, five runs, six games

The hot stretch for Hayes at the plate continued this week. He picked up hits and reached base safely in five of his six games played on the week. He set the tone for the Bucs at the top of the lineup, and showcased his usual strong defense at the hot corner.

Hayes hit his second homer of the season, and his second in six games in Friday’s loss to Arizona.

First Star: Jack Suwinski – .450/.450/.700, 9 for 20, two doubles, one home run, three RBIs, four runs, five games

For as good a week the Pirates had, nobody had a better week than Suwinski himself. The rookie outfielder had at least one hit in all five of his games, giving him a career-high five game hitting streak.

Most of his damage came against Arizona. In the three games, Suwinski recorded seven hits, the biggest of those being a walk-off two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth inning on Saturday afternoon.

This week, the Pirates conclude their five-game homestand with two games against the Detroit Tigers beginning on Tuesday. The Bucs then fly to Atlanta for a four-game set with the defending World Series champion Braves. Check back next week to see the top three performers from the week ahead.

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