A ninth inning Pittsburgh Pirates run prevented the Minnesota Twins, once again, from sweeping a series. The Pirates strung together a trio of singles and got a good bounce to push across a late run, winning 2-1 in the final game for both teams before the All-Star break.
It was the third consecutive series where Minnesota won the first two games, then fell in the potential clincher. They stand at 47-49 at the unofficial halfway point of the season.
Twins ace reliever Jhoan Duran took the loss, while Pirates closer allowed a leadoff single by Carlos Correa, then struck out Brooks Lee and Royce Lewis and got a Ty France groundout for the win.
Tommy Pham took the second pitch of the second inning deep, hitting his fourth homer of the season into the foliage beyond the centerfield fence, and giving the Pirates the early 1-0 lead. They recorded two more hits in the inning and loaded the bases with two outs, but starter Simeon Woods Richardson got Andrew McCutchen to fly out to right, ending the threat.
Woods Richardson lasted 4-⅔ innings, allowing six hits and striking out three
Minnesota got a leadoff double from Correa to open its half of the second, but Keller coaxed a strikeout, a groundout and a fly out to keep Correa stranded at second base. But the Twins found the equalizer in the fourth when Harrison Bader singled to start the frame, went to second on a Christian Vasquez groundout, and came home when Byron Buxton dropped a double at the base of the wall in left field.
Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller, who had won his two previous career starts versus Minnesota, allowed four hits in six innings of work, striking out three with no walks.
Things were still tied in the eighth when the Twins threatened but did not pull ahead. Vasquez and Buxton hit back-to-back one-out singles to get a runner in scoring position, but Willi Castro’s swinging bunt led to a force-out at third, and Trevor Larnach flied out to center to end the inning.
In the ninth, the Pirates responded with three consecutive one-out singles to load the bases off Twins closer Jhoan Duran. Spencer Horwitz slapped a hard-hit bouncer to second base, and the ball appeared to stick in the glove of Twins infielder Brooks Lee, just long enough to negate any possible double play and allow Ke’Bryan Hayes to score from third.
Pirates shortstop Isiah Kiner-Falefa tied a career-best, going 4-for-4 in the game.
The Twins are off until Friday, when they visit MLB-worst Colorado for a trio of games.
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