Valdez Drives In Six to Beat the Brewers
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | R | H | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIL | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 9 | 1 |
| PIT | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | x | 7 | 7 | 1 |
The Pirates came back to beat the first-place Brewers 7-6 in the first game of a doubleheader at PNC Park, and they are back over .500 at 48-47. This one was all about Esmerlyn Valdez, who homered twice and drove in six.
The Pirates got two in the first, the first run coming on a Valdez single that scored Jake Mangum. Milwaukee answered in the second when Jake Bauers hit a two-run homer to tie it, and Valdez put the Pirates back ahead in the third with a solo shot to make it 3-2.
Braxton Ashcraft did not have his best. The Brewers got to him in the fifth, tying it on a Cooper Pratt double and taking the lead on a Sal Frelick two-run homer to go up 5-3. They added another in the seventh on a William Contreras single off Carmen Mlodzinski to make it 6-3.
The Pirates answered with a big seventh. Henry Davis reached, and singles from Mangum and Brandon Lowe loaded the bases with nobody out. Bryan Reynolds struck out, and then Valdez hit a grand slam to right to turn a 6-3 deficit into a 7-6 lead.
It got tense in the ninth. Gregory Soto gave up a single and a walk, and a Triolo error loaded the bases with one out. He got out of it when Andrew Vaughn grounded into a game-ending double play, Christian Yelich out at the plate and Brice Turang out at third, and Soto had his 12th save.
This was a good win. Beating a Brewers team that is running away with the division, after falling behind by three in the late innings, is the kind the Pirates need more of. Valdez has been swinging a hot bat, and two homers and six RBI is one of the biggest days of his young career. Back over .500, and on to the next one.
Valdez led the way Two homers, six RBI, and the go-ahead grand slam in the seventh. He drove in six of the seven Pirates runs.
The seventh flipped it Down 6-3, the Pirates loaded the bases with nobody out and Valdez cleared them with a slam to take a 7-6 lead.
Soto walked the tightrope The Brewers loaded the bases with one out in the ninth, and Soto got out of it on a game-ending double play for his 12th save.