Ke’Bryan Hayes drove in three runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates posted a 7-5 victory over the visiting Atlanta Braves on Thursday to record a split of their four-game series.
Liover Peguero added two RBI singles for the Pirates.
Thomas Hatch (1-0), who made his Pirates debut in relief of Bailey Falter, scattered two hits in four scoreless innings to pick up the win. Falter surrendered four runs on eight hits in four innings.
Colin Holderman allowed a run in the ninth before securing his second career save.
Atlanta’s Matt Olson hit his 40th homer and Orlando Arcia also went deep. Marcell Ozuna hit an RBI double and Austin Riley and Ronald Acuna Jr. added run-scoring singles for the Braves, who squandered a four-run lead for the second straight game.
Atlanta starter Bryce Elder (8-4) pitched into the sixth, allowing five runs and six hits to take the loss.
Ozzie Albies singled, stole second and scored on Riley’s base hit to give the Braves a 1-0 lead in the first inning.
Arcia led off the second with a blast to center for his 13th homer of the season.
In the third, Olson homered to center. Travis d’Arnaud singled and came home on Ozuna’s double to make it 4-0.
In the bottom of the third, Jason Delay hit a one-out single, Josh Palacios got hit by a pitch and Bryan Reynolds walked to load the bases. Hayes knocked in Delay and Palacios with a single. Alfonso Rivas flied out, with Reynolds initially being called out at home. The play was challenged and overturned, and Pittsburgh was within 4-3.
The Pirates moved ahead in the sixth. Henry Davis singled and went to third on Jack Suwinski’s double. Joe Jimenez replaced Elder. Peguero’s single drove in Davis, with Suwinski going to third. After Jared Triolo struck out, Suwinski scored on Delay’s groundout to make it 5-4.
Pittsburgh added two in the seventh. Reynolds singled and scored on Hayes’ triple. An out later, Davis was intentionally walked, Suwinski struck out and Peguero singled in Hayes to increase the lead to 7-4.
Atlanta got to within 7-5 in the ninth when Michael Harris II singled, stole second and scored on Acuna’s single.
–Field Level Media
