Pirates Secure Victory Over Diamondbacks

PITTSBURGH: In a game at PNC Park on Saturday, Oneil Cruz’s impressive 410-foot home run, paired with exceptional pitching, propelled the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 2-0 triumph against the Arizona Diamondbacks, evening their three-game series.

Cruz blasted his 17th home run of the season in the second inning against Diamondbacks pitcher Merrill Kelly (9-6). His powerful hit followed an error by third baseman Eugenio Suárez, which allowed Tommy Pham to get on base.

Pirates pitcher Andrew Heaney (5-9) delivered a notable performance. The left-hander pitched five scoreless innings, conceding just two hits and striking out four batters.

The Pirates bullpen maintained the strong showing. Genesis Cabrera, Yohan Ramirez, Caleb Ferguson, and Dennis Santana each contributed with a scoreless inning.

David Bednar completed the shutout, striking out a pair in a flawless ninth inning to record his 16th save.

The Pirates rebounded from a 1-0 shutout loss in 11 innings to the Diamondbacks on Friday. Pittsburgh has won four of its last five games, while Arizona has lost four of five and suffered their fourth shutout of the season.

Despite the defeat, Kelly pitched well, allowing only one earned run in 6 2/3 innings, throwing 99 pitches, striking out three, and walking one.

Joey Bart had two hits for the Pirates. For Arizona, Lourdes Gurriel Jr., Suárez, James McCann, and Ketel Marte each had a single.

The series will conclude on Sunday, with Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes scheduled to pitch against Arizona’s Zac Gallen.