PITTSBURGH (AP) — Ke’Bryan Hayes had three hits and three RBIs, Bryan Reynolds homered for the first time in six weeks and drove in four runs, and the Pittsburgh Pirates rolled over ace Zac Gallen and the Arizona Diamondbacks 13-3 on Friday night.
Gallen (6-2) lasted just 3 2/3 innings and allowed a career-high eight runs – five earned – and eight hits as his six-game winning streak ended. He walked four and struck out two. Gallen had given up a total of six runs in his previous seven starts.
“I was really proud because we were facing one of the best pitchers in baseball and we came out and did a really good job with our approach,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said. “I know it sounds weird for a guy that’s really good. He used to really command north-south, now he commands east-west too. That’s why you see a guy that’s had, whatever, 40-plus scoreless innings of baseball.”
Andrew McCutchen, Ji Hwan Bae and Josh Palacios also had three hits apiece as part of the Pirates’ 17-hit outburst. Jack Suwinski added two hits.
“It’s pretty sick to have contributions like that up and down the lineup because guys are putting you in good positions to hit a lot,” Palacios said.
The Pirates scored eight runs in their previous game Wednesday at Detroit. Before that, they had scored no more than four runs in 14 straight games and reached that total only once.
Johan Oviedo (3-3) won for the first time in five starts. He gave up one run and two hits in six innings while striking out seven and walking three. In his previous four starts, Oviedo was tagged for 18 earned runs in 17 2/3 innings.
The Pirates won for the third time in their last four games. That comes after losing 11 of 12 following a surprising 20-8 start to the season.
The Diamondbacks lost for the second time in seven games. Backup catcher Jose Herrera pitched the eighth inning and gave up two runs in his first mound appearance in a major-league game.
The Pirates chased Gallen with a seven-run fourth inning in which they sent 11 batters to the plate while snapping a 1-1 tie. Gallen had three walks in the inning and third baseman Josh Rojas committed a fielding error that led to three unearned runs.
“That ball was hit hard and he’s a good defender,” Shelton said of Rojas. “As we’ve talked about, if we continue to put the ball in play, things can happen during a game.”
Palacios put the Pirates ahead 3-1 by grounding a two-run single into left field. Reynolds drew a bases-loaded walk and Suwinski hit a two-run double before Hayes capped the outburst with a two-run single.
Reynolds’ three-run homer an inning later pushed the lead to 11-1. It was Reynolds’ sixth home run of the season but first since April 7, a span of 34 games.
The Pirates scored the game’s first run on back-to-back doubles by Santana and Hayes in the second inning. Geraldo Perdomo’s solo home run in the third inning drew the Diamondbacks into a tie.
Rojas hit a two-run double in the seventh. The Diamondbacks’ Lourdes Gurriel Jr. extended his hitting streak to 12 games with an eighth-inning single.
HOMETOWN HEROES
Brooklyn Nets forward Cameron Johnson, a Pittsburgh native, threw a ceremonial first pitch. Johnson played collegiately at Pitt before transferring to North Carolina and becoming a first-round pick in the NBA Draft in 2019.
Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Kenny Pickett was also in attendance.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Diamondbacks: RHP Zach Davies (strained left oblique) is scheduled to make his first rehab start Saturday for Double-A Amarillo. After that, the Diamondbacks will determine if he needs a second minor-league outing before being activated from the injured list … OF Kyle Lewis (illness) played in the Arizona Complex League for the second time in three days Friday … LHP Joe Mantiply (left shoulder inflammation) will throw off flat ground Saturday for the first time since going on the IL. … C Carson Kelly (fractured right forearm) is expected to begin taking live batting practice next week.
Pirates: RHP Duane Underwood Jr. (right forearm tightness) left the game in the seventh inning … LHP Rob Zastryzny (left elbow discomfort) was activated from the 15-day IL and OF Miguel Andujar was designated for assignment.
UP NEXT
Diamondbacks rookie RHP Brandon Pfaadt (0-1, 8.59 ERA) will face Pirates RHP Mitch Keller (5-1, 2.38) on Saturday. Pfaadt will be making his fourth career start. Keller has pitched 16 scoreless innings while winning his last two starts.
