Central Plains FFA Chapter

06/28 18:00 CDT Ryan O'Hearn homers twice, helps Pirates avoid sweep with 9-4 win over Reds Ryan O'Hearn homers twice, helps Pirates avoid sweep with 9-4 win over Reds By WES CROSBY Associated Press PITTSBURGH (AP) --- Ryan O'Hearn homered twice in a game for the third time in the majors and drove in four runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates avoid a series sweep with a 9-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday. O'Hearn put Pittsburgh in front 5-4 in the fifth inning with a 421-foot drive to right off Brady Singer (3-7). After 65-minute rain delay with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Pierce Johnson walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales before O'Hearn hit a three-run shot to make it 8-4. Esmerlyn Valdz followed O'Hearn by homering for a third straight game. Mitch Keller (6-5) went six innings for the Pirates, allowing four runs --- three earned --- and five hits with four strikeouts and a walk. X-rays were inconclusive on Eugenio Surez's left hand after he was hit by a pitch from Keller in the sixth inning and forced to leave the game. Manager Terry Francona said Surez will have a CT scan on Monday after traveling with the team to Milwaukee for the start of a four-game series against the Brewers. Singer gave up five runs and nine hits with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings for the Reds. Pittsburgh scored four runs before recording an out in the second inning. Gonzales and O'Hearn started with a pair of singles before Valdz made it 1-0 on a ground-rule double. Tyler Callihan then sent a sinker 412 feet to right for a three-run homer. Elly De La Cruz reached safely on a fielding error by Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe to begin the fourth. A double by Sal Stewart put two runners in scoring position. JJ Bleday took advantage with a two-run single that dropped into right field and cut the deficit to 4-2. Tyler Stephenson lined an RBI double past a diving Callihan in left field and scored on Edwin Arroyo's single down the line in right, tying it at 4 in the fifth. The Pirates twice failed to score with the bases loaded and no outs. Konnor Griffin grounded into a force out, Lowe struck out and Reynolds grounded to third in the fourth. In the seventh, Henry Davis popped up to short and Griffin hit into a double play.

Up next Reds: LHP Nick Lodolo (2-2, 5.59 ERA) will take the mound Monday for the first of a four-game set in Milwaukee against Brewers LHP Robert Gasser (1-3, 4.50 ERA). Pirates: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA) will start the first of a four-game series in Philadelphia on Monday against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.58 ERA). ___ AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb