The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Tampa Bay Rays 5-1 after Don Kelly promised a cleaner game following a sloppy performance.
Bubba Chandler retired 17 of the first 18 batters he faced. Oneil Cruz gave the Pirates the lead with a two-run home run in the sixth inning. Brandon Lowe finished off his former team with a two-run double in the eighth.
The Pirates’ victory over the American League East-leading Rays occurred before a SkyBlast crowd of 24,198 at PNC Park.
Lowe’s Performance Against Former Team
Brandon Lowe went 3 for 5 with two doubles against the Rays. He was drafted by the Rays in the third round in 2015 and spent the first decade of his career with them. Lowe was acquired by the Pirates, along with outfielder Jake Mangum and left-handed reliever Mason Montgomery, in a three-team trade in December.
Chandler’s Quality Start
Chandler earned a quality start, allowing one run on three hits and one walk with three strikeouts over six innings. He threw 62 of his 90 pitches for strikes. The right-hander averaged 98.2 mph on 45 four-seam fastballs, drawing 24 swings and four called strikes. He touched triple digits three times.
Pirates’ Offence
The Pirates also got three-hit games from Marcell Ozuna and Spencer Horwitz, and both came through in the second inning. Ozuna led off with a single, advanced to second on a Nick Gonzales groundout, and scored on Horwitz’s double to give the Pirates a 1-0 lead. Konnor Griffin followed with a single, but Horwitz was thrown out at home plate.
The Pirates went 4 for 13 with runners in scoring position. They stranded runners on second and third with a groundout and a popup in the third inning. The Pirates also left the bases loaded in the fourth, when Martinez got Lowe to hit a fly out to left.
Turning Point in the Sixth
Chandler retired the first seven batters he faced before Nick Fortes singled in the third inning. Chandler then retired the next 10 batters before giving up a single to Simpson with two outs in the sixth.
Chandler’s wild pitch allowed Simpson to advance to second base. Caminero then hit a full-count fastball to drive in Simpson and tie the score. After walking Jonathan Aranda, Chandler prevented further damage by getting Yandy Diaz to pop up to first base.
The Pirates answered in the bottom of the sixth when Horwitz hit a leadoff single but was forced out at second. Griffin stole second and advanced to third on a wild pitch, then scored when Cruz sent a sweeper 385 feet for a home run and a 3-1 lead.