The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Minnesota Twins by a 10-4 score Wednesday afternoon to secure its league-leading 11th sweep of the season.
This contest featured five total errors, one of which the Pirates used to create separation on the scoreboard.
The Pirates scored first as Jung Ho Kang homered to left field with one out. It was his seventh of the season and his second in as many days. The Pirates are now 34-10 when scoring first.
In the bottom half of the inning Eddie Rosario recorded a leadoff triple. Similar to Tuesday night, Andrew McCutchen over-read the ball and it deflected off him. Eduardo Nunez had an RBI ground out which scored Rosario.
Brian Dozier’s 28th double of the season with one out started a two-run third inning for the Twins. Aaron Hicks’ single scored Dozier. Hicks advanced to second on a Starling Marte fielding error. Miguel Sano’s single then scored Hicks however Sano was caught in a rundown and was tagged out at second base.
McCutchen tied the game in the fifth inning. Starling Marte singled on an 0-2 pitch with two outs and McCutchen followed with the homer, his 14th of the season on a 2-2 count. McCutchen’s two hits in this game tie him with Mike Trout for most in Interleague play since 2012 with 95 total.
Aramis Ramirez followed with a double, snapping an 0-for-14 hitless streak that he had since returning to the Pirates.
The Pirates puled away with a five-run sixth inning.
Neil Walker led off with a single, though Pedro Alvarez grounded into a force out eliminating Walker. Francisco Cervelli doubled placing Alvarez in scoring position. A wild pitch from Twins starter Ervin Santana [2-1] scored Alvarez.
Santana then struggled with his control as both Travis Ishikawa and Jaff Decker walked. He then got behind in the count 3-1 to Marte. Marte swung at what was ball four, however on the next pitch he hit a sacrifice fly which scored Cervelli.
McCutchen then came up and singled. The ball short hopped Rosario and this cleared the bases. Rosario was then charged with a throwing error and Nunez an interference error as McCutchen was awarded home plate.
Arquimedes Caminero pitched a shutout eighth inning after allowing two runs in each of his two prior appearances.
Pedro Alvarez added two runs to the Pirates cause in the ninth inning on his 15th double of the season. The Pirates are now 28-9 when Alvarez bats in at least one run.
Deolis Guerra allowed one run in the bottom of the ninth. Sano doubled in Joe Mauer, however he was caught just off the second base bag ending a mistake prone game.
Francisco Liriano [7-6] picked up his 15th career win at Target Field which ranks third in Twins history. He pitched 5.2 innings and allowed three runs [two earned] on 10 hits.
The Pirates scored 18 runs in this two-game series and split the overall series as the Twins won two games earlier this season at PNC Park. The Pirates have a league leading 13 Interleague wins and conclude Interleague play with an 8-2 road record.
Next up for the Pirates is a four-game series against the Cincinnati Reds. The Pirates were swept in its one road series against the Reds earlier this season which happened to be the first series of the season. The Reds are 25-22 at home this season versus a 19-32 road mark heading into Wednesday night’s road contest against the St. Louis Cardinals.
A.J. Burnett [8-4 2.68 ERA] will face David Holmberg [season debut]. Burnett is 8-6 with a 3.52 ERA in 19 career starts against the Reds and is 1-0 with a 2.45 ERA in three starts this season.
Of note: Gregory Polanco left the game prior to the start of the bottom of the fourth inning experiencing left knee discomfort. Polanco was 0-for-2 prior to the injury ending his 18 game on-base streak.
Photo credit: Hannah Foslien/Getty Images
