Pirates Stage an Impressive Comeback against the Guardians, Preventing a Sweep

 

Ji Man Choi and Jared Triolo each delivered two-run singles in the seventh inning, leading the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 7-5 victory over the visiting Cleveland Guardians on Wednesday afternoon, thus preventing a series sweep.

After being outscored 21-1 in the first two games of the series, the Pirates mounted a comeback. Jack Suwinski added an RBI double, and Nick Gonzales contributed an RBI single to support the team's effort.

Pittsburgh's starting pitcher, Rich Hill, pitched 5 2/3 innings, giving up four runs on eight hits, with one walk and one strikeout. Ryan Borucki (1-0) secured the win by allowing only one run in 1 1/3 innings, while David Bednar closed out the game in the ninth, earning his 18th save.

The Cleveland Guardians had their moments with Josh Bell's homer and an RBI single, Amed Rosario's two-run double, and Andres Gimenez's RBI single, but it wasn't enough to overcome the Pirates' late surge.

Cleveland's starter, Aaron Civale, pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits, with three strikeouts and one walk. Sam Hentges (1-2) took the loss after giving up four runs in a brief appearance.

The turning point in the game came in the seventh inning when the Pirates loaded the bases and managed to score three runs, thanks to Gonzales' walk, Endy Rodriguez's first big-league hit, and Connor Joe's infield single. This propelled them to take the lead, 5-4.

Ji Man Choi's single drove in two more runs, extending Pittsburgh's lead to 7-4. Although Bell's 11th inning homer in the eighth brought the Guardians within striking distance, the Pirates held on for the 7-5 win.

Overall, Bell had an impressive game, going 3-for-4 with a home run and an RBI single.