Konnor Griffin had four hits and two RBIs, and Spencer Horwitz delivered a tiebreaking two-run single in the seventh as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied to win 8-5 over the visiting Kansas City Royals on Friday night.
Pittsburgh (77-77) trailed 4-0 after the top of the third inning and 5-2 entering the bottom of the fourth but fought back to take the lead in the seventh.
With the scored tied 5-5 and Kansas City’s Nate Pearson (2-2) pitching, Oneil Cruz reached on an infield single and Nick Gonzales was hit by a pitch. Both advanced on a wild pitch and eventually scored on Horwitz’s second hit of the night. Griffin added an RBI single later in the frame, helping the Pirates win their second straight after losing four of their last five.
Vinnie Pasquantino and Michael Massey each homered as Kansas City (67-87) scored five runs against Pittsburgh ace Paul Skenes, who scattered six hits and struck out seven in his six innings. After Skenes’ exit, the Royals managed just two total hits against relievers Brandon Eisert, Yohan Ramirez (7-4) and Gregory Soto to fall to 5-12 since Aug. 30.
Kansas City wasted no time getting to Skenes as Pasquantino lined a two-out solo homer over the right field wall in the first inning. Then with two outs in the third, Pasquantino lined a run-scoring single to right and Maikel Garcia followed with a two-run double.
The Pirates got to Royals starter Randy Dobnak in the bottom of the third. After Griffin singled, Brandon Lowe went deep over the right-center-field wall to make it 4-2.
Kansas City got a run back in the fourth when Massey turned on a Skenes pitch that landed in the right field seats. Pittsburgh answered in the bottom of that frame with Henry Davis’ RBI double to right and Griffin’s run-scoring groundout.
Dobnak allowed four runs on seven hits and two walks over 3 2/3 innings.
Pittsburgh tied it in the fifth when Cruz doubled, went to third on Gonzales’ single and scored on a fielder’s choice off the bat of Ryan O’Hearn.