Rafael Flores Jr. belted a go-ahead, two-run homer in the eighth inning, lifting the host Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals on Sunday afternoon.
Ryan O’Hearn singled to lead off the eighth inning before Flores deposited a 2-1 slider from Nate Pearson (2-3) over the wall in left field. The homer was Flores’ 10th of the season and second in his last four games.
Oneil Cruz went deep to lead off the fourth inning and Spencer Horwitz had an RBI single in the sixth for the Pirates (79-77).
Pittsburgh completed a three-game series sweep of Kansas City and improved to 14-6 in its last 20 games
Vinnie Pasquantino gave the Royals a 3-2 lead in the seventh inning with a pinch-hit, two-run homer.
John Rave reached on a bunt single in the seventh before Pasquantino sent a 2-1 fastball from Carmen Mlodzinski (8-7) over the wall in right-center field to give Kansas City a 3-2 advantage. Pasquantino’s homer was his 14th of the season and third in his last five games.
Mlodzinski, however, benefited from Flores’ homer to pick up the win despite allowing two runs on three hits in three innings. Mason Montgomery stranded a runner at third base in the ninth inning to secure his 16th save of the season.
Pearson permitted two runs on three hits in two-thirds of an inning.
Salvador Perez had an RBI single in the first inning and joined Jac Caglianone with two hits for the Royals (67-89), who have lost four in a row and seven of their last eight games.
Horwitz’s bloop single plated O’Hearn to give Pittsburgh a 2-1 lead in the sixth inning before Kansas City responded with Pasquantino’s homer.
After tossing one scoreless inning of relief on Saturday, Lake Bachar did not fare as well on Sunday.
Bobby Witt Jr. reached on a one-out single in the first inning off Bachar, advanced to third on a single by Caglianone and scored on a single to center field by Perez.
Cruz forged a 1-1 tie after depositing a 0-1 curveball from Michael Wacha over the wall in center field. Cruz’s homer was his 20th of the season and second in his last five games.