Pirates 9, Indians 5: Pedro Alvarez hit two home runs for the second consecutive game and drove in six runs, leading Pittsburgh to a series victory at Cleveland.
Alex Presley also homered for the second consecutive day for the Pirates, who won for just the second time in six games.
Alvarez went 3-for-4 and homered in back-to-back innings, blasting a three-run shot off starter Jeanmar Gomez in the fourth and adding a three-run homer against Esmil Rogers int he six-run fifth.
The Pirates needed the offensive outburst to overcome a sub-par outing from starter Brad Lincoln, who allowed four runs on eight hits and lasted just 3 1/3 innings. The bullpen was effective as four relievers combined to hold the Indians to one run over 5 2/3 innings. Tony Watson (4-0) pitched 1 2/3 scoreless frames for the win.
Gomez (4-6) allowed eight runs (four earned) on seven hits in 4 1/3 innings. He has lost four of his last five starts.
Alvarez, who had gone 13 games without a home run and had only one RBI in his previous 12 games before Saturday, had four homers and nine RBIs in the last two games of the series.
Jason Kipnis had three hits for the Indians, including his 11th home run, a solo shot in the first.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Pirates had scored nine or more runs only twice in their first 63 games before scoring nine in each of the past two. … Lincoln has not made it five innings in any of his last three starts. … Alvarez has raised his average from .189 to .207 in the past two games.
Pittsburgh | Cleveland | |
Brad Lincoln | Player | Jeanmar Gomez |
No Decision | W/L | Loss |
3.1 | IP | 4.1 |
2 | Strikeouts | 1 |
8 | Hits | 7 |
10.80 | ERA | 8.31 |
Pittsburgh | Cleveland | |
Pedro Alvarez | Player | Jason Kipnis |
3 | Hits | 3 |
6 | RBI | 1 |
2 | HR | 1 |
10 | TB | 6 |
.750 | Avg | .600 |
Team | Hits | HR | TB | Avg | LOB | K | RBI | BB | SB | Errors |
Pittsburgh | 10 | 3 | 22 | .270 | 12 | 6 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
Cleveland | 12 | 1 | 18 | .324 | 15 | 5 | 5 | 2 | 2 | 3 |