Ryan O’Hearn's Three RBIs Propel Pirates to 5-1 Victory Over Astros

HOUSTON (AP) — In a standout performance, Ryan O’Hearn powered the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-1 victory against the Houston Astros on Thursday night, showcasing his offensive skills with three runs batted in. O’Hearn started strong with an RBI single in the opening inning and later extended the lead with a two-run homer in the sixth, bringing the score to 4-0.

Pirates pitcher Jared Jones (1-0) delivered a solid outing, allowing only four hits and issuing two walks over five scoreless innings. Carmen Mlodzinski followed up by surrendering four hits and one run while securing his first save. This game marked Mlodzinski's return after a brief absence due to being placed on the restricted list, as general manager Ben Cherington had indicated he wasn’t ready to pitch earlier in the week.

The Astros managed to get on the board when Isaac Paredes hit a solo home run in the sixth, making him the fourth Mexican-born player in Major League Baseball history to reach the 100 career home run milestone. However, Houston's efforts fell short, marking their third loss in four games.

The Pirates, who had previously enjoyed a streak of four consecutive games with at least nine runs, still showcased a strong offensive performance. Houston's starting pitcher, Kai-Wei Teng (3-4), experienced a tough outing, giving up seven hits and five runs, both of which are season highs, in just over five innings.

The Pirates initially led by a single run when Brandon Lowe doubled to start the sixth inning and scored on a Bryan Reynolds single. O’Hearn then connected on Teng's next pitch, hitting a two-run shot over the right field fence. Following a single by Nick Gonzales that knocked Teng out of the game, a fielding error by Jeremy Peña allowed Jared Triolo to reach base and enabled Gonzales to score, pushing the lead to 5-0.

Looking ahead, the Pirates will send right-hander Mitch Keller (5-2, 4.35 ERA) to the mound against Atlanta's lefty Martín Pérez (3-3, 2.79) in the opening game of a three-game series on Friday night. Meanwhile, the Astros will feature right-hander Peter Lambert (4-4, 3.77) against RHP Jack Perkins (2-2, 5.46) as they face off against the Athletics in their own three-game series starting Friday.