Joey Bart hit a three-run home run, Jared Triolo added a two-run shot and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the visiting Athletics 11-0 in the rubber match of a three-game series on Sunday.
Triolo also singled in a run for Pittsburgh (67-89), which led 10-0 after five innings in its home finale. Triolo and Bart had four hits apiece.
Carmen Mlodzinski (5-8) pitched three innings for the win after Mike Burrows opened the game by giving up five hits with three strikeouts over four innings.
The Pirates recorded their MLB-best 19th shutout of the season and their second straight following a five-game losing streak.
Brent Rooker had two hits for the Athletics (73-83), who were held scoreless in the final 22 innings of the series.
Pittsburgh took a 2-0 lead in the first inning against Mitch Spence (3-6). With two on and two out, Andrew McCutchen singled in a run and Nick Gonzales followed with an RBI double.
The Pirates doubled their lead in the second on Triolo’s two-run homer to left-center field. The 402-foot blast was Triolo’s seventh homer of the season.
Spence retired his next five batters before Bart singled with one out in the fourth. Bart moved to third on Nick Yorke’s double and scored on Oneil Cruz’s two-run single. Triolo followed with a single to plate Cruz.
After Bryan Reynolds walked, Osvaldo Bido replaced Spence and recorded two quick outs to avoid further damage.
Spence allowed seven runs (six earned) on nine hits over 3 1/3 innings. He walked two and struck out one.
The Pirates tacked on three runs in the fifth inning after McCutchen drew a leadoff walk and Jack Suwinski hit a ground-rule double with one out. Bart followed by depositing an 0-1 slider from Bido into the left field stands for his fourth home run of the season.
Pittsburgh added a run in the eighth when Triolo doubled with one out, moved to third on Alexander Canario’s single and scored on Spencer Horwitz’s groundout.
The Athletics went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position and left eight runners on base in their final road game of the season.
–Field Level Media
