Nick Yorke entered the game as a pinch runner in the eighth inning and hit the game-winning double in the ninth as the Pittsburgh Pirates rallied past the Baltimore Orioles for a 3-2 victory Saturday.
Bryan Reynolds hit a one-out double in the bottom of the ninth. After an intentional walk to Ryan O’Hearn, Yorke delivered another double off Ryan Helsley (0-1) to end the game and lift Pittsburgh to its second one-run victory in the series.
Adley Rutschman had two of Baltimore’s six singles. The Orioles scored two runs in the fourth on singles by Dylan Beavers and Leody Taveras. Baltimore led until the eighth.
Yorke, then a pinch runner, reached third base with two outs in the eighth and scored on pinch hitter Jake Mangum’s infield single off reliever Anthony Nunez.
Yorke’s double to left field in the next inning was his third hit in 11 at-bats this season.
Dennis Santana (2-0) was the winning pitcher with an inning of shutout relief.
Pirates starter Carmen Mlodzinski lasted 4 2/3 innings, allowing two runs on five hits and three walks while striking out five.
Orioles starter Shane Baz, a former first-round draft pick of the Pirates, was in position to be the winning pitcher until Pittsburgh tied the game in the eighth. Baz, making his second start in his first season with Baltimore, held the Pirates to one unearned run on three hits with three walks and five strikeouts in 5 2/3 innings.
The Orioles had only one hit through the first three innings before racking up four singles in the fourth.
Baz held the Pirates to Reynolds’ single through three innings. After Reynolds reached again in the fourth, this time on Baz’s error, Spencer Horwitz’s sacrifice fly put the Pirates on the board.
Pittsburgh stranded six runners through the first five innings.
Baltimore designated hitter Taylor Ward’s streak of three consecutive games with at least one RBI and one double ended as he went 0 for 4.
The Pirates won Friday’s series opener by 5-4 with the aid of four runs in the second inning.
–Field Level Media
