Rowdy Tellez broke a scoreless tie with a solo homer and singled in two runs as the host Pittsburgh Pirates shut out the Minnesota Twins for the second straight game, winning 4-0 on Saturday in the middle game of a three-game interleague series.
Six Pirates pitchers combined on the six-hit shutout, including Justin Bruihl, Hunter Stratton (2-1), Colin Holderman and David Bednar.
Luis L. Ortiz followed opener Carmen Mlodzinski and threw 4 1/3 scoreless innings for Pittsburgh, which has won five of its past seven. The Pirates have recorded three shutouts in their past five games, including a 3-0 win in Friday’s series opener.
Minnesota lost its fifth straight and saw its scoreless streak reach 22 innings.
Tellez put the Pirates ahead with a one-out homer in the seventh inning against Simeon Woods Richardson (2-1). The 403-foot blast to center was Tellez’s second homer this season and first since March 31.
Andrew McCutchen snapped out of a 3-for-20 slump with three singles for Pittsburgh, which added three runs in the eighth inning. Bryan Reynolds chipped in a pair of singles.
The Pirates had two runners on against Jhoan Duran with two outs in the eighth, and Tellez singled both of them in. Diego Castillo replaced Duran and walked Yasmani Grandal before giving up a run-scoring single to Michael A. Taylor.
Minnesota grounded into three double plays, including Trevor Larnach’s in the third inning, which came with two runners on. Carlos Correa then grounded out to end the frame.
Woods Richardson was relieved by Jorge Alcala with one out in the seventh inning after Grandal followed Tellez’s homer by reaching on a throwing error.
Alcala kept it a one-run game by striking out Reynolds after Taylor grounded into a fielder’s choice and McCutchen singled to put runners at the corners.
Woods Richardson allowed one run on six hits to go along with no walks and six strikeouts while throwing 97 pitches over a career-high 6 1/3 innings.
Second baseman Nick Gonzales made a pair of stellar defensive plays for the Pirates, who won despite going 2-for-12 with runners in scoring position.
–Field Level Media
