Spencer Horwitz hit a pair of home runs to help the visiting Pittsburgh Pirates roll to a 9-3 win over the Atlanta Braves in the opener of a three-game series on Friday.

Pittsburgh (70-90) has won three of four against Atlanta (75-85) this season. The Pirates, winners of five of their past six games, are trying to win their first season series against the Braves since 2017.

Horwitz hit a solo homer off reliever Joel Payamps in the seventh inning and added a three-run homer off Pierce Johnson in the ninth, giving him 11 for the season.

Horwitz finished 3-for-3 with two walks and four RBIs to pace Pittsburgh’s 14-hit attack. He is 9-for-11 with five home runs and nine RBIs in four career games against the Braves.

Tommy Pham hit a two-run homer, his 10th, to spark a four-run second inning and give the Pirates their first lead.

Pittsburgh starter Mitch Keller was victimized by a high pitch count that resulted in an early departure. The right-hander threw 89 pitches — and issued a season-high five walks — before leaving after 3 2/3 innings. He gave up one run on three hits and struck out six.

Yohan Ramirez (3-3) struck out Atlanta slugger Matt Olson to end the fourth inning and earned the win.

Braves starter Joey Wentz (5-7) pitched four-plus innings and allowed four runs on eight hits and two walks with three strikeouts.

The Braves scored their first two runs on a pair of home runs. Olson hit a solo shot in the first inning, his 29th, and Michael Harris II added a solo blast in the sixth. It was the 20th home run for Harris, who became the franchise’s 12th player to have both 20 homers and 20 stolen bases in a season since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966.

Atlanta catcher Drake Baldwin went 1-for-3 and extended his hitting streak to a career-high nine games with an RBI single. He leads all National League rookies with 80 RBIs.

The game was interrupted by a 49-minute rain delay with two outs in the top of the seventh inning.

–Field Level Media