Rookie Colin Moran isn’t big on showing emotion Anthony Duclair Jersey , so he took it in stride after hitting his second grand slam of the season.
Manager Clint Hurdle, though, put the feat in perspective.
”Two grand slams in a year is pretty cool. Some guys don’t hit one their whole career,” Hurdle said after Moran’s slam helped carry the Pirates to a 7-5 victory against the San Diego Padres on Sunday. ”In his rookie season, too. He hunts pitches. He’s got a lot of confidence when he goes to the plate. He prepares.”
In fact, none of Hurdle’s 32 home runs over a 10-year career came with the bases loaded.
Corey Dickerson and Elias Diaz also homered for the Pirates, who took two of three games.
Moran connected off Tyson Ross with two outs in the fifth to put the Pirates ahead 6-3. He also hit a grand slam in the home opener on April 2, a 5-4 victory against Minnesota.
Ross, who singled and then had his first career stolen base a half inning earlier, faltered with two outs in the fifth. Austin Meadows doubled, Josh Bell walked and Josh Harrison beat out an infield single to load the bases. Moran then drove a 1-0 pitch to right for his eighth homer.
”It’s cool,” Moran said of hitting two slams in one season. ”But I guess it was just kind of nice to get some runs in there and get us the lead, so that was the biggest thing.”
The only other rookie in Pirates history to hit two grand slams in a season was Wally Westlake in 1947. Moran was the first Pirates player with two grand slams in a season since Jose Bautista in 2006.
”Those are cool things,” Hurdle said. ”They don’t happen for everybody. They don’t happen to many guys whatsoever. It goes back to preparation, opportunity and then production, and he’s been able to pull that off. … He’s ready to hit. He knows what he’s hunting to hit.”
Moran made his big league debut with Houston in 2016, appearing in nine games. He appeared in seven games with Houston last season before being sent to Pittsburgh along with Joe Musgrove and two other players in the deal for Gerrit Cole. Moran had 34 big league at-bats coming into this season.
”He’s one of the calmest people I’ve ever played with,” Dickerson said. ”He just has no emotion. He has a good plan. He does the same thing every day. You don’t ever change stuff up. He’s very simple. Simple sometimes is the best in great moments like that. He came through.”
Dickerson homered in the second, his sixth, and Diaz homered leading off the sixth, his sixth.
The Padres closed to 7-5 on Wil Myers’ infield RBI single with one out in the sixth and then loaded the bases on Eric Hosmer’s walk. But Steven Brault got Hunter Renfroe to hit a flyball to right that wasn’t deep enough to bring in Jose Pirela, and Kyle Crick struck out pinch-hitter Christian Villanueva.
Crick (1-1) pitched 1 1-3 innings for the win. Felipe Vazquez pitched the ninth for his 17th save.
Ross (5-6), who has been mentioned in trade rumors, was chased by Diaz’s homer. Ross had his worst start of the season, allowing seven runs and seven hits, with three walks and no strikeouts.
”I didn’t throw the ball particularly well Jared Spurgeon Jersey ,” Ross said. ”I could’ve been a lot better with two outs and two strikes. That’s kind of where I really got myself into trouble.
”That big fifth inning, had two strikes on Meadows and two outs, and double to left and then everything kind of unfolded from there. Days like this happen. I still had a chance to win that game, just wasn’t able to put hitters away when I had two-strike counts.”
Said manager Andy Green: ”You’ve got two outs and nobody on and Tyson on the mound, you kind of like that situation right there. Next thing you know, bases are loaded and one pitch is hit out of the ball park, and that kind of changes the trajectory of the game. It’s a frustrating one.”
Pirates starter Jameson Taillon went 4 2-3 innings, allowing four runs, three earned, and seven hits while striking out four and walking three. He got the first two outs of the fifth before allowing Renfroe’s homer to left, his fifth, that pulled the Padres to 6-4. Taillon allowed singles to Cory Spangenberg and Carlos Asuaje before making way for Edgar Santana, who struck out Freddy Galvis.
Ross hit a sacrifice fly that gave the Padres a 2-1 lead in the second. He singled with two outs in the fourth and then got the first stolen base of his career. He was stranded when Manuel Margot grounded out.
Renfroe also hit an RBI double in the third.
WEATHERS SIGNS
The Padres agreed to terms with LHP Ryan Weathers, their first-round selection, seventh overall, in June’s amateur draft. He is the son of former big league pitcher David Weathers.
UP NEXT
Pirates: RHP Nick Kingham (2-3, 3.82) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Indianapolis to start Monday night’s opener of a three-game series at the Los Angeles Dodgers, who will counter with LHP Alex Wood (4-5, 4.00).
Padres: LHP Clayton Richard (7-7, 4.29) is scheduled to start Tuesday night’s opener of a two-game series at Oakland, which counters with RHP Chris Bassitt (1-3, 2.82).
Trevor Williams has been pitching in the majors for less than two full seasons. Still, he’s come to understand the ups and downs that come with the sport.
”Baseball kicks your (behind),” Williams said. ”The highs are so high, and the lows are so low. You have to stay even-keeled.”
Williams bounced back from recent struggles by pitching one-hit ball over seven innings and two Pittsburgh Pirates relievers closed out a two-hitter in a 1-0 victory over the Milwaukee Brewers on Monday night.
Williams (6-4) struck out seven and walked two for his first victory in a month and after he had allowed a combined 12 runs in six innings in his previous two starts. Jordy Mercer drove in the lone run with a seventh-inning double, and the Pirates won for the fourth time in five games.
The Brewers entered the day leading the NL Central but suffered their third straight loss.
The only hit off Williams was a single by Jonathan Villar with two outs in the fourth. The hit followed a walk to Hernan Perez Riley Sutter Capitals Jersey , and the duo executed a double steal before Erik Kratz struck out to end the inning.
Pittsburgh manager Clint Hurdle thought fastball command made the difference for Williams.
”Up, down, in, out. It was just an outstanding performance,” Hurdle said.
Williams had gone 0-2 in five starts since beating the Chicago White Sox on May 15.
”He hit his spots,” Milwaukee right fielder Christian Yelich said. ”He was throwing everything for strikes. When a guy is doing that and he’s not really missing over the plate much, it’s a tough night.”
Kyle Crick pitched a perfect eighth inning for Pittsburgh. Yelich singled off closer Felipe Vazquez to open the ninth, ending a string of 13 straight Brewers retired. Vazquez retired the next three hitters for his 14th save in 18 opportunities.
Francisco Cervelli drew a one-out walk in the Pirates’ seventh and advanced to third on Josh Bell’s single. Josh Hader relieved Jhoulys Chacin and struck out Gregory Polanco, but Mercer followed by doubling down the left-field line to score Cervelli.
”The way both guys were pitching, I think everyone started to think that one or maybe two runs and that was going to be the ballgame,” Mercer said.
The run was charged to Chacin (6-2), who had won his previous six decisions and not lost in 13 starts since April 4 against St. Louis. Chacin allowed six hits, struck out two and walked two.
Cervelli had two hits to snap a 0-for-13 skid.
”I feel like I was throwing the ball well,” Chacin said. ”I was making pitches when I had to. In the last inning, I gave up the hit, but I was more frustrated that I walked Cervelli. That was the guy I couldn’t get out.”
TRIBUTE TO UECKER
As a surprise tribute to Bob Uecker, the Brewers traveling party dressed in loud sportscoats – popularized by the Hall of Fame broadcaster during his frequent guest appearances on The Tonight Show – for the flight from Milwaukee to Pittsburgh on Sunday night.
Manager Craig Counsell said he had hoped to replicate an outfit Uecker once wore that included a turtleneck sweater with a belt and a pair of bellbottom slacks. Alas, Counsell came up empty in his search for such garb.
PIRATES MOVES
The Pirates activated right-handed reliever Richard Rodriguez from the 10-day disabled list, recalled infielder/outfielder Jose Osuna from Triple-A Indianapolis and optioned right-handed reliever Dovydas Neverauskas and catcher Jacob Stallings to Indianapolis.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Brewers: 3B Travis Shaw (sore right wrist) was given the night off after being injured Sunday during a swing in a loss to Philadelphia.
Pirates: Rodriguez had been out since June 7 with right shoulder inflammation.
UP NEXT
Brewers: RHP Freddy Peralta (1-0, 3.72 ERA) is expected to be recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs to start Tuesday night. The rookie made two starts with the Brewers earlier this season, including striking out 13 in 5 2/3 innings at Colorado on May 13 in his major league debut, and is 6-1 with a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts with Colorado Springs.
Pirates: RHP Jameson Taillon (4-5, 3.94) is 2-1 with a 2.73 ERA in his last four starts and 1-3 with a 3.47 ERA in seven career starts against Milwaukee.