Brandon Lowe went 3-for-5 and scored twice to help the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 4-2 win in the rubber match of a three-game set against the Arizona Diamondbacks on Thursday at Phoenix.
Starting pitcher Mitch Keller (4-1) allowed two runs on four hits and struck out four with two walks over six innings for the Pirates, who have won five of their past six games. Reliever Gregory Soto delivered a perfect ninth inning for his second save in two nights and third overall.
Diamondbacks starter Zac Gallen (1-3) gave up four runs on six hits with five strikeouts and two walks in six innings. Arizona has lost six of seven.
Trailing by one entering the fifth inning and with only one hit after a first-inning home run, Pittsburgh finally broke through.
With two out, Lowe singled to right and Bryan Reynolds drew a walk. Ryan O’Hearn then singled, connecting on a slider that was just out of the reach of Arizona first baseman Ildemaro Vargas’ diving attempt to snare it. That allowed Lowe to come home to tie it 2-2.
Spencer Horwitz put the Pirates ahead 3-2 one batter later, driving in Reynolds with a ground-ball single to right.
Pittsburgh added another in the top of the sixth inning. Joey Bart connected for a two-out solo shot just over the left-field wall to make it 4-2.
Lowe’s 10th home run of the season gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. With one out, Lowe belted a first-pitch fastball 436 feet into the right field seats. It was his second homer in two nights.
The Diamondbacks responded in the bottom half of the frame. Geraldo Perdomo drew a walk to open their half of the first and advanced to second on a Ketel Marte groundout. After Corbin Carroll popped out, Adrian Del Castillo stepped up and knocked a line drive into right field to bring in Perdomo, tying the game at 1.
Carroll put Arizona ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the third when he took a fastball down the middle of the plate and launched it over the wall in right-center field.
