PITTSBURGH – Pirates manager Don Kelly understands the importance of winning at home.
Even in a season in which the Pirates were removed from the postseason hunt for much of it, the team’s success at PNC Park offered a silver lining that it hadn’t experienced in several years. Pittsburgh won its 44th game (44-37) at its home ballpark this season, its most since 2018, in an 11-0 victory over the Athletics on Sunday afternoon.
“We’ve played really well at home and against some really good teams, too,” the 45-year-old Kelly said. “We’ve got to switch it on the road, you know? Take these home victories and the way that we played at home and play that way on the road, too.”
The Pirates’ offense broke through for 15 hits, including seven extra-base hits, to earn a series victory in the home finale. Facing Athletics starting pitcher Mitch Spence, the Pirates scored a pair of runs in the first inning via three hits – including a two-out RBI double by Nick Gonzales – and a walk.
It turned out that was just the start of Pittsburgh’s hit parade.
The Pirates tacked on two more runs an inning later via a two-run blast by Jared Triolo and three in the fourth inning on four hits and a walk. Then in the fifth, Joey Bart blasted a three-run home run a Statcast-projected 420 feet to put Pittsburgh ahead, 10-0, with four innings still to play.
Eight of the Pirates’ nine hitters in the starting lineup recorded at least one hit. Spencer Horwitz, the only one who went hitless, walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run. Triolo and Bart combined to go 8-for-9 with 16 total bases.
“All I know is we played some really good ball here,” Bart said. “It was a great day to come out in a rubber match and put it on them. And [to] put up a goose egg is big.
“Obviously, we’ve got a lot of things ahead of us, goals ahead of us. I think it's something that we played our best ball here in front of our fans.”
The run support allowed starter Mike Burrows to go right after the opposing hitters in the early innings before giving way to the bullpen. Burrows worked through a pair of jams to toss four scoreless innings. Carmen Mlodzinski worked three scoreless innings, Yohan Ramírez kept the A’s off the board in the eighth and Dauri Moreta finished the game in the ninth.
The Pirates’ pitching staff, too, has been at its best when pitching in its home park this season. Entering the game, Pittsburgh's 3.47 home ERA this season was the fifth lowest in stadium history (since 2001). Its 15 shutouts at home are also its most in a season in the Live Ball Era (since 1920) and tied for the most in franchise history (1906, 1915).
“I think one through 13 on this staff is really, really good,” Burrows said. “I know it's troublesome for teams when they come in.”
Sunday’s performance marked the second shutout in a row – and 22 consecutive shutout frames – for the Pirates’ pitching staff.
“I mean, they’re elite,” Bart said. “I think [A’s DH Brent] Rooker came up to me in one of the at-bats and said, ‘Just another guy throwing 98 [mph] for you guys.’ So obviously they’re feeling it. But they threw strikes. I think that’s the plan. They put the pressure on the guys.
“That’s what we’ve got rolling out here, man. We got some arms all over this place and more to come. But they’ve been the backbone of the team all year.”
Kelly hopes the success his team has had at home will provide a springboard for more competitive baseball away from Pittsburgh moving forward.
“Last road trip was tough,” Kelly said. “To go 1-5, never even close to being satisfied with that. All one-run losses. We have to find a way to come away with some of those wins in the close games and find a way to play better baseball in those games on the road.”