Spencer Horwitz hits 2 HRs, drives in 4 runs as Pirates beat Braves 9-3
Spencer Horwitz went 3 for 3 with two homers and four RBIs, Tommy Pham added a two-run shot and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 9-3 on Friday night.
Nick Gonzales, Bryan Reynolds, Nick Yorke and Henry Davis each had two of Pittsburgh's 14 hits.
Matt Olson and Michael Harris II, who added a double, homered for the Braves. Ronald Acuña Jr. had three hits.
Horwitz walked to lead off the second and two pitches later Pham homered off Braves stater Joey Wentz (5-7) make it 2-1.
Horwitz homered to make it 5-2 with two out in the seventh before a rain delay that lasted about 50 minutes, and his three-run home run highlighted Pittsburgh's four-run ninth.
Pirates starter Mitch Keller gave up a run before reliever Yohan Ramírez (3-3) came on with runners on first and second with two out in the third. Ramírez retired Olson, the only batter he faced, on a third-strike foul tip.
Wentz allowed four runs and eight hits in four innings.
The Braves, who lost 4-3 to Washington on Wednesday before a day off on Thursday, have lost back-to-back games following a 10-game win streak.
After Pham's homer, Yorke singled, moved to second on a wild pitch and scored when Davis singled. Davis stole second before Gonzales hit an RBI single to make it 4-1.
The Braves were 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position and left nine runners stranded.
Atlanta's Spencer Strider (7-13, 4.45 ERA) is expected to start Saturday against Bubba Chandler (3-1, 4.56) in the second of a three-game series to end the season.
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