Paul Skenes called it the best performance he has ever seen from a teammate after Ryan O'Hearn delivered one of the most historic nights in Pittsburgh Pirates history on Tuesday.
O'Hearn hit three home runs and drove in a franchise-record 10 runs as the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Atlanta Braves 12-4 at PNC Park. No Pittsburgh player in 145 seasons of franchise history had ever driven in 10 runs in a single game, breaking the club record of nine set by Johnny Rizzo in 1939.
The 32-year-old hit a grand slam in the first inning off Hurston Waldrep, added a three-run homer off Waldrep in the third and capped the night with another three-run shot off Connor Thomas in the sixth. His 10th RBI also marked the 100th home run of his nine-year career.
Skenes joked with reporters that O'Hearn's home runs were "rally killers" that left nobody on base to drive in, before calling it the best performance he has seen from a teammate. Jason Mackey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette captured his full comments.
O'Hearn became the 11th player since 1920 to hit three home runs and drive in 10 runs in a game. He is the first to do it since Shohei Ohtani against Miami in September 2024.
Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Skenes went six innings, allowed two runs and picked up his first win in nearly two months, improving to 7-8. The 23-year-old is the reigning NL Cy Young winner and a two-time All-Star.
The Pirates improve to 47-45 following their third straight win, placing them firmly within striking distance of a National League Wild Card spot entering Wednesday. O'Hearn signed a two-year deal with Pittsburgh this past offseason, and his batting helmet from Tuesday's game has already been sent to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown.
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