PITTSBURGH โ In a thrilling conclusion, Joey Bartโs decisive hit secured a 4-3 victory for the Pittsburgh Pirates over the Atlanta Braves in the final game of their three-game series on Sunday. Bart delivered a hard-hit ground ball with the infield positioned in, causing the ball to ricochet off shortstop Nick Allenโs glove, allowing Adam Frazier to score and giving Bart his second career walk-off RBI.
This victory came shortly after the Pirates made a significant change in their management. The team dismissed manager Derek Shelton before the series began and appointed bench coach Don Kelly as the interim manager. Prior to this change, Pittsburgh was on a seven-game losing streak, having also lost 10 out of their last 11 games.
The Braves, on the other hand, could not capitalize on recent momentum as their win streak was halted. Having triumphed in five of their previous seven games, they failed to break the .500 mark, leaving them with a 19-21 record for the season.
Sean Murphyโs performance as a pinch-hitter brought the Braves back in the game during the eighth inning. His strategic three-run double to left-center tied the game at 3-3, promising hope for Atlanta.
Reliever Dennis Santana emerged victorious with a scoreless ninth inning, while the Bravesโ loss was charged to Raisel Iglesias, who saw the Pirates rally against him.
Pittsburghโs starter, Carmen Mlodzinski, delivered an impressive display of pitching, going 5 2/3 innings without surrendering a run, marking the longest outing in his career. He managed to keep the Braves at bay with just four hits, two strikeouts, and a single walk.
In contrast, the Bravesโ starter Chris Sale allowed three runs, two of which were earned, over his 5 2/3 innings on the mound.
The gameโs dramatic turn in the ninth began with back-to-back singles from pinch-hitter Frazier and KeโBryan Hayes, who advanced to first and third base. Bryan Reynolds subsequently moved Hayes up with a slow ground ball to second, and Andrew McCutchen received an intentional walk, setting the stage for Bartโs pivotal at-bat.
A notable statistic from the game was the Piratesโ ongoing struggle to score more than four runs, a challenge they have faced in 17 consecutive games, a string that dates back to 1908.
Looking ahead, the Braves are set to embark on a four-game series in Washington, where they will start Grant Holmes (2-3, 4.58 ERA) against Jake Irvin (2-1, 3.94 ERA), while the Pirates will begin their next series in New York against the Mets, with Paul Skenes (3-4, 2.77 ERA) slated to compete against David Peterson (2-2, 3.05 ERA).