The Pirates got off to a hot start in their 8-2 win over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, completing a three-game sweep to improve to 6-3 on the season. Ryan O'Hearn provided the main spark, but not just with the bat.
O'Hearn drew first blood with a two-run home run in the first inning, his third long ball of the season, but then also added a two-run double to cap off a four-run second inning to give the Pirates an early 6-0 lead.
"Feels good to put points on the board there early in the game," O'Hearn said. "Sweeps in this league are really hard, and I think if you can go out there and kind of give 'em a gut punch early on and go up early, it makes it a lot easier. So really happy we put some runs on the board early in the game."
O'Hearn didn't just get the team off to a hot start today, but he's also on a bit of a hot streak to start his career with the Pirates. O'Hearn has 11 hits and 11 RBIs through his first eight games with Pittsburgh. He joined Reb Russell (11, 1922), Ed Stevens (13, 1948), Dick Stuart (11, 1958) and Reggie Sanders (11, 2003) as the only Pirates since 1920 with at least 11 RBIs through their first eight games with the team.
As impactful as the bat's been thus far, O'Hearn's also made a big impression in other ways. Braxton Ashcraft is one guy who wholeheartedly agrees with O'Hearn about how much easier it is when there's a lead at the beginning of a game. Ashcraft went on to pound the strike zone and pitch an efficient six innings while allowing just one run on 87 pitches. But, Ashcraft isn't just appreciative of the run support provided by O'Hearn.
"He came in this year and set a precedent," Ashcraft said of O'Hearn after the game. "He leads by example in how he plays the game, how he hustles and how he conducts himself day in and day out. It's contagious. We have a lot of good players in this clubhouse. When you show up to work every day and see the people around you putting in the work, it forces you to either run the race with them or fall way behind. I think that everybody is stepping up to that challenge. You see it in the performance and the product we put on the field every day. There's a lot of good energy floating around this clubhouse right now and we're excited for what's to come."
THE ASYLUM
O'Hearn providing more than just power
The Pirates got off to a hot start in their 8-2 win over the Orioles on Sunday afternoon at PNC Park, completing a three-game sweep to improve to 6-3 on the season. Ryan O'Hearn provided the main spark, but not just with the bat.
O'Hearn drew first blood with a two-run home run in the first inning, his third long ball of the season, but then also added a two-run double to cap off a four-run second inning to give the Pirates an early 6-0 lead.
"Feels good to put points on the board there early in the game," O'Hearn said. "Sweeps in this league are really hard, and I think if you can go out there and kind of give 'em a gut punch early on and go up early, it makes it a lot easier. So really happy we put some runs on the board early in the game."
O'Hearn didn't just get the team off to a hot start today, but he's also on a bit of a hot streak to start his career with the Pirates. O'Hearn has 11 hits and 11 RBIs through his first eight games with Pittsburgh. He joined Reb Russell (11, 1922), Ed Stevens (13, 1948), Dick Stuart (11, 1958) and Reggie Sanders (11, 2003) as the only Pirates since 1920 with at least 11 RBIs through their first eight games with the team.
As impactful as the bat's been thus far, O'Hearn's also made a big impression in other ways. Braxton Ashcraft is one guy who wholeheartedly agrees with O'Hearn about how much easier it is when there's a lead at the beginning of a game. Ashcraft went on to pound the strike zone and pitch an efficient six innings while allowing just one run on 87 pitches. But, Ashcraft isn't just appreciative of the run support provided by O'Hearn.
"He came in this year and set a precedent," Ashcraft said of O'Hearn after the game. "He leads by example in how he plays the game, how he hustles and how he conducts himself day in and day out. It's contagious. We have a lot of good players in this clubhouse. When you show up to work every day and see the people around you putting in the work, it forces you to either run the race with them or fall way behind. I think that everybody is stepping up to that challenge. You see it in the performance and the product we put on the field every day. There's a lot of good energy floating around this clubhouse right now and we're excited for what's to come."
Want to participate in our comments?
Want an ad-free experience?
Become a member, and enjoy premium benefits!
We’d love to have you!