Isiah Kiner-Falefa had three hits, including a homer in the first inning, and the Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the struggling Seattle Mariners 7-2 on Saturday.
Rowdy Tellez and Jared Triolo also hit home runs for the Pirates, who have won the first two games of their three-game series after a 10-game losing streak. Joey Bart added two doubles.
Pittsburgh left-hander Bailey Falter (6-7) matched his career high with eight strikeouts while allowing two runs in 5 2/3 innings. He gave up eight hits and did not walk any batters.
“I’m not a guy that punches a lot of tickets, so that’s always nice to see,” Falter said about the strikeouts. “But I’m not really too worried about that. Just want to go out there, put up zeros and get these guys in the dugout as quick as possible.”
It was Seattle’s fifth straight loss, and the Mariners started the day in second place in the AL West.
The Pirates had to hold on in the ninth inning after the Mariners loaded the bases with a walk and two hit batters by Domingo German. David Bednar came in with a five-run lead and retired three batters in a row for his 22nd save.
Kiner-Falefa hit his first home run since being traded from Toronto on July 30, a 406-foot shot off Luis Castillo. It was also the first time Kiner-Falefa led off the first inning with a homer.
“I felt like I got it pretty good,” Kiner-Falefa said. “Really good pitcher on the mound, so tried to get under the ball and got it. It felt good to get that out of the way and have a little momentum right there.”
Kiner-Falefa’s eight home runs this season are a career high for the seven-year veteran.
“Just try to play my game, just try to continue to hit the ball hard and swing at good pitches,” he said. “Felt like I’ve always key-holed myself into being a slap hitter, so trying to get my swing off and help the team and drive in runs.”
