Bryan Reynolds knew he was close to hitting his 100th career home run at the start of this season. The Pittsburgh Pirates outfielder wasted no time reaching that milestone.
Reynolds hit a solo homer to center field in the sixth inning, becoming the 25th player in Pirates history to reach 100 home runs with the team. This helped the Pirates secure a 7-4 victory over the Tigers on Monday.
Reynolds jokingly mentioned that he was well aware of the milestone and that it had been talked about since last year.
Connor Joe and Jared Triolo both contributed with two hits and two RBIs each for the Pirates. Joey Bart also drove in two runs, contributing to Pittsburgh’s impressive 9-2 record, the best in the National League.
Mitch Keller, earning his first win of the season, pitched well for the Pirates. He allowed two runs on five hits, with three walks and nine strikeouts. Keller, who recently signed a contract extension, has now pitched at least five innings in 34 consecutive starts, the longest active streak in the majors.
On the Tigers’ side, Colt Keith and Matt Vierling each had two hits and an RBI. Despite Riley Greene adding an RBI double in the ninth, the Tigers couldn’t overcome Pittsburgh’s strong performance.
Reese Olson, who pitched exceptionally well in his first start of the season, struggled against the Pirates this time. Olson gave up six runs on nine hits, with three walks and three strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings. This loss marked the Tigers’ fourth defeat in five games after their initial 5-0 start.
Pittsburgh quickly took control of the game, with Bart hitting a two-run single in the second inning and Triolo adding a two-run single in the third, giving the Pirates a comfortable lead.
Although Andrew McCutchen narrowly missed hitting his 300th career home run, he contributed with a double that led to a run for the Pirates.
