The Pirates officially moved into a tie for the third National League Wild Card spot on Monday night with a dramatic 3-2 walk-off win over the Diamondbacks at PNC Park. That’s the good news. The gut punch, though, came when star rookie Esmerlyn Valdez had to leave the game after taking a pitch to his left hand. Talk about a rollercoaster of emotions after a huge game.
Lowe’s Heroics Drive a Wild Finish
This game was a grind, scoreless until the top of the sixth when the Diamondbacks (55-52) finally broke through. Max Kepler blasted a two-RBI double off Mitch Keller with one out, knocking the Pirates starter out of the game and putting Arizona up 2-0. But the Bucs weren’t out of it. Brandon Lowe got Pittsburgh (55-52) on the board in the bottom of the sixth, bringing Jake Mangum home from third on an infield single off Merrill Kelly. Fast forward to the bottom of the eighth, and it was Lowe again, teaming up with Bryan Reynolds for back-to-back two-out doubles off Jonathan Loaisiga to tie the game at 2-2. This team just refused to quit, pushing it all the way to extras.
The Walk-Off and The Lingering Question
The tension built into the tenth inning, and who else but Brandon Lowe stepped up? He delivered a walk-off single off Taylor Clarke (2-2), hitting a hard liner that deflected off the glove of first baseman Ildemaro Vargas, securing the 3-2 victory. What a performance by Lowe, carrying the team on his back! But while the celebration was huge, the immediate concern has to be Valdez. Losing a “star rookie” to a hand injury right after moving into a Wild Card tie is brutal. The club will be holding its breath for an update, because while the win puts them in a great spot, the health of a key player is everything in the long run.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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