PITTSBURGH—On another frigid day, the Orioles spoiled the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Opening Day.
Ryan O’Hearn, Gunnar Henderson and Cedric Mullins hit home runs and Grayson Rodriguez pitched 6 1/3 strong innings as the Orioles defeated the Pirates, 5-2, before a sellout crowd of 38,400 at PNC Park on Friday, where game time-temperature was 40 degrees.
The Orioles, who won two of three in their first two series against the Angels and Royals, are 5-2. The Pirates (6-2) had won six of their first seven.
O’Hearn hit his first home run with one out against Pirates starter Jared Jones (1-1) in the second. Henderson led off the third with his second homer, and they had another chance to add on in the fourth after O’Hearn’s leadoff triple, but he stayed there.
Rodriguez (1-0), who allowed a run on four hits in six innings in his first start against the Los Angeles Angels on March 30th, gave up a run on five hits in 6 1/3 innings. He struck out seven and walked two, throwing 97 pitches.
Oneil Cruz had three hits for Pittsburgh and homered against Rodriguez with one out in the sixth. Jared Triolo hit his first home run to lead off the seventh. After Rodriguez struck out Michael A. Taylor, Danny Coulombe replaced him.
Coulombe retired the two batters he faced, and Yennier Cano retired the three batters he faced. Craig Kimbrel pitched a spotless ninth, and recorded his first save for the Orioles.
The Orioles increased their lead to 4-1 in the seventh on an RBI single by Adley Rutschman and a run-scoring double by Anthony Santander. Rutschman’s hit scored Ramón Urías, who singled. Urías had been hitless in 15 at-bats.
Mullins led off the eighth with his second home run to give the Orioles a 5-2 lead.