Pittsburgh Pirates equal franchise record and exhaust supply of celebratory fireworks with 7 homers in win over New York Mets
By Issy Ronald, CNN
(CNN) — The Pittsburgh Pirates dismantled the New York Mets 14-2 on Friday, hitting so many home runs that their stadium’s supply of celebratory fireworks ran out as they equaled the franchise record of seven homers in a home game.
“We hit so many home runs that we ran out of fireworks,” the Pirates posted on X, formerly known as Twitter. “We’re being serious.”
As well hitting seven home runs in Pittsburgh for the first time since 1947, Friday marked the first time in franchise history that the team hit multiple grand slams in a seven-homer game, and the first time the Pirates have hit two grand slams in a game in 28 years.
The Pirates were trailing 2-0 until the fourth inning when Rowdy Tellez hit a ball through right center field and out of the park before Jack Suwinski tied it up later in the fourth.
Bryan Reynolds continued the Pirates’ homer streak in the fifth before stepping up to the plate in the seventh with the bases loaded to hit a grand slam.
A six-run eighth inning, capped by Tellez also hitting a grand slam, sealed the Pirates’ complete demolition of the Mets. By hitting multiple homers and a grand slam each, Tellez and Reynolds became the first pair of teammates in MLB history to achieve this feat, according to the league.
“It’s a great offensive game for us,” Reynolds said afterwards, per the MLB. “I think we can build off it and keep it rolling, just keep going strong for the rest of the year.”
Pirates rookie pitcher Paul Skenes helped hold the Mets down too as he allowed just two runs on four hits with a walk and eight strikeouts. He continued his historic start to the MLB, setting a new league record of seven or more strikeouts in nine of his first 10 career games.
Skenes has also thrown a league high of 74 pitches at more than 100mph this season already, more than double the next closest starting pitcher.
“There’s a different atmosphere in the ballpark when he pitches,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton said before the game, per the MLB. “ I do think there’s a different buzz in our ballpark, and I think our players enjoy that.”
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