Adam Frazier, Ke'Bryan Hayes hit back-to-back homers to lead Pirates past Cubs - TribLIVE

The Pittsburgh Pirates started Wednesday’s game the same way Jacob Stallings ended their walk-off win the night before, with Adam Frazier and Ke’Bryan Hayes hitting back-to-back home runs in the first inning.

“We went back-to-back-to-back homers,” Pirates manager Derek Shelton cracked. “We just waited 24 hours to do it.”

It was the first time in seven seasons the Pittsburgh Pirates started a game that way, and it ended up being enough for a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Cubs on Wednesday night at PNC Park.

It was the second consecutive victory for the Pirates (17-39), who play their final home game against the first-place Cubs at 1:35 p.m. Thursday. They finish the 60-game season with a three-game series at Cleveland this weekend.

The Cubs took a 1-0 lead in the first when Anthony Rizzo sent a Trevor Williams changeup 404 feet to right-center for his 11th home run of the season. It was the 15th homer allowed this season by Williams (2-8), most in the majors. But it was the only run he gave up in 5 2/3 innings, allowing three hits with three walks and four strikeouts.

“As soon as it leaves my hand, it’s out of my control,” said Williams (2-8), who got his first win since Aug. 13, a stretch of seven starts. “I got right back on the mound and went to work. Kyle Hendricks did a fantastic job of doing the same thing. As starting pitchers, you can’t let the solo homers beat you. It’s the three-run homers that really do hurt you and really do affect the outcome of the game. But if it’s a solo homer, so be it. You can bear down and go right back to work.”

Hendricks, however, gave up two solo shots in a row.

Frazier answered with a leadoff homer, smacking an 0-2 sinker into the right-field seats for his sixth homer. It was Frazier’s second leadoff homer this season and ninth of his career, passing Andrew McCutchen for third-most in Pirates history behind Barry Bonds (20) and Al Martin (10).

“I don’t know why moreso than other at bats,” Frazier said, “but sometimes you can catch a pitcher early, before they get in a groove and put a good swing on one, so I guess that’s what I attest it to.”

Hayes followed with his fourth homer, a 429-foot shot that Shelton described as a “two-iron into the right-center field bleachers” to give the Pirates back-to-back homers to start a game for the fifth time in team history. Shelton stressed the importance of the Pirates getting a lead on Hendricks, who allowed two runs on seven hits and one walk.

“If you like baseball and you like pitching, he’s a fun guy to watch,” Shelton said of Hendricks, who threw 95 pitches in 7 2/3 innings. “If you’re facing him, you hope you get to him early because once he gets dialed in he’s really good.”

Not since Sept. 20, 2013, when Jose Tabata and Neil Walker homered off Mat Latos of the Cincinnati Reds in succession had the Pirates opened the game that way. That game saw Billy Hamilton — who now plays for the Cubs — score the tying run as a pinch-runner in the ninth, as the Reds won, 6-5, in 10 innings.

Williams got a scare when he took an Ian Happ comebacker off his rear end to start the third, but regrouped for one of his best outings of the season. He allowed one run on three hits with three walks and four strikeouts. Williams got out of a jam in the fourth, when Cameron Maybin doubled and reached third on a fielder’s choice by Javier Baez. With runners on the corners, Williams got Jason Kipnis to end the inning when third base umpire Bill Welke called his check swing a third strike.

“He executed pitches all night,” Shelton said. “He had a big fifth inning, when he minimized his pitches and gave himself an opportunity to go out and get through the sixth. It was nice to see, a nice adjustment by him.”

The Pirates pulled Williams with two outs in the sixth, after Maybin hit another double. Austin Davis walked Jason Heyward, and the Cubs had runners on second and third when Javier Baez flew out to deep center.

Kyle Schwarber drew a walk against Chris Stratton in the eighth, and Hamilton pinch ran for him. He almost got picked off when he ran past second on a line drive to center fielder Jared Oliva, getting back to first just in time. Hamilton stole second to get in scoring position, but Stratton stuck out Jason Heyward to end the inning.

Frazier and Hayes almost provided another one-two punch in the eighth, when Frazier singled to center and Hayes followed with a single that sent Frazier to third. The Cubs challenged that Frazier was tagged out after sliding over the bag, and after a two-minute, five-second video review umpires reversed the call.

The Cubs got a runner on second in the ninth when Kipnis got an infield single off Richard Rodriguez and took second on a wild pitch. Rodriguez struck out David Bote, then got Ian Happ swinging for the final out.

“It was nice my team picked me up in that first inning,” Williams said. “The two solo homers were huge for us, especially after giving up one in the first. For them to pick me up like that immediately was awesome.”

Kevin Gorman is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Kevin by email at kgorman@triblive.com or via Twitter .

Categories: Pirates/MLB | Sports

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Adam Frazier, Ke'Bryan Hayes hit back-to-back homers to lead Pirates past Cubs - TribLIVE

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