In the second inning, left fielder Tommy Pham launched a solo home run off a slider from Twins right-hander Simeon Woods Richardson, sending it 421 feet to give Pittsburgh a 1-0 lead.
In the second inning, the Pirates loaded the bases after Tommy Pham’s solo home run, with Jack Suwinski grounding out, Ke’Bryan Hayes singling, Henry Davis lining out, and Spencer Horwitz walking, but Andrew McCutchen flew out.
Mitch Keller, in his 20th start, pitched six innings, allowing four hits, one run, no walks, and three strikeouts. He escaped a second-inning leadoff double by Carlos Correa and allowed a tying run in the third on Byron Buxton’s double.
In the fifth, Isiah Kiner-Falefa and McCutchen singled, but Bryan Reynolds struck out, and Nick Gonzales grounded out. Kiner-Falefa singled again in the seventh, but McCutchen’s strikeout kept it tied.
Caleb Ferguson threw a scoreless seventh. Dennis Santana allowed two singles in the eighth but escaped after Henry Davis threw out Christian Vázquez at third.
In the ninth, Jhoan Duran struck out Suwinski. Hayes and pinch-hitter Oneil Cruz singled, and Kiner-Falefa’s fourth hit loaded the bases. Horwitz’s grounder led to an out at first, but Hayes scored, giving the Pirates a 2-1 lead.
In the bottom of the ninth, David Bednar took the mound for the Pirates after McCutchen struck out. Bednar allowed a leadoff single to Carlos Correa but struck out Brooks Lee with a curveball and got Willi Castro to swing at a full-count curveball for the second out. Ty France grounded out, sealing the Pirates’ 2-1 win. Bednar remained perfect in save opportunities, going 13-for-13 in 2025.
The Pirates now head into the All-Star break with four days off before a nine-game homestand, starting with a series against the Chicago White Sox at PNC Park, July 18-20.
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