Pittsburgh Pirates' Ryan O'Hearn, center, is greeted by Bryan Reynolds (10) and Nick Gonzales (3) after hitting a three-run home run off Cincinnati Reds pitcher Pierce Johnson during the eighth inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Sunday, June 28, 2026. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)

PITTSBURGH — Ryan O’Hearn homered twice in a game for the third time in the majors and drove in four runs to help the Pittsburgh Pirates avoid a series sweep with a 9-4 win over the Cincinnati Reds on Sunday.

O’Hearn put Pittsburgh in front 5-4 in the fifth inning with a 421-foot drive to right off Brady Singer (3-7).

After 65-minute rain delay with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Pierce Johnson walked Bryan Reynolds and Nick Gonzales before O’Hearn hit a three-run shot to make it 8-4. Esmerlyn Valdéz followed O’Hearn by homering for a third straight game.

“I’m trying to do damage every time I go up there. It worked out that time,” O’Hearn said. “Especially late in the game like that, if I can give us a little breathing room, it feels good. It makes the ninth inning a lot less stressful.”

Mitch Keller (6-5) went six innings for the Pirates, allowing four runs — three earned — and five hits with four strikeouts and a walk.

X-rays were inconclusive on Eugenio Suárez’s left hand after he was hit by a pitch from Keller in the sixth inning and forced to leave the game. Manager Terry Francona said Suárez will have a CT scan on Monday after traveling with the team to Milwaukee for the start of a four-game series against the Brewers.

Singer gave up five runs and nine hits with six strikeouts in 4 1/3 innings for the Reds.

Pittsburgh scored four runs before recording an out in the second inning. Gonzales and O’Hearn started with a pair of singles before Valdéz made it 1-0 on a ground-rule double. Tyler Callihan then sent a sinker 412 feet to right for a three-run homer.

Elly De La Cruz reached safely on a fielding error by Pirates second baseman Brandon Lowe to begin the fourth. A double by Sal Stewart put two runners in scoring position. JJ Bleday took advantage with a two-run single that dropped into right field and cut the deficit to 4-2.

Tyler Stephenson lined an RBI double past a diving Callihan in left field and scored on Edwin Arroyo’s single down the line in right, tying it at 4 in the fifth.

The Pirates twice failed to score with the bases loaded and no outs. Konnor Griffin grounded into a force out, Lowe struck out and Reynolds grounded to third in the fourth. In the seventh, Henry Davis popped up to short and Griffin hit into a double play.

“We had opportunities with bases loaded, bases loaded, nobody out twice, and then didn’t get anything to show for it,” Pirates manager Don Kelly said. “That gets frustrating when you don’t score. To be able to add some runs on late, that was huge.”

Saturday’s game

Suárez hit a three-run homer with two outs in the ninth inning that rallied the Reds to a 9-7 victory over the Pirates on Saturday.

Trying to protect a one-run lead, Gregory Soto (4-2) let the first two Reds batters reach safely in the ninth before getting Stewart to ground into a double play. Soto then walked Bleday in front of Suárez, who drove a 2-2 sinker below the strike zone 344 feet the other way to right field.

Chase Petty retired the side in order in the ninth for his first major league save.

Suárez’s homer came after Valdéz put Pittsburgh ahead 7-6 with a pinch-hit homer off Caleb Ferguson (1-0) in the eighth.

The Reds led three times and trailed twice. They were in front 2-0 and 6-4 before going up for good in the ninth. The Pirates went on top 4-2 in the fourth.

Stewart produced Cincinnati’s first two runs. After a 36-minute rain delay, he sent a fastball from Jared Jones 372 feet over the right-field wall in the first inning for his team-leading 15th homer. In the third, Stewart drove in Jose Trevino with a two-out single that pushed third baseman Gonzales to the edge of the infield ahead of an errant throw to first.

Lowe gave the Pirates a 3-2 lead in the third with a three-run homer.

Endy Rodríguez doubled in the fourth and scored on Jared Triolo’s two-out single for a 4-2 lead.

Edwin Arroyo hit an RBI double for the Reds in the fifth and scored on Lowe’s fielding error at second base with two outs, tying it 4-all.

Jones went 4ª innings, giving up four runs (three earned) and four hits.

Trevino put Cincinnati back ahead 6-4 by sneaking a two-run single through the right side in the sixth.

Reds ace Chase Burns was pulled after giving up a leadoff double to Triolo in the seventh. Triolo scored on Lowe’s sacrifice fly.

Burns was charged with five runs and nine hits in six-plus innings. He struck out 10.

O’Hearn tied it 6-all with a two-out RBI single off Sam Moll later in the seventh.

Up next

Pirates: RHP Braxton Ashcraft (7-3, 3.07 ERA) will start the first of a four-game series in Philadelphia tonight against Phillies RHP Aaron Nola (3-4, 5.58 ERA).