Pedro Alvarez Slams Yanks In 14th For Baltimore Win; Pirates Gash Reds, Colin Moran 4-for-5 In 13-4 Rout

Players of the Day for Friday, April 6, 2018

American League

Alvarez slam sinks Yanks

At chilly Yankee Stadium, Pedro Alvarez sat through the first nine innings of Baltimore's game with the Yankees, finally called upon to pinch hit in a 3-3 tie with two out and a man aboard in the 10th.

Alvarez came through with a single, but was left stranded as the game continued deep into the night. After walking in the 12th and again being left on base, Alvarez got another shot when he arrived at the plate with the bases loaded and one out in the top of the 14th.

This time, he got his pitch, and delivered it to the weary fans above the right-center field wall, clearing the bases with a grand slam, leading the Orioles to their second straight victory in New York, a 7-3 win that ended after 1:00 am in the Eastern time zone.

The blast was just Alvarez's second home run since 2016. After spending most of last season with Baltimore's AAA affiliate, Norfolk, in the International League, Alvarez has already equalled his production with the Orioles from 2017, when he hit one home run and drove in four runs in 14 games.

The five hour, 20-minute game featured 14 pitchers. Baltimore closer, Brad Brach, sealed the win, putting the Yankees down order in the bottom of the 14th.

It's a quick turn-around for both teams, with game three of the four-game series slated for a 1:05 pm EDT start in the Bronx.

National League

Moran: 4-for-5, 3 R, 3 RBI

This season was supposed to be one of rebuilding for the Pittsburgh Pirates, but the construction appears to be proceeding ahead of schedule, because there are the Pirates atop the NL Central at 6-1, 1 1/2-games ahead of second place Milwaukee.

Pittsburgh's most recent exploit was the dismantling of visiting Cincinnati on Friday, as the Pirates banged out 15 hits to steamroll the Reds, 14-3.

Leading the hit parade was rookie third baseman, Colin Moran, who went 4-for-5 with three RBI and three runs, boosting his batting average to a solid .318.

Moran got the Pirates started with an RBI double in the second inning, then plated a pair with a bases-loaded single in the fourth, adding two more singles and scoring in the sixth and seventh.

Acquired by the Pirates from Houston in the off-season, Moran is 7-for-22 with a home run and eight RBI in six games this season. At 6'4", 205 pounds, Moran has the potential to be a solid power hitter and steady fielder at third base for some time.

Meanwhile, the Pirates are cruising along early in the season and host the Reds in game three of their four-game series at 7:05 pm EDT Saturday, seeking their third straight over their Central division rival.