O'Hearn drives in 10, breaking Pirates' record

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh Pirates first baseman Ryan O'Hearn made history Tuesday night, setting a club record by driving in 10 runs on three homers in a 12-4 win over the Atlanta Braves. O'Hearn hit a grand slam off Atlanta starter Hurston Waldrep in the first, added a three-run shot off Waldrep in the third and took Braves reliever Connor Thomas deep with another three-run shot in the sixth. O'Hearn's big night broke the franchise record of nine RBIs set by Johnny Rizzo against St. Louis on May 30, 1939. The 10 RBIs by O'Hearn also marked the most in the majors by a player this year. An All-Star last season while splitting time between Baltimore and San Diego, O'Hearn also became the 16th player in Pittsburgh's 145-year history to hit three homers in a game. The first baseman, the rare free agent to sign a multiyear deal with the Pirates, made it easy for ace Paul Skenes (7-8) to pick up his first win in nearly two months as Pittsburgh won its third straight. O'Hearn's bid to become the 22nd player in major league history to hit four homers in a game ended when he singled off Atlanta infielder Jorge Mateo -- making his third career appearance in relief -- in the ninth. O'Hearn instead settled for being the 11th player since the RBI became an official statistic in 1920 to hit three homers and drive in 10 runs in a game. Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani was the last player to do it in 2024 against the Miami Marlins. O'Hearn's historic night gave the Pirates a welcome boost on the same day the club lost star rookie Konnor Griffin for at least two months with a left-hand injury. Skenes, the reigning NL Cy Young winner who was replaced on the National League All-Star team on Tuesday by teammate Braxton Ashcraft, allowed two runs on eight hits over a workmanlike six innings with a walk and four strikeouts as his ERA ticked down to 3.58. Michael Harris and Mauricio Dubon had two hits for the NL East-leading Braves, who have dropped three consecutive games. Waldrep, making his second start of the season, struggled in 3 1/3 innings. The right-hander allowed seven runs -- all driven in by O'Hearn -- and walked five.