O'Hearn Powers Pirates Win
Ryan O'Hearn's Career-High Six RBIs Propel Pirates to Decisive 12-4 Victory
Ryan O'Hearn delivered the best game of his career on Wednesday night, driving in six runs to power the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 12-4 blowout of the Athletics in West Sacramento. O'Hearn went 3-for-5 with a two-run double, a two-run home run, and a two-run single — finishing just a triple shy of the cycle, according to AP.
The Pirates pounded out 16 hits and led 7-0 before the fifth inning. The win moves Pittsburgh to 38-37 on the season, per TSN.
O'Hearn Puts Pirates Ahead Before the Second Inning
Pittsburgh struck fast. Bryan Reynolds hit an RBI ground-rule double in the first inning. O'Hearn then followed with a two-run double to left field, giving the Pirates a 3-0 lead before the Athletics even came to bat, according to Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
O'Hearn added a two-run opposite-field home run in the fourth inning off Athletics reliever Jose Suarez. The Pirates' official social media celebrated the blast with the tag "O'HEARN OPPO!" The blow pushed the lead to 7-0 and effectively ended the contest as a competition.
A Seventh-Inning Pile-On Sealed the Blowout
Pittsburgh put the game out of reach in the seventh inning. Marcell Ozuna launched a 448-foot solo home run. Then Spencer Horwitz drew a bases-loaded walk, Brandon Lowe hit a sacrifice fly, and O'Hearn capped the rally with a two-run single, according to AP. The Pirates outscored the Athletics 5-0 in the inning to make it 12-2.
The Athletics answered with solo home runs by Henry Bolte and Zack Gelof in the seventh and ninth innings. But the damage was done. The final score was 12-4. Pittsburgh out-hit Oakland 16 to 6, per Sun Herald.
Ashcraft Wins, While Civale Struggles in Return from Injury
Braxton Ashcraft earned the win for Pittsburgh, improving his record to 6-3. He allowed just one earned run over six innings and struck out seven batters. It was a strong outing against an Athletics lineup that has been inconsistent in 2026, according to Fresno Bee.
For the Athletics, Aaron Civale took the loss and dropped to 5-3. He was making his first start back from shoulder tendinitis and allowed six earned runs in just three-plus innings. It was a rough return for a team already dealing with rotation injuries, per TSN.
Pirates' Offense Has Exploded — But the A's Have a Silver Lining
The Pirates have now scored 10 or more runs seven times in their first 75 games of 2026. That already matches their entire total from the 2025 season, per AP. Manager Don Kelly has praised the lineup's ability to stay "locked in" despite losing center fielder Oneil Cruz and rookie Konnor Griffin to injuries.
For the Athletics, Zack Gelof extended his hitting streak to 21 games with his solo homer — the longest active streak in Major League Baseball, according to AP. The Athletics play their home games at Sutter Health Park in West Sacramento while their permanent Las Vegas stadium is built, a move expected to be complete in 2028. Wednesday's attendance was 9,024, the lowest average in MLB.
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