O'Hearn's Big Night
Ryan O'Hearn's Three-RBI Night Propels Pittsburgh Pirates to 5-1 Victory Over Houston Astros
Ryan O'Hearn hit an RBI single and a two-run home run to carry the Pittsburgh Pirates past the Houston Astros 5-1 on June 4, 2026, at Daikin Park. O'Hearn finished 2-for-4 with three RBIs, giving Pittsburgh a series-clinching rubber-match win and lifting the club to 34-29 on the season, according to CBS Sports.
The victory ended a four-game Pirates scoring streak of nine-plus runs — the longest such stretch in the majors this season — but delivered a much-needed rebound after a bullpen meltdown the night before, Associated Press noted.
O'Hearn Breaks the Game Open in the Sixth
Pittsburgh struck first in the top of the first inning. Brandon Lowe doubled and O'Hearn singled to center to drive him in, making it 1-0. The Astros' Kai-Wei Teng then retired eight straight batters before the Pirates erupted again in the sixth, according to CBS Sports.
Lowe led off the sixth with another double. Bryan Reynolds singled him home. Then O'Hearn crushed his ninth home run of the season to right field, pushing the lead to 4-0. An error by shortstop Jeremy Peña let Nick Gonzales score moments later, making it 5-0, per Yahoo Sports.
Jones Returns Strong, Mlodzinski Slams the Door
Jared Jones threw 5.0 scoreless innings in just his second start back from an 18-month elbow injury. He allowed four hits, walked two, and struck out four on 74 pitches. Jones had said before the game, "Pretty damn excited. It's been a really long time since I touched a Major League mound," per WKYC.
Carmen Mlodzinski took over in the sixth and threw 4.0 innings of one-run ball, allowing four hits and zero walks while striking out three on 55 pitches. He induced a key flyout from Yordan Alvarez in the seventh with two runners on to kill Houston's best threat. It was Mlodzinski's first career save, according to 5 News Online.
Paredes Reaches 100 Career Homers for Astros
Houston's lone highlight came in the bottom of the sixth. Isaac Paredes hit a solo homer to left off Mlodzinski — his 100th career home run. That makes Paredes the fourth Mexican-born player in MLB history to reach the milestone, joining Vinny Castilla, Aurelio Rodríguez, and Jorge Cantú, according to Newsday.
The moment was a bright spot in an otherwise flat night for Houston. The Astros went 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position. Manager Joe Espada pointed to missed opportunities as the team dropped to 28-36, eight games below .500, per Yahoo Sports.
Pirates Bullpen Rebound Raises Questions About What Comes Next
The win was a direct answer to a brutal June 3 collapse, when Pittsburgh's bullpen gave up six runs in the eighth inning to blow an 8-3 lead. Manager Don Kelly praised his relievers for bouncing back. But analysts noted the Pirates still lead MLB with 16 blown saves this season, according to LMT Online.
Pittsburgh now travels to Atlanta to face the Braves, with Mitch Keller (5-2) scheduled to start. The Pirates have homered in 11 straight games, tied for the fourth-longest streak in franchise history, per WZZM 13.
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