Pittsburgh Pirates Shut Out Minnesota Twins 4-0 Behind Rowdy Tellez’s Heroics
In a dominant performance, the Pittsburgh Pirates blanked the Minnesota Twins 4-0 on Saturday, thanks to a standout performance by Rowdy Tellez. Tellez, who has been struggling this season, came up big with a home run and three RBIs to lead the Pirates to victory.
The game-changing moment came in the seventh inning when Tellez smashed a changeup from Simeon Woods Richardson over the center-field wall for his first homer since March 31. The crowd, which had been critical of Tellez earlier in the game, quickly turned into cheers and demanded a curtain call from the first baseman.
Tellez, who signed with the Pirates in the offseason, expressed his gratitude for the support, stating, “I’m trying to do the best I can for everybody. Trying to be that leader, that player that needs to produce. That’s what they brought me here to do and we’re going to get that going and keep it going.”
Manager Derek Shelton praised Tellez’s performance, highlighting his clutch hitting in the eighth inning to extend the Pirates’ lead. The Pirates’ bullpen also shined, with Hunter Stratton picking up the win and Luis Ortiz holding the Twins scoreless for 4 1/3 innings.
The Twins, on the other hand, struggled to generate offense, dropping their fifth straight game and being shut out for the second consecutive time. Manager Rocco Baldelli emphasized the need for his team to start hitting the ball hard to turn things around.
The series concludes on Sunday, with Pittsburgh rookie Jared Jones facing off against Minnesota’s Bailey Ober. Jones will look to build on his impressive performance in his last start, while Ober aims to help the Twins snap their losing streak.