Pirates Edge Royals
Brandon Lowe's Eighth-Inning Home Run Lifts Pittsburgh Pirates Past Kansas City Royals
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Key Points
1
Ronny Simon hit the first home run of his career in his 42nd game, a two-run shot just inside the left-field foul pole that gave Pittsburgh an early 2-0 lead.
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Kansas City’s Carter Jensen set a Royals rookie record with his 25th home run of the season. The play was upheld after an umpire review following a fan’s attempt to reach over the Clemente Wall.
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Nick Loftin led Kansas City with four hits, while Carter Jensen hit a solo homer and Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino each collected two hits.
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Pittsburgh’s late lead was preserved by Luke Weaver, who threw a scoreless eighth inning, and Mason Montgomery, who worked around a walk for his 15th save of the season.
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Lowe is in the final season of a six-year, $24 million contract signed with Tampa Bay in 2019 and is earning $11.5 million this season. His 33 home runs lead all major-league second basemen, while his defense has improved from negative metrics with the Rays in 2025 to plus-14 defensive runs saved and plus-12 outs above average with Pittsburgh this season.
Brandon Lowe's two-run homer in the eighth inning lifted the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 6-5 comeback victory over the Kansas City Royals at PNC Park on Saturday. Great Bend Post reported that Lowe's blast was his fourth home run in five games and his 33rd of the season, marking the second-most by any player in their first year with a new team.
The victory moved Pittsburgh to 78-77 and above .500 for the first time, though the Pirates had been eliminated from playoff contention earlier that same day. Reuters noted that Lowe's hot streak continues to power Pittsburgh's offense down the stretch.
Lowe Reaches Historic Milestone at PNC Park
Lowe's 19th home run at PNC Park set a Pirates record for most homers by a single player at the ballpark. The shot also pushed Pittsburgh to 96 home runs at the venue this season, surpassing the franchise record of 95 set at Forbes Field back in 1947.
CBS Sports highlighted that Lowe leads all major-league second basemen with 33 home runs this season. The slugger is in the final year of a six-year, $24 million contract he signed with Tampa Bay in 2019 and earns $11.5 million annually.
Simon's First Career Homer Starts Pirates' Comeback
Ronny Simon drove in Pittsburgh's first two runs with a two-run home run in his 42nd game, a blast that landed just inside the left-field foul pole. Simon's early homer gave the Pirates a 2-0 lead they would build upon throughout the afternoon.
Jake Mangum also contributed a solo homer for Pittsburgh. The Pirates' power display proved decisive in overcoming Kansas City's strong offensive showing at PNC Park.
Royals' Young Stars Keep Kansas City in the Fight
Carter Jensen set a Royals rookie record with his 25th home run of the season after umpire review upheld the play against a fan's attempt to reach over the Clemente Wall. Nick Loftin led Kansas City with four hits, while Bobby Witt Jr. went 3-for-5 and extended his on-base streak to 17 games.
Jac Caglianone and Vinnie Pasquantino each recorded two hits for Kansas City. Despite the strong individual performances, the Royals could not hold the lead late.
Late Relief Secures Pirates' Second Straight Win
Luke Weaver threw a scoreless eighth inning to preserve Pittsburgh's lead. Mason Montgomery worked around a walk in the ninth for his 15th save of the season, closing out the Pirates' 6-5 victory.
Kansas City Star noted Lowe's defensive improvements this season: plus-14 defensive runs saved and plus-12 outs above average with Pittsburgh, a sharp turnaround from negative metrics with the Rays in 2025.
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