Pittsburgh Pirates’ Tucupita Marcano (30) celebrates as he crosses home plate after hitting a grand slam home run off Texas Rangers relief pitcher Joe Barlow during the seventh inning of a baseball game in Pittsburgh, Monday, May 22, 2023. (AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar)
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Tucupita Marcano hit his first career grand slam, rookie Luis Ortiz pitched into the eighth inning and earned his first major league victory and the Pittsburgh Pirates beat the Texas Rangers 6-4. Ortiz allowed two runs and five hits in 7 2/3 innings, picking up the win in his eighth career start, including four this season. He struck out four and walked two in a 93-pitch effort. Marcano’s slam to straightaway center field off Joe Barlow capped a five-run seventh inning and put the Pirates ahead 6-1. Pittsburgh won for the fourth time in 11 games and snapped the Rangers’ three-game winning streak.