The Pittsburgh Pirates defeated the Seattle Mariners 5-1 on Thursday afternoon at PNC Park, securing a series victory and reaching a 41-40 record at the midway point of the Major League Baseball season.
Pittsburgh utilized home runs from Brandon Lowe and Henry Davis alongside 5 1/3 innings of one-run baseball from rookie starting pitcher Bubba Chandler to hand the American League West leaders a series loss.
>>> Roughriders Defense Ready to Capitalize on Chad Kelly's Aggressive Passing
The victory marks the first time since 2015 that the Pirates have posted a winning record after 81 games, while the Mariners extended their streak of scoring three runs or fewer to 11 consecutive games.
Kelly Earns 100th Win
Pirates manager Don Kelly achieved his 100th career victory as the team navigated multiple bases-loaded threats from Seattle's offense, which finished the game 1-for-10 with runners in scoring position.
"We bent," said Kelly. "We didn't break."
Kelly noted that the team needs to elevate its performance moving forward despite its improved position compared to last season.
"There's a better team that we'll see in the second half; they're more consistent," Kelly said.
"We need to play better in order to get to where we want to go. We're in a good spot, but we're not there yet."
Kelly expressed confidence that the roster can find momentum as players return from the injury list.
"Once it clicks and you start to go, it can add up fast," Kelly said.
"We just need to stay right there, and continue to grind and compete to allow ourselves to get to that point."
