The Pittsburgh Pirates improved to 41-40 with a 5-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners on Thursday at PNC Park, marking their best first half in more than a decade.
The win came in the 81st game of the season. Brandon Lowe and Henry Davis drove in four runs combined while Bubba Chandler allowed one run over 5 1/3 innings.
Pittsburgh has dealt with multiple injuries, including absences for Jared Jones, Konnor Griffin, Oneil Cruz and Spencer Horwitz. The team added Brandon Lowe, Ryan O’Hearn and Marcell Ozuna in the offseason to strengthen its offense.
Manager Don Kelly noted the squad’s resilience but stressed the need for further improvement. “There's a better team that we'll see in the second half; they're more consistent,” he said.
The Pirates will face the Cincinnati Reds this weekend before playing 25 straight games against teams at or above .500. Jake Mangum said the club is still learning how to win consistently.
