Pham and Horwitz lead Pirates past Rangers to prevent sweep

PITTSBURGH (AP) – Tommy Pham went 3 for 3 and drove in three runs, Spencer Horwitz and Bryan Reynolds also had three hits, and the Pittsburgh Pirates used a five-run fifth inning to beat the Texas Rangers 8-3 on Sunday and avoid a three-game sweep.

Pham tied it 2-all with a sacrifice fly in the fourth and capped the fifth-inning rally with an RBI double for a 7-2 advantage. He drove in Pittsburgh’s final run with a double in the seventh.

Horwitz went 3 for 4 with two doubles. He scored three runs and drove in two. Reynolds had a double and scored as the Pirates finished with 15 hits.

Texas starter Jack Leiter was lifted in favor of Caleb Boushley after walking Oneil Cruz to begin the fifth with the score tied at 2.

Cruz advanced to third on a groundout and Reynolds’ single. Nick Gonzales singled to give Pittsburgh the lead, and Horwitz hit a shot to right field that Adolis García misplayed into a two-run double that made it 5-2. Ke’Bryan Hayes added an RBI single before scoring on Pham’s double.

Bailey Falter walked two to begin the second and both scored on back-to-back RBI singles by Josh Smith and Josh Jung to put the Rangers up 2-0.

Hayes doubled in the Pirates’ first run after one-out singles by Joey Bart and Horwitz in the fourth.

Falter (6-3) pitched 5 1/3 innings, allowing three runs on six hits and five walks. Three relievers finished for Pittsburgh.

Leiter (4-5) permitted three runs and five hits in four-plus innings. Boushley gave up five runs in four innings.

Hayes saved two runs when he dove to his left at third base with runners on second and third to take away a hit from García for the final out in the third with the Pirates trailing 2-0.

Cruz, in a 4-for-37 slump, used his speed to spark the Pirates. He was off and running for his 27th stolen base on a grounder by Andrew McCutchen. Cruz didn’t get the steal but he prevented a double play and later scored the go-ahead run.

The Pirates hadn’t announced a starter for Monday’s series opener in Milwaukee against Brewers rookie RHP Chad Patrick (3-7, 3.50 ERA).

Texas will start LHP Patrick Corbin (4-6, 3.91 ERA) on Monday in Baltimore opposite LHP Trevor Rogers (0-0, 3.12).