Barajas’ homer wins it for Bucs

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Rod Barajas knows the Pittsburgh Pirates didn’t pick up the veteran catcher in free agency to hit .131 with no homers and no RBIs during the first month of the season.

Yet even as his woes mounted, manager Clint Hurdle stuck by Barajas, sending him to the batter’s box with the tying run on third and two outs in the ninth against Washington on Tuesday night.

“I thought what the heck? He’s hit a few homers before,” Hurdle said.

Hurdle’s faith paid off when Barajas drilled a two-run homer off closer Henry Rodriguez to lift the Pittsburgh Pirates to a 5-4 victory.

The Nationals went ahead 4-3 after Adam LaRoche’s two-run blast in the top of the ninth off Pittsburgh closer Joel Hanrahan.

Alex Presley singled with one out in the bottom of the ninth off Rodriguez (1-2) and moved to third on a pair of wild pitches before Barajas broke through.

“I kind of figured [Rodriguez] was going to come hard,” Barajas said. “I wasn’t going to let one go by if it was where I like it.”

Tony Watson (2-0) earned the victory after replacing Hanrahan.

Rodriguez, perhaps unsettled after walking Presley then letting him advance to third by bouncing a pair of breaking balls past catcher Wilson Ramos, threw a fastball that Barajas hit into the seats for his first home run since last September when he played for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

“[Rodriguez] usually has pretty good command of his curveball and that kind of got him in a jam and I thought he was still going to get out of it,” Washington manager Davey Johnson said.