Fraizer’s rare homer enough to beat Phils

Associated Press

PITTSBURGH

Adam Frazier is an unlikely source of power. The Pittsburgh Pirates’ 5-foot-10 utilityman had hit just three home runs in his first four years of professional baseball coming into Sunday’s game against the Philadelphia Phillies.

But with the game tied in the seventh inning, Frazier sent an Edubray Ramos fastball into the right-field seats to lead the Pirates to a 5-4 victory.

“It was up and in and I figured he was coming back with a fastball after just missing with two off-speed pitches,” Frazier said, while noting that he got a scouting report from his time playing with Ramos in the Arizona Fall League in 2015. “I got my hands to it and got the barrel out front.”

The 407-foot pinch-hit homer was not only his first bopper in the majors since being called up June 24, it also was his first at any level since Sept. 5, when he was with Double-A Altoona. He hit just three total minor-league home runs in the Pirates organization since being drafted out of Mississippi State in 2013.

“I was pretty excited to see the ball clear the fence,” he said. “In a tie game, I was just trying to do whatever I can. It was pretty big.”

Making his second appearance since a trip to the disabled list for a fatigued shoulder, Pittsburgh starter Jameson Taillon struck out seven batters in six innings but was also hittable at times. He surrendered four extra-base hits, including solo home runs by Odubel Herrera and Andres Blanco, which allowed the Phillies to build a 4-2 lead.

Pirates manager Clint Hurdle credited Taillon’s maturity for him to allow big hits early but remain focused and effective.

“He made some mistakes and he paid for them, but he kept us in the game and he really didn’t fold or go away,” Hurdle said. “He stayed on the aggression throughout the outing.”

The Pirates’ comeback started in the sixth inning, when Starling Marte lead off with a double to center and Matt Joyce sent a first-pitch fastball from Philadelphia starter Vince Velasquez 434 feet off the batters’ eye beyond the centerfield wall.

The home run was the 10th of the season for Joyce, his most since 2013 despite only having a part-time role. He is slugging a career-high .563 on the season, after posting a career-low .291 mark in 2015.