The Pittsburgh Pirates’ weekend series in Toronto must have meant something extra for first baseman Spencer Horwitz.
A former Blue Jay traded to Pittsburgh in December of 2024, Horwitz made his return to Toronto to face the club that drafted him in 2019.
After the Pirates dropped the opening two games, Horwitz hit a first-inning home run at the Rogers Centre on Sunday to help the Pirates win, 4-1, avoiding a sweep.
Horwitz, Oneil Cruz and Esmerlyn Valdez went yard for the Pirates, complementing a strong six-inning start by Mitch Keller (5-2, 3.64 ERA), who picked up the win.
Keller allowed one run on four hits, walking three with five strikeouts while throwing 101 pitches.
Valdez, playing in his third MLB game after being called up from Triple-A Indianapolis on Friday, collected his first big-league hit in the sixth, a two-run shot off Chase Lee.
After Keller departed, Mason Montgomery and Gregory Soto came on, preserving the win. Soto picked up his fifth save of the season by pitching a scoreless ninth.
Horwitz, leading off in the first inning, wasted little time putting the Pirates (27-26) on the board, as he crushed the first offering from Dylan Cease into the right field upper decks.
Cruz then did the same in the second inning, taking Cease deep for another solo shot to put the Pirates up 2-0 early.
Keller had to navigate men on base in the first and second innings, but escaped without any damage in both instances.
In the fourth, Keller issued a leadoff walk to Vladimir Guerrero Jr., and Yohendrick Pinango followed with a single.
Keller bounced back to record two outs, but the Blue Jays (25-28) cut their deficit to 2-1 when Ernie Clement hit an RBI single into left field, scoring Guerrero.
With two men on, a lineout by Andres Gimenez went for the final out.
Cease’s afternoon ended unexpectedly with two outs in the fifth due to an apparent injury, with Mason Fluharty taking over.
More bad news on the injury front followed for Toronto in the bottom of the fifth, as Keller plunked Guerrero in the right elbow with a 92 mph sinker, leading to Guerrero’s immediate departure from the contest.
The Blue Jays, despite putting two men on in the frame, were unable to capitalize.
Valdez picked an opportune time to collect his first MLB hit as in the top of the sixth, he launched a two-run opposite-field homer down the right field line to score Endy Rodriguez, who walked.
Valdez’s home run gave the Pirates a 4-1 lead, creating some breathing room for Keller, who retired the Blue Jays in order in the bottom of the sixth, his final frame.
Yohan Ramirez took over in the seventh inning but managed only one out, allowing a double and a walk before he was replaced by Mongtomery, who put out the fire.
Montgomery stayed on the for eighth and was effective, recording two strikeouts and retiring Toronto in order.
Soto issued two walks in the ninth but struck out Daulton Varsho to end the game.