Phillip Evans goes 4 for 5 to lead Pirates' 16-hit effort in loss to Orioles

Six Pittsburgh Pirates had multiple hits as they rapped out 16 hits Thursday night against the Baltimore Orioles.

Problem was, none of them were home runs.

The Orioles built a big lead, thanks to three-run homers by Ryan Mountcastle and Austin Hays, and held on for a 10-9 win over the Pirates in a Grapefruit League game at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla.

Phillip Evans led the Pirates (12-10-1) by going 4 for 5 with two RBIs and three runs scored, becoming the first Pirates hitter with a four-hit game in spring training since Adam Frazier did so against the Atlanta Braves on March 13, 2017. Evans is 8 for 12 with five RBIs in his last four games and batting .393 (11 for 28) in 12 games this spring.

Anthony Alford, Todd Frazier, Brian Goodwin, Liover Peguero and Tony Wolters added a pair of hits apiece.

The Pirates took a 2-0 lead in the first on a two-run single by Evans. They stretched it to 3-0 in the second on Peguero’s double to score Wolters from first base.

Pirates starter Sean Poppen struck out three in the first inning, but the Orioles pounded Poppen in the second. It started with a leadoff triple by Austin Hays, who scored on Pedro Severino’s single to right. Poppen loaded the bases, then gave up a two-out single to Trey Mancini that tied the score 3-3.

Richard Rodriguez relieved Poppen, who gave up five runs on three hits, only to surrender a three-run homer to Mountcastle as the Orioles made it 6-3.

Wolters hit a two-run single to make it 6-5. The 20-year-old Peguero, a top-five prospect who started at shortstop, followed by driving in Brian Goodwin to tie the score. But the Orioles smacked a pair of singles off Michael Feliz in the fourth before Hays hit a three-run homer to left for a 9-6 lead.

Evans singled to lead off the seventh, reached second on an error and third on a single by Frazier, then scored when Wilmer Difo grounded into a double play to cut it to 9-7.

The Orioles added a run off Edgar Santana in the seventh, when Severino doubled to score Freddy Galvis. Oneil Cruz, another top-five prospect who replaced Peguero at short, doubled and scored when Erik Gonzalez hit into a bases-loaded double play. Evans registered his fourth hit, a single to first to drive in Jared Oliva.

Lefty Tyler Anderson is scheduled to start against Matthew Boyd when the Pirates play the Detroit Tigers at 1:05 p.m. on Friday at LECOM Park in Bradenton. Trevor Cahill, Duane Underwood Jr., Kyle Crick and Sam Howard also are scheduled to pitch for the Pirates.