Pirates get 17 hits, fall just short of no-hitter in Grapefruit League win over Braves

It all came down to the final out.

The Pittsburgh Pirates were one out away from a spring training no-hitter, thanks to a double play in the bottom of the ninth against the Atlanta Braves.

Right-handed reliever Nick Mears lost the no-hit bid when Phillip Ervin singled on a soft fly to right field. The Pirates lost their shutout when Mears’ balk allowed Ryan Goins to score from third.

The Pirates pounded out 17 hits and rolled to a 10-1 victory over the Braves in nine innings Tuesday at CoolTodayPark in North Port, Fla.

The Pirates didn’t allow a hit in two innings apiece from starter Steven Brault and Miguel Yajure, followed by one inning each from Chris Stratton, Edgar Santana, Sam Howard and Sean Poppen. Over 40 innings in the past five games, the Pirates have allowed seven earned runs (1.75 ERA). Their ERA this spring is 2.91, tied for best with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Pirates got multihit games by Adam Frazier and Erik Gonzalez (both 3 for 3), Anthony Alford, Ke’Bryan Hayes and Hunter Owen (all 2 for 2) and Joe Hudson (2 for 5, three RBIs). Owen and Troy Stokes Jr. added home runs for the Pirates (4-3-1). The Pirates have outscored their past two opponents 23-2 after a 13-1 victory over the Baltimore Orioles on Sunday, and they have recorded at least 15 hits in back-to-back spring training games for the first time since March 18-19, 2017.

Brault struck out the side in the first inning — getting Ronald Acuna Jr., Ehine Adriaza and Freddie Freeman to go down swinging — but started the second by walking Marcell Ozuna and Travis d’Arnaud before getting Dansby Swanson to ground into a double play. Brault then walked Austin Riley but got Abraham Almonte to ground out to Hayes, who forced Riley out at second.

“Throwing a lot of balls, that was the main difference. I guess I did in the first inning, too, but I definitely threw more in the second,” Brault said. “(Pirates pitching coach) Oscar (Marin) and I talked about it, about kind of getting more into the thing about delivering stuff and making sure that next time I’m keeping the competitive mindset and not worrying about anything except getting outs. Wasn’t quite finishing pitches the way I’d like to.”

The Pirates got eight hits and scored five runs off Braves starter Drew Smyly. They scored three runs in the second, as Phillip Evans drew a leadoff walk, advanced to second on an Erik Gonzalez single, took third on an error by left fielder Marcell Ozuna and scored on Alford’s single to third base for a 1-0 lead. Hudson, serving as designated hitter, got a two-run line drive to center to score Gonzalez and Alford for a 3-0 lead.

In the third, Hayes and Bryan Reynolds hit back-to-back doubles to left field to give the Pirates a 4-0 edge. Philip Pfeifer replaced Smyly, walked Adam Frazier and allowed Reynolds to reach third on a wild pitch. Gonzalez singled to score Reynolds for a 5-0 lead. Alford walked to load the bases for Hudson, who went down swinging.

“Kind of just as I hit it, I knew it was hit kind of split in between the outfielders,” Hayes said. “We always preach hard turns around first whenever you’re going, and we were up 3-0 in spring training, so I said might as well try.”

Hayes went 2 for 2 with a walk against the Braves to extend his hitting streak to five games and is batting .500 (7 for 14) this spring, with four doubles and a triple.

“I feel really good up there right now,” Hayes said. “I’m seeing the ball good, being aggressive and all the things I was doing last year. So just continuing to work on the things that I work on day-in and day-out, with my routine and as far as that stuff. Getting ready for the game and just doing my homework on the pitchers before the games to make sure I have a plan when I get up there.”

The Pirates made it 7-0 in the fourth, when Jacob Stallings doubled to right to score Adam Frazier and Hayes. Stallings reached third on an error by right fielder Abraham Almonte but was thrown out at home.

Owen hit a solo homer to lead off the seventh, and Hudson’s double scored Travis Swaggerty to give the Pirates a 9-0 lead. Stokes homered in the eighth to make it 10-0.

The Pirates will play the New York Yankees at 6:35 p.m. Wednesday in Tampa, with lefty Tyler Anderson expected to start and Michael Feliz, Richard Rodriguez, David Bednar, Geoff Hartlieb, Blake Cederlind and Braeden Ogle scheduled to pitch.