Pirates Get Late Win Over Twins in Spring Training
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates kept it late, but eventually got a win over the Minnesota Twins at LECOM Park in Bradenton, Fla.
Catcher Shawn Ross hit a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth inning, breaking a 4-4 deadlock and helping the Pirates ensure a 6-4 victory.
Ross took a hanging slider from Twins right-handed pitcher Travis Adams and sent it 417 feet to right field and 105.7 mph off the bat, scoring Alika Williams as well.
Shawn Ross sends this ball to the parking lot! pic.twitter.com/PNgdLvmfWu
— Young Bucs (@YoungBucsPIT) February 26, 2026
It was the first home run for Ross in Grapefruit League play and a big hit for the non-roster invitee, who will want to make his mark before the season starts.
How The Pirates Got the Win
It was a great start for the Pirates, as they got right after Twins right-handed starting pitcher Simeon Woods-Richardson.
Right fielder Jake Mangum and first baseman Spencer Horwitz hit back-to-back doubles off of deep fly balls to start the bottom of the first inning, with Mangum scoring on Horwitz's double.
Left fielder Bryan Reynolds singled afterwards and then designated hitter Marcell Ozuna grounded into a double play, but scored Horwitz to double the Pirates' lead at 2-0.
Center fielder Oneil Cruz doubled to opposite field and then shortstop Nick Gonzales singled. Gonzales stole second base and Cruz scored off the error to make it 3-0.
Right-handed pitcher José Urquidy made his first start for the Pirates and had a solid first inning with a strikeout.
Urquidy struggled in the second inning with a single, a walk and then a double that scored a run to cut the Twins' deficit, 3-1.
The Pirates brought in right-handed pitcher Junior Flores in relief of Urquidy, but he gave up a ground out and a single that scored two more runs, tying the game up at 3-3.
Second baseman Nick Yorke led off the bottom of the fourth inning with a single, moved to third base on two ground outs and then Horwitz hit an RBI-single to score Yorke and take a 4-3 lead for the Pirates.
Right-handed pitcher Wilber Dotel threw two innings and got the win for the Pirates, but did give up a double and a single in the top of the seventh inning, which tied the game at 4-4.
A crucial reason for the Pirates' win was right-handed relief pitcher Cam Sanders working himself out of a bases-loaded with no outs situation in the top of the sixth inning, with two fly outs and a ground out.
The Pirates got scoreless innings of relief from right-handed pitchers in Chris Devenski and Yohan Ramírez and left-handed pitchers in Evan Sisk and Joe La Sorsa
Cruz, Gonzales and Horwitz have all had strong Spring Trainings so far and each had two hits in the win over the Twins.
Dominic writes for Pittsburgh Pirates On SI, Pittsburgh Panthers Pn SI and also, Pittsburgh Steelers On SI. A Pittsburgh native, Dominic grew up watching Pittsburgh Sports and wrote for The Pitt News as an undergraduate at the University of Pittsburgh, covering Pitt Athletics. He would write for Pittsburgh Sports Now after college and has years of experience covering sports across Pittsburgh.