Ryan O'Hearn's Career Day Earns Pirates Sweep Over Orioles
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PITTSBURGH — The Pittsburgh Pirates were looking for their first real great offensive showing at PNC Park and they got that from none other than right fielder Ryan O'Hearn.
O'Hearn drove in four RBI, tying a career-high, and helped the Pirates get an 8-2 win over the Baltimore Orioles in the series finale at PNC Park on April 5.
It's even more imperssive for O'Hearn, as he played for the Orioles from 2023-25 and was an All-Star last season, before they traded him to the San Diego Padres at the deadline. O'Hearn signed a two-year, $29 million with the Pirates in the offseason.
The Pirates get their first series sweep of 2026 as well, as they won 5-4 in the home opener on April 3 and 3-2 in the last game. It also marks five straight wins for the Pirates and six wins in the past seven games, as they improve to 6-3 to start the season.
Looking at Ryan O'Hearn's Great Showing vs. the Orioles
O'Hearn found himself in good situations at the plate early in this contest and came through for the Pirates to give them an early lead.
Baltimore Orioles right-handed starting pitcher Chris Bassitt walked designated hitter Bryan Reynolds and then threw a 91 mph fastball up in the zone that O'Hearn sent 402 feet over the right-center field wall for a two-run home run.
That home run was the third for O'Hearn this season, tied for second in the National League, and the first at PNC Park by a Pirates hitter, giving his team a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the first inning.
O'My O'Hearn! pic.twitter.com/BmVxWCqVp9
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 5, 2026
O'Hearn then had another big hit in the bottom of the third inning, taking a sinker off of Bassitt and splitting the Orioles left fielder and center fielder, which scored center fielder Oneil Cruz and second baseman Brandon Lowe, who got on base via single/ground out, respectively.
It was two more runs that gave the Pirates a 6-0 lead and essentially secured their victory over the Orioles.
O'Hearn has been the best Pirates hitter so far in 2026, slashing .379/.472/.724 for an OPS of 1.196 in eight games, with 11 hits in 29 at-bats, a double, 11 RBI and six walks to five strikeouts.
If he keeps having these showings, he'll help the Pirates win a lot more games going forward this season.
Braxton Ashcraft Dominates Again For Pirates
The Pirates not only got a great offensive showing vs. the Orioles, but a fantastic start from right-handed pitcher Braxton Ashcraft.
Ashcraft threw 87 pitches and six innings, giving up just one earned run and four hits with no walks, while posting a new career-high of eight strikeouts.
He struck out the side in the top of the second inning and aside from two solid hits in the fourth inning, he kept the Orioles off the bases and from really putting a serious rally together.
His pitches and innings pitched tied his career-high, which he set in his first start of the season vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Great American Ball Park on March 30, with this his second quality start in 2026.
Ashcraft went with his four-seam fastball and slider mostly, but also relied on his sinker and curveball, generating nine swings and misses in this outing.
Pitch | Usage | Average Velocity |
|---|---|---|
Four-Seam Fastball | 29/87 (33%) | 96.2 mph |
Slider | 21/87 (24%) | 91.1 mph |
Sinker | 18/87 (21%) | 96.3 mph |
Curveball | 14/87 (16%) | 84.3 mph |
Splitter | 5/87 (6%) | 90.1 mph |
The Pirates also got an inning from left-handed pitcher Mason Montgomery, who gave up a run, and then right-handed pitcher José Urquidy threw two scoreless innings to close out the game after Ashcraft's departure
Other Pirates Offensive Standouts
The Pirates loaded the bases to start the bottom of the second inning, with first baseman Spencer Horwitz walking, catcher Henry Davis singling and then left fielder Jake Mangum laying down a bunt to make it to first base safely.
Cruz then hit a 111.8 mph ball off of Bassitt's leg, which ended up a single and scored Horwitz to make it 3-0.
Reynolds hit a sacrifice fly later on in the inning, scoring Mangum and then O'Hearn had the two-run double to make it 6-0.
Cruz would crush a two-run home run in the bottom of the sixth inning, hitting a four-seam fastball from Orioles left-handed pitcher Cade Povich on the inside-low part of the zone and sent it out 415 feet and 107.2 mph off the bat.
Aim for the bushes. pic.twitter.com/sSDOCXgy0q
— Pittsburgh Pirates (@Pirates) April 5, 2026
He has four home runs in 2026, the most in the National League and tied for third in MLB, and is now 7-for-10 against southpaws, with three home runs and six RBI, after having just 11 hits in 108 at-bats in 2025.
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.